El Castillo Luxury Boutique Hotel-
Location: Puntarenas, OSA, UVITA, 300M SURESTE Y 100N DE ENTRADA P OJOCHAL, Ojochal, cr
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Property Type: Hotels
About this Property
Luxurious Accommodations with Spectacular Views
Situated high above the Pacific Ocean, El Castillo offers stylish adults-only rooms with breathtaking views of lush gardens and Garza Island. Each room features elegant decor, free Wi-Fi, and a private bathroom with deluxe amenities.
Exquisite Dining Experience
Indulge in a culinary journey at the Azul bar-restaurant where you can savor Mediterranean cuisine and delectable homemade desserts on the poolside terrace. Enjoy a variety of options for lunch including wraps, tacos, salads, and yucca fries, and start your day with a complimentary breakfast that changes daily.
Exceptional Services and Nearby Attractions
With a 24-hour reception, El Castillo provides assistance in arranging excursions and airport transfers. Explore the nearby Ballena Marine National Park or take a boat ride to Corcovado National Park for a memorable adventure.
Experience luxury and tranquility at El Castillo - Book your stay now!
Important Information
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Policies
Check-in: 03:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Amenities & Facilities
- Health or beauty spa nearby
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Non-smoking rooms
- Air conditioning
- Swimming pool
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Terrace
- Safety deposit box
- Tour desk
- Facilities for disabled guests
- Ironing service
- Hot tub/Jacuzzi
- Car hire
- Massage services
- Packed lunches
- Non-smoking throughout
- Shuttle service (additional charge)
- Concierge service
- Wheelchair accessible
- Adult only
- Outdoor furniture
- Fruits
- Fire extinguishers
- CCTV outside property
- 24-hour security
- Television in common areas
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Free wired internet
- Scuba diving on site
- Snorkeling on site
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Pool sun loungers
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Private beach nearby
- Internet access
- Housekeeping on request
- Concerts/live shows
- Art gallery on site
- Wine release events
- Exercise/lap pool
- Japanese garden
- Covered parking
- Secured parking
- Fishing nearby
- Health or beauty spa nearby
- Horse riding nearby
- Swimming nearby
- Beach club nearby (surcharge)
- Beach toys
- Vegetarian menu options available
- Bulk dispenser for toiletries
- Accessible shuttle
- No accessible shuttle
Rooms Available
-
King Room with Garden View
This King room features 1 king-size bed, upgraded linens, coffee maker, safety box, bathrobes, air conditioning, a fridge and garden views.
Maximum occupancy is 2 people (see hotel policies).
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Bathrobe
- Refrigerator
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Tile/marble floor
- Alarm clock
- Tumble dryer
- Wardrobe or closet
- Hypoallergenic
- Cleaning products
- Coffee machine
- Terrace
- Linen
- Outdoor furniture
- Entire unit located on ground floor
- Clothes rack
- Toilet paper
- Adapted bath
- Pool towels
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Wine glasses
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Lockers
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
-
King Room with Ocean View
This bright, air-conditioned room offer dramatic panoramas of the Pacific Ocean through French doors. Guests appreciate the king-size four-poster beds, full baths, and expansive, wood-beamed ceilings.
They also include a private cabana on the exclusive guest-only deck with its own bar, spa services, and 10-person, half-moon Jacuzzi pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Bathrobe
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Seating Area
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Tile/marble floor
- Alarm clock
- Tumble dryer
- Wardrobe or closet
- Hypoallergenic
- Cleaning products
- Coffee machine
- Terrace
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Clothes rack
- Toilet paper
- Adapted bath
- Pool towels
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Wine glasses
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Lockers
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
-
Junior Suite with Ocean View
This bright, air-conditioned suite features a king-size four-poster bed and vast, wood-beamed ceilings. It also includes a private veranda with ocean view. There is a spacious bathroom and a sitting room overlooking the beautiful Costa Rican mountains.
They also include a private cabana on the exclusive guest-only deck with its own bar, spa services, and 10-person, half-moon Jacuzzi pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Bathrobe
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Sofa
- Tile/marble floor
- Alarm clock
- Tumble dryer
- Wardrobe or closet
- Hypoallergenic
- Cleaning products
- Coffee machine
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Clothes rack
- Toilet paper
- Adapted bath
- Pool towels
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Wine glasses
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Lockers
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
-
Two-Bedroom Suite
This bright, air-conditioned owner's suite features two bedrooms with king-size beds and vast, wood-beamed ceilings. It also includes a private veranda with ocean view. There is a sitting room with three French doors overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean . They also include a private cabana on the exclusive guest-only deck with its own bar, spa services, and 10-person, half-moon Jacuzzi pool overlooking the ocean.
Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Bathrobe
- Refrigerator
- Seating Area
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Sofa
- Tile/marble floor
- Alarm clock
- Tumble dryer
- Wardrobe or closet
- Hypoallergenic
- Cleaning products
- Coffee machine
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Clothes rack
- Toilet paper
- Pool towels
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Wine glasses
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Lockers
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
-
Deluxe King Suite
This suite features a pool with a view. The air-conditioned suite has 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom with a shower and a hairdryer. The suite features a tea and coffee maker, a seating area, a wardrobe as well as a terrace with sea views. The unit has 2 beds.
Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- Shower
- Safety deposit box
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Bathrobe
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Seating Area
- Fan
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Slippers
- Sofa
- Tile/marble floor
- Alarm clock
- Tumble dryer
- Wardrobe or closet
- Hypoallergenic
- Cleaning products
- Coffee machine
- Terrace
- Linen
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
- Clothes rack
- Toilet paper
- Pool towels
- Bottle of water
- Trash cans
- Wine glasses
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
- Socket near the bed
- Lockers
- Fire extinguisher
- Key access
Guest Reviews
- Luis Gustavo (10/5): Great place to relax and chill - The place is spectacular. The view, the pool, the customer service—especially Roxana—and the food were wonderful. Nothing… just wonderful.
- victor (10/5): - nos encantó el lugar a nivel general.
- Anthony (10/5): Fabulous little boutique hotel - Jose and all the staff were extremely welcoming. Lovely relaxed atmosphere and great cocktails to watch the sun setting
- Randy Bast (10/5): -
- Herbert (8/5): -
- Eveline (10/5): - Super Lage. Essen vorzüglich. Personal sehr freundlich
- Victoria (10/5): Ideal for special occasions - We treated my husband's brother to dinner and a night at El Castillo for his birthday and first visit to Costa Rica. It was pitch perfect! The pool, the cocktails, the sunset, the dinner and the two bedroom suite were all ideal for our needs.
Kudos to Abdul and Francisco for making our time especially memorable! You have to be prepared to take some time to park your vehicle. It all works but it's not...spacious
- Georges_67500 (8/5): Un des meilleurs hôtels près du parc Manuel Antonio - Très près du parc Manuel Antonio, personnel très sympa, repas de bonne qualité, propreté
- Stuart (10/5): Paradise in Ojochal - probably the best sea view I've had in 50 years of travelling! - What a place this is! We reserved one of the larger rooms in the main building - room number 5. Very spacious. The views from the room, the pool and the restaurant area are absolutely amazing - a 180 degree sea view. Staff are fabulous and a special mention for Jose. Sunbeds great, parking easy and it was very exclusive and boutique. It was never busy and we felt we were being looked after well at all times. The restaurant is wonderful (for all meals). We ate there 2 out of 5 nights and went into Uvita for 3 dinners (which is about 20 minutes drive north). We went to La Cusingas Lodge for lunch too - I'd recommend that (about 10/15 minutes north). I score this as a 10, so these comments do not detract from my rating. The balcony to the room is small and to be honest, we hardly used it. The doors to the balconies - in my opinion - need replacing because they currently do very little to block out any road noise. I suggest these could be replaced with suitable new frames that fully seal and sound protect the rooms. Road noise - this is nothing the hotel can do anything about and again, being honest, it didn't really bother us at all. But you do get the odd heavy truck pounding down the road below the hotel. The access road is quite steep and rather rough. We had a Toyota Rav4 so it was fine. Go slow and watch the bumps! Again, just be aware. It wasn't a concern for us.
- Luz (10/5): Muy especial - Si , muy bonito espectacular la vista , muy amables .
- Kate (10/5): Perfect, in every way. - I’ve never left a review quite like this, because I’ve never felt so appreciative of a hotel’s hospitality before. This hotel is simply the best there is. The infinity pool is stunning, the views are spectacular, the decor is cool, casual luxury, the rooms are gorgeous and it’s spotless. But what makes it really unforgettable is the team. From the front of house-Josè, Abdul, Francisco and Roxanne to the super talented chef, Justin, these guys are next level. They really do care about your experience, they’re great fun, incredibly attentive and very friendly. You feel like you’re guests in their home, in the best possible way. The service is five star.
I had my birthday at El Castillo and they went out of their way to help my husband get a cake ordered and delivered. They lit the candle and sang happy birthday, I was gifted a cute homemade paper rose and they even helped him print a simple card in advance.
I’m a vegetarian and again, they went out of their way to ensure I had a really wonderful dinner every night, beautifully presented, delicious and decorated with flowers. We felt like we were on honeymoon all over again (but it was better)!
We loved it so much that we stayed on an extra 4 nights. Room number 1 (junior suite) is simply stunning, very spacious and has the best views, which only improve at sunset. The bed was incredibly comfortable too. We will never forget our time at this hotel. If you’re thinking of booking, all we can say is, do it. You won’t regret it. Absolutely nothing.
- Martine (10/5): Stunning views - Tranquility It was a perfect stay!
- Thomas (9/5): -
- belen (9/5): Magnífica sensación al entrar - Las vistas y la tranquilidad Las puertas de la habitación no cerraban bien y el baño era pequeño
- Esther (8/5): - Der Pool und die tolle Aussicht, sehr freundliches Personal gute Küche preislich eher teuer. Keine Dusche beim Pool, undichte Fenster daher Strassenlärm auch in der Nacht.
- dominique (9/5): -
- Cynthia (9/5): Perfect stay if you look for a hotel far away from all the noise and trouble - All in all a perfect stay!
It‘s not a big hotel,lying quietly on top of the hill with the prettiest view at the ocean.
The pool has a perfect size if you even want to do some swimming. The staff is just the nicest and the food was delicious. The rooms were not too small and they were clean!
José and his staff would never miss a chance to read our wishes from our lips and making our stay as nice as possible! If there would be one thing to criticize,it would be the fact that there is no buffet as breakfast. So you order a plate from the menu… Just that only one plate per person per morning is included in the price. So if you order an avocado toast that‘s fine,but if you order some pancakes or something else on top of that,you have to pay in addition…
- Peri (9/5): Fantastische Sonnenuntergänge am Pool - Sensationeller Blick, großer Pool und tolle Atmosphäre Leider etwas nah an der Straße und daher Verkehrslärm sowie eine kurze Anfahrt über einen Schotterweg
- Cornelia (9/5): -
- Hadi Nicholas (10/5): - I really liked the breakfast and the view. My room had no view of the ocean. Which was a let down.
- Kristina (10/5): Perfekt hotell för dem som vill bo bra med fin utsikt och personal som hjälper till med bokningar och allt. Inte så myck - Det bästa hotellet med fantastisk utsikt, frukost och personal
- CJ (10/5): - Location and facilities Na
- James (10/5): Out happy place. - This place is incredible. It was our second trip there and we will be back in a year to get married there! Amazing staff and amazing food. Highly recommend. Leaving.
- Marion (8/5): Schönes Hotel für entspannte Tage - Top Lage, nette Mitarbeiter, schöne Zimmer, sehr ruhige Atmosphäre, (eigentlich) leckeres Essen, aber je nach Personal in unterschiedlicher Qualität.
Traumhafter Ausblick beim Frühstücken!
Gutes Management, welches auf Reklamationen umgehend reagiert 👍
An Roxana & Francisco, Danke für euren tollen Umgang mit den Gästen 👍 Für diese Preisklasse lässt der Service mitunter etwas zu wünschen übrig.
Die Speisekarte ist nicht sehr groß, was völlig ok ist, aber wenn dann einige Sachen nicht vorrätig sind, ist das kein 5 Sterne Service (womit aber geworben wird und ihr Aushängeschild ist).
Die Mitarbeiter sind zwar alle sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit, aber mitunter sehr langsam und vergesslich. Das haben wir in anderen Hotels und Restaurants in Costa Rica auch ganz anders erlebt. Geht mal ins „Heleconia“, da habt ihr einen direkten Vergleich. Absoluter Top-Service und immer gleichbleibende Qualität beim Essen, so wie man es sich in dieser Preisklasse wünscht.
Vielleicht hilft das ja als Anregung für mögliche Verbesserungen.
- Eirik Skeie (8/5): Fin beliggenhet, men ikke et «luxury boutique»-hotell - Hotellet har en veldig fin beliggenhet med flott utsikt over havet. Maten var svært god, og renholdet holdt et gjennomgående bra nivå. Selv om oppholdet var hyggelig, lever hotellet etter vår mening ikke opp til betegnelsen «luxury boutique». Det var en del støy på rommet, blant annet fordi vinduene på badet vender ut mot gangen, samt mye lyd fra resepsjon og kjøkken. Veien opp til hotellet er i svært dårlig stand, og den bratte og hullete bakken kan oppleves utfordrende å kjøre. Resepsjonspersonalet var høflige og serviceinnstilte, men virket uerfarne.
- Urs (8/5): -
- Michelle (10/5): - Stunning views and wonderful service. Michelle was the best!
- Melanie (7/5): - L’endroit est très joli. Le personnel est super agréable et bienveillant. L’hôtel est très bien.
Le restaurant est aussi d’excellente qualité, l’un des meilleurs repas que nous ayons pris au CR. CoktailS très bons. La qualité de la chambre, que très peu d’intimité avec l’impossibilité de fermer complètement les rideaux, la porte qui laisse passer l’air et tous les insectes. Personnel dépassé car la seule personne qui est présente doit gérer la réception, le service, les activités… plus d’une heure d’attente avant d’être servis… cher pour la qualité des sévices.
- U.H. (9/5): - Außergewöhnlich schöne Lage mit Meerblick.
Überaus freundliches Personal.
Komfortabel geschnittene Suite.
Exzellente Speisen und super Cocktails!
Sehr zu empfehlen!
- Randy Bast (10/5): I only stay here if the property is available. - Outstanding Parking
- Miha (10/5): -
- Allan (7/5): -
- Cordula (10/5): - Ein toller Pool mit einer großartigen Aussicht 🙆♀️
- Stephanie (8/5): Beautiful property up on a hill overlooking the ocean. - Beautiful property with fantastic view and pool. We ate breakfast and dinner here and both were delicious. Pool is great and quite large. Directions to hotel from main road-there are two routes that you can take one is about 10 minutes longer than the other and since the road is all dirt and rocks it’s nice to be able to take the shorter route. We use Google maps and did notice the shorter route, however, Google maps takes you the longer route so just a note if you see the little road take that one.
- Statyra (10/5): Perfect! - Perfect location, beautiful, comfortable, room (free upgrade to junior suite). Very nice, polite and helpful staff, great lunch, diner and breakfast with good choice and delicious food !
- Mario Jose (10/5): Hotel con excelente vista. - La vista es perfecta, buena ubicación y el personal es super amable y servicial.
- Yorleny (10/5): Salud mental 🥹 - Las instalaciones, el personal, el paisaje Nada, todo súper bien
- Yorleny (10/5): Salud mental 🙏 - Instalaciones, comida, paisaje y personal 🙏 Nada. Todo excelente
- Irit (9/5): - מקום קטן ומקסים. נעים שקט וזול הכל היה טוב
- Mihaela (10/5): - Michelle and Francisco made our stay fantastic. They were so accommodating and always greeted us with a smile.
The breakfast was spectacular—the best we've had in Costa Rica. The chef's attention to detail, flavors, and presentation were outstanding. The visible repairs unfortunately detracted from the hotel's otherwise relaxing vibe.
- Eliézer (10/5): -
- Katharina (10/5): Exzellent - Nettes Zimmer und Bad mit großer Dusche. Sehr schöne Architektur und Charme der gesamten Anlage. Schöne Aussicht vor allem vom Pool und Restaurant aus! Cocktails und Essen war göttlich. Personal auch top top. Unser Aufenthalt war einfach nur schön, kommen gerne wieder! Gar nichts
- fawndesiree (10/5): - By far my favorite place to stay. Outstanding dinner and drinks at the bar. Francisco really made us feel welcome.
- Randy Bast (10/5): -
- Ronald (10/5): hermoso lugar con una vista impecable - muy buena atencion y tiene restaurante ademas deje olvidado una bateria y muy amablemente me la enviaron flato jugo de tomate en la mañana
- Josue (10/5): Todo estuvo muy bien, la atención es muy buena, y la comida excelente - Todo es perfecto, me encanto bastante el lugar, y la comida es bastante rica La verdad que todo me gusto bastante
- James (10/5): -
- Ruth (10/5): Highly recommend - Beautiful location, views, pool. Extremely peaceful but in easy reach of Uvita. Food including breakfast was fabulous. Staff could not have been more helpful. Lots of wildlife around. Very steep drive to reach property - just need to allow some time
- Jason (10/5): Best food you’ll have in Costa Rica - The staff was very attentive, but what we can’t quit talking about was the food. We have been coming to Costa Rica for 26 years and the food is always underwhelming here. But the food at El Castillo has got to be some of the most flavorful dishes we’ve ever had anywhere in the world! Chef Justin pulled out all the stops!
- Hall (9/5): it was fine but Im tired of answering questions please bdon't ask me any more. - very good I was there looking to buy the hotel but it just wasn't a good fit for us. Too fat away from San Jose
- Maurits (10/5): Exceptional - The view was awesome. The pool was great. Very relaxing atmosphere. Food was really good, breakfast and dinner. Staff very attentive and making sure you have a great stay. Car parking was not too roomy.
- Johanna (9/5): Superb - The place is beautiful with a good beach view. The food was delicious. The staff is the greatest asset of this place, the attention we received was exceptional. Nothing. No complaints.
- Carl (9/5): Superb -
- Nick (9/5): Authentic boutique hotel perched high in the hills of Ochojal - Authentic boutique hotel perched high in the hills of Ochojal with breathtaking views over the wild ocean. All staff were terrific and helpful and positive - clearly a well-run operation. Lovely breakfast with abundant delicious fruit accompanied by toucans in the trees of the hotel grounds and resident iguanas.
Our room was huge with a lounge area and loved having both balcony windows open to let the breeze flow through when the daytime heat soared. Beautiful pool big enough for lengths and lounging. Glad we chose El Castillo over Hotel 360 nearby which we visited and was soulless and corporate.
Clearly a little bit of investment is needed to upgrade fixtures and fittings at El Castillo as some of the furniture and bathrooms are a little dated - but it’s a gem.
- Michael (10/5): A brilliant experience seeing a sloth in the jungle within the hotel grounds. - An unbelievable experience: second to none!
Fantastic location with an infinity pool.
The staff were brilliant especially Francisco Nothing.
- Jillian (10/5): Exceptional - Ocean view room is stunning.
Lovely infinity pool with waiter service.
Dinner and breakfast superb.
Staff lovely.
Excellent value for money.
- Randy (10/5): Exceptional -
- Romain (10/5): Amazing hotel with exceptional view -
- Michael (10/5): Best stay during our trip to Costa Rica - Fantastic view to the ocean and the staff was excellent. In particular, Roxana. Rooms are spacious and clean.
- Adrian (10/5): Outstanding staff great views and food - Views from infinity pool and the staff Carl park was a little tight,
- Lori (10/5): Exceptional - Staff are all so wonderful and friendly. Music needs to be more relaxing.
- Jana (8/5): Very good - Hotel and our room was beautiful. We had clean accomodation and staff was very pleasant. There was a lots of noise in our room. We heard a lot music and people from hall and reception area.
- G_navarra (10/5): An ancient villa with the comfort of a luxury hotel. - Room: is very comfortable with a spacious living room, bedroom and bathroom. This allows you to enjoy the room comfortably, especially for extended stays with lots of luggage. The windows offer a wonderful view of the ocean and the mountains. Every morning, you will be awakened by the singing of birds. You will have the chance to see monkeys moving in the nearby trees. A small terrace allows you to have a private aperitif with a sea view. The bed is super king size, very comfortable! The bathroom has a very comfortable shower and the sink has plenty of space to store products.
Resturant: Breakfast is excellent, both in traditional dishes and in more American variations. Dinner was good. The menu was the same for all the week, although we would have preferred some variations during our stay.
Staff: is really kind and attentive to the needs of the customers, starting with the General Manager Steven Morera, and continuing with Francisco, Domi, and Roxy. Thank you all for taking care of our needs! We would have liked a menu with more fish dishes. For example, a dish of fresh shellfish. The fish of the day was always the same, it would be better to have variations based on the fresh fish available.
- Naomi (10/5): Best boutique hotel in the area - nestled away property, amazing views, close to popular beaches, incredible staff and food, comfortable oversized king rooms with patio ocean views
- Robert (8/5): Very good - Stunning location Lots of deferred maintenance issues. Not a 5 star experience. Exceptionally slow service from the restaurant. Painfully slow!
- Christian (10/5): Exceptional -
- Isabelle (8/5): A room with an incredible view on the Pacific - Incredible view
great swimming pool
Good breakfast
Very pretty hotel
Nice staff 20 $ to go from Pancito cafe to the hotel, far too much expensive for 3 minutes, better to take directly a taxi from the airport to the hotel if you did not rent a car.
Great hotel but too much isolated when it is raining and walk along the main road was dangerous and unpleasant
Also there is this continuous noise from the Pacific road (from US to Panama) just under the hotel barely masked by background music...
Restaurant was ok but the Mexican one in Ojochal was much better, they could have proposed some ceviche ;)
- Patricia (9/5): Very nice - Beautiful place Wifi was poor
Menu a little boring
- Irene (10/5): Exceptional stay. - We felt really welcomed by all the staff. Especial mention to Francisco who took care of us making our stay more enjoyable. Also to chef Jose who made us try his new menu and it is delicious.
- Randy (10/5): Exceptional -
- Karl (10/5): A wonderful place to stay to enjoy your time along the Puntarenas coast. - It is a beautiful facility, intimate but with full service, in a great location with fantastic views, very good food. Plus the staff works very hard to take care of every request. A delightful place to stay that we will return to. Unfortunately there is nothing that could be better.
- Roman (10/5): Exceptional - We were only 2 guests in the entire hotel treated like 2 VIPs. The property has got amazing and very helpful staff who cares about you like you are part of their family. Delicious breakfast. And on the top we have been given free room upgrade. Many reasons why we extended our stay by one more overnight.
- Matthew (10/5): Amazing hotel and an amazing value! - The views of the ocean to the west and the jungle to east are unparalleled! The amenities are fantastic (love the infinity pool!), and the staff are wonderful, attentive, yet unobtrusive. Good menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a complete bar with all the inventory you would expect. Easy access to the hotel - all at a price point that is amazing for what you get. Highly recommend! We only stayed one night - wish we stayed here longer!
- Randy (10/5): Exceptional -
- Irina (10/5): Gorgeous ocean view - Excellent location, gorgeous ocean view, friendly staff, beautiful infinity pool
- Sharon (10/5): Exceptional -
- Peter (9/5): Beautiful luxurious stay - Lovely atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff, beautiful views and very comfortable room.
- David (10/5): Beautiful hotel with an awesome view! - Beautiful location. Very spacious and comfortable room. The food was very good. The only thing of concern was that getting a drink or especially food took a long time. But the food was excellent!
- Susan (10/5): One of our BEST holiday choices EVER - El Castillo PURA VIDA!! - El Castillo is set high above the most beautiful southern Pacific coastline and feels like an aerial birds-eye-view perched on the mountain, low enough to be outside the jungle, but high enough to see as far as the Osa Peninsula and towards the faraway Isla Caño where we travelled to snorkel by tour. The El Castillo incredible staff, were each so special, exceeding our expectations, without any pressure and total professionalism, kindness, and total regard to attention of the guests. Special gratitude and mention to Carlos, G, Francisco, and beautiful Roxy. We cannot say enough about these lovely people. The infinity pool was our favourite spot, spending hours perched on the edge overseeing the coastline watching the tides come in and go out. Wildlife abounds on the property with monkeys, toucans, scarlet macaws, iguanas, hummingbirds and even cool insects like scorpions, each made us all feel captivated by Costa Rican beauty. The square-based village of Ojochal was a wonderful go-to scene for a fabulous french bakery with gourmet goodies, a great pub named Stan's, and an awesome restaurant named Citrus. We had dinner MOST nights at El Castillo as the food was delicious, chef-prepared and interesting with variety and presented with such flair. Breakfast was always 2 courses, of fresh fruit plate, followed by choice of many hot and cold mains. Fresh edible flowers on every plate. Hats off to the Chef!!
During our stay, we experienced an earthquake, in the evening which was totally nuts to "feel" for about 5 seconds of shaking followed by a lighter aftershock in the AM. The power outage whether related or not, was handled so well by Rebecca and her team. Candles were distributed. Meals were not missed, and all the same service kept flowing without any missteps. The experience bonded the guests and the staff, and we all felt very "together" in that excitement which was a slight blip in the flow of the holiday. There is nothing we would have changed about El Castillo. Getting used to the pace of life in Costa Rica means that you have relaxed enough to enjoy your holiday!! I would have ordered more Ceviche which I only had once and was DELICIOUS.
- Margie (10/5): Our stay was wonderful and we look forward to coming back!! - It’s absolutely spectacular!! The views, the pool, the rooms, the staff and management, and the service is exceptional!!
- Nicola (8/5): Nice end to our trip but a little too remote - Real pretty hotel with a lovely pool. And only a small number of rooms
Very friendly and welcoming staff Location if you stay here you need a car, if you organise transport through the hotel you will pay double the price. I would book trips separately and not through the hotel as you will pay too much for them.
For the price we paid, I expected more. There is a fixed cocktail list but you can’t deviate from the list if not your charged extra. And several cocktails we couldn’t have because they didn’t have the ingredients or didn’t have champagne open?!?
- Karl (10/5): Outstanding location and great place to relax - very friendly staff; relaxed atmosphere; stunning view and sunset; great cocktails water was not available all the time; espresso at breakfast with extra costs
- Gert (8/5): Very good -
- Susan (10/5): Exceptional -
- Randall (10/5): Exceptional -
- Joanna (9/5): BEAUTIFUL HOTEL FOR A SHORT BREAK - THE VIEW FOOD
- Jakob (10/5): Exceptional -
- Gretchen (10/5): As very experienced international travelers, we highly recommend a long stay at El Castillo in Ojochal! - The small boutique hotel offers clean and comfortable amenities, privacy, relaxation, a spectacular elevated view of the ocean and surrounding mountains and jungle landscape, friendly and attentive, staff, eager to please, pleasant guests, and a phenomenal infinity, pool and pool deck. The breakfast meals are delicious and there are many options all day on the menu. All the staff are pleasant and professional, and Carlos, especially is courteous and seeks to go above and beyond.
- Monika (10/5): Amazing stay with stunning views - Spacious rooms
Big bathroom
Attentive and polite staff
Beautiful interior
Spotless areas
Tasty drinks
Delicious food
- Stéphane (10/5): Exceptional - Small isolated boutique hotel in a nice Hacienda. Great pool with amazing view. Perfect spot for sunset lovers. Very friendly staff. N'a. We hoped we could have stayed one more night.
- Peta_rda (10/5): Exceptional - I think that's my favorite hotel in the world. It looks like an old hacienda but it's all modern and nice. We loved it. The pool is awesome. The hotel should update the photos because they don't give it justice. Could not recommend more I didn't like the food in the restaurant.
- Silvia (9/5): Superb - The exquisite personnel, the ''infinite'' swimming pool facing the most amazing sunsets, the spacious room and bathroom, the bed linen and towels, the toiletries. Parking is not ideal. The hotel is located on a hill: to get there there is a dirt road with holes, very steep, and the access to the hotel is even steeper.
The food is good but not memorable. For breakfast, they only give the possibility to choose one option from a menu (but maybe it's common practive in Costa Rica?). There is no buffet or else: if you order pancackes, you get 2 pancakes with maple syrup.
The hotel is sorrounded by vegetation, like everywhere in Costa Rica, and with this comes the presences of small animals. However, on the last days I saw two medium-sized spiders on the mattress. I wonder if they could do something to fight this?
- Jbenton33 (10/5): Exceptional -
- Lucy (10/5): Exceeded our expectations just fab - Everything Food was average and perhaps more choice
- Einat (10/5): The best hotel we've experienced in Costa rica - The room, the design, the nicest staff, the pool was the best of all pools, the view, the breakfast, the dinner. It was so romantic Whats not to like?
- Orlane (10/5): Exceptional -
- Andy (10/5): A Fantastic Place to Stay above OSA Peninsula. - Everything a boutique hotel should be! We adored El Castillo and it’s staff. From first arrival, Rebecca and staff made sure we were all taken care of. Our corner suite was exceptionally welcoming and beautiful with a live iguana temporarily lounging on the balcony. Beautiful ocean views and a fabulous infinity pool. A real find! The property is great with not a single issue. Stay away from Tortuga Beach - drive a bit further to better and safer beaches.
- Jo (9/5): Superb -
- Brittany (10/5): Exceptional - It’s even more beautiful in person. Rebecca and Jorge treat guests like they’re staying in the their home. The staff is wonderful and super friendly. Can’t recommend enough.
- Anthony (4/5): Disappointing -
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