Hotel Pibi Boreal — Hotel in Desamparados

We just spent four nights at this wonderful retreat and are looking forward to returning soon. We initially had concerns, because 1) We were traveling without a car, 2) We arrived at the airport at midnight, and departed at 6:30 am, and the website says "free transport" 3) No restaurants nearby.|Well, we should not have worried one bit. 1) We were able to get rides from the family to nearby restaurants by family members and got a taxi home ($8) each evening 2) Mathieu (Mateo) was there at midnight to pick us up at the curb. He dropped us off at the airport on our return day at 3:30 am with a smile 3) We were always able to arrange getting to/from a restaurant for dinner.|The Pibi Boreal (Olive Sided Flycatcher) is a veritable botanical garden of 4 acres with lots of birds (we are avid birders) and we saw a "Life Bird", the Blue Vented Hummingbird, which we didn't see anywhere else on our 3 weeks in Costa Rica. The grounds are meticulously maintained with easy walking trails, even in the rainy season which we had in December. |The two beds were our most comfortable of the trip and we loved the pristine bedding and the duvets which kept us a perfect temperature.|Breakfast was brought to our room every morning...highlights were the sweet, ripe fruits (always papaya, pineapple, watermelon, banana), the croissants, toasts and jams, and the hot foamy steamed milk for the delicious, strong coffee.|The property is gated and felt very safe. The deck overlooks a garden of flowers and native plants. Because it is located within 15 minutes of the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), there was occasional noise from planes taking off and flying over the area during the daytime.|The room has a small fridge with beers, sodas, snacks for $3, free water, and a small coffee maker with fresh ground coffee supplied each day.|Pibi Boreal is truly one of the most tranquil and relaxing retreats we have stayed in.|Consider yourself lucky if you are able to stay in one of their 5...

We just spent four nights at this wonderful retreat and are looking forward to returning soon. We initially had concerns, because 1) We were traveling without a car, 2) We arrived at the airport at midnight, and departed at 6:30 am, and the website says "free transport" 3) No restaurants nearby. Well, we should not have worried one bit. 1) We were able to get rides from the family to nearby restaurants by family members and got a taxi home ($8) each evening 2) Mathieu (Mateo) was there at midnight to pick us up at the curb. He dropped us off at the airport on our return day at 3:30 am with a smile 3) We were always able to arrange getting to/from a restaurant for dinner. The Pibi Boreal (Olive Sided Flycatcher) is a veritable botanical garden of 4 acres with lots of birds (we are avid birders) and we saw a "Life Bird", the Blue Vented Hummingbird, which we didn't see anywhere else on our 3 weeks in Costa Rica. The grounds are meticulously maintained with easy walking trails, even in the rainy season which we had in December. The two beds were our most comfortable of the trip and we loved the pristine bedding and the duvets which kept us a perfect temperature. Breakfast was brought to our room every morning...highlights were the sweet, ripe fruits (always papaya, pineapple, watermelon, banana), the croissants, toasts and jams, and the hot foamy steamed milk for the delicious, strong coffee. The property is gated and felt very safe. The deck overlooks a garden of flowers and native plants. Because it is located within 15 minutes of the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), there was occasional noise from planes taking off and flying over the area during the daytime. The room has a small fridge with beers, sodas, snacks for $3, free water, and a small coffee maker with fresh ground coffee supplied each day. Pibi Boreal is truly one of the most tranquil and relaxing retreats we have stayed in. Consider yourself lucky if you are able to stay in one of their 5...

In one word: perfect! The hotel has 5 charming rooms very comfortable and peaceful, each with a private terrace with an amazing view. It's designed such that the terrace never gets direct sunlight so you can enjoy the nature all day long starting with breakfast that is served in your room. The hotel is brand new - it opened in October 2018, and everything is sparkling clean and very thoughtfully and tastefully designed. The owners live right there and are very nice and welcoming family. They offer pick up and drop off from the airport (about 20 minutes drive), and invited me to have fresh fruit with them when I arrived and then tea later in the evening. I only had 1 night at Pibi Boreal before my departure, but if I have a chance I would come again and stay much longer. This is by far the nicest hotel I've stayed in in Costa Rica, and one of the nice hotels I've ever been to. It instantly makes you feel welcome. It is close to the airport, but is also a good base to explore Poas volcano or La Paz waterfall. And because it's higher up, the air is fresh and cool and gives you a break from the heat of the beaches. And there were no mosquitoes, even...