Les Voiles Blanches Tamarindo — Hotel in Tamarindo

5 Stars in every way! Allow me to explain…Here is the review that you need - and, from a very seasoned traveler. I was fortunate to have rented the classic room for over 2 weeks at “Les Voiles Blanches.” For ease of writing this review, I’ll refer to the hotel as LVB (for short).||Location (5 stars - close to the action but, not too close): LVB is an 1 hour 10 minutes from the Liberia Airport (Joe can help to arrange a shuttle) or go online and rent a car (my suggestion - 3rd party liability insurance is NOT covered by your credit card and is typically 2x-3x the daily price of the rental…so please take this into consideration). LVB is 12-14 minutes car ride to/from the center of Tamarindo Beach. Please read this again! This is a luxury property where you can get to places fairly easily by car, but it’s no one that is walkable to shops, restaurants, bars, etc. Playa Grande is about 25 min (nice beach), Villa Real is 5 minutes (small markets, shops, quick eats) Avellanas Beach is about 20 minutes (beautiful and quiet beach with incredible authentic Italian restaurant called Il Rustico). Joe can also help to schedule tours, surf lessons, etc. And, he’s very resourceful-so, if he doesn’t know…he can still help you. I have given them the suggestion to have shuttles going into and out to Tamarindo each day. Once the place is consistently fully booked, they will definitely need to do this. But, if you’re renting a car, this won’t be a factor. ||Food (BREAKFAST OF THE STARS). Joe and Isa are former successful restaurateurs back home in Ottawa, Canada. Their breakfasts (that are included) are INCREDIBLE (each day the menu changes, and they are very flexible with you about your dietary restrictions). They have small refrigerators in each place (they start you off with a couple of water bottles), but you can totally go to a local market/mercado and stock up with drinks, alcohol, and snacks. You can also pay at LVB and grab some small snacks (at your own leisure) in the dining area (it’s the honor system, so just let them know), and they make some amazing cocktails/wine/etc (try the mojito!). Some of the top restaurants that I loved in Tamarindo were: the Falafel Bar, Pangas, Pico, Agua Salada, Il Rustico etc. Eventually, I can see LVB making boxed lunches for the beach for guests and maybe having a happy hour. ||Customer Service (Am I allowed to say 6 stars). Coming from the service industry and being friendly Canadians, Joe and Isa thrive off making their guests completely happy. Over the course of 2 weeks, I witnessed them going above and beyond the normal call of duty every single day. Please don’t take this as an opportunity to take advantage of how nice they are…they are here for the long term, and we all need to see them successful.||Rooms (5 stars) spacious, could use an iron at some point (but, they can help to wash and dry your clothes - just leave $10 bucks as a tip to the cleaners). Strong AC and wifi throughout - even outside the rooms. Porch area to chill. Part Outdoor shower (I’ve seen some people complain about this in other reviews - but, c’mon…this is Costa Rica - provides such charm for the room. Suggestion is to charge each person for sunscreen and bug spray - because there are times where you forget to close the bathroom door and then the mosquitos can hide for some munchies later in the night. ||Outdoor grounds (5 stars). Awesome pool, lounge chairs, tables for dining, palm trees and manicured jungle-like gardens. Also an outdoor chill area where you yoga and Pilates lovers can do what you do best. Dining area is also great for large groups and can accommodate about 30 plus people. Parking is ample and free for all. ||LVB was renovated last year - it’s all new, amazing designs, and such a beautiful place for all of your memories. Some of the pics from 2022 on websites are outdated FYI…and, any review prior to the middle of the year were from the previous owners. If you’re party animals and want loud music all night long, this might not be your cup of tea…but, for all others that want a reprise from all the hustle and bustle…want to feel like you’re part of a family atmosphere, then this is your place - HANDS DOWN!||Again, this is a completely unbiased review and I wish that I had a review like this before I booked my extended vacation, but I didn’t, so here is my gift to you. ||Happy booking and rest assured that you have picked the best choice in CR...

⸻||I wanted to love this place like others did, but several issues made it fall short of a 5-star experience.||We lost power multiple times early in our stay. While weather-related, it was disappointing given the $400+/night rate and lack of a generator. Breakfast isn’t included, which surprised me—I could’ve sworn I saw it was. As it turns out, it was in fact listed as included on TripAdvisor, along with other inaccuracies (like stating there’s a safe, which there isn’t), but not on the official site.||We stayed in a 2BR villa that looked nice but had many small but frustrating quirks: a toaster that only toasts one side, a painfully slow kettle, nightstand attached to wall but falling off, loose fixtures and towel holders, broom but no dustpan. WiFi was unreliable a few days. Unfortunately this timed with the one day my husband had a number of zoom meetings. The villa pool was cleaned only once during our 5-day stay. Housekeeping also skipped us one day, and it was only acknowledged after I brought it up.||A major concern: the shower door shattered while my daughter was inside—thankfully she wasn’t seriously hurt. When reported, the host mentioned it had happened before, which was unsettling.||The shared areas were lovely—nice pool, breakfast lounge, and a peaceful vibe. The yoga pavilion had potential but lacked basic equipment and upkeep. Joe, one of the owners, introduced himself and was warm and personable. However, his wife—who co-owns the property—never did, which felt a bit off for a hotel marketed as a luxury lodge, where a more attentive, personal touch is usually expected.||We still enjoyed our stay, but with all the issues, it’s more of a 3-star experience than the glowing 5s I saw online. I wish reviews had reflected a more...

My partner and I stayed here for 5 nights while visiting Tamarindo. We chose this place because it wasn’t downtown, since we aren’t big partiers. This property was an excellent choice!!

The location is prime, about 10-15 min away from town. Very easy drive, never any traffic and the road conditions are great for Costa Rica. The property is off the main road so it is quiet and peaceful.

The property itself is maintained beautifully and it was like we were in a tropical paradise. The landscaping is beautiful and you really feel “in it”. The pools are well maintained and the main pool is so stunning. The water feature is gorgeous.

Now the food..the best part!! Every morning we enjoyed a homemade breakfast, all of which were tasty. Banana bread and fruit included! Our favorite meal was the shakshouka. This was our first time trying this dish and it was soo flavorful.

The beds were super comfortable, AC worked well, and housekeeping came by daily. No complaints!

The hosts were so kind and gave us plenty of recommendations of things to eat and see. We loved Green Papaya (our favorite during our stay) and Playa Avellanas which was so peaceful (unlike the busy, busy Tamarindo beach).

We will absolutely choose to stay here again if/when we return...