Pura Vida Hotel Guest Book

Pura Vida Hotel

Welcome to our on-line Guest Book. Yagi, Max and Lobo hope you'll spend a moment to tell us something about your trip to Costa Rica.

The best information about Costa Rica should come from you and your real experiences in this wonderful country. Please let us know about OTHER places you enjoyed?

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POST YOUR COMMENTS!

Another great place to post comments about any place you enjoyed during your Tropical Adventure is :
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Vidar
From: NW Missouri
Feb 22, 2008

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).

Deb & Bill
From: Mays Landing, NJ
Feb 22, 2008

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).

Arms
From: Ontario, Canada
Feb 22, 2008

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)

Midgemon
From:
Feb 22, 2008

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).

Gridley
From: Washington, DC
Feb 22, 2008

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).

Eightfingers
From: Lockport, IL
Oct 18, 2007

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)

Sinomegusta
From: Annapolis, MD
Oct 18, 2007

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)

Bryan
From: Newark, DE
Oct 18, 2007

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.

Jenny
From: Sacramento, CA
Oct 18, 2007

Our family group of 15 stayed three nights at Pura Vida at the beginning and end of our two week trip in August. We can�?t emphasize enough what a wonderful stay we had. Everyone was welcoming and helpful�?the rooms clean & wonderfully decorated with all the amenities. The gardens are beautiful and a great spot to relax, watch birds, and play with the dogs. The dogs are really polite and well-behaved�?and it sure made our kids (and us) feel at home to have dogs around.

Bernie suggested a rural tour and we were very impressed with the hospitality, intelligence and resourcefulness of the people in the villages of Costa Rica. What a great experience-in addition to the usual �?touristy�? stuff! All 15 of us enjoyed our stay and we would highly recommend Nhi�?s dinners �? not only are they delicious, but everything is presented in an incredible, creative way. Personally, I can honestly say I�?ve never had such good food anywhere before.

One other thing�?we left an ipod in our room the last day of our trip and by the time we arrived home to the U.S., there was already an e-mail from Bernie asking if we lost it and where he could mail it�?wow! If we are ever fortunate enough to travel to Costa Rica again, we absolutely would stay here. (Posted on TripAdvisor Sept 2007)

Deborah and David
From: MD
Oct 18, 2007

We just got back from an 11 day trip to Costa Rica. We stayed at Pura Vida on the first and last night of our trip.

I second all of the positive things about Pura Vida Hotel. We were upgraded to a casita, and it was spacious, spotless, and had a very new feel to it.

I had read that there was some noise that could be heard from the area around the hotel (i.e., the road), and yes, we could hear a bit from our casita in the early evening. I am a terrible insomniac, so whenever I read about noise issues on Trip Advisor, that would basically nix a place for me.

I will say that even with my sleep issues (I am particularly sensitive to noise), the noise was NOT a problem at all. And yes, we very highly recommend the dinner, as well. Berni was very helpful via email before our trip and provided a lot of travel advice. (Posted on TripAdvisor Sept 2007)

AcuDoctor
From: St. Augustine, FL
Oct 18, 2007

We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our time spent at Pura Vida...

Berni and Nhi are the most accommodating and personable hoteliers in Costa Rica. We were met at the door step with smiles at 1:30am upon arrival, our room was upgraded, gorgeous views, sparkling bathrooms, comfortable beds with cozy pillows, delicious and carefully prepared meals, and friendly staff. (Posted on TripAdvisor Aug 2007) To begin our trip, we were personally escorted by Berni to a nearby school to drop off donated school books! I was unprepared for such a lovely experience in San Jose/Alajuela. I highly recommend this hotel to all traveling to Costa Rica. BTW - i love your dogs.

Judy
From: Orlando, FL
Oct 18, 2007

We (15 students and friends) stayed at Pura Vida in Alajuela, and as always, had a great experience. We arrived with an electrical outage, which might have created panic for ordinary owners. However, Nhi and Berni, as always, continued to cater to guests and cook by candle light. The electric returned in a couple of hours and dinner was served with little delay. It was superb and everyone ate heartedly!

Upon completion of dinner, the evening entertainment for our group arrived, two professional Cuban dancers. As always, their energy and talent captivated the entire group and everyone was soon dancing the new steps. They kept all the teens well entertained.

After dancing, everyone turned in around 10:30, as the central valley is often cool in the evenings. The individual casitas at Pura Vida allow everyone to have privacy. You are hardly aware that anyone else is around. The casitas have been and are being beautifully renovated. Berni and Nhi do an excellent job from top to bottom!

Breakfast begins in the morning at 7:00 usually. The coffee greats you and that is followed by a delicious orange/pineapple drink that I have only had at Pura Vida. It is refreshing and delicious! Then comes every type of fruit imaginable, followed by delicious breakfast bread. All is displayed in a very artistic manner. It is a delight to both eye and mouth.

The owners have worked hard to create a wonderful haven for travelers. Berni goes out of his way to answer questions and help with travel plans. His library on Costa Rica is extensive. Nhi compliments Berni with her beautiful cooking and presentation of the various meals.

Pura Vida is just that�?Pura vida. Berni and Nhi are the hard working hosts to pull off a gourmet dinner with no electricity and keep everything under control. They make it look easy! (posted on TripAdvisor - August 2007)

Joan & Ernesto Medina
From: Colorado
Jun 5, 2007

My husband and i would very much like to thank Bernie and Nhi for a wonderful stay! On our arrival to San Jose Bernie was waiting for us with a lovely late nite dinner that Nhi made for us[she is an awesome cook].

And coming back from our 2 week adventure[how else can you describe a vacation in Costa Rica]it felt like coming home. Their staff are very nice and attentive. So much better than any 5* hotel we have ever stayed in.

Our most memorable event of the trip:
Our first day we had Esterling take us to Poas and the La Paz waterfalls ending with a very wonderful lunch. And may I say very very reasonable. Our most memorable experience though was the zip line through the Monte Verde Rain Forest. We will never forget that. AMAZING!

Lynn McLaughlin
From: Blacksburg Virginia
May 4, 2007

My husband and I always stay at Pura Vida during our trips to CR. We stay for two nights at the beginning of our trip and also the last night. We have stayed at many nice B&B'S, but none compare to Pura Vida.

It is absolutely perfect. Bernie and his staff do everything to make your stay with them memorable. Bernie is full of great advice on where to stay, what tours to take, and he does this based on knowing a little about each of his guests. The gardens get prettier every year and we always enjoy the dogs. Bernie's staff is great.

Our most memorable event of the trip:
Be sure to get " Sterling" to drive and guide you around this beautiful country.... He quickly became our favorite and we now call him our friend.

Ramona Petrella
From: Havana, Florida USA
Apr 27, 2007

My husband, Pete, & son James stayed our first 2 nights & last night in Costa Rica at Pura Vida in Allejeulah in the Mariposa casita. The garden is lush, beautiful & filled with enough birds for us to get a jump start on the birding aspect of our trip. The casita is a very satisfying accomodation with 2 separate bedrooms & bathrooms. All of the staff are friendly & helpful but we would like to especially thank Rebecah & Jose who went out of their way to aid us. There was an initial problem with the rental car & Rebecah was on the phone until it was resolved. There was no dinner option as the owners were not there but the restaurant that was recommended, the Princess Mariposa, was excellent with good food at reasonable prices. We will recommend Pura Vida to anyone who is heading for Costa Rica.

Our most memorable event of the trip:
After a week spent touring Monteverde, Jaco & Manuel Antonio it felt like coming home for our last night at 'our' casita.

Saratica
From: Escazu, Costa Rica
Jan 27, 2007

We live in Costa Rica and wanted to try dinner at Pura Vida. Our friends had raved about it - so we ate there last night.

This was the best meal we've had in Costa Rica. The Pura Vida Hotel is owned by Berni and Nhi (knee). Berni is the man in the photo, 2nd from left, next to my husband, Xavier. The woman between me and Berni is Loretta, a frequent visitor to Pura Vida and an instant friend. She was sitting at the table next to us but we couldn't stop talking so she moved over to sit with us.

Nhi, meanwhile, was in the kitchen working magic. From soup to nuts, dinner was superb. The bread was so so good: that heavy warm sourdough you get in really good restaurants. Served with real butter, of course. Xavier had a lovely merlot. All the glasses were sparkly. The first course was teriyaki chicken wings with an arugula and parsley salad. Delish.

The main course was trout with capers, such a good combo. The trout was fresh and perfectly cooked, very tender. With those skinny green beans... they must have a name besides skinny green beans... and brown rice on the side. Presentation was simple and appealing, dishes were interesting, colorful and not matched - I love that.

Desert was a sweet, chewy coconut bar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream with toasted coconut on top. And fresh El Rey coffee.

After our scrumptious dinner, Berni, showed us around. It was dark, so we couldn't see the landscaping, but the grounds are lush and sprawling. The rooms are delightfully appointed, GREAT PILLOWS, fluffy comforters, local art covers the walls. We could be very comfy there. In fact, I was tempted to crawl right in... but I'd had too much coffee.

If I was coming to Costa Rica for a visit, I'd definitely stay at the Pura Vida Hotel with Berni and Nhi. You couldn't go wrong.

(posted on Tripadvisor)

Soukseeker
From: Santa Monica, California
Jan 27, 2007

This was the perfect first stop on our first trip to Costa Rica. Berni and Nhi were gracious and welcoming. Even before we arrived Berni was so helpful answering all of our questions by email. Once we arrived (via a short taxi ride from the airport that the hotel paid for) it was even better than we anticipated. Berni and his three lovely german shepherds greeted us warmly, even allowing us to check into another room early (we arrived at 9:00 AM) since our reserved room was not quite ready yet.

The Toucan Casita was private, spacious, light and airy with beautiful art in the living room and bedroom...The bathroom had a huge shower with a skylight and a separate water closet. The casita was tucked into their lovely lush gardens, our beautiful home away from home in Costa Rica. We just had one full day to explore the many sights of the central valley and Berni helped us make the most of our time by arranging a driver and suggesting an itinerary. We were able to see quite a lot before heading off to the rainforest.

Nhi's cooking was one of the highlights of our trip and the meals were not only delicious but beautiful as well. We even had a great view of Poas volcano from our breakfast table!

By the end of our two night (too short stay) we felt as though we were staying with friends and we look forward to returning soon.

(posted in TripAdvisor)

Rodish
From: Bostaon, MA USA
Jan 5, 2007

We stayed at Pura Vida for three nights. We were in Alajuela for a family event.

The casitas and rooms are situated on a hillside with a beautiful view of Poas. We were in Toucan, which suited our needs well. The room and furnishings were clean and attractive. Berni and Nhi's three large, friendly German shepards escorted us around the property with big doggie smiles.

The breakfasts were delicious fresh fruit, hearty breads and optional eggs, quiche or omlets. The coffee was delicious - in this major coffee-producing land, it is not unusual to be served poorly made coffee, so it is not something we take for granted.

We had a very good dinner, our best on this week-long trip to Costa Rica, and the vegetarian in our party was accomodated nicely with a special plate.

What really set Pura Vida apart, however, is the clear and carefully compiled information. We have traveled widely around the world and never have been presented with such a personalized set of interesting and valuable facts, delivered with a dry, observant wit.

We have lots of family in Alajuela and around the country, so we have many opportunities to stay with relatives. But when we need to escape from family closeness that builds up over a longer visit, we'll certainly come back to Pura Vida, and will recommend the place to all our friends.

(Posted on TripAdvisor)

Virmac
From: Halifax, Canada
Jan 5, 2007

We stayed our first night and last 3 nights. The location is fantastic and the hospitality superb. The breakfast and dinners were amazing. Berni's advice about travel was spot on. Beautiful view, great accommodation. (posted on TripAdvisor)

Anon
From: St Louis, MO
Sep 3, 2006

We stayed in Alajuela at the Pura Vida Hotel prior to our early flight the next day. The hotel was recommended in the Moon Guide. On the hotel website, they had a special 30% off their off-season rate when the room was booked within 14 days. With the discount, our room was only $56 per night, which was a great value. Berni and his wife own the hotel and are from Santa Cruz, California. Upon our arrival, we were upgraded to a larger, Rainforest Casita room.

We opted for the dinner ($20 per person) at the hotel cooked by Bernie�?�?s wife. There were five total for dinner (including us). The food was a gourmet meal with lasagna as the main course. The food was wonderful and the best meal with had in Costa Rica. Considering that we were in Costa Rica for 9 days, it show you how good the food really was.

The rooms we were in was huge and included a sitting room with the restroom and mini-bar and a separate bedroom. Keep in mind that the town is noisy and that there are noisy motorcycles driving by during the days. During the evening and night, the motocycles are much less frequent. There are three German Shepard dogs that lives on the grounds. As a dog lover, I played with one of the dogs and threw fruit for him to chase after.

Berni was up to see us off the next morning at 5:00 a.m. with a "to go" bag for our continental breakfast. He also called us a cab to the airport. The ride to the airport cost about $4.50 and was less than 10 minutes.

While I am sure there may be closer place to the airport and maybe more elegant places to stay, there was great service and a cosy feeling at the Pura Vida Hotel. It was also a great value. (Posted via TripAdvisor)

Our most memorable event of the trip:
Did I mention the food?

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