I went to Sueno del Mar last weekend and it was fantastic!  The place is a small, quaint, bed and breakfast right on the beach.  It only has 6 rooms, and since the beach is rocky and far away from Tamarindo (it is actually Playa Langosta), there aren’t any other people with you except the people from the B&B.  It is such a romantic place – definitely designed for honeymooners, couples who want to get away from it all (no tvs or phones in any of the rooms), or anniversary couples.  

You really feel like you are on a true, relaxing vacation without any tv, or phones or anything to distract you from just sitting on the beach with a good book.  The beach is definitely not for swimming though… it’s extrememly rocky.  They have some free snorkling equipment, but you really don’t need it… you can just look in the water and  see what you want to see. It’s shallow enough in the part you can go into. 

So, although you can’t swim there, it is the most beautiful view.  They have chairs, loungers, and hammocks out on the beach, and the sunset is AMAZING!  That is what this beach is for — lounging on the beach and watching the sunset! 

However, although you feel like it is a private beach, it really isn’t.  There were two instances where someone came up from the beach and harassed us.  One was with a couple in the early morning — the man wanted a “cup of water”… kind of scary if you’re out there alone.  It happened to me when I was out there alone with just one other couple waiting for Andres.  A man came up with a bike and sat next to me.  I jumped out of my skin I was so scared and I told him my boyfriend was coming back very soon and he would be very mad if this guy was here so he got up, walked away for 2 seconds, then came back and sat on the lounger on the other side of me. I said that this was a private beach and he had to leave… finally he did, and then Andres came back like a minute after (of course!) and chased him down the beach.

When I mentioned it to Ashton (oh yeah, Tooi and Ashton are the new in-keepers, no more Paul and Nancy), he was just like, “Well, it’s a public beach, nothing we can do.” I felt like he should have at least said he would keep on eye on it, or have whoever was on duty come out and check more, but he completely disregarded it.  It was really scary, and at least I can speak some spanish to get this weirdo away, but imagine some little American honeymooner all by herself, approached by some weirdo on the beach and freaked out of her mind, and she can’t communicate at all? Definitely not cool.

As it is a bed and breakfast, they like to be known for just that: their bed and breakfast.  And it’s true — their beds are amazingly comfortable… it’s like sinking into clouds, and the breakfast is a 3 course gourmet event every morning (except when it’s french toast, then it’s a 2 course event; don’t know why exactly??).  No other meal is served there so clients have to go to a restaurant for lunch and dinner.  And since it is so out of the way, a rental car is really a good idea for this place. The only thing that is really walking distance is Cala Luna.

Now, on to the bad part… the showers are outdoors in all of the rooms except one (Misha suite). Now, I love that they are outdoors.  I totally think that it is a great experience, but let me tell you, these showers are overrun with crabs.  Not huge, crack ‘em open and eat ‘em crabs, but definitely decently sized crabs.  I could not believe it.  You can not even relax and take a nice hot shower because the whole time you are staring at these crabs to make sure they aren’t coming out and crawling down onto the floor.  They have a 
ledge with plants in the shower and this entire family of like 10 crabs has made a home in the dirt there. It’s horrible.  No girl would feel comfortable in a shower like that (even Andres was freaking out, but don’t say I said that). There was actually a honeymoon couple there that asked to be moved to the Misha suite b/c they couldn’t take the crabs…thank god it’s low season and it was open.  I would even go into the bathroom (where the toilet is) and crabs would be coming under the screen doors to the bathroom (there’s about a 1 inch space they can fit in) and I was freaked out. 

The main bathroom door had to be closed the entire time for fear of them coming into the main bedroom and we put a towel under the screen door to stop them from getting in.  Again, when I mentioned this to Ashton at the end of the stay (who is not very high on my likeable list right now), he completely disregarded it and said that they don’t really get complaints, and people come to Costa Rica to see nature, and the crabs only really come out when it rains (not true, and people still shower when it rains anyway!), and blah, blah, blah… Well, if they don’t get complaints, explain why one of our clients already complained, I’m complaining, and on trip advisor, someone wrote something as well.  All they have to do (which I said)…is take out the plants.  The crabs are living in the dirt (burrowing holes), and if they took that out, I am sure there would be no crabs or only one every once in a while if it got in.  But as it is now, they are colonizing the shower. Totally disgusting.  I don’t care if they aren’t harmful — cockaroaches aren’t harmful either, but you don’t want to shower with them!

So, anyway, that was my downside about Sueno del Mar… other than that, everything was wonderful and I would highly recommend this place as long as the client is aware of the crabs…. or just put them in the Misha Suite.  Perhaps, the honeymoon suite shower doesn’t have as many either as it is way up high and it may be harder for them to get up there in the first place.

One more thing, we went over to another popular Costa Rica hotel Cala Luna for dinner one night to test it out, and it was not that good.  I would rate it 7 out of 10.  And as the place was close to closing, we did not get the best service.  Our waiter just wanted to go home and he was answering us in a rude manner.  I’m sorry, but if you don’t want any more clients close to closing, then just don’t let us in.  Service is the most important thing no matter where you are — it should always be top notch — especially if you pride yourself in being a “luxury hotel”.

Reviewed by Rebecca

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Filed under: Hotel & Restaurant Reviews on August 1st, 2007