Villa Lapas Jungle Village

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the grounds were lovely, with several pools and plenty of frogs to spot at night. The pools weren’t heated. Rooms were clean and had hair dryers, though there’s a bit of a walk from parking to your room, just so you know. Breakfast and dinner are buffets. Dinner costs $34 per person, which felt a little expensive to me. The food was good, but not great.

Scarlet macaws flew around, and we liked the pools, although the water wasn’t very clear. There’s a small river and footbridge leading to a colonial-looking part of the grounds, with a chapel, saloon, and a huge dining area. The setting is quaint, private, and in a good location. Staff and service were excellent, and the food was very good. Our room was nice, but needed work to be what I’d call very nice. The door didn’t feel secure, there was mold in the shower, the shower head was broken, and the air conditioning worked poorly. Hot water was also unavailable at certain times. I liked the place and would stay again.

The setup is kind of cute, but this wasn’t close to my favorite place in Costa Rica. We were glad we’d only planned one night. In the first room, the power went out overnight and the AC shutting off woke us. We could see lights on elsewhere, but there was no hotel phone in the room. I tried calling, WhatsApp calling, and messaging the front desk from my cell several times, with no answer. My husband had to walk to the front desk on the other side of the village. They sent someone over, who said they couldn’t restore power to our cottage, so we were moved to another room in the middle of the night. It was disorienting. When I woke in the new room, I could tell before the lights came on that there was a mold problem. There was black mold everywhere, and I was coughing like crazy. I would never have stayed in that room if I’d seen it in the light. I’d never return.

There was plenty of wildlife around, including iguanas, other lizards, and birds, which was fabulous. The food was a little dull, but otherwise I liked the place. A big resort in the rainforest is obviously challenging to maintain, and there were signs that some upkeep was needed. Still, it was tidy and well staffed, and a good place to visit.