Built in 1995 and owned by Ursula Schmid of Switzerland, this luxury hotel on the quieter southern end of Tamarindo Beach has top-notch service, and the rooms are large, well-kept, and thoroughly inviting. Most feature colonial-style terra cotta floors and four-poster canopy beds. Private balconies and patios open onto exuberant tropical gardens, where monkeys are common visitors. The hotel’s zero-entry, free-form pool is one of the largest and best in town, with a rope swing for a touch of playfulness, and a large children’s section. This hotel is great for families and honeymooners alike. Rooms don’t have TVs, if that matters, but all have air-conditioning. The restaurant is excellent, the gardens are large and lush, and the beach in front is beautiful.