Hotel Casa Turire

Dinner was incredible, everything cooked just right and rich and delicious. Aaron looked after us so well, attentive and welcoming. Jana, the manager, was warm and lovely, and we talked about the tours and classes, including the Yoga she teaches. Adrienna at reception was sweet, friendly and had a great sense of humor. We also wandered around the building a little. The decor and small details were beautiful, with art on display and coffee, merchandise and chocolate for sale. It was a wonderful dinner visit, and I can’t wait to come back and try the tours.

The garden is lovely and the property has character, but it felt more like a museum stop than somewhere to spend the night. This was easily the worst hotel we stayed at in Costa Rica. It seems it may have been a great place 30 years ago, but now it’s very old and dirty. I think it should close for a full renovation and stop taking guests until the work is done. The food was average for the price, and in the afternoon it was hard to find anyone at reception. Our room was dirty, the shower drain was clogged, and there was no Wi-Fi in the room. We could hear everything from the restaurant and reception, as well as people playing billiards late into the night. Awful.

The garden has wonderful flora and fauna, and the setting is beautiful, right by the lake in a lovely landscape. The manor house is gorgeous too, but it needs renovation and a lot of things need repair. Only four rooms have AC, the suites. The price doesn’t feel in line with what you get. Service was courteous, though sometimes very slow. The food was very good but also very expensive, and drinks were massively overpriced. A 0.3-liter sparkling water cost 16 dollars. Beer and cola were much more expensive than the national average. I’m conflicted.

From the grand palms at the entrance through to the gardens, pool and rooms, everything was wonderful. The staff take care of all the details. I highly recommend it if you’re staying in the Highlands.