• Hotel Grano de Oro (San José): San José boasts dozens of colonial-era mansions that have been converted into hotels, but few do it like Grano de Oro, with its luxurious accommodations and professional service. All the guest rooms have attractive hardwood furniture, including antique armoires in some rooms. When it’s time to relax, you can soak in a hot tub or have a drink in the rooftop lounge while taking in a commanding view of San José.

  • Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation Resort (Heredia): If the cookie-cutter rooms of international resorts leave you cold, perhaps this unusual inn will be more your style. Square corners seem to have been prohibited here in favor of turrets and curving walls of glass, arched windows, and semicircular built-in couches. It’s set into a lush hillside and surrounding organic coffee farm, just 20 minutes from San José. 

  • Florblanca Resort (Playa Santa Teresa): The individual luxury villas at this intimate resort feature massive living rooms and private balconies. The service, spa, and food are all outstanding, and the resort is spread over a lushly planted hillside, steps away from Playa Santa Teresa.

  • Hotel Capitán Suizo (Tamarindo): With a perfect beachfront setting, spacious rooms, lush gardens and grounds, and a wonderful pool, this is arguably the best option in Tamarindo. 

  • Kura Design Villas (Uvita): You can watch a migration of humpback whales from the infinity pool of this eco-chic, adults only resort high on a hillside overlooking Marino Ballena National Park. Each of the six minimalist villas features a glass, double rain shower with views of the rainforest canopy. 

  • Hotel Belmar (Monteverde): This family-run lodge comes equipped with its own microbrewery, organic farm, and expansive, flower filled grounds. It’s one of the oldest hotels in the Monteverde area, yet continual improvements have kept it at the top. 

  • Arenas del Mar (Manuel Antonio): The whole resort is surrounded by old-growth rainforest on a hilly piece of land abutting two pretty beaches. Try to snag one of the rooms featuring a wrap-around balcony equipped with a sunken hot tub, then marvel at the panoramic coastal view while you soak. Arenas del Mar has a beautiful little spa and the best beach access in Manuel Antonio. 

  • Hotel Harmony (Nosara): Founded by a tech entrepreneur who wanted his own piece of paradise, Harmony is Instagram-ready with its mix of kitsch and modern amenities. The low slung rooms and bungalows are hidden within a maze of tropical flowers and tall palm trees, while the wellness program includes everything from yoga and meditation to a juice bar and sushi menu. 

  • Hotel Aguas Claras (Puerto Viejo de Talamanca): Adorned with the works of local artists and designers, this ultra-cool beachfront boutique hotel is hidden within dense tropical foliage. From the carefully curated minibar selections to the hidden yoga and meditation shala, this place oozes style.

  • Santarena (Las Catalinas): Fronting a public square at the heart of the ever growing Las Catalinas community, you’re steps away from the town’s beaches and eateries, yet you can always retreat to the privacy of the hotel’s rooftop terrace and infinity pool.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.