Overall Ratings & Reviews Santarena Hotel at Las Catalinas

This place was absolutely gorgeous. The Hotel Santarena was incredibly clean, the staff were incredibly friendly, and it came off as genuine and warm. It was my first time to Costa Rica and I would recommend the Santarena to anyone that wants to have an amazing experience. It was a quick drive from the airport in Liberia, and it was conveniently located in an area that was not far from other great places to experience like Tamarindo and the Diamante Eco Park. And if experiencing local life and food is on your list of desires, just 10 minutes away was Potrero with some incredible food with the kindest locals at Los Abuelos. I recommend the Red Snapper. But seriously, the Santarena was a great stay experience. It was all inclusive and we were so incredibly well taken care of.

It was fine. Very expensive for the value received. Felt like an outpost of an American resort. Lacked authenticity. Located in an empty ghost town. Felt like being on a cruise but on land. Also the food didn’t feel fresh. It was definitely frozen even though they denied it. Just felt kind of lame over all.

Nothing regarding our vip status was honored. Was to have had amenities so that a two week stay would be convenient then property said 2K to upgrade? Was supposed to have a private balcony but was shared with people sitting right outside our bed basically. Talking noisy. Food offered was minimal and very little options. Pool was ice cold and very very tiny enough for maybe 4 guests at a time. Safe did not work. No laundry services as promised. No breakfast as promised. No grocery or help for concierge services as promised. Checked out (paid full amount manager wouldn’t respond to a chat to fix). Had to move to another facility that offered what we were supposed to be getting with another 2400 price tag attatched. Really disappointed and felt catfished by hotel and Expedia for not stepping in to help.

Excellent place!!!

Beautiful property and location in Las Catalina’s, surf shop, beach and restaurants out your doorstep. Rooftop pool and nearby beach club also amazing.

We loved the community and found many options. Only thing I would say is staff was not to willing to provide food options that were outside of the hotel.

Terrible experience. I stayed here with my son for about a week. Although it's next to the beach, the area is surrounded by construction, with almost no shops and poor transportation options. Staff were unprofessional and unhelpful—no activity brochures, no useful advice, and they only cared about charging you. The taxi from the hotel to the airport was quoted at $180, while Uber would cost around $70, but they chased away my Uber driver! One of the worst hotel stays I've ever had. Avoid this place and stay closer to Flagmin Beach instead.

Yes I didn’t see any VIP Benefit added to my bill on checkout please update my VIP cash

It’s a lovely building but needs a refresh. The pool is tiny and is typically congested. The food is good with plenty of options. However most all items at the breakfast buffet were somehow deep fried. The beach access needs a place to rinse off - the black sand from the beach is annoying.

Area being developed with specifically old European type architecture, going to be very lovely.

Wonderful property and Las Catalinas is amazing. Would love to see more chairs on the shared balconies, and fans in the bathrooms. But those are nit picky, and the rest is excellent.

I really loved the property and staff. Everyone was great and very accommodating, especially the front desk guys. I have to say that dining was expensive and the hotel doesn’t provide the basics like bottled water, robes/slippers, vanity kits etc. The hotel also didn’t provide loungers by the beach. I paid $25 for a chair for the beach for a few hours. The hotel needs to provide more for the price they charge. I wouldn’t say this is a 4 star as far as the amenities available but the service is 5 star.

The beach and the surrounding area are absolutely beautiful but the town is so small and has nothing for you to explore. We ate breakfast at the hotel and it was fine. It was a buffet but I feel like for the price you pay to stay there, the breakfast buffet should at least be included. They have a nice, short beach that was lovely to hang out on or go paddle boarding/kayaking and a hiking trail next to the property with a couple of options for hiking (I liked this). Because this place is tiny and your dining options are limited, everything is really expensive. I would only stay here for 1-2 nights.

If you would like a relaxing vacation by the beach, this is the place to stay beautiful location, beautiful rooms. The service was outstanding. They have a number of restaurants to choose from last night. We had a barbecue on the beach, which was excellent. You can get a golf cart to go to a restaurant that’s nearby so you don’t need to have a car for that. It’s about 45 minutes from the big city beach. I would definitely come again.

We stayed one night on our trip. It was so beautiful and clean! It’s a quiet area as it’s a new town. They have a small rooftop pool and about 4 pool chairs. The property is right on the beach with 5-8 restaurants in the area.

Access to the ocean and hiking was fantastic!

We might have to go here every year! This is one of the most exceptional locations we’ve been to thanks to the upscale villas surrounding the town and the general beauty of Las Catalinas. The concierge desk was like having personal assistants to any requests to arrange transportation or reservations at other local restaurants or adventures. The staff were very accommodating in every way. Every time you ask for something the reply would be “it’s my pleasure…” All the staff were bilingual, the room was spacious and comfortable, modern and well appointed. We loved walking out of our room right onto the beach where you have plenty of amenities if you choose to indulge in beach sports or leisure. Highly recommend and can’t wait to return.

The hotel is beautiful very well maintained, very clean and updated. The food is delicious!

Very nice

Beautiful property