I just returned from a 5 night reward stay at this property. Not much to add to VickiSoCal’s excellent review, but thought I’d mention a couple elements that may be helpful:
-We were upgraded from pool view to ocean view at check in. While technically we could see the ocean, the pool was directly in front of us with the ocean behind it. I was fine with it -the pool is gorgeous and beautifully lit up at night. They offered an oceanfront suite for an additional $90 USD per night. If we had others with us, this would have been a great option, but for the two,of us it wasn’t necessary.
-Though Costa Rica is certainly Latin America, CR costs more than most other LA countries and the JW doesn’t come cheap. Food on property was a little less than US resort properties. If you consider the prices already include taxes and standard (for CR) 10% tip, then it is actually pretty good value.
-We usually tip a couple $/day for housekeeping as a courtesy. It was not anticipated, but we found they gave us 2-3 X the coffee and bottled water that would otherwise get replenished. It was sincerely appreciated by us.
-Service was very pleasant; nothing but people who genuinely wanted us to have a great experience; which we did.
-The spa slid a promotion under our door for a couples massage (60 mins) for 2 people priced at $209. We enjoyed this very much and was quite a savings over the normal spa rates.
-The hotel is quite remote. Airport transfers our very expensive; I am sure Vicki’s website she listed is the way to go. We ended up renting a car for a little over $100 over the 5 days and it worked out great. I do recommend checking into insurance coverage packages before you go. Driving was very easy in CR, though a couple roads have serious pot holes.
-Lastly, we booked a day tour to a national park for $139 / person. It was called the Mega Combo Tour through Swiss Travel (they have an office at the hotel). It included round trip transportation, a 45minute horseback ride, zip limes (7 lines), natural spring baths w/ volcanic mud option, and a crazy water slide that was about 1/3 mile long. The guide was terrific and we all enjoyed it. We were also completely exhausted by the end of the day, so while I recommend it for an active tour, it will wear many people out.
i haven’t posted here for awhile, but check in from time to time and will try to share more.
Cheers,
Kevin