Pura Vista Hotel — Hotel in Sardinal

Stayed here on last leg of our holiday in Costa Rica which had otherwise gone to plan. We landed just as CR closed due to Covid-19. We emailed ahead to make sure they were happy with us staying as long as we were allowed to stay. ||Finding the hotel was itself frustrating as the details given did not take us to the right place. It is hidden quite a way up a very steep hill. The advert said 5 mins from beach which it certainly isn’t. There was no spa offered, no beach bar as advertised (it’s not anywhere near a beach!), no washer drier in your room either or fitness centre as advertised. The french owner took us to our room and went to great lengths telling us how the lighting system around the bed would enhance our ‘performance” in bed! ||Our in-room coffee maker was not working and we were told we would have to wait 24 hours to get it changed as owner was out of town. Considering we were only guests I would have thought it could have been swapped, which it was later as we managed to mime to the maid what the problem was and she changed it. Breakfast is extremely overpriced so go prepared with your own or go to a local Soda for breakfast.||Disaster struck on day 3 of 8 when our government insisted on repatriation back to the UK. We advised the owner we would have to leave the following morning and would it possible to get a refund for the nights not used. He confirmed it would in the circumstances and he wound sort it out when we checked out. Check out arrived next morning and he looked us in the eyes and advised he would speak with Hotels.com to confirm they would refund. Well since then he has told Hotels.com he flatly refuses to refund any money, despite Hotels.com requesting he does so in these exceptions times. He has not replied to any messages we have sent him or offered any alternative resolution. He states he lives by the ethos of Pura Vida but I don’t see...

Stayed here on last leg of our holiday in Costa Rica which had otherwise gone to plan. We landed just as CR closed due to Covid-19. We emailed ahead to make sure they were happy with us staying as long as we were allowed to stay. Finding the hotel was itself frustrating as the details given did not take us to the right place. It is hidden quite a way up a very steep hill. The advert said 5 mins from beach which it certainly isn’t. There was no spa offered, no beach bar as advertised (it’s not anywhere near a beach!), no washer drier in your room either or fitness centre as advertised. The french owner took us to our room and went to great lengths telling us how the lighting system around the bed would enhance our ‘performance” in bed! Our in-room coffee maker was not working and we were told we would have to wait 24 hours to get it changed as owner was out of town. Considering we were only guests I would have thought it could have been swapped, which it was later as we managed to mime to the maid what the problem was and she changed it. Breakfast is extremely overpriced so go prepared with your own or go to a local Soda for breakfast. Disaster struck on day 3 of 8 when our government insisted on repatriation back to the UK. We advised the owner we would have to leave the following morning and would it possible to get a refund for the nights not used. He confirmed it would in the circumstances and he wound sort it out when we checked out. Check out arrived next morning and he looked us in the eyes and advised he would speak with Hotels.com to confirm they would refund. Well since then he has told Hotels.com he flatly refuses to refund any money, despite Hotels.com requesting he does so in these exceptions times. He has not replied to any messages we have sent him or offered any alternative resolution. He states he lives by the ethos of Pura Vida but I don’t see...

My husband and I stayed at the Pure Vista for a week and it was the most magical week of our lives! Mark, the owner of the hotel, truly embodies the "Pure Vida" spirit, and his kindness was unmatched. Mark was prompt with responding to all our questions and gave us excellent suggestions for food, drinks, and excursions. The property included 3 kitten friends that were the cutest and friendliest cats we've ever met! We also thoroughly enjoyed the lovely ladies that made delicious breakfast for us every morning. To be served traditional Costa Rican breakfast with a fabulous view was something we looked forward to every morning! We saw white-throated magpies and heard howler monkeys as we ate breakfast. Some of the occupants were lucky enough to spot whales! At night, we had some raccoon and skunk visitors! Playa Ocotal is a quieter beach town than others and we did not want it any other way! The beach has tide pools where you can enjoy watching fish and marine life as you relax. After a day at the beach, we came back and enjoyed the sunset in the pool overlooking our room. The sunset from Ocotal beach is also not to be missed! Dinner at Father Rooster (Ocotal), Claudio y Gloria (Coco), and Papagayo Seafood (Coco) became a staple. We also enjoyed the fresh fruit and fruit juices as much as we could! We rented a car to get around to/from Liberia airport and to/from the nearest town, Coco and other places (Playa Hermosa, Diamante Eco Adventure Park), however, Ubers and taxis are easily available to/from the hotel. We ventured out to Rincon de la Vieja for a day tour of the volcano, waterfall, and the hot springs, and we did a morning sailing and snorkelling tour. Both of these were fantastic experiences! We've completely fallen in love with Costa Rica and the people, culture, food, animals, and the natural habitat. Just counting down the days until...