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Pura Vida Hotel
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Viajes11
From: USA
Apr 4, 2009
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Our group had another great stay at Pura Vida Hotel. Berni is always a pleasure to work with as is the rest of the staff.
We arrived early in the morning and they opened their doors for us to rest and relax before our very busy two week medical mission. The gardens are beautiful and tranquil, the breakfasts are fabulous and the rooms are beautiful and relaxing.
We will continue to come back to Pura Vida! Thanks Berni and staff.
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Bridget
From: San Diego, California
Apr 4, 2009
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I am giving max rating to the PV Hotel, because they deserve to get more travelers into this lovely hotel. [I find that often when reading Trip Advisor I look at the 5 star rated and nothing else, and would not want anyone to think this was an inferior hotel.]
We started our vacation in the Mariposa and ended it with a night in the Rainforest Cabina. I recommend spending the few extra bucks to get one of the larger, and nicer cabinas. Our last day in CR we spent sitting in the beautiful garden at Pura Vida, watching the birds, drinking Tico coffee and trying to ignore returning to the work world.
Pura Vida is the perfect transition location, and the service was impeccable. Our Sunday night meal created by Nhi was excellent, and after 2 weeks of casado, a wonderful change of pace.
Recommended. Posted on TripAdvisor April 2009
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From:
Apr 4, 2009
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My husband and I and our son and his fiancee shared the Mariposa cottage on our trip in early March. First off my husband and I are late forties and our son and fiancee are early twenties. We all loved this place. From the moment we walked into the gardens and were shown our cabina we fell in love.
We walked around the grounds taking pictures and enjoying the scenery overlooking Alajuela. We had an excellent meal that evening at Pura Vida, well worth the price we paid. We met Berni and Nyi and enjoyed talking to them. Berni is fun and will give you as much information about the country as you want.
Berni has a mask and pictures from the Indigenous Indians, the Boruca Etnia. We decided we had to try to get there to visit this area and buy a mask from the Borucans to help the people. That was an amazing journey on its own. The dogs that live at Pura Vida have a wonderful life! We enjoyed playing with them the whole time we were there.
They are great German (Tico) Shepards and are very well behaved and love to be with people. We only spent one night but we were wishing we could stay longer. We left there feeling very envious of Berni and Nyi and the little piece of heaven they have in this place. The only downside is the traffic outside the gates can get loud at night, but it didn't keep me from sleeping because I felt so peaceful here.
Thanks so much for the great memories Berni & Nhi. Pura Vida! Posted on TripAdvisor March 2009
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AndiH
From: Ottawa, Canada
Apr 4, 2009
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We stayed at Pura Vida on two separate trips now and recommend it to everyone. The casitas are spacious, clean and comfortable. The grounds are extremely well taken care of and a pleasure to explore. Berni and Nhi are excellent hosts, very resourceful and quick to help, as is the staff.
The food is incredible, definitely take advantage and book a meal!
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Eastperl
From: East Coast, USA
Apr 4, 2009
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Great hotel. Beautiful Cabinas, in middle of a lovely garden. Arrived at San Jose airport at 10pm, cab fare was included in hotel bill as well as breakfast...which was wonderful. Eco friendly. Owner very informative and knows Costa Rica. He was collecting supplies for the children of a nearby school that suffered an earthquake.
Perfect to rest up before our trip to Guanacaste coast. Posted on TripAdvisor March 2009
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Saltspringgirl
From: Ormond Beach, FLA
Apr 4, 2009
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We just completed our 3rd stay with Berni & Nhi but this is the first time we had dinner. Without a doubt, the best meal in Costa Rica & we would put it up against any of the finest restaurants we have ever eaten anywhere.
This truly is a slice of paradise. Can't wait to return! Posted on TripAdvisor March 2009
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Gary y Libby
From: Oregon, USA
Apr 4, 2009
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I do not have sufficient superlatives to express what a marvelous place this is. From gracious, friendly staff to spotless, charmingly decorated casitas to some of the tastiest, most inspired dinners you will ever consume, the Pura Vida cannot be beat.
Our 3-day stay came on the heels of a week of relaxed decadence in a luxury resort on the Nicoya Peninsula. We were expecting an "OK" follow-up to precede our flight home and found, instead, a hotel just as worthy (if not more) of rave reviews and rich, gentle memories. Every staff member virtually bent over backwards to answer every question and provide every possible service, complete with a 3 1/2 hour, middle-of-the-night escort through the maze of a local hospital's emergency services when a medical crisis struck unexpectedly.
The entire facility oozes with beauty and charm, Nhi's cooking is out of this world, and our casita (Rainforest: get it if you can) was spacious, quiet, well-equipped, and decorated with tasteful sparkle and humor. We needed a "dog hit" after a week away from our own, and the 3 resident German Shepherds accommodated, while staying considerately out of the way for those not so canine crazy as us. Berni will call a taxi for you at any time, and it will arrive in 5 minutes or less to board you for your next thrilling excursion through the streets of Alejuela. (CR taxis are an experience not to be forgotten; and always make sure to check first that the meter is operating, or your charge will be at the questionable whim of the driver.)
Finally, if you're at the Pura Vida on a Friday, don't miss the chance to accompany Nhi and Berni on their extensive weekly food shopping trip to the amazing Farmers' Market, the largest in the country. The solitary drawback, for some, might be the occasionally loud nighttime traffic noise from the streets that run by the hotel on two sides. We considered it an unavoidable aspect of the tropical urban ambience, however, and it was never such as to disturb our sleep.
All in all, a "don't miss" lodging choice. And, since it's only 5-10 minutes from the international airport, it's a perfect spot for those at the beginning or end of broader exploration of this incredible country.
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SMPSS
From: Charleston
Apr 4, 2009
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Beautiful grounds, comfortable accomodations and a friendly and helpful staff. We will definitely go back (June actually). Posted on TripAdvisor March 2009
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Motowntraveller19
From: Metro-Detroit
Jul 9, 2008
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I needed a place to stay during my last night in Costa Rica, and a friend of mine recommended the Pura Vida Hotel.
It was wonderful! Berni, the owner, upgraded me from a standard room to a casita, free of charge. The accomodations were beautiful and the hotel garden was absolutely gorgeous. I enjoyed exploring the grounds and relaxing in the hammock outside my casita. The breakfast in the morning included a huge plate of fresh fruit and homemade fruit bread that was delicious. Everyone I encountered was very helpful and friendly, and I will certainly stay here again the next time I'm in Costa Rica. I definitely didn't want to leave!
It is also nice that this hotel is so close to the aiport; my cab ride there only cost about $5.
(Posted TripAdvisor June 2008)
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Chigger1
From: Rock Hill, SC
Jul 9, 2008
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My wife and I stayed at the Pura Vida Hotel on the last night of our vacation in June. We read the reviews on Tripadvisor and based our decision to stay here off of those reviews. The best features of the hotel were the friendly staff, food, grounds and the close location to the airport.
We highly recommend the meal. It was probably the beast meal of our trip. The grounds are also well kept and nice to walk around, take pictures, etc. We did not mind the 3 German SheppardÂ?s at all. They seemed well behaved and friendly, and I donÂ?t think I heard them bark more than twice during the early evening.
We stayed in the Mariposa casita. It was basic, but had everything needed. The main house and dinning area are nice with a television, and collection of books to borrow for entertainment. Berni and the staff were friendly and answered all of our questions.
The Hotel is surrounded by a wall and fence and parking is in a secured gated area next to the house. It felt a little like a compound with all of the security, but we appreciated the measures and felt completely safe. We got turned around coming from Zoo Ave to the hotel and passed through a few questionable neighborhoods before finding our way. So we appreciated the security precautions. That being said, we did take a taxi into downtown Alajuela and once in city center we felt safe and walked around for an hour and half going through the shops, market and church.
Overall I would recommend this place as nice alternative to the chain hotels located nearer to the airport. It was nice to stay in a smaller hotel with exceptional service.
(posted TripAdvisor June 2008)
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travelread
From: San mateo, California
Jul 9, 2008
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We (mom, dad, 2 daughters) started our CR vacation with one night at Pura Vida. As we arrived at 9 PM, we followed Berni's careful instructions and took a taxi to the hotel - thank goodness.
We drove the whole rest of our trip in CR and did pretty well but that first night would have been very difficult to negotiate picking up the car and driving to the hotel (street signs are non-existent in CR). We stayed in the Katydid Casita and it was really beautiful - like a lovely little house with 2 bedrooms, living area, and kitchen/ dining in the middle of a beautiful garden.
It feels very private although there are paths on both sides for walking to the garden and parking. The beds were some of the most comfortable we had in CR. The breakfast was delicious with coffee, 2 huge platters of fruit, chocolate banana cake, and a small parfait of yogurt and granola (fresh toast also). Oh, all served and decorated beautifully overlooking the garden.
Yes, the dogs were there but we are dog lovers and they were very gentle and friendly. 2 things I might mention for others planning trips to CR. 1. If you are going to stay in smaller, interesting, B&B type places - chances are, there will be dogs. We stayed in 5 places on our trip; 4 had resident dogs. (A plus for us!) 2. Use TA/websites to plan; most reviews will mention dogs if around and, if you need to be sure, e-mail the hotel. I made all of our reservations by e-mail with the B&B/hotel and found them to be very responsive.
Berni also arranged our car rental, which was delivered to us as we enjoyed breakfast. What a pleasurable and easy way to start your vacation. He also spent a few minutes with us discussing driving in CR (according to Berni, 'Maps in CR are suggestions only' & he was right!). The website for Pura Vida is also a wonderful resource for planning your trip. Do yourself a favor; start and/or end your trip to Costa Rica at Hotel Pura Vida!
(posted TripAdvisor July 2008)
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Engel Family
From: Maryland, US
Jul 6, 2008
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Our 2 stays at the Pura Vida were highlights of our visit to Costa Rica. Spotless, comfortable Casitas are arranged around a magnificent garden. Toucan and Katydid both worked well for our family of 4, with 2 teenagers. We looked forward to the breakfasts on the inviting terrace -- freshly baked cakes and fresh fruit, beautifully served, with excellent coffee and juice. Berni and Nhi were friendly hosts, never hovering, but helping wherever they could with suggestions and logistical assistance. Our one dinner at the hotel was terrific. There is safe parking for a rental car. The town of Alajuela, in the central highlands of the country, has a comfortable climate and is worth exploring.
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Vidar
From: NW Missouri
Feb 22, 2008
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My wife and I travel with my sister and her husband. My sister picked this hotel (probably better referred to as a bed and breakfast with cabinas) for the location proximity to the airport. After a few days in south C.R. we checked into the Pura Vida and were greeted by Berni, Yagi and a couple other German Shepherds. Berni is the manager but Yagi is the boss of the grounds.
My wife and I were shown to the Toucan cabina and my sister and husband were shown to the Rain Forest. Both were very nice and the amenities were more than we required.
We enjoyed walking and viewing the grounds. Quite often Yagi would bring his stick and insist on a tug-of-war which we really enjoyed. She gave us a "rowing" work out when we desired.
The breakfasts were nothing short of fabulous-perfect as an example of the local fruits. Traditional was available if desired. We can have traditional at home-we enjoyed the local breakfast.
We had the evening meal twice and they are to die for. Between the wine, scenery and meals we could have stayed forever. But, all things come to an end and within 5 minutes of our departing time, we were at the airport.
Berni and company gave us advise on the local area and suggested a driver for a tour. The driver, Esterling, was very accommodating and much better driver than you will ordinarily find in Costa Rica. This has nothing to do with the hotel, but driving and riding in C.R. is scary.
Downside-there is noise. But, it is in the center of a bustling community. Between motor scooters, chickens, and dogs, light sleepers may have some difficulty. Personally, I accepted it as part of the package. The German Shepherds were a plus for my wife and I for we enjoy dogs. They are well behaved and take commands well. But, remember they do have run of the place if that's a problem for you. We enjoyed Yagi greeting us on the way to breakfast and his coaxing us into tug-of-war games.
Berni has a sense of humor that I finally appreciated after some time. You may have to pin him down with a straight answer for sometimes they are hard to decipher. [EDITOR's NOTE: We have since modified our email responses to remind our guests that your host loves to provide indirect answers to questions that appear to have direct possibilities but, in the rarefied atmosphere of our adopted culture, cannot. And we sure appreciate Vidar's reminder that some, including our French guests, will not always grasp the subtlety of what falls into this imprecise category of questions that are fun e.g. there is no "distance" to Arenal in Costa Rica.]
All in all we will go back when in the area and recommend it with the caveats above for light sleepers and dog haters. (Posted on TripAdvisor Feb 2008).
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Deb & Bill
From: Mays Landing, NJ
Feb 22, 2008
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This was our second visit to Pura Vida, and we loved it both times. The casitas are clean and comfortable.
The grounds are beautiful-private and quiet iwth beautiful birds and flowers. The dinners, prepared by the owners, were some of the best we've ever had. And the breakfasts, included in the price, tasted great and were almost too pretty to eat!
The 3 pet German Shepherds were great fun - made us feel like we were visiting in a friend's home.
We used a wonderful local guide, Alexis, who took us to his own butterfly farm, a local coffee plantation and a coffee processing plant. Pura Vida's a great place to start and end a trip to Costa Rica, since it's only minutes from the airport. (Posted on TripAdvisor Feb 2008).
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Arms
From: Ontario, Canada
Feb 22, 2008
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We arrived from wintry Canada late in the evening and were welcomed by Rebecca and Berni. They had prepared a delicious boxed snack for us, and upgraded us to the Volcano Studio room, which was tastefully decorated and very comfortable. In the morning the room was a bit noisy due to heavy traffic on the road that runs alongside the property (I think this particular room is the closest one to the road). There was a beautiful view from our window.
Breakfast on the terrace was delicious, including a wonderful fruit tray. The hotel garden is stunning, with a wide diversity of flowers, plants and trees, many birds and butterflies, and some playful dogs. When arriving or leaving Costa Rica from San Jose, this is a perfect place to begin or end your trip! (Posted on TripAdvisor Feb 2008)
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Midgemon
From:
Feb 22, 2008
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This lovely enclave just outside the bustle of Alajuela is a perfect place to begin, end or actually stay while visiting Costa Rica. Berni and his wife are transplants from the US and bring a worldly ease to helping travelers feel comfortable and welcome. We arrived just at dark and appreciated the explicit directions (including a tip should the road be blocked - which it was!) The food is as delicious as the reviews say - the accommodations attractive, spacious and private.
Excellent beds. You still get some traffic noise, but NOTHING like the noise closer in the city itself.
Next time we will plan on spending time there - its location makes it the perfect place to start or end your trip. A nice touch is if you use their rental car arrangements, you can catch a cab there then a car will be delivered to you - we didn't do that but it would have simplified things. And, if you have to leave real early they will pack you a "to go" breakfast, which was also a nice touch.
As a first timer to CR I appreciated all the information on their website. Highly recommended. Note: This is not the Pura Vida Resort and Spa that is also apparently in the area. (Posted Tripadvisor Feb 2008).
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Gridley
From: Washington, DC
Feb 22, 2008
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We stayed at the Pura Vida one night in February on our way back through San Jose from Arenal to Drake Bay. The co-owner, Berni quickly checked us in and escorted us to our room, the Mariposa, filling us in on the hotel information as we went. The room has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, sitting area and kitchenette. Furnishings were basic but adequate.
We had reserved dinner for the evening and were so happy we did. Excellent 3-course dinner for $25 with fresh ingredients and very nice presentation in a beautiful outdoor dining area. Berni filled the guests in on some of the interesting ingredients and Nhi, co-owner and fabulous chef came out and chatted with each of the guest towards the end of the meal. They are both very personable and have a wealth of Costa Rica knowledge.
Because we arrived after dark we had to wait until the following morning to see the beautiful gardens. Absolutely gorgeous. You'll want to take some pictures here.
We thoroughly enjoyed the complimentary breakfast of coffee, fresh fruit (best we had in Costa Rica), delicious bread pudding, and special for the day - yogurt with granola. We had to leave earlier than the normal breakfast hours and they offered us an early breakfast without us even asking.
Berni checked us out as we finished coffee at the table and called a cab for us to the airport which was there in 5 minutes. It's a quick ride to/from the airport. It's 20 minutes from downtown SJ, so if that's where you want to be this isn't the place to stay.
Only possible cons for you which were of little concern to us: the rooms are basic and have no TV; they have 3 great docile german shepards which hang around the dining area; it's not quiet at night, but no place we stayed in Costa Rica was.
Delightful stay. We would definitely return and highly recommend! (Posted TripAdvisor Feb 2008).
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Eightfingers
From: Lockport, IL
Oct 18, 2007
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My wife and I stayed at the Pura Vida our first 2 nights in Costa Rica. We arrived via taxi around 10:00PM or so. No problems. Berni showed us to our "rainforest" room. The room iteslf was lovely, extremely clean, and to my wife's relief BUG FREE (this was a fluke as we discovered later in our journey that bugs are everywhere and get into everything in CR).
We then had to wake up at 5:00AM the next morning for a 6:00AM bus ride to go rafting on the Pacuare. As we had informed him of our plans our host had a nice little "breakfast to go" waiting for us.
Later that day we had an amazing dinner that which was prepared by Berni's wife Nhi. The setting was quite romantic.
We appreciated Berni's advice in our preparation for our adventure. His straightforward guidance saved us from several major planning flaws that might have ruined our trip. If you have not been to CR before his website has some great travel advice for your trip.
We will return to CR and the Pura Vida. (Posted TripAdvisor Oct 2007)
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Sinomegusta
From: Annapolis, MD
Oct 18, 2007
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They really set the bar high with this hotel, we stayed in the toucan room and had a wonderful stay. Berni is a wonderful host and really goes out of his way to help you get started with your travels. He is great with directions, advice and good CR books to buy.
Nhi is a wonderful chef and hostess. We also bought some Pelfi ceramics there and they had the best prices after comparing them throughout the country. We'll be uploading some pictures soon! (Posted on TripAdvisor Oct 2007)
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Bryan
From: Newark, DE
Oct 18, 2007
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We stayed our last night in Costa Rica here because it was close to the airport. It was a lovely place. The gardens are superb. There are coffee plants, banana plants, orchids, and countless other plants growing on the property. Of course, you can see some hummingbirds and butterflies. You are in a gated property.
The owners are nice and have a great sense of humor which you can see throughout the property. Bernie is one of the owners and seems very knowledgeable about the different plants that are on his property. Rebecca (not one of the owners) was the receptionist at night and went out of her way to help us our only night there. There are three friendly German Shepherds running around the property.
Breakfast was different and wonderful. It consisted of several different types of fruit as well as juice, coffee, and pastry. It does get cool enough at night so that AC is not needed. I would stay here again.
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