United First: Newark->Houston->Liberia->Newark
Dec 18, 2014, 6:19 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 405
United First: Newark->Houston->Liberia->Newark
Apologies for the long winded report and if the text runs far to the right.
Cliff notes: Amazing trip.
My wife and I have been tossing around the idea of going to Costa Rica for just about 3 years now and finally made the trip. Items in report:
1. United First from Newark to Houston
2. Houston to Liberia
3. Rio Perdido hotel
4. Four Seasons Hotel
So we booked what we felt was a good first class price from Newark to Liberia. Originally we were suppose to fly out of Newark in the morning, switch planes in Houston, and continue onto Liberia with a landing of 12:30 in the afternoon. Sweet! We have the whole day. A few months after we book we receive an e-mail that we now have a 7.5 hour layover and thus we wouldn’t late till late into the evening. As I’m walking out the door to attack my study material for the CPA license my wife yells to me with not the softest tone of how we are now not landing till late.
I call AMEX with whom we booked the flights through and they could only change our flights to another flight with our same booking type. I pretty much know zero percent of how flight booking codes work but after reading this forum I at least knew they existed. They find a flight that was slightly better but we felt we should call United to see what they say. After about an hour on the phone with the rep. (probably 15 min of talking), they switched our 1st leg from Newark to Houston to a day before. That worked out great b/c we then got to get to Costa Rica at our regularly scheduled time and we got to see our good friends in Houston for the night.
The flight down was great. Smooth flying and a very comfy first class seat.
After having some vodka drinks at the United Club (the club left a lot to be desired) I kept with that mindset and continued it onto the plane. We received dinner and we both chose the ravioli since our friends were smoking a chicken in their Big Green Egg (need one now!). I switched to red wine at dinner time. Unsure of what it was but that’s not important. It tasted fine and was never empty.
Check-in was cake
Security was cake
First time ever with lie flat seat
Short guy problems
Controls
Nuts and wine
Ravioli and salad
The United Club (1 of 3) in Houston was much much nicer.
Window seat with a view of the birds
And here’s the domestic first class we all love. This was the same product we had on our direct flight back to Newark. I am by no means complaining but I have no clue how you taller folks fly in coach. I’m 5’9 on a good day.
My wife double fisting her Prosecco
2. We chose to do 2 nights at the Rio Perdido hotel located close to the Miravalles National Park in Bagaces. We were both pretty glad we chose to hire a transfer (Pacific Tours) to drive us. There is a ton of road construction going on and the roads were a little sketchy at times. Plus there seems to be no driving laws there ☺ The last 6km of the drive is a very rocky dirt road which takes about 20-30 min to conquer.
Costa Rica Traffic Jam
Arrival
Walkway (at night) to check-in which is located in their restaurant.
The hotel consists of 20 Bungalow’s located on the left (if driving to the lobby) side of the resort. Check in was pretty quick. Received a nice refreshing fruit drink as we were escorted to seats with a great view. You sign an insurance waiver as soon as you check in for the fact that there are a lot of hiking and mountain biking trails to explore.
We were given Bungalow #15. ::add pics::
For the 2 nights, 3 days we were here we pretty much had the same routine. Wake up, eat, pool, pool bar, thermal river, relax, pool, shower, dinner, sleep. The rate is inclusive of breakfast, which varies to buffet or a la carte, depending on the day. For the most part we were pleased with the food. The drinks are the best bang for your dollar. A Cacique con Fresca (local spirit made from sugar cane that is much like vodka) was very refreshing. We made a few friends there and ended up ordering 4 shots of Cacique to go with our Fresca and the total for all 4 shots was $6.50 USD. Needless to say much Cacique was drunk during the few night stay.
A note, there is no poolside service for drinks or food here. There is a great pool bar where if there are guests there, is the place to be. The resort itself is very private, meaning you could be the only one at the pool for hours. We hung out at the pool with 2 other people we met and didn’t see another soul for over 2 hours. It’s nice if you’re looking to rejuvenate but if you’re looking for a place that you will interact with people all day, this isn’t it. I feel we got lucky and made friends with 2 great people and had drinks and dinner with them during our stay. To us that is the best part of traveling, the people.
Pics of the hotel:
Porch at our bungalow
Room
Bar/Restaurant
[img]https://picturelife.com/v/700/ESpl3DdYMbNqUAHS/?album_id=STMlSI26jiqwKJQG/img]
View from dining
Property
One of the coolest things is the on-site thermal river.
Do it yourself mud bath.
It was about a 2 hr ride from our first hotel, Rio Perdido (30min from Liberia airport). As soon as you enter the peninsula you know you are going to something special. We met the GM, Pascal, during arrival. Had a brief conversation with him and a more detailed talk a few days later. We had booked with our usual Virtuoso agent and there was nothing mentioned at time of checkin-in if any upgrade was available. No worries. We were just happy to be here. The lovely front desk agent told us to enjoy our suite and we got into a golf cart and were escorted to our room. We just figured that “suite” was just normal vocabulary used for a room. When we arrived to our suite, our jaws dropped. We were upgraded to a Canopy 1BR, 2BA suite with plunge pool. You try to “act like you been here before” but it’s just impossible.
The walkway leading to the suite is a great preview of what’s to come. Before you turn right to your main door you glance left and see a table for four, two lounge chairs, and the infinity edge plunge pool. You also have a great view of the Bay. You enter into your living room that has sliding pocket doors and an incredible view. The first full bathroom is to your right. Walk straight and arrive to your bedroom. Another set of pocket doors open up to the same incredible view. The waves from the bay, while not that far away, sound like they are just outside your door. The master bath has 2 sinks (separate from each other), a large soaking tub, a large shower, and of course, a toilet. The bathroom is 24.5 feet long (yes, I did the very accurate way of measuring distance with left foot in front of right and so on). At the far end is a vanity that is apparently a must have for all women. On the opposite side of that is your walk in closet. The suite is 1200 sq ft. This is by far the nicest room we have ever had. Gorgeous fixtures, hardwood floors, marble master bath etc etc. Another nice touch is the Bose 2.1 surround sound in the living room and a Bose Bluetooth speaker in the bedroom that we used every day while getting ready and at night while relaxing on the balcony.
From what we saw we think room 721 was the most private. You can't be seen in the plunge pool by anyone unless your hanging at the very edge. Other suites you can see the balcony when walking by.
View from living room
View from bedroom
First sink
Second sink
Closet
Balcony
Beach/Pools
To our surprise, you can swim in the Bay and in less then 5 minutes walk over and swim in the Pacific Ocean. There are 3 pools: 2 family friendly pools and 1 adult’s only. During our stay we hung out at the family pool closest to the Bay because there were no kids around and the view was great. The adult’s only pool isn’t secluded like it is at FS Maui. If kids are loud at the pool behind you, they will be heard at the adult pool. The service at the pools was pretty spot on. A few times we asked for water and didn’t receive it but no big deal. It’s hard to beat eating and drinking by a pool with amazing views beyond in the distance.
NOTE: The bay side sand gets EXTREMELY hot.
One family pool where we hung out for most of the time (bay in the background)
Our pool friend
Bay
View from adult pool overlooking the ocean
Hot tub by first pool at night
Beach on oceanside.
Food
We ate at Tico’s, Sol y Sombra, and Cena Sociale. Tico’s was our first stop every night for dinner. Great drinks and live music is a great way to kick off your night. And yes, the live music was really good. Tico’s also has GREAT sushi. Sol y Sombra is their Latin restaurant. We split the ceviche sampler and shredded beef with guac and fried plantains. We very much enjoyed both dishes. At Cena Sociale, their Italian restaurant, my wife ordered the caprese, which was delicious, and their lasagna, which was also very good. I ordered the Mackerel pastrami, which I enjoyed and for entrée I got the homemade tortellini with oxtail stuffing. While I did eat the whole darn thing, I wouldn’t order it again. Just not a must have in my book.
We also did the “fresh catch of the day” dinner option. Three days a week at 11:30 they bring out fish caught either last night or that morning for you to choose from. You can tell them how you want it prepared and what sides you would like or let the chef decide. So we chose baby Sea Bass and a fish from the Eel family. We told the chef to surprise us with preparation and sides. We chose to eat that on our balcony as our anniversary dinner. They set up the table with a nice white cloth, flower pedals sprinkled on top, and a great layout of the food. For $35USD per person, we feel it was a very good deal. What we did not expect during dinner were our new friends, two Mapacahe’s or as we in the USA know them, racoon’s. Immediately I am thinking rabid NY racoon’s and so is the wife (she was standing on her chair as I sheepishly tried to get them away. I tossed some food below our balcony in hopes of a peace treaty but that didn’t work. They ran down, ate, came back for seconds. Those little bandits are smart. They weren’t aggressive towards us though but they also aren’t shy. They have no problem walking right up to you. We had called to get more ice from the room and the gentleman came in laughing about us NY’ers hiding. Apparently all I had to do was walk towards them and they run away. Noted!
We have read reviews of the prices of wine. For wines by the glass they start at $10 and go to $19. As to be expected at a FS and in Costa Rica, the wines (for the type offered) were a little pricey. But the environment you’re in, I’m willing to pay it.
Bar outside Sol y Sombra
Bar at Cena Sociale
Sushi
Lots of ceviche
Dinner on the baclony
Our guests
Drinks
My wife and I had our fair share of Cacique at our first resort so we took a break and did some damage on sugary drinks. We did not have a drink that we didn’t enjoy during our whole stay at the property. They have plenty of scotch to choose from but very little choice of Bourbon’s. Our last full day there we did the unlimited mimosa option at breakfast and later on in the day we ordered a pitcher of Pina Colada’s. Yes, a pitcher. Sugar headache quickly took over me so I just took a nap at the pool. A little relaxation, a fresh shower, and we popped a bottle of Champagne and took on the night.
Activities we did
1. We did a 2 hour kayak tour with Felix (who unfortunately is leaving the FS this week to chase his dream of being a rain forest guide). We made sure to tell Pascal about how nice of a person he was. We talked to him on anything from “what type of tree is this” to how their government is run, healthcare system, etc. You can tell he loves and is very proud of his country. He also couldn’t say enough about the Four Seasons and how much they do for their employee’s and the local community.
2. We did stand up paddle boarding for the first time. Didn’t fall which was a success for us since I had to paddle past a boat anchored and relaxing with people on board. Note to self: just because you sit down on the board to enjoy the scenery the current doesn’t stop moving. After 5-10 minutes of enjoying the views I look back and was thinking “Sh**! This might be a while to get back”. I wasn’t wrong.
3. “Trail of the Dragons”. This is a MUST do. If you are not a golfer or you are a golfer, go go go! You tour holes 1-9 and the views are to die for. Made me wish I played* 9.
*Disclaimer – Played in this sense means “hacking”
4. “Star Gazing”. The FS has a great telescope they take out for the star gazing nights. You check out new and old stars and are able to see how they differ in appearance. We left shortly after but it was still very enjoyable.
Conclusion
Short and sweet: We would not hesitate to return!
Special Note
The staff here is pretty great. Two stand-outs were Felix (mentioned earlier) and Guillermo who I believe he is the night time manager. The first time we met this gentleman he somehow already knew who we were. I walked up to ask a question and he initiated the conversation “Mr. DetailsIM, how are you tonight?”. I had a question about the wifi in our room and without looking at his computer, “Yes Sir. Room 721, correct?”. I told Pascal there must be a picture book behind their desk. Simply amazing.
Cliff notes: Amazing trip.
My wife and I have been tossing around the idea of going to Costa Rica for just about 3 years now and finally made the trip. Items in report:
1. United First from Newark to Houston
2. Houston to Liberia
3. Rio Perdido hotel
4. Four Seasons Hotel
So we booked what we felt was a good first class price from Newark to Liberia. Originally we were suppose to fly out of Newark in the morning, switch planes in Houston, and continue onto Liberia with a landing of 12:30 in the afternoon. Sweet! We have the whole day. A few months after we book we receive an e-mail that we now have a 7.5 hour layover and thus we wouldn’t late till late into the evening. As I’m walking out the door to attack my study material for the CPA license my wife yells to me with not the softest tone of how we are now not landing till late.
I call AMEX with whom we booked the flights through and they could only change our flights to another flight with our same booking type. I pretty much know zero percent of how flight booking codes work but after reading this forum I at least knew they existed. They find a flight that was slightly better but we felt we should call United to see what they say. After about an hour on the phone with the rep. (probably 15 min of talking), they switched our 1st leg from Newark to Houston to a day before. That worked out great b/c we then got to get to Costa Rica at our regularly scheduled time and we got to see our good friends in Houston for the night.
The flight down was great. Smooth flying and a very comfy first class seat.
After having some vodka drinks at the United Club (the club left a lot to be desired) I kept with that mindset and continued it onto the plane. We received dinner and we both chose the ravioli since our friends were smoking a chicken in their Big Green Egg (need one now!). I switched to red wine at dinner time. Unsure of what it was but that’s not important. It tasted fine and was never empty.
Check-in was cake
Security was cake
First time ever with lie flat seat
Short guy problems
Controls
Nuts and wine
Ravioli and salad
The United Club (1 of 3) in Houston was much much nicer.
Window seat with a view of the birds
And here’s the domestic first class we all love. This was the same product we had on our direct flight back to Newark. I am by no means complaining but I have no clue how you taller folks fly in coach. I’m 5’9 on a good day.
My wife double fisting her Prosecco
2. We chose to do 2 nights at the Rio Perdido hotel located close to the Miravalles National Park in Bagaces. We were both pretty glad we chose to hire a transfer (Pacific Tours) to drive us. There is a ton of road construction going on and the roads were a little sketchy at times. Plus there seems to be no driving laws there ☺ The last 6km of the drive is a very rocky dirt road which takes about 20-30 min to conquer.
Costa Rica Traffic Jam
Arrival
Walkway (at night) to check-in which is located in their restaurant.
The hotel consists of 20 Bungalow’s located on the left (if driving to the lobby) side of the resort. Check in was pretty quick. Received a nice refreshing fruit drink as we were escorted to seats with a great view. You sign an insurance waiver as soon as you check in for the fact that there are a lot of hiking and mountain biking trails to explore.
We were given Bungalow #15. ::add pics::
For the 2 nights, 3 days we were here we pretty much had the same routine. Wake up, eat, pool, pool bar, thermal river, relax, pool, shower, dinner, sleep. The rate is inclusive of breakfast, which varies to buffet or a la carte, depending on the day. For the most part we were pleased with the food. The drinks are the best bang for your dollar. A Cacique con Fresca (local spirit made from sugar cane that is much like vodka) was very refreshing. We made a few friends there and ended up ordering 4 shots of Cacique to go with our Fresca and the total for all 4 shots was $6.50 USD. Needless to say much Cacique was drunk during the few night stay.
A note, there is no poolside service for drinks or food here. There is a great pool bar where if there are guests there, is the place to be. The resort itself is very private, meaning you could be the only one at the pool for hours. We hung out at the pool with 2 other people we met and didn’t see another soul for over 2 hours. It’s nice if you’re looking to rejuvenate but if you’re looking for a place that you will interact with people all day, this isn’t it. I feel we got lucky and made friends with 2 great people and had drinks and dinner with them during our stay. To us that is the best part of traveling, the people.
Pics of the hotel:
Porch at our bungalow
Room
Bar/Restaurant
[img]https://picturelife.com/v/700/ESpl3DdYMbNqUAHS/?album_id=STMlSI26jiqwKJQG/img]
View from dining
Property
One of the coolest things is the on-site thermal river.
Do it yourself mud bath.
It was about a 2 hr ride from our first hotel, Rio Perdido (30min from Liberia airport). As soon as you enter the peninsula you know you are going to something special. We met the GM, Pascal, during arrival. Had a brief conversation with him and a more detailed talk a few days later. We had booked with our usual Virtuoso agent and there was nothing mentioned at time of checkin-in if any upgrade was available. No worries. We were just happy to be here. The lovely front desk agent told us to enjoy our suite and we got into a golf cart and were escorted to our room. We just figured that “suite” was just normal vocabulary used for a room. When we arrived to our suite, our jaws dropped. We were upgraded to a Canopy 1BR, 2BA suite with plunge pool. You try to “act like you been here before” but it’s just impossible.
The walkway leading to the suite is a great preview of what’s to come. Before you turn right to your main door you glance left and see a table for four, two lounge chairs, and the infinity edge plunge pool. You also have a great view of the Bay. You enter into your living room that has sliding pocket doors and an incredible view. The first full bathroom is to your right. Walk straight and arrive to your bedroom. Another set of pocket doors open up to the same incredible view. The waves from the bay, while not that far away, sound like they are just outside your door. The master bath has 2 sinks (separate from each other), a large soaking tub, a large shower, and of course, a toilet. The bathroom is 24.5 feet long (yes, I did the very accurate way of measuring distance with left foot in front of right and so on). At the far end is a vanity that is apparently a must have for all women. On the opposite side of that is your walk in closet. The suite is 1200 sq ft. This is by far the nicest room we have ever had. Gorgeous fixtures, hardwood floors, marble master bath etc etc. Another nice touch is the Bose 2.1 surround sound in the living room and a Bose Bluetooth speaker in the bedroom that we used every day while getting ready and at night while relaxing on the balcony.
From what we saw we think room 721 was the most private. You can't be seen in the plunge pool by anyone unless your hanging at the very edge. Other suites you can see the balcony when walking by.
View from living room
View from bedroom
First sink
Second sink
Closet
Balcony
Beach/Pools
To our surprise, you can swim in the Bay and in less then 5 minutes walk over and swim in the Pacific Ocean. There are 3 pools: 2 family friendly pools and 1 adult’s only. During our stay we hung out at the family pool closest to the Bay because there were no kids around and the view was great. The adult’s only pool isn’t secluded like it is at FS Maui. If kids are loud at the pool behind you, they will be heard at the adult pool. The service at the pools was pretty spot on. A few times we asked for water and didn’t receive it but no big deal. It’s hard to beat eating and drinking by a pool with amazing views beyond in the distance.
NOTE: The bay side sand gets EXTREMELY hot.
One family pool where we hung out for most of the time (bay in the background)
Our pool friend
Bay
View from adult pool overlooking the ocean
Hot tub by first pool at night
Beach on oceanside.
Food
We ate at Tico’s, Sol y Sombra, and Cena Sociale. Tico’s was our first stop every night for dinner. Great drinks and live music is a great way to kick off your night. And yes, the live music was really good. Tico’s also has GREAT sushi. Sol y Sombra is their Latin restaurant. We split the ceviche sampler and shredded beef with guac and fried plantains. We very much enjoyed both dishes. At Cena Sociale, their Italian restaurant, my wife ordered the caprese, which was delicious, and their lasagna, which was also very good. I ordered the Mackerel pastrami, which I enjoyed and for entrée I got the homemade tortellini with oxtail stuffing. While I did eat the whole darn thing, I wouldn’t order it again. Just not a must have in my book.
We also did the “fresh catch of the day” dinner option. Three days a week at 11:30 they bring out fish caught either last night or that morning for you to choose from. You can tell them how you want it prepared and what sides you would like or let the chef decide. So we chose baby Sea Bass and a fish from the Eel family. We told the chef to surprise us with preparation and sides. We chose to eat that on our balcony as our anniversary dinner. They set up the table with a nice white cloth, flower pedals sprinkled on top, and a great layout of the food. For $35USD per person, we feel it was a very good deal. What we did not expect during dinner were our new friends, two Mapacahe’s or as we in the USA know them, racoon’s. Immediately I am thinking rabid NY racoon’s and so is the wife (she was standing on her chair as I sheepishly tried to get them away. I tossed some food below our balcony in hopes of a peace treaty but that didn’t work. They ran down, ate, came back for seconds. Those little bandits are smart. They weren’t aggressive towards us though but they also aren’t shy. They have no problem walking right up to you. We had called to get more ice from the room and the gentleman came in laughing about us NY’ers hiding. Apparently all I had to do was walk towards them and they run away. Noted!
We have read reviews of the prices of wine. For wines by the glass they start at $10 and go to $19. As to be expected at a FS and in Costa Rica, the wines (for the type offered) were a little pricey. But the environment you’re in, I’m willing to pay it.
Bar outside Sol y Sombra
Bar at Cena Sociale
Sushi
Lots of ceviche
Dinner on the baclony
Our guests
Drinks
My wife and I had our fair share of Cacique at our first resort so we took a break and did some damage on sugary drinks. We did not have a drink that we didn’t enjoy during our whole stay at the property. They have plenty of scotch to choose from but very little choice of Bourbon’s. Our last full day there we did the unlimited mimosa option at breakfast and later on in the day we ordered a pitcher of Pina Colada’s. Yes, a pitcher. Sugar headache quickly took over me so I just took a nap at the pool. A little relaxation, a fresh shower, and we popped a bottle of Champagne and took on the night.
Activities we did
1. We did a 2 hour kayak tour with Felix (who unfortunately is leaving the FS this week to chase his dream of being a rain forest guide). We made sure to tell Pascal about how nice of a person he was. We talked to him on anything from “what type of tree is this” to how their government is run, healthcare system, etc. You can tell he loves and is very proud of his country. He also couldn’t say enough about the Four Seasons and how much they do for their employee’s and the local community.
2. We did stand up paddle boarding for the first time. Didn’t fall which was a success for us since I had to paddle past a boat anchored and relaxing with people on board. Note to self: just because you sit down on the board to enjoy the scenery the current doesn’t stop moving. After 5-10 minutes of enjoying the views I look back and was thinking “Sh**! This might be a while to get back”. I wasn’t wrong.
3. “Trail of the Dragons”. This is a MUST do. If you are not a golfer or you are a golfer, go go go! You tour holes 1-9 and the views are to die for. Made me wish I played* 9.
*Disclaimer – Played in this sense means “hacking”
4. “Star Gazing”. The FS has a great telescope they take out for the star gazing nights. You check out new and old stars and are able to see how they differ in appearance. We left shortly after but it was still very enjoyable.
Conclusion
Short and sweet: We would not hesitate to return!
Special Note
The staff here is pretty great. Two stand-outs were Felix (mentioned earlier) and Guillermo who I believe he is the night time manager. The first time we met this gentleman he somehow already knew who we were. I walked up to ask a question and he initiated the conversation “Mr. DetailsIM, how are you tonight?”. I had a question about the wifi in our room and without looking at his computer, “Yes Sir. Room 721, correct?”. I told Pascal there must be a picture book behind their desk. Simply amazing.
Dec 18, 2014, 7:33 pm
#2
was thetravelingRedhead
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Western Michigan
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, United Silver Premier
Posts: 642
awesome tr! I think Costa Rica is a beautiful place! how was the food down there? When I went to Costa Rica's northern neighbor (Nicaragua), I had such delicious food!
One day I will get back to central America and visit Costa Rica!
One day I will get back to central America and visit Costa Rica!
Dec 18, 2014, 7:38 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Nice to see a report on Costa Rica. It's a bit of getting used to those animals that are everywhere.
How do you find the upgrade frequency with Virtuoso? Is it worth the cost of the Amex card? Or is it more trouble than it's worth?
How do you find the upgrade frequency with Virtuoso? Is it worth the cost of the Amex card? Or is it more trouble than it's worth?
Dec 18, 2014, 7:53 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 405
thetravelingredhead
The food at first resort was hit and miss. I did have a properly cooked medium rare filet for a mere $18 USD.
worldtraveler
You don't need AMEX to book with a Virtuoso agent. We have been using the same agent since 2012 and we have been upgraded on every Four Seasons stay. This upgrade just happened to be above and beyond.
The food at first resort was hit and miss. I did have a properly cooked medium rare filet for a mere $18 USD.
worldtraveler
You don't need AMEX to book with a Virtuoso agent. We have been using the same agent since 2012 and we have been upgraded on every Four Seasons stay. This upgrade just happened to be above and beyond.