Matthew P
Google
My family of five had a tremendous experience at Hideaway Rio Celeste.||Booking: Super easy, both online and with a phone call with questions. As our trip got closer, Tanya was amazing with recommendations for activities that fit our itinerary and our family. She also arranged transportation for us to and from the hotel - just made the logistics of the trip so much easier.||Arrival: Super easy check-in, and we were surprised with personalized notes in both our rooms recognizing we were celebrating a family milestone.||Rooms: some of the nicest rooms we've stayed in - so private (each room is it's own building, so no shared walls), well appointed, and clean. The privacy and independent rooms took a layer of stress away when traveling with our kids, as we didn't have to worry about them disturbing other guests. Great linens and pillows too, so we had great sleep during our whole trip.||Hotel: The grounds are beautiful and teeming with wildlife - we saw sloths, monkeys, and multiple different bird varieties every day, including while in the pool and eating breakfast. The whole resort is well maintained and easy to navigate. We did a night walk with a guide our first night who taught us about the native animals, which we were able to then use the rest of our time - finding amazing nocturnal animals literally on the paths around the hotel. The pool was a great temperature, complimented by the hot tubs - plenty of space for all the guests wanting to use the facilities. The on-property trails were amazing, and we were able to swim in the river all by ourselves - certainly an exclusive experience you don't find many other places.||Staff: I can't say enough about the staff - personable, professional, and genuinely kind people. Over our four days and nights, we got to know many of them, including Nelson, Christian, and Ismael, and our conversations with them really enhanced our experience as we learned about each other and Costa Rica. And they all seemed to take real pride in their work and the hotel, which (I hope) signals that the management takes good care of its employees. We were there for Christmas Eve and Christmas day, which added a lot of extra work and pressure on the staff, but they still excelled and made it a special holiday.||Overall: 10 out of 10 would come to the hotel again. A unique experience that felt worlds away from home in all the right ways.