What people say

z Our first night in Costa Rica was quite an adventure-we drove ourselves from the airport at night in the rain!  Everyone was so nice when we arrived, it was like spending the night in a tree house.  We’d love to come back.  Loren and Rick

z An exceptionally beautiful retreat with unparalleled views and ambience.  The staff has been beyond lovely.  Chris and Heidi

z What an amazing first night for our 5th anniversary trip!  Somehow words just can’t quite capture the beauty and serenity of this place.  We loved the privacy of the bungalows and the landscaping around the grounds.  An early morning hike to the waterfall was a fantastic way to wake up!  Take the opportunity to visit with the other guests during the delicious home cooked meals.  Happy (the dog) defiantly deserves a lot of loving.  Thanks for the warm welcome; we look forward to staying here again on our last night in Costa Rica.  Karla and Scott

z Beautiful rooms, magnificent views, scrumptious meals, the most welcoming and accommodating staff, what a very wonderful way to kick off our Costa Rican adventure!  Thank you for the unforgettable memories!  Jon and Angie

z Your beautiful oasis was the perfect place to spend the first night of our honeymoon on our first visit to Costa Rica.  We have been so impressed by your staff.  Brooke secured all our transportation expertly, and she greeted us with a warm welcome.  Maureen provided a lovely tour and we received gracious and friendly service from our dinner servers and all the staff.  And your chef is outstanding!  Thank you for creating this heavenly place and for your respect and stewardship of the ecosystem.  We will be back in one week and we are already looking forward to it!  Pam and Will

z The grounds here at Vista del Valle are as beautiful as we have seen and as life-long nature lavers we have sought and found some lovely spots in our travels.  The bamboo is not only beautiful; the creaking sound it makes in the breeze is magical and relaxing.  We also appreciate your gracious staff; they are friendly, helpful and have made our stay enjoyable.  The service is what we expect buy sadly do not receive in all vacation spots.  We will spread the word about this slice of heaven.  We hope that this piece of paradise continues to stay in good hands.  Jeri and Richard

z Hello Jo, It only took us 6 months to coordinate our schedule but we finally were able to make a visit to your Oasis. It truly is.
We had the best time. Your staff was very courteous and helpful. We only stayed for a day and a night, but next time we will definitely come back for longer. You were able to incorporate every part of the establishment into the natural surroundings and it created such a peaceful and tranquil setting. (except for maybe my three year old running around-next time it will be adults only) "...I was impressed by so many things but these are just a few from the top of the list.
- The food was top notch.
- The climate was perfect (warm, but not too warm in the day and cool at night)
- The horses were very well kept (this is a rarity in my travels in Costa Rica)
- The decor of the rooms was beautiful. The rooms were very neat and fresh with many ingenious and functional ideas used in them. We will be sure to incorporate some of these into our home in San Jose.
- I can't believe how close you are to San Jose. It was like stepping into a totally different world right next door. It only took us 40 minutes to get their in heavy holiday traffic and then 20 minutes to get home. -And lastly, whoever created the trail to the Waterfall was truly a Master. It was in very good condition and we did not feel our lives were in danger at any time. That is saying a lot seeing that it is the middle of the rainy season and the trails that I have been on in the past have a tendency to be half washed away at this time of year...."
The only negative to the visit was that we were not able to meet you and Mike. But we are coming back soon and will make sure that it is a time that you both are there. I have a bunch of questions for you when you have some time. " ...Thank you again for keeping such a nice place, we had a great time.
Sincerely, Keith and Paula
 

z "...I waited until after the holiday rush to tell you what a lovely place you have and how much I appreciated the warm and generous help from everyone at Vista del Valle when I stayed the night late December. I arrived in the dark, rainy night...slept like a rock and woke up to  a little paradise. Too bad I couldn't stay for several nights! I am back in Marin County now and, you now have another convert to spread the news of your very special inn. Thank you! Thank you again and very Happy New Year, Kathleen Schneider..."

z "... Thank you so much for a wonderful experience (unfortunately so short!). Vista Del Valle is just incredible and I am just sick that we only had 15 hours with you! I did not have an opportunity to get the recipe for the Carrot Cake that we had with dinner Wednesday night. Can you please E-mail it to me? I would like to take it to my Mother's for Thanksgiving. Again, we were so impressed with the property and you hospitality and look forward to our next visit, Regards Rachel and Eric Schaeffer..."
 

z "... My children and wife enjoyed ourselves immensely during our stay at your beautiful plantation inn. Thank you very much for your hospitality. I have been told by my children the highlight of their trip to Costa Rica was the horseback ride through the coffee plantations near your inn. My wife though still a little sore from the trek down to the waterfall fell in love with the sight. Thank you again for the warmth  of hospitality you showed to us.  Benjamin Simms Jr...."
 

z "... Dear Mike & Johanna: I felt compelled to once again thank you for having such a peaceful and beautiful  resort. Steve & I were overwhelmed, and that doesn't happen very often to us. Your staff is very professional and helpful. We couldn't believe you had an air compressor available so quickly when  our tire was flat as we were departing for the airport yesterday. Hope to see you again soon. Sincerely,  Steve & Linda Blande ..."
 

z .." We stayed at Vista del Valle for three nights starting March 3 rd. We had a great time and wanted to thank you for your friendliness and helpfulness.
The setting is incredible. The food was great. My wife and daughter said that the horseback ride they went on was the best they had ever had. Thanks again for a wonderful stay. Mark Armstrong..."
 

z "... What a treasure to find Vista Del Valle and so close to San Jose!
We had reserved one of their "Exotic Wood Suites" with a Queen Bed and a futon bed.  The said that they'd put an extra futon bed in for our other child.  We stayed in the "Ceibo" suite overlooking the canyon.  I believe this has the most beautiful view of all their cottages!  It was gorgeous!  And, it connects to a matching room on the other side with a kitchen between the two rooms that has an outdoor bar and table.  They gave us the whole complex for no extra charge!  Our kids thought they were pretty special with their own room!  The rooms are quite beautiful with all the wood and tile. We changed quickly into our hiking boots and headed down the trail to the 300' waterfall.  It was so pretty!  A great trail that required ladder climbing in one section!  I was so glad we did this that day as it was raining when we came back on our last night of our trip.  The last night we were in the "T-House garden cottage" which was just as nice but nothing like the view out over the canyon like our first night.  The grounds are immaculate - like botanical gardens.  We got to meet and visit with Mike and Joanna, the owners.  The kids loved their two rockweiler dogs, Nita and Ray.  It was very cool temperatures here so refreshing - 60's in the morning - unlike the 100 degree heat we had left in Texas!  We actually pulled the blanket off the bed in the morning to sit on the front porch!  I was really glad we brought wind breakers/light sweaters as we even wore socks with our sandals for dinner!  Speaking of dinner, it was cooked outside in their outdoor kitchen/bar overlooking the canyon with the lights of the city in the distance.  The food was superb!  We had fresh fish both times, but they also offered chicken or beef.  The sauce/toppings on the fresh fish were delicious both times as were the salad, homemade bread, veggies, and starch.  And dessert was a coconut flan with some sort of fruit that was to die for!  We had no desire to dine anywhere else and besides we thought it was very reasonable.  They were very accommodating in fixing spaghetti, chicken tenders, etc. for the kids.  It is about $20 per adult before all the government taxes.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.  Not only very delicious but also very relaxing and excellent service.  We loved it there ... because they were so elegant, but not commercialized, and they made us feel as if they were there solely to serve our family! Breakfast is included with wonderful fresh fruit and cereals and made to order eggs, omelets, pancakes, etc.  Very fresh and good!  The fresh squeezed Orange juice from their trees on the property was also a treat!  ...... We have never, in all our vacations, felt so strongly affected by a visit someplace.  I am so glad that the people that visited Vista del Valle took the time to share their experiences on fodors.com.  It was a vacation of a lifetime and one we believe our children will never forget.  I don't know if we'll ever duplicate it!  Got to go - got tears in my eyes - I want to go back to paradise on earth!! ..Reda Kay