Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Did you already book this hotel?
About
5.0
#16 of 29 hotels in Santa Teresa
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Award winning, luxurious private villas, each with an open sky shower, a kitchenette and outdoor sitting area, tucked in a lush tropic garden. Outdoor, beachfront chemical-free swimming pool with lounge chairs and hammocks on the beach, for the utmost relaxing atmosphere and the best sunset view. Restaurant onsite. Centrally located to supermarkets and restaurants.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Boutique
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Hebrew
Location
Main Street, Santa Teresa 60111 Costa Rica
Playa Cielo
290 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
I’ve been to Santa Teresa many times before, yet I’ve never had such a wonderful time as I did in this place. It was a family trip, with my wife and son.
The complex is comprised of 4 villas, all wonderfully taken care of. Our villa was well suited for a family of four, with a king size bed and a sofa with a bed underneath (drawer type) which can accommodate 2 children easily. Nice bathroom, full kitchenette and a lovely terrace with a 4 person table, a small “L” type couch and a hammock. I can’t for one say anything bad about the room, or anything else for that matter.
The facilities are very nicely maintained by a super friendly staff, it’s private, secure and has pretty much everything you need. It’s located beachfront so you’re literally 50 meters from the beach (which is gorgeous), the pool is perfect for the size (we pretty much had it to ourselves), and it’s located right in the center of Santa Teresa, so you can walk anywhere.
Pool and restaurant are right in front of the beach and are lovely, and the food is unreal. Honestly some of the best food I’ve had in this country.
Every morning the staff delivers fresh fruit to your room. Please note the restaurant (Habanero) and bar don’t open until noon hence you’ll have to either buy groceries and cook breakfast at the villa or go to any of the wonderful places around.
Everyone, staff to the owners are nice, polite people and it’s a super family or couples friendly place. We loved it and will be going back there soon hopefully. Cheers!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family has been living in CR for a few years but had never been to Santa Teresa before. The hotel’s location is right on the beach, but also right at the center of town, so really perfect. We stayed in the Family Villa, which has 2 spacious bedrooms, each with an en suite bathroom and a lovely sheltered but somewhat outdoor shower. We brought our small dog and the hotel was totally cool about it. Pool area is lovely and the hotel restaurant was right on the beach. The comfortable common room in our villa had a full refrigerator, stovetop and a small toaster oven, which was very convenient because the local restaurant schedules were a little wacky/unpredictable due to covid. The restaurant schedules were easy to work with because of the wonderful help and daily updates we received from Hadar, the hotel manager, who also scheduled our atv rentals and horseback riding on the beach, each with lovely, professional operators. Besides the great people we met and really exceptional local eateries, Santa Teresa is a gorgeous beach with easy access to other gorgeous beaches like Mal país and playa hermosa. The whole atmosphere is very relaxed, lots of surfing and yoga opportunities, but definitely just a great vibe and perfect place to get some quiet beach time. We definitely plan to return as soon as life allows and will certainly plan to stay at playa cielo again when we do.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Playa Cielo is quiet and beautiful. The rooms are gorgeous as is the beach in front of this tiny boutique hotel. Hadar, the hotel manager, helped us book horseback riding on the beach and she recommended the best restaurants. The service at Habanero restaurant on the grounds at Playa Cielo was excellent. We will definitely come back here!!
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:All rooms are excellent. Only the front two rooms have ocean views but all are on the beach.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Playa Cielo was nothing short of magical. From the lush, well kept grounds to the gorgeous secluded villas, Lior and her family have created something truly special. The little touches made our villa feel like our home away from home, from a pleasantly scented essential oil diffuser in our villa to a daily fruit plate and fresh coconuts, left in our fridge since we were usually out the door early. We spotted monkeys, parrots, and plenty of lizards right from our patio, where we had a couch, dining area, and hammock to enjoy afternoon rain showers.
Playa Cielo is perfectly located in town, tucked in where you can’t hear anything but the crashing waves, yet close to great restaurants, shops, and a quick ATV ride for when adventure calls. We enjoyed swimming in the ocean right from the beach as well as in the pool.
Lior was amazing at getting us set up with surfing lessons, horseback riding right from the property, and an ATV rental directly through Playa Cielo which allowed us to maximize every minute of our stay without having to spend time researching or organizing activities. Her recommendations were all spot on and helped to create memories that we will be talking about for a long time.
If you don’t want to go far, the food right there at Uma is delicious and the staff made us feel like family. On some days/nights, there is a DJ and Uma becomes a super fun and energetic atmosphere (the villas are well situated so that you cannot hear the music from inside your villa). We snacked there often and highly recommend the Mediterranean salad, and grilled cauliflower, any any specials that they are creating in the kitchen. The drinks were wonderful and sunsets views from Playa Cielo are stunning.
While we tend not to repeat vacation spots for the sake of exploring new places, we are already working on when we will be back, and would absolutely look to stay at Playa Cielo again. Thank you, Lior, for helping to make our trip so incredible!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Location is great, right on the beach. Bungalow was nice with a great bathroom with the toilet indoors and a glass door to the shower which is without ceiling but with full privacy. Breakfast was not available which was a big drawback. Had to walk to the main road. Most of the restaurants for dinner are situated along the main road. Pitch black and Heavy traffic no street lights, no sidewalks. Better to walk on the beach. If you feel safe with that. In summary we liked Playa del Cielo but it was not worth 400$ /night.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a wonderful time at this hotel. The room was spacious, comfortable and clean with an incredible open air shower. We had a family of 4, two adults and 2 young children sharing one room and there was enough space. There is a family suite that we would have preferred but it was booked at the time we traveled. The restaurant and beach were both top notch and the location was perfect. A central place to settle in and explore the area, although you could also settle in and not leave for weeks. Staff were friendly and helpful and the kids loved the resident dogs. I highly recommend this hotel.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is an amazing quaint beach front hotel in Santa Teresa! Small and intimate and steps from the beach, literally! We could see the ocean from our porch! Very warm and welcoming and the restaurant Uma is open to the public but right on the beach with the hotel. The pool is only open to hotel guests and we were always the only ones there so it felt like our own private resort! We will be back!
Read more
Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We came down with our two children based on recommendations from our friends and rented a small house in the mountains. On Sunday night Playa Cielo had a party that went to 630 in the morning, and the entire mountain shook and we were all awake. Last night the party - and full-on house music went to 4 am. I feel for the habitat, and for all who were trying to sleep. This isn't the Santa Teresa we were told about. And the restaurant attached to this hotel where the party was is UMA/
Read more
Date of stay: February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a nicely landscaped property in a central location. Often it's the people who make the place, and that was especially true in this case. I've awarded Playa Cielo with a 4-star rating mainly because Eti, the on-site manager, was so fantastic, and because it's in one of the most beautiful regions we've ever visited.
Being the off-season, we were the only guests for most of our stay. Eti helped us arrange an ATV rental and gave wonderful recommendations of attractions. We enjoyed having the beachfront all to ourselves. There's not a lot of wildlife (monkeys, birds) hanging out near the hotel due to the loud noises of the ATVs in town, but we loved seeing wild horses on the beach in front of the hotel. I even saw a whale in the distance one day. I could hardly believe my eyes! We could also hear the howler monkeys in the distance occasionally.
We knew it was the off-season and expected some businesses to be closed, but were extremely surprised (and a bit panicked) to find that most of the town shuts down for October. That includes the hotel's restaurant, Habanero's, which we learned closed Sept. 20 and won't reopen until the high season picks back up in November. It would have been nice to receive an email in advance, as we had been looking forward to drinks and dinners there, and it's part of the reason we chose the hotel. Not that we could have changed our plans, but at least we wouldn't have been so let down upon arrival.
Thank goodness Banana Beach (a short walk down the beach) stayed open. There were a few other restaurants open in town, but not many. Eti tried to direct us to a few others she thought were open, but even some of those were closed (like Katana). We were glad there were several nearby grocery stores to purchase beer and snacks since Habanero's was closed.
We really appreciated the fruit plate in the mornings. Some reviewers griped that it's not a bigger breakfast, but just hop on your ATV and head down to The Bakery if that's what you're looking for (delicious recommendation from Eti, by the way). A worker typically brings the fruit around 8 a.m., but only drops it off on the patio table (doesn't knock on the door), so just a heads up to watch for it and get it inside before the local wildlife can get to it. We learned that the hard way.
If I were to rate only on the property itself, it's more in the 2- to 3-star range. The photos make Playa Cielo look amazingly awesome (and I believe it really could be, with some repairs). We found that there are a ton of little flaws that individually are easily dismissible, but compounded really take away from the total experience. I'll explain.
Upon our arrival, it seemed as though our room hadn't been used in quite a while. It smelled overwhelmingly of insecticide for the first 48 hours (thank goodness it finally faded). The ceiling fan hadn't been dusted in ages (which we learned when dust bunnies began flying). The stove burners had crumbs collected around the temperature dials. The bed linens and beach towels had stains ranging from the relatively small to significantly noticeable.
The porch hammocks were speckled with mildew and the outdoor couches appeared dirty and stained. Empty candle votives littered the decorative pedestals at the front and back entrances, and there was broken glass on the ground next to one of them.
The disappointment continued in the pool area. A mildew-covered boogie board floated in the pool most of our trip, though I noticed it had been removed and placed at the reception station on the final day. The chair cushions were piled under the palapas, presumably to stay drier in case of rain, but certainly not welcoming us to the pool area. The white plastic beach chairs were all so cracked in the seat areas you needed to place your towel there to avoid being pinched.
Parts of the poolside deck are so rotted that the chair legs have fallen through in a couple of places and you needed to be careful where you stepped. The bridge is in similar shape. I suspect they are preparing to replace at least the bridge, as we saw a worker measuring it. On the bright side, workers raked the leaves on the sand and in the pool area every day, despite it being a very temporary fix to the falling leaves. But hey, they tried.
On a much more trivial note, you'll find shampoo and body wash for the shower, but no hand soap. You also won't find hand towels, so we used the wash cloths instead. The shower pressure is very strong, almost a little stingy. I can't imagine how bad it would feel on a sunburn. It's also awfully difficult to regulate between hot and cold. But the outdoor aspect of the shower is very cool.
In many ways, it feels more like a vacation rental than a hotel. There were just a lot of little things that kept it from feeling like a nice hotel. Instead, it felt more like we were staying in someone's guest house.
That's a lot of nitpicking. I hate that. But for the price, I was initially very discouraged -- so much so that I seriously considered never even unpacking and heading back to to the Barcelo resort at Tambor we passed on the drive in. The questionable cleanliness and state of disrepair was only amplified by learning the town was basically shut down for the season, far more than we ever imagined. I feared I had made the wrong choice for a hotel. I wondered how this place have such glowing reviews, given what we saw upon arrival.
In the end, I'm very glad we stayed.
We were pleased to see the housekeeper kept our room very tidy after that first day. Eti was extremely accommodating, and we enjoyed the company of guard dog Shaka. I also appreciated that a security guard stays on the property all night. The community feels very safe (though we were told numerous times not to walk on the beach after dark, better safe than sorry). We had a lovely beachfront all to ourselves that didn't have to be shared with Habanero's customers or disturbed by music, chatter or kitchen noise. We had fantastic sunsets and beautiful quiet mornings on the beach. The weather was amazing, especially for the rainy season, so we were outside almost all the time.
I frequently study TripAdvisor reviews and often dismiss highly critical reviews as coming from people who can't be satisfied with anything. I'm definitely not one of those. While I have been critical here, we did have a good experience, it just required overlooking a lot of little flaws. This is a small hotel with a small staff in a tropical climate. There will be insects, rain, humidity and mildew. Leaves will fall in the pool. Ants will make their way into the shower (and your room). Mildew is going to grow on every surface. Moisture is going to cause wood to rot more quickly. It is what it is. I can accept that.
However, little things would make a huge different. Wash the porch hammocks or replace them with a more net-like style that allows moisture to evaporate more easily. Repair the pool deck. Replace the beach chairs and towels. Add some hand soap and a hand towel. Just little things.
The framework is there with beautifully built casitas and lush landscaping. Everything ages, so right now I think it's just a matter of replacing and repairing a few things. I'm confident our experience was just the exception, as so many other glowing reviews sealed the deal on us choosing this hotel.
In the end, Eti's friendliness and the gorgeous scenery all around us made it much easier to accept the little disappointments. Thank you, Eti, for making our trip wonderful!
Read more
Date of stay: October 2014
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:If you can, request one of the one-bedroom casitas up front, which are closest to the beach and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed for five nights at this lovely beach front cabana style accommodation. The other reviewers were quite accurate in describing the grounds and cabanas. The location is perfect - right in the middle of santa Teresa. A small grocery store is within walking distance, however, having a car is suggested for even slightly further distances...it is HOT for walking and that main road is not pleasant! I love this area and have visited several times, but I cannot get used to that dusty road!
But I digress...it was wonderful to be able to walk down to the beach so easily..as others have said, the best swimming is to the left or right...about a 5 to 10 minute walk. The tide pools are fun at low tide though!
The outdoor showers are spectacular! Huge and clean with good water pressure. The large terraces were perfect for getting out of the sun and enjoying a sunset drink.
A few negatives for me; I really hated the plastic mattress protectors! I get their utility, but they are so noisy and sweaty! How about putting a nice, soft mattress pad on top? A good reading light on each side of the bed would be great as well. I do recognize that this is not a 'hotel' type accommodation, but it might be nice to have some info in the rooms ( how to connect to wi fi, list of restaurants, emergency numbers, etc,). While the staff were friendly, it was not always easy to find people or get information quickly. When you only have a short time,you do t want to waste it! Finally, for some reason, I thought this was 'adults only', not so. There were a lot of kids! Children of other guests as well as children of the staff. One day I counted about 6 in the pool! I avoided the pool in general, largely for this reason. I always enjoy the sound of the monkeys and birds while in CR, but this trip the sounds of the jungle were frequently interrupted by a screaming child. No one's fault of course, but my tolerance for this is pretty low...if you want to have a more quiet, adult atmosphere, this may not be the best choice! That said, perhaps it's just luck and timing...sometimes it might be only honeymooners! Overall, this is a great property and would definitely be worth a return visit ( if I could get around the kid thing). ;)
Read more
Date of stay: February 2013Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes you can.
We are centrally located in town, so there are some places that are 5 minutes walk, but Santa Teresa is very spread out (that is part of
its beauty) and hence you would need some sort of vehicle to get around, it can be with an ATV, an awesome way to get around here! The cost is about $50 per day.
Regards
Hi, Santa Teresa is fantastic. Definitely not cheap so very much like Europe or actually a bit more expensive. 20e for a breakfast. There is a french restaurant Brisas del Mar on the hill that is charming and excellent. Playa Cielo is an unfriendly hotel, snobbish I would say. Situated perfect at the beach though that's it. Drakebay was the place we were after and its 10 times better and more comfortable in every aspect than Santa Teresa though don't misunderstand, Santa Teresa is wonderful as well... You need to rent a car in CR if you don't want trouble. We were also in Montezuma and that was between the two above. Very nice at Horizontes de Montesuma. A trip to tortuga island is much recommended! Bring swimming shoes... Good Luck.
There are more places to choose from in the Santa Teresa area.
PRICE RANGE
C$155 - C$244 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
playa cielo hotel santa teresa
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of PuntarenasSanta Teresa
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
