My group of 12 paid $35,000 for an all-inclusive week in a huge villa. Our multigenerational trip was an excellent value.
- My group of 12 stayed at a villa in the Four Seasons Tamarindo for $35,000 for a week.
- We booked a massive, multilevel villa that fits up to 15 guests and it was beautiful.
- Our amazing stay came with a 24-hour staff, plus all of our food and non-alcoholic beverages.
When planning a multigenerational trip with 11 other people, I knew I wanted to head somewhere warm.
After a bit of research, I set my sites on the Four Seasons Tamarindo, since it was cheaper than luxury properties of similar caliber in Mexico, Hawaii, Costa Rica and the Caribbean.
Four Seasons Tamarindo sits on a 3,000-acre reserve on Mexico's Pacific coast. It opened in November 2022 and has multiple rooms in the main hotel, plus full properties and villas to rent.
We booked a five-bedroom, six-bathroom home that can accommodate up to 15 guests. It has 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including nine terraces, and a swimming pool.
Our week-long stay came with 24-hour staff, plus all of our food and non-alcoholic beverages. It cost about $35,000 — less than what five regular, non-view rooms on the property would cost without food and drinks.
So, I booked the stay with my travel agent and planning of the rest of the trip began.
I received a $1,000 resort credit booking with my travel agent because she's a Four Seasons preferred partner. Still, one of the biggest advantages of booking with an agent was trusting her to handle all the logistics.
She set up my call with the property's villa manager and culinary director, which allowed us to arrange everyone's airport transfers, plan menus, review preferences, set up birthday surprises, and discuss rooming assignments.
The call helped made me feel comfortable that this resort would deliver on everyone's expectations.
The hotel is located on Mexico's Pacific coast in the state of Jalisco and we headed there from the airport in Manzanillo.
We reserved a sprinter van for the group instead of booking multiple SUV transfers.
This was more cost-effective, and our butler was waiting for us after we cleared immigration. He ensured our luggage was loaded up properly and offered us beers, soda, and water as we set out for the resort.
As our stay was prepaid and the resort had a card on file, there was no need to stop by the front desk — we were taken directly to our villa.
We were greeted by the villa manager and culinary director, plus two butlers, two additional chefs, and a team of housekeepers and gardeners who would be looking after us for the week.
I was shocked by the sheer number of staff who would be taking care of us.
All of the bedrooms were suites with private terraces.
My sister's mother-in-law and my business partner and her family took the two rooms furthest from the main entrance. These rooms had identical layouts but different color palettes.
They felt exceptionally private and well-appointed. Each had two queen size beds and a daybed.
My sister's room had two extra small rooms next to it, which I learned are typically used by security details and nannies. These additional bedrooms were not mentioned on the resort's website.
The room also had one of the most stunning bathrooms and vanities I have seen. Speaking of bathrooms: All of them were stocked with full-size bottles of high-end Le Labo Hinoki products.
My brother and sister-in-law were with my nephew and they stayed in the room with a private plunge pool. Our butler brought in a roll-away bed for my nephew, and the whole family loved this room.
My bedroom was perched above the living and dining rooms, and it had sweeping views over the compound and to the sea beyond. It also had a stargazing terrace.
Overall, I thought all of the rooms afforded quite a bit of privacy. It was also nice that housekeeping freshened up the rooms every time we stepped out.
Our villa was right on the beach, so accessing the sand and sea was a breeze.
I loved taking walks on the secluded beaches and my nephew enjoyed learning how to shorefish.
We had our own pool and jacuzzi, and the nearby hotel had three main pools.
We didn't spend much time at the main pool, but it was only a 15-minute golf-cart ride from our villa to the resort.
The main hotel complex also housed a spa, where we booked massage services for about $200 per person.
At the spa, we also enjoyed partaking in a Temazcal ceremony, a traditional Mexican ceremony led by a resident shaman where heated stones are placed inside a sweat lodge.
The guided meditation was a unique experience and it cost about $600 for the whole group.
There were many free activities on offer each day at the resort. We particularly enjoyed the fitness and cooking classes.
The kids on our trip loved going to the kids' camps while adults did these activites.
Prior to our stay, our travel agent arranged for me to have a call with the resort's executive chef.
He explained that his team would build menus for the first few days of the trip based on our preferences and then work with us to plan the rest of our meals once we were on the property.
As the trip kicked off, we planned our menus about a day or two in advance. The chef and his team would make anything we requested, but we tried our best to collaborate with him and appreciated his recommendations.
Snacks and beverages were also available 24/7 from the well-stocked kitchen.
I wanted to plan a surprise birthday party for my brother, and I couldn't believe how seriously the villa team took this.
Staff created a special outdoor dining setup complete with fairy lights and candles, and chefs cooked paella right in front of us as we enjoyed the fresh air.
They even prepared a custom marble ice-cream cake for him. My brother loved the surprise.
I think what made this trip so special for us was that our stay was akin to staying in a private, five-star hotel. It was a privilege to be able to spend an entire week with my family, as we all live in different places.
Being removed from the hustle and bustle of the main resort allowed us to really take advantage of our time together, and Casa Terrazas allowed us to all spread out.
It was great to have everything the resort offered at our fingertips, but we truly enjoyed our own private experience.