Villa de la Luna — Hotel in Sardinal

The Villa sits high on a hillside overlooking Playa Ocotol.  I mean really high!  The road from the base to the Villa is steep, with a hard turn about 3/4 of the way up.  The position on the hill gives you amazing views.  The walk down to the beach is about 6 mins.  The walk up is dependent on what shape you are in - it could be 10 mins or 20 mins.  You need to be in reasonable shape to make the climb.

The Villa's neighborhood is safe.  There is someone at the villa or on the grounds full time - staff during the day, security at night.  The gate to the Villa is closed after 10PM.  The house two doors down has full time security.  I never once worried about my children or my stuff while staying here.

Upon arriving at the Villa the first time, the double doors swing open and you are greeted by not only the most amazing view of the bay, the Pacific, and surrounding hillsides, but also some very friendly faces that you will come to appreciate over the next few days (or longer!).  Our chef, bulter/bartender, maid, and helper introduced themselves and presented us with a snack for our 300PM arrival.  Drinks were already made and poured since our driver called the Villa to place our order.  The tacos were fantastic and a good harbinger of the cuisine that would follow.  The drinks were spot on throughout the stay.  We discussed dietary needs and preferences quickly and never had to address it again during the stay.

Common indoor space is limited.  4 or 5 people can watch TV inside.  This vacation is about being outside and this Villa delivers with some awesome spaces.  The pool and patio surrounding it can accommodate everyone.  The upstairs patio can accommodate everyone on it's own!  The tiki bar has a TV, room for 8 at the bar and more at tables surrounding it.  There is a half bath at this tiki bar.  You will not want for space outside.  All meals are served outside at the dining room table set for 12.  It's a great view while you eat!  We visited in August.  We all live in SW Florida and are used to hot, humid conditions.  There were a few nights it was even too hot for us and we crowded inside for an hour before heading off to bed.  Be forewarned if you live up north, it may take a day or two to acclimate.

The pool is as outstanding as it looks in the pictures.  The water temperature was perfect.  Always sparking clean.  The grounds are beautiful, with flowering plants everywhere you look.  The grounds keeper is there at sunrise, quietly returning the chairs and chaises to their proper place and tidying up.  The rest of the staff arrives around 700AM, depending on when you are leaving for your excursion that day.

Each meal is an event!  Breakfasts (when you are not leaving at 730AM to do something fun) are outstanding works of art.  Lunch, even better.  Dinner, a home run every time.  Drinks never stop flowing.  I am sure I literally gained 10 pounds in one week.  The ingredients are all fresh, locally sourced.  Think you had farm to table in the US?  This will put that idea to shame.  This is true farm (or sea) to table.  Presentation is outstanding.  Service is quick and not intrusive.  Desserts were always homemade and so delicious!  The staff leaves after cleaning up for dinner.  The bartender will mix anything you need before he leaves and places the pitchers in the fridge.  We found ourselves to be pretty sleepy after dinner and only made it a couple of hours before going to bed.  In August the sun sets around 600PM, sunrise is 530AM.  On a clear afternoon, the sunsets are amazing.  We were able to catch one really good one.  You won't see sunrises from the Villa.

Housekeeping is performed everyday.  The house was immaculate when we arrived and remained that way despite 6 teenagers living there.  There is a basket to put your dirty clothes in in each room.  Your clothes are laundered each day and returned folded up in your closet.  You could bring two outfits and two bathing suits and never need...

There aren't enough words to describe our week in paradise. We've had this vacation set in place for 2 years and was much needed for 5 couples that all have young children. We went to celebrate my 40th birthday and this place did not disappoint. From the second we walked through the door of Villa de la Luna, we felt so much love from the staff. Chema greeted us with beautiful tropical drinks and Socorro filled our bellies with the most delicious food ever! Marita made sure the villa was clean and did our laundry daily. The villa itself was stunning and had the best views of the bay. We loved the separate bar area, especially at night. The rooms were always clean and the beds were very comfortable. We spent most of our time outside by the pool and playing cornhole during the day. At night, we gathered around the big table and played games. We did have some food allergies and Socorro and Mariela made sure everyone was taken care of. They paid attention to every single thing. One guest asked for seconds during the first night and after that, they had a larger portion for each meal. Each meal had gluten free options to accommodate those guests and the guest with celiac was able to eat freely knowing everything was safe. Socorro made the prettiest birthday cake ever and we felt her love for cooking in every meal. She was so sweet. Chema was top notch with his drinks! He had a cooler with beer poolside for us daily, packed coolers and towels for our excursions, made the most delicious mango and strawberry margaritas, and overall was a huge help with so many things. He's a man of many talents (and hats) and always had a smile on his face. I highly recommend staying here! We had a wonderful time and I wish we could go back again soon. It's always sad saying goodbye and we shed a few tears on our way out because Chema, Socorro, and Marita turned into our family for us. It was the best experience for all of us and we will recommend this villa to anyone looking to go to Costa...

We booked 5 days at Villa de la Luna in early April, for a family visit with our grown children and their spouses. The six of us had such a wonderful, relaxing time together for the first time in ages.

The villa is just beautiful with plenty of space for all of us to enjoy time together and then retire to our own spacious and lovely rooms. The pool overlooking the the hillside down to the beach was our afternoon respite after a day of exploring, fishing, snorkeling, and horseback riding. Having Spa Services at the house was so nice, and we all enjoyed a variety of services, from facials, mani/pedis, and massages.

The house staff was so very warm and welcoming. Chema, Socorrita, and Marita were the best! Socorrita's meals were so delicious, especially the fresh tuna steaks and ceviche we caught. Marita made sure our rooms were clean and fresh every afternoon, and our clothes were washed and folded neatly for us every day.

Chema was the ultimate concierge. He waited on us hand and foot with anything we needed, from drinks by the pool, pouring wine at dinner, setting a beautiful table every meal, packing ice chests and snacks for our excursions, dropping us off at meeting locations and coordinating our other travel arrangements.

By the time we left, the staff felt like our family, and I hope they felt the same way about us. We can't wait to return, and may make it an annual family event, just so we can reunite with our Costa Rican family, who made us realize the meaning of Pura Vida!

Don't hesitate to make a visit here! You won't regret it.

Janice &...