El Santuario Resort & Spa

The bedding was an absolute dream, and the staff were so attentive. We had a wonderful girls’ weekend, with a spectacular Sunday brunch and excellent food. And what a view! I can’t wait to come back with my husband for a romantic getaway.

We wanted a relaxing break after a long, busy, cold winter and came to celebrate my 40th birthday. The website calls the resort a “sanctuary” for disconnecting, so it was a shock to arrive and find a wedding blasting club music through the open air property from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m. We got maybe five hours of sleep. The next night, ringtail raccoon creatures came into our room and woke us up. They were cute, but it was hard to sleep, and Velcro stickers on the screens would make it easy for guests to secure them at night. Then someone was loudly sweeping above us at 8 a.m. the next morning. Our room was beautiful, but water leaked from the pool above. They offered to move us right away and said they’d return in ten minutes, then left us waiting with the leak for nearly an hour without an update. We had to call down to ask what was going on. There were plenty of other management problems. Our reservation wasn’t on file when we arrived, despite having a confirmation code. On Saturday, just one server handled everyone’s pool drinks, so getting one took about 30 minutes after we got his attention. It wasn’t his fault, there was too much for one person. Wedding confetti stayed in the pools all Sunday. That evening, three drunk wedding guests were escorted through the restaurant during dinner, and one threw up right next to our table. Nobody said anything. A dozen other things felt off too. We told them we felt duped, and they offered a free breakfast, which was nice but didn’t make up for two nights without sleep. They still brought us the bill at the end of breakfast, and the confusion around it made things awkward. Most of this would have been less disappointing at a lower price and without the promise of a relaxing getaway. We paid $450 a night and had a strange experience. We did enjoy the incredible view, grounds, and our stay in some ways, but had to work to overlook the obvious mistakes. If you expect less, you may have a better time. If you’re paying extra for a romantic, peaceful weekend, you might feel misled too. It’s a shame, because there’s so much potential here. The room and grounds are beautiful, but the management and advertising were disappointing. Shoutout to Maru, who was great and helped us navigate the weekend’s confusion as much as she could.

The setting is gorgeous, the property spotless, and the spa team excellent. Still, I wouldn’t return or recommend it. I came from Florida with my best friend, looking forward to the sanctuary and especially to Chef Sócrates’ food, which the hotel promotes heavily. He wasn’t there, and nobody told us. Every meal we had, from breakfast and lunch to a snack and dinner, was awful. At those sky-high prices it felt insulting. The “wild setas” were canned mushrooms, the choriqueso was rock hard, and “la macetita” dessert literally tasted like dirt. We were so put off that we left and drove an hour round-trip just to eat elsewhere. Many advertised things weren’t available either. Several spa treatments were “not offered,” and the “heated” pools were cold. The place has a lot of potential, but the experience fell short of what it promised and of what it costs.

The architecture is beautiful, the rooms are clean, and the beds are comfortable. Breakfast buffet gets a 10/10 from me, and the staff are very polite. But they seem clueless despite that politeness. Check-in was a nightmare, dinner service was terrible, and room service was inadequate. They couldn’t handle even the smallest requests. The valet was super slow, and you’ll get eaten alive by mosquitoes while waiting for your car or going outside. This could have been an incredible experience, but it falls flat. 3.5 stars max.