Hôtel Hacienda las Vainillas - Costa Rica — Hotel in Chires

Our extended family had the pleasure of staying at Hacienda Las Vainillas over the Christmas holiday, Dec. 25-27. Bottomline, this is a wonderful hotel with exceptional on-site owners and support staff. The rooms were spacious, well furnished and very clean. The location is great if you want to be close to nature, both animals and plants. Because it is close to a national park but not cities, I would strongly encourage you to include the hotel lunch in your reservation along with the provided lunch and dinners. We arrived earlier in the day than we expected, but Frederique and Philippe (the owners) welcomed us to their hotel with open arms and had their staff carry our luggage to rooms without delay. All the meals they served were excellently prepared and presented. You can tell that the owners came from France by the way the meals were prepared and presented, but the foods were based on local Costa Rican fresh ingredients. For Christmas evening dinner they served us a delicious traditional dinner including a tamale wrapped in a banana leaf. During our stay we took advantage of the guided tours to the waterfalls where the kids were able to swim as well as the tour of their vanilla plantation. As we were in the rain forest, it rained and we got wet on the tours, but their staff washed our clothes and returned them to our rooms, which was unexpected but wonderful. We also enjoyed the yoga classes and massages that were provided on the property which were relaxing.

Driving to the Hacienda Las Vainillas on some of the roads in Costa Rica was a little bumpy as some sections were unfinished, so I’d recommend having a vehicle with a higher road clearance, but once you get to the hotel you know it was worth it. Philippe and Frederique gave good directions to get to their hotel, which really feels much more like a very large, beautiful home they are graciously sharing with...

A Frenchman, Philippe, approaching retirement, decided that, as a challenge, he would, from scratch, design and build a luxury hotel on an isolated hill in Costa Rica. He persuaded his charming lady, Frédérique, to accompany him in this folly. Neither had any experience of hotel management, tourism, building, nor of running a restaurant. Against all the odds they have triumphed.|The hotel in the Spanish Colonial style, is beautiful and elegant. The attention to detail in construction and decoration is remarkable. The bedrooms have beautiful views, my upstairs room had a terrace overlooking the treetops to an expanse of virgin forest. Large ceiling fans prevent the room from getting too hot. The bathroom was stylish, the shower efficient and the hot water plentiful.| Food is very good and varied, both at lunch and dinner|I generally had the large swimming pool to myself, an added luxury!|The owners are charming, generous people who are both modest and natural, not always the case in Boutique Hotels!|Of the excursions available, try not to miss the river walk that finishes with a swim in a natural pool, constantly replenished from the mountain stream cascading over the rocks.|Scarlet Macaws flew raucously above the hotel several times most days. Toucans were also seen and heard frequently, while at breakfast one could observe hummingbirds and butterflies feeding at the adjacent hedge.|I stayed here for eight nights and enjoyed every...

We stayed 4 nights at the Hacienda and enjoyed every day of it. The Hacienda is absolutely beautiful, very comfortable and - although newly built - has many traditional features. It is situated on a hilltop and offers 270 degrees of undisturbed views. The large swimming pool is an absolute asset. Our room on the first floor (Don Amerigo) had high ceilings, a large bathroom and balcony but foremost a stunning view. At the end of the first floor there is a terrace with a hammock and some rocking chairs, perfect for relaxing and watching the sunset.

Philippe and Frederique are lovely hosts. Philippe is passionate about the budding vanilla plantation and the tour with Philippe is well worth taking. We also did a hike to the top of a mountain in the Cangreja NP with a local guide. It was informative and the view from the top was well worth the strenuous climb (tip: start right after sunrise to avoid the heat of the day).

Meals are taken at the hacienda as it is too remote to drive to a restaurant. Frederique uses her French cooking skills to provide lovely breakfasts, lunches and dinners and takes special requests into account. This 4-day break in our quite busy tour of Costa Rica was very nice as we enjoyed the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of...