We met nice people and had a good time as couple.... Hotel people are not very friendly but they help when you ask them for. The pool was nice but it could be better cleaned.... The food was ok.... The fun is always in your hands and the rest is up to you! Don't go alone by yourself

Expedia did not mention to us that this was a nude hotel. You could imagine our shock upon check- in. Apparently the hotel goes by another name too, "Desire". Be ware of this, I'd hate someone to be put in an awkward situation like this in a foreign country.

booked presidential suite with balcony . no balcony ?? wi fi non existent. manager even gave me a code but said you can try this but it will not work. Ownership needs to fix this place or close it. employees did their best with what they have . paid for two night, left after one ,

Was more relaxing and beautiful than expected. Extremely clean throughout. The entire facility is kept immaculate; from the rooms to the gardens, trees and pools. The views are amazing especially at night. The service from the staff was incredible and very much appreciated. Very good food, cold drinks, and prompt service with a smile. Being in a very remote area forced us to stay within the resort during our stay and relax while being pampered by the attentive staff. I know there are options to explore outside of the resort, but we chose to stay put during our stay. We enjoyed a very much needed romantic vacation with nothing to worry about. We really enjoyed the freedom and quietness as well as the opportunity to enjoy nature nude when we felt like it. Thank you to Laura, Angela, Luis, and the rest of the staff for making this vacation an unforgettable one.

my experience was nice , but you have to tell the people that the hotel is for swingers couples because the real name of the hotel is hotel desiere, and people are walking in bathsrope, and the presidential suite that we buy, the carpet smells, the courtain did not work and it was a little disapointment. We ask for a room change and it was very nice near tennis court.

So me and my husband had a one night stay here and upon reading reviews it seemed like a nice place. It's an adult only hotel in a secluded location. Two pool, a jacuzzi, the landscape was beautiful, the mansion had lovely ornate woodworkings. But the downside to the stay that made it super uncomfortable was that I felt like I was in a horror movie. We went on a weekday, and we're the only guests on the property. Mind you we were at a very secluded location so that didn't help to the uneasiness of this place. The guy who showed us the grounds said that people usually come on the weekends, I hope so because it was just weird. The room was a little musty but pretty. No English channels on TV. And I pretty much stayed up all night thinking I was gonna be sold to traffickers. Lol. I have a wild imagination. If there were more guests I strongly believe I would have had a better time that is why I would recommend this place because of its beauty and charm. But I wouldn't recommend going on a weekday unless your into that kind of secluded, different country, creepy shanangins lol.

with our rented car and directions that were supposed to be their in 30 minuted from the airport....took us 5 hours. We finally found someone whe lived there and we followed them. I never get lost while driving, but in Costa Rica the streets do not have names and sometimes come to dead end . We were going so much in circles that I seen the same person selling lottery ticket by the street. The place is like a guarded palace on the side of the mountain. The place does not have heat in the rooms. food excellent. grounds excellent. It overlooks San Jose at night and view is great. The Hot tub had a malfunction .... and the pool was shallow and cool. We got there at night and it was cool. We really could have used a blanket. Oh by the way the road to this place was really bad.. Would I go back... no.

First time at this hotel and was a great surprise. There are two swimming pools and one is clothing optional. We had a great room in front of the pool, the room also had a full kitchen,living area, comfortable bed, and the property is located in a quiet area with plenty of nature. Also the nightly concert performed by the frogs in the pools by the main building.

This hotel was so creepy we had to leave and find another hotel. Staff couldn't get our "room" unlocked after our efforts. Had a hard time getting anyone to let us in through the gate at dark. Expected an Adam's family member to appear. I was actually shocked that this hotel was offered through Expedia. Charge was non-refundable. Now I know why.

The pictures on hotels.com did NOT represent the room we stayed in. We arrived at the beautiful place (apparently called the "Desire" Hotel), checked in, and then had to drove down a road to a completely different building that looked like a run-down house that had been converted to rooms. This is the Catalina. No wifi, no a/c, handle of hair dryer all taped up, one small soap at sink (none in shower), one shampoo, no coffee for coffee-maker, and generally in very poor condition. It was clean and the view was beautiful. It's not right, however, that we were mislead by pictures and description on hotels.com website.

Very nice hotel, wonderful location: flowers, pool, jacuzzi- not in town, about 20 mn from Heredia. Very nice staff (especially Angela :), good food.

date feb 2013 sun night - friu morning. if you want a get away from it all for a couple of days this could be it. very quiet location and peaceful but be aware it is remote and you will nee transport otherwise. nice friendly staff. dinner is available and is edible but not adventurous. we did a 20 minute walkdown the dirt road to the el tigre restaurant one night - pleasant surroundings, better food but a lot more expensive. we stayed for five nights inc arrival late sunday and despite its well worn chalet rooms it was clean and quiet but i had hired a car for the days. beware state of roads (except a few toll roads) - typical average speeds i estimate at 15-20mph over a distance of say 60 miles to fortuna town thats 4 hrs !!!!!!!!!!! each way. back to hotel i had no complaints but it is not european standard even b&b but very nice grounds. hotel arrange taxi airport to hotel late sun night fo $25 dollars paid to driver. we are couple late fifties and easy going. we also stayed at the hotel europa after and then hotel luisiana

Great for couples, privacy and no restrictions. Really clean, nice staff. Good location with amazing views of Central Valley

Great view of San Jose. Lots of open space and gardens/flowers. A little off the beaten path and you need good directions and a gps to get there on your own but we did it with little problems and it was dark. A taxi might be better. Good food, included breakfast and basic kitchenettes available. Great for relaxed clothing optional vacation.

We are a couple who were first time guests at La Catalina Hotel. The hotel is set on 5 acres of gardens with scattered buildings housing 3-6 apartments each. Some rooms are newly remodeled, but we found the older rooms had more charm. The main building has a cafe and bar with a long porch overlooking the lights of San Jose in the valley below. We sat on the porch at night drinking frozen marguaritas and enjoying the view. In the morning we strolled the grounds before taking a day trip. The hotel has the feel of a 5-star resort that hasn't quite been maintained to 5-star standards. We rented a car and had difficulty finding the hotel from the airport until we realized we could enter the hotel name into our iPhone map app and it took us right there. The car rental company was out of GPS devices. Without a GPS map device we would have been lost during our trip. Hotel staff was outstanding--very friendly and accommodating. We love this hotel. It has tons of character.

We stayed at the La Catalina (Adults Only) during their down-season and we were some of the only guests during our 5 day stay. Upon checking in, they gave us a free upgrade to their King jaccuzzi suite! A full breakfast was included in our rate, which was always delicious. Our favorite breakfast was their Costa Rican rice & beans with eggs and tortillas and a fruit plate of pineapples, mangos, watermelon & bananas. Delicious! We had room 106, which was right off the main dining area. The room was very large and roomy, adequate towels, king bed. The mattress was quite hard, but I think that is normal over there. We still slept ok. The room and bathroom was always spotless every day. The adult pool was open and clean. I loved the sunning beds and the privacy. During the day we would go explore and in the evenings we would read in the lounge while drinking tropical drinks Henry served us at the bar. The service was great and friendly. My husband is a farmer and our host offered to escort him one day on a farm tour. He didnt even want to be paid for his time, he was so delighted to be of service. The down side to this place was that it seemed like its peak performance may have been 5 years ago. Even considering that we visited during down time, there were signs of neglect and deterioration. The gym looked like it hadn't been used in years, as well as the tennis courts and bird aviary. One other negative experience was one day in particular there was a strong sewer smell in our room, which I think was coming in the windows. It may have just been the way the wind was blowing that morning. Besides that, we REALLY loved this place and would go back again. The best thing we did on this trip was a rent a car and explore on our own. Within 20 minutes, Heredia, Alajuela, Barva, & Santa Barbara are all surrounding towns where we enjoyed their markets, town squares, sidewalk restaurants and warm culture. GREAT experience!

I saw the pictures online and some of others reviews, and I was specting something totally diferent, the thing is the room the gave us was totally diferent from pictures they put on expedia. The bed had roller, not a good thing for an hotel that advertise themselves as an adult only hotel. Overall I think I would have gave them a better rating if they were honest on the pictures of that specific room, cuz I thing they just they pics of the expensive and nice rooms on all of the other lower price rooms.

I loved my time away for a personal getaway at La Catalina; so quiet and peaceful. I was able to take a look into many of the rooms, and they were all meticulously kept and quaint. There aren't too many rooms that enjoy a view of the Central Valley, but I got to enjoy two of them - room 105 was the best! They treated me wonderfully! The only down side of my stay was that the music in the common/shared area was always blasting away. Yes, they did turn it down when I asked, and I thanked them for that; but in my opinion, I shouldn't have to ask.

This is a really nice boutique hotel - it's like old world charm with a mix of latin culture! It's located on the side of the valley looking into the city of San Jose, peaceful and yet close enough to enjoy the culture and sights of the metropolis. Onsite there's a beautifully ornate restaurant set in what I found out was once the mansion of a private estate, with a wide selection of food and drink and an intimate ambiance setting within a library. Amenities were good including two pools, tennis court, fitness centre ... but what I enjoyed most were the diverse range of flowers that literally enveloped the property and its walks. The staff were kind and helpful, and made me feel welcome as at a private inn. It's a good place to stay that's close to San Jose and it's airport, and as well centrally located to some great Costa Rica tours including the volcanoes.

GPS will take you by unfinish roads, un safe, dangerous. no Phones. no Internet as they promise, no hot water. No recommended