Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Mediterranean cuisine
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Reviews of Vista Ballena

3.5 out of 5
Vista Ballena
17 KM al sur de Playa Dominical, sobre la Costanera, Jardines del Morete, Ballena, Puntarenas

Reviews

8.4

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 38 out of 86 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 32 out of 86 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 8 out of 86 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 86 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 86 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Marvin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Alan

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The view of the sunset
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

6/10 Okay

Jill

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Rooms are down several steep staircases from the tiny common area perched atop the hill. Aversive muzak played nonstop in the bar/restaurant area which permeated the whole place. Not a peaceful costa rican environment.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Molly

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had an amazing stay! The staff was friendly, the food was delicious, and the view is amazing!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

william

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Randall

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

Scott

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

wendy

Traveled with group, Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
The view from the restaurant is breathtaking. The restaurant's food is delicious. But the room we stayed in, the toilet had issues. First, it had no cold water going into the bathroom sink, shower and toilet. The maintenance team resolved as the main line was turned off. Then the toilet was howling every time you flushed for 20 seconds. Sounded like you were at a sports arena with foghorns. They said it was trapped air in piped. The howling/screeching sound lasted the entire time we stayed (one/night). I explained and showed a video to the receptionist and she just gave me a blank stare and said that there is air in the pipes.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2023/7/12
Dear customer, We are very sorry for the situation. We hope that in the future would allow us to change your experience on a possible visit.Best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Zenon

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Villa Ballena is a tucked away gem. About 10 minutes up a narrow and steep road off Hwy 34 you end up a jungle setting. Edgar is bar/restaurant was fabulous
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2023/3/10
Hello Zeno! We are happy to read your nice review. Thank you very much for allowing us to be part of your experiences in Costa Rica. We welcome you to visit us in the future.Greeting,Vista Ballena Team

8/10 Good

Simon

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The morning coffee at the restaurant needs improvement. There are a lot of stairs. Nice pool.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2023/2/19
Thank you very much for visiting us and letting us know your comments.

8/10 Good

Gary

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 15 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Davina

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Everyone at Vista Ballena was welcoming and friendly the pool area/restaurant bar area was so relaxing. Definitely a must go to place!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2022/6/28
Hola, Thank you for your visit and review. It was a pleasure to serve you.

10/10 Excellent

Boris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing food, views and service. Nice clean rooms with a great view from the balconies. Will go back next time.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2022/5/15
Hello, Thank you for your visit. We will waiting for you come back. Best Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Connie

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What a beautiful place and such a find! We absolutely loved this place. The common pool/dining/bar area was the highlight and is as gorgeous as all the photos. It has a two-level infinity pool that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, Uvita townsite below, the national marine park and is the best view of the Whale Tail Sandbar. The adjacent bar places great ambient grooves perfect for the place, has a great selection of drinks and same games to borrow if desired. Plenty of lounge chairs as well as tables/chairs if you want to eat, play games, etc. Restaurant offers a great mix of all sorts of dishes, and BIG portions. The rooms all offer the same beautiful view of the ocean and each has its own patio with table and chairs. Rooms are of a good size and the bathroom too. Mini fridge available. The only drawback to the rooms is no in-room safe. The road to get up to the property is STEEP and very narrow, and there are many, many stairs within the property, between the main restaurant/pool/reception area building and the two room buildings. We didn't even make it down to the lowest one to check out the yoga platform. There is some handicap parking available but I imagine that driving between main building and rooms would be the only way to get around.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2022/4/15
Hola, Thank you for your visit. We feel so happy to know than you really enjoyed your stay with us. Best regards,

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2022/4/15
Thank you for your visit. Best Regards,

6/10 Okay

Linda, Melbourne Beach

Traveled with group
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I’ve stayed at Vista Ballena several times and always had a wonderful room and experience. This last time was not so good. All I can say is, do not accept a room on the bottom floor. Not only are they an extremely long hike up the stairs to the restaurant area, but the rooms are just not nice. Just a plain ugly room with 2 very uncomfortable double beds. I only had a sheet on my bed when I arrived - no bed cover. Just a blanket in the closet. Not good for the price you pay for a room there.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2022/2/2
Hola Linda, Thank you for your review. We will take care about your comments. Thank you Best Regards

8/10 Good

Donna

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Sara

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The views are absolutely amazing here and the staff are so friendly and hospitable. The hotel, pool, and grounds are well kept. Would definitely return!
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2021
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2022/1/2
Hola Sara, Thank you for visit us and your review. We are very happy to know that your stay was pleasant and according to your expectations. Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The ocean view was excellent.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021
Response from Vista Ballena Team on 2021/6/23
Hello, Thank you for your review. Regards, Your friends from Vista Ballena

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The pool is amazing and the views!!! I enjoyed the staff as well, they were very helpful and kind!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2021

8/10 Good

Brian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

2/10 Terrible

Victor, Costa Rica

Traveled with partner
Can't review since they cancelled my reservation the same day of the trip
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

EricB

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our family enjoyed stayed at this hotel, the access is easy, steep hill tha makes it more exotic, amazing view from the mountain to the sea and great swimming pool, room are big with amazing view on the Pacicfic ocean. We saw Toucans every day :) Easy access to the beach for surfing. Service was excellent and breakfast that was included with the room was great! A must in Uvita area!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2019/7/31
Dear Eric, Thank you very much for your comments, please come back to enjoy our Costa Rican Hospitality. Thank you Franco Bolivar Hotel manager Vista Ballena Hotel

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Great view and pool, but not what we had hoped.
The location of Vista Ballena, and the view, were amazing; this made the hotel so promising. The main area (dining, bar, infinity pool) were wonderful. The rooms were... meh. They were very outdated, but pretty clean. The AC worked fine. The wifi was extremely spotty in the rooms, yet they advertised as having wifi. We were only able to connect once or twice from our room during the 24h we were there. The wifi was fine from the main area. 1/3 meals was great and the other two were also just okay; the included breakfast wasn’t great, and we think we may have actually been charged for it. We expected a lot more from this “boutique” hotel based on reviews, and just left us desiring more.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Elizabeth, Port Lavaca, TX

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a great stay and truly enjoyed the pool and view. Th staff was extremely nice especially John, Walter and Albin at the bar. They made are stay fun and entertaining. The food was very good and the sunsets view where amazing. The facility as a whole could use a little facelift. Public bathrooms were a little dirty and rooms could use a coat of paint, but over all it was a nice stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

George

Liked: Staff & service
Amazing
The vista from this hotel and the lobby pool is magnificent. The local area and beaches are amazing and diverse.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2019/1/30
Dear George, Thank you very much for your comments, please let us know if you are coming back to enjoy our truly Costa Rican Hospitality. Thank you Franco Bolivar Hotel Manager Vista Ballena Hotel

8/10 Good

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
vista ballena - stunning location
We stayed for two nights at the Vista Ballena. The hotel was up a very steep single track road which could be interesting in the rainy season or when it is dark. The rooms all had a sea view and were comfortable but they are not luxurious. Some of the room fittings could be classed as dated. However, the view was stunning. I do not think there is another hotel in the area that would have such a fantastic over the bay and that alone was worth every penny. There were wild toucans in the trees by the restaurant and pool and the pool was beautiful with stunning views over the national park and a great place to view the sunset. The bar/restaurant staff were brilliant and made us feel welcome everytime we went there. The restaurant menu wasn't great, but the food was extravagant in size and always prepared fresh.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2019/1/30
Dear Paul, thank you very much for your comments, we appreciate it. We said in Costa Rica you need to scape the fast line to really enjoy the great views of the whales tail, caño island and the great sunset from above the hills. Thank you very much and please come back to enjoy our truly Costa Rican Hospitality. Thank you again Franco Bolivar Hotel Manager Vista Ballena Hotel

10/10 Excellent

Marlene

Beautiful hotel with breathtaking views. The staf is great. We loved our stay and will stay there in the future.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2018/8/29
Dear Marlene, Thank you very much for your comments, we appreciate you enjoy our Costa Rican Hospitality and please come back for some more. Thank you Franco Bolivar Hotel Manager Vista Ballena Hotel

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This is a very overpriced hotel. The views are beautiful but there are hotels a lot nicer with the same views for a lesser price. The door to get out on the patio did not work so they move me to a different room. The sheets were very thin and didn’t stay on the bed covering the mattress. The bed was very hard. The staff was friendly and very nice but the rest of the hotel is just not worth anything close to this price . The parking is very difficult and tough to navigate around. I would pick something different in the area there so many better options. If they would lower their price it would be an OK hotel but add about half of the price.
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2018/6/14
Dear Annymous, I would like to know when did you stay at the Hotel Its very difficult to know if you experience is real because you posted an anonymous review, Please let me know your name and time you stay at hotel so I would go ahead and find out about your experience with us Thank you Franco Bolivar Hotel Manager\ Vista Ballena Hoet

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stunning views out over Uvita!
Lovely hotel with great views! Restaurant serves a good choice for dinner. Hotel Is a little way out off Uvita slightly off the main highway and easy to miss as it's about 1km up an unpaved road. Well worth a visit - if it's the wet season, pack an umbrella as some of the rooms are separate from the bar / restaurant area which can mean you may get soaked heading for a drink.
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2018/5/29
Dear Andrew, Thank you very much for your comments, we appreciate your feedback and that you enjoy our Costa Rican Hospitality, please come back and enjoy the best view of the whales time Thank you Franco Bolivar Hotel Manager Vista Ballena

8/10 Good

Rich and Cathy, Northern California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice hotel. Beautiful views of the jungle &ocean
Very clean hotel with great views of the jungle and ocean. Food was very good, not great. Sitting poolside watching toucans hopping through the trees overhead and listening to howler monkeys in the morning. Room was clean but very basic. Staff was wonderful, always making us feel welcome and taken care of.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2018
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2018/5/16
Dear Rich and Kathy, Thank you very much for your comments, we hope you can come back and try our Costa Rican hospitality in the near future and enjoy our wonderful views of the whales tails and the ocean.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The hotel has espectacular views. The restaurant and the pool are veey nice but the rooms are getting old. The hotel staff is excellent.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2018/5/16
Dear Aninymous, Thank you very much for your comments, we use your feedback to improve our operations. Thank you

10/10 Excellent

joseph

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Special spot!
Delightful facility and staff. What a place to enjoy the Costa Rican life!!
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2018/5/16
Dear Joseph, Thank you very much for your comments, we hope you can come back and enjoy again our wonderful Costa rRcan hospitality. Thank you Franco Bolivar Hotel Manager Vista Ballena Hotel

8/10 Good

CYNTHIA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beauty
A confusion regarding the room we booked not available the first two nights out of 8 but we moved to the booked room on the third night. The hotel was beautiful and all the staff very helpful and friendly
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2018
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2018/5/16
Dear Cinthia, We apologized for the confusion, thank you for your feedback and we hope to see you in the near future to enjoy our Costa Rican Hospitality. Gracias

10/10 Excellent

Marsha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely love this place!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful View!!
We had to book with Expedia last minute and found this place. As a side note, they didn’t actually have any rooms available when we got there as to an oversight of the manager but they got us in anyway and ot was an upgrade. Very obliging at reception. The room was gorgeous, clean and had a breathtaking view from the balcony. The only thing I would change was the service. It was slow and a bit unprofessional but I believe it’s recently come under new ownership and they’re working out the kinks. Overall, we loved it!!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Most beautiful site in Central America
An incredible hotel with a marvelous view looking over one of the most amazing coastlines anywhere. The outdoor restaurant and bar next to the infinity pool at the top of a mountainside can't be beat. Toucans and other exotic birds flying among the trees and in formation below are astounding. The rooms are also excellent!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Hotel, but could be better.
The hotel is very nice and confortable with amazing views... but I dont know if its at level that is being charged per night. Also, I have to say that is NOT safe for children and elders. It has too many stairs, cliffs and the hotel has as a pet an AMERICAN STANDFORD dog. I believe this is a dangerous dog to have around people, specially kids. Regarding the restaurant, the food that was able to get to the table was good, but some orders came incorrect and one did not even got out... some plates were not as described in the menu and one order not even came thru, because there were too many orders ahead (6). I do have to say that the rooms are nice and clean... I only recommend the hotel for young people willing to walk hundreds of stairs from the room to the pool/lobby.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017
Response from Franco Bolivar on 2018/1/11
Dear Customer, You do not have to walk to the rooms if you do not want , you can drive back and for from the rooms to the restaurant and reception. we are up in the hill because this is how you can get the best views of the whales tails, cano Island, corcovado national park and the beautiful sunsets from the pool. Regarding the dog, Simba loves children, he grew up with chidren and he is a very caring and loving dog. I apologized if the restaurant was not up your standard, we are working hard to improve every day. Thank you very much for your comments Franco Bolivar Hotel Manger Vista Ballena Hotel

8/10 Good

Mateus, Brazil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing view of the Whale Tail
The hotel is excelent and gives us a great view of the Bahia Ballena and the famous whale tail, a rock formation in the Uvita Beach. The staff is really nice and polite.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worst Hotel Ever
For the amount of money per night, I should of had at least some sense of security or a person to call to when the electricity goes out. If this is something that happens then you should put that in a note when booking a room. I also wasn't planning on paying for a room which was filthy dirty ( cockroaches, centipedes random bugs galore) to sleep in a night. This was the second room we were in due to uncleanliness. My girlfriend and I had to sleep with one eye open to make sure we didn't get bit or crawled on, then when we had enough, walked up in the darkness to the front desk and not a soul was around. That does not make one feel safe in a new area while on vacation. I wanted to cancel my night get my money back and leave and go to a place where I felt clean and safe. But we had to stay till someone came around, at that point we had to get up and leave. I am completely dissatisfied with my stay. I understand that weather is un rully and what not but owning a business one should have information and backups in cases like this. I was terrified and quite frankly scared in the pitch black of night, overly hot with no a/c or a fan and with zero help. Furthermore, I had a nice meal leftover from a pricey dinner go bad in the refrigerator due to the electric going out ( No Generator ?) I was planning on eating that for lunch. It was our last night in Costa and it was also the worst night of our trip.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel and staff, close to the beach, bad road to access the hotel too narrow and not completely paved.

10/10 Excellent

bruce

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friends with a view
This is our 2nd stay at vista ballena, because the view is spectacular and the staff are always outgoing and friendly. The new owner is a genuine blast and is trying super hard to make this hotel a remarkable experience for guests.

8/10 Good

Raquel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great view of whale tail
Great view, clean rooms, good food and all the staff were very nice.

8/10 Good

Danny, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Wonderful views. Nice and welcoming staff.
Positive experience. Nice restaurant with quality food. Internet strength is a little weak in spots and you disconnect often.

8/10 Good

Bruce, white rock bc

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
View hotel of whales talenew
The new owner is very pleasant and determined to make this hotel a peaceful yet fun filled place on the mtn. She has hired a staff that is super outgoing and helpful. We planned on staying 1 night but stayed 3

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful views, wonderful staff, and good food!
It's up a steep hill so be prepared for that, but otherwise the views from rooms, the pool, and restaurant are all amazing!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Staff & Good Experience
My stay at Whales and Dolphins was great. The staff were great, very friendly, and welcoming. They were very attentive to our request. The location and view is one of the best I've seen in my life and I've traveled quite a bit. The only reason I didn't give the resort 5 stars is because the power went out one night for a few hours (may be beyond control) and it's pretty far from the airport (maybe schedule shuttles periodically). I had the opportunity to meet the owners of the resort and they were a fantastic couple that were genuinely interested in my stay. I would strongly recommend this resort to any friends, family members, or anyone seeking to have a great time.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Street is terrible
If you want to go there, u will need a car with high wheelbase or a car where u dont care if its done after. A new street is in build, but i could not see any workers working there.

8/10 Good

Jose Luis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Super rico el lugar.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Carolina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024