ONDA - Playa Grande — Hotel in Cabo Velas

My month-long stay at ONDA in Playa Grande, Costa Rica, was a truly exceptional experience that I can't praise enough. From the moment I arrived, the staff's warm welcome and dedication to ensuring I had an unforgettable stay set the stage for a month filled with cherished memories.

ONDA's exceptional hospitality extended to every aspect of my stay. The culinary experience, while Costa Rica may not be known for diverse cuisine, was elevated at ONDA. They skillfully worked with local ingredients, transforming each meal into a culinary adventure. The attention to detail and presentation were remarkable.

What truly distinguishes ONDA is its central location. Just a two-minute walk from the beach, I could easily enjoy the pristine shores of Playa Grande. Additionally, the convenience of being a mere 30-second walk from tennis and pickleball courts added a layer of excitement to my stay.

The communal spirit of ONDA is another highlight. The hotel served as a hub for the Playa Grande community, allowing me to meet incredible people and form lifelong friendships. Olivia, an ONDA team member, coordinated surf lessons for me and captured amazing video footage of my surfing adventures. Javi, a world-class surf instructor, played a pivotal role in making my surf sessions unforgettable. And Alex, the front-of-house receptionist, is not just a staff member but a lifelong friend now, thanks to his warm personality and local insights.

To make the experience even more enjoyable, ONDA organized fun themed nights, including pool tournaments, Trivia night, and Taco Tuesday. These events added an extra layer of excitement and community to my stay.

The comfortable and beautifully designed accommodations provided a perfect retreat after days of adventure. The staff's extensive knowledge of the area ensured that I could make the most of my time exploring Costa Rica.

In summary, ONDA offers a complete package of outstanding service, a memorable culinary experience, and a welcoming community. The combination of a fantastic location, theme nights, and the extraordinary individuals like Olivia, Javi, and Alex, along with the entire ONDA team, made my stay in Costa Rica unforgettable. I wholeheartedly recommend ONDA to anyone seeking a unique and enriching experience. It's not just a place to stay; it's a place to create memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Five stars don't...

Onda is okay. Honestly, I think it is catered to a younger crowd, folks in their 20’s. I ran into another guest surfing (we’re both in our 50’s) and he agreed with me. He said Onda wants to be a nightclub hotel. It is close to the main beach, maybe a few hundred yards. I carried my longboard no problem. It’s walking distance to maybe half a dozen restaurants. I found it to be a loud hotel, lots of tile and the way it’s built the rooms form a sort of semi circle towards the pool. I think the design collects sound towards the rooms. The rooms are loud on the inside too with lots of hard surfaces.

Onda is new construction, but it’s Costa Rican construction so you can see lots of slap it together details. The rooms are sparse, almost a Scandinavian design. The bed was comfortable. AC is good. The sheets and towels are nice. The Internet is very fast. No nightstand reading lights. No refrigerator. No TV. No coffee pot. No place in the bathroom to put anything. Seems most places have free coffee in the morning. Not Onda. The blinds are too wide so every time I opened or closed the room door I had to wrestle with the blinds. I saw someone else leaving their room struggle with the blinds too. I laughed and said something to them. Onda needs to fix this or the blinds will be destroyed in a few months of use. The restaurant is decent. Can’t speak to the bar. Onda should get a communal refrigerator guests can use.

The hotel has this techno music playing from like 8AM to maybe 10 or 11PM. The other guest I met didn’t dig the euro techno music either. I was doing something and was tired one day. I wanted to relax for a couple hours before dinner. It was a Sunday afternoon about 3. I got back to Onda and it was like spring break. There was a DJ playing concert loud techno. The pool was full of kids in their 20’s. The bar was packed. The music from inside my room was louder than if I cranked my own music. It was too cuckoo for me. The complete opposite of serene. I went down the beach to relax instead.

I wouldn’t stay at Onda again. Neither would the other guest I met in the water. If you’re in your 20’s and want a party atmosphere you...

ONDA is a very unique experience. It is part hostel, part hotel, part remote workspace. You can book a bed in a shared room, or a private room with shared bathroom facilities (3 private toilets and 3 private showers), or a private room with your own bath, what ever your budget can afford. It is a communal living and/or work experience. People are there because they want to socialize with others. That means if you're looking for a quiet vacation with your a significant other, this may not be the place for you. If you want to meet interesting people from all around the world who are friendly and fun, maybe make new friends, this is the place for you. Every night, they've got some social function going on, like a barbecue, that brings people together. The pool is small but provides another place to meet people.

If your job allows you to work remote, they have high speed internet and quiet office cubes and conference rooms, then you can walk a few hundred yards to one of the most amazing beaches to play the rest of the day.

The staff are great. Completely friendly, go out of their way to make you happy. The food is good, but if you get bored, there are a few other restaurants within a five minute walk. The food truck down the street had a lot to choose from.

Playa Grande is an amazing beach. The surf can get pretty big at high tide but we managed to sneak in surf lessons in the morning when the waves were only 2 to 3 feet. The beach is about 2 miles long, so it's great for morning walks. Unlike Tamarindo, where you might have a tough time finding a place to sit on the sand, there might have been fifty people tops on the entire two mile long beach, so you could have a whole section of beach to yourself.

Overall ONDA is a great option. Stay for 1 night or a month as some people I met were doing. Who would want to work remotely in the wintertime from some northern state when you could work remotely here? Meet people, make friends, eat...