Need to know
Rooms
17 bungalows and suites.
Check–Out
12 noon, but flexible, subject to availability and an extra charge. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More details
Rates include an à la carte breakfast plus daily tours and activities.
Also
The hotel has an intriguing partnership with the Five-Minute Beach Clean-up Foundation, which helps guests to better understand beach pollution and how waste can travel for thousands of miles. They’re invited to take a bucket from reception, spend five minutes clearing microplastic residue from the shore, then post their activity on social media, for which they’re rewarded with a smoothie at the bar.
At the hotel
Beach, yoga studio, gardens, free WiFi. In rooms: Smart TV with streaming channels, dining table and chairs, desk, climate control, tea- and coffee-making kit, free bottled water, and minibar. Ninta Beachfront and Ninta Pool View bungalows have their own private pool too.
Our favourite rooms
The Ninta Beachfront suites are our pick – you’ll have your very own plunge pool and you’ll be right on the sand, with the sparkling blue views that brings. With furnishings from Masaya in Nicaragua and blue accents as a nod to the hotel’s Chorotegan name, they’re stylish too, but be warned – while the floor-to-ceiling windows add an indoor-outdoor feel, those relaxing on the beach can see in, so close those curtains for pants-free time. For families, the Nanku Suites have two bedrooms and space for up to four.
Poolside
The curvaceous freshwater pool meanders through the hotel grounds, past cacti, succulents, palms and other tropical foliage. It’s unheated, but the Nicoya Peninsula has nearly year-round sunshine so it’s really rather refreshing. There’s a decked area with sunloungers and Roman steps and a shallow end to keep it safe for supervised kids. Or, splash around in the Pacific.
Spa
The Namú Wellness Centre is set amidst Nantipa's lush Gardens, where gentle breezes and rainforests sounds will enhance the effects of your treatment. For a thorough freshen up of body, mind and soul, try the centre’s ‘transcendental wellness experience’, a holistic boot camp led by your own personal practitioner, who’ll guide you through active meditation, various kinds of yoga (kriya; restorative), life-coaching sessions, Ayurvedic marma-points therapy, and sound healing. If you don’t need the full works, yoga, meditation and transcendental wellness sessions can be booked separately. As for treatments, choose from reflexology massages, signature aromatherapy treatments and body wraps all carried out with locally made ingredients by women-owned businesses. Inspired by the local environment, the spa and 64-square-metre yoga studio are environmentally and socially forward, integrating eco-friendly practices with locally made ingredients from women-owned businesses.
Packing tips
You’ll find a bottle of the hotel’s house pineapple liquor in your room – it’s delicious so see if you can acquire more to stash in your suitcase.
Also
For guests with mobility issues, public areas are wheelchair-accessible. Book a Nanku Suite to ensure plenty of space.
Children
Welcome to run wild as they please. The beach and pool will keep older kids happy, and juniors get their own menu in Manzú restaurant (highchairs can be provided and baby food warmed up, too).
Best for
There’s no kids’ club, but tweens and teens will be happy to hangout on the beach.
Recommended rooms
The Nanu Suites are for families: you won’t have a private pool, but you’ll have more room for activities. The Ninta Pool View and Ninta Beachfront suites are for children aged 13 and over, due to proximity to the water.
Activities
Onsite, kids can splash about in the pool or Pacific; offsite, they can partake in gentle hikes, spot animals on a rainforest safari or take an exhilarating zipline through the canopy (age limits may apply).
Swimming pool
The main pool’s Roman steps and shallow end make it relatively child-safe, and the ocean is safe to paddle in – just watch out for incoming surfers.
Meals
Smalls have their own menu of simple crowd-pleasers: buttered pasta, fish fingers, grilled cheese… But, if you want to inspire your little one’s palate, the gallos and rice dishes may appeal – as will the messiness of the guacamole-making.
Sustainability efforts
The hotel’s green at heart. Plastics are used very sparingly, wastewater keeps the grounds looking lush, energy sensors manage light use, each room has a solar water heater, and solid waste is sent to the Nicoya Waterkeepers processing plant. And, the hotel recycles, of course. When it was built, just six trees were felled and were given new life as part of the construction; since then, endemic plants and trees have replaced them many times over. Local hires are a priority too.