We were so extremely disappointed with our stay at Playa Cielo- this was our first week away from our young kids and we had such high hopes. We stayed here on a recommendation which didn’t pan out. Based on a look at reviews here, it’s clear the place has changed management in the past few years and unfortunately for much worse. Our vacation was very much marred by our lodging.

The villas are gorgeous, well equipped, and well maintained, as are the grounds. Hotel staff were attentive and were very responsive to various requests. Uma, their restaurant is quite good.

Our stay was ruined by constant, blaring club music starting anywhere from 6am to noon, lasting until 10:30 or later at night. Now, if there was a separate area or a way to contain the noise, fine, however, every single Villa was well within ear shot (even inside our room) and it ruined any attempts to enjoy the sunset, try to sleep, or do anything without the constant thump of the bass beat in your brain. Santa Teresa used to be a charming, quiet, idyllic beach town and unfortunately several beachfront hotels are ruining its charm, and Playa Cielo is absolutely on the top of this list. It’s very clear that the hotel management seems to be prioritizing turning their restaurant into a club and it’s so unfortunate since they have such potential to be a fantastic place to stay.

I asked the management on several occasions to turn down or off the music at 10pm (there were a few parties sitting around tables drinking, it was not a “club” atmosphere by any stretch of the imagination) and this was met with a “sorry but most hotels keep music going until 11pm”, which is not the case. They seemed to settle on 10:30 being a reasonable end time. They also indicated to me that this was advertised on their instagram which is not correct, as all of their social media posts included photos of families enjoying the pool, relaxing, the beach, etc. Nowhere on social media did it indicate that earplugs were necessary for sleep.

This was not a “budget friendly” hotel- we’re talking $400 + a night. Given the significant cost of this stay, I asked for something back (I didn’t specify), and free food at the restaurant (the initial offer) was not enough. Management ultimately comped 1 night of our 6 night stay.

Last issue- their bookkeeping and communication skills are poor to marginal at best. To book, I had to communicate via email, and received a phone call to get my credit card details to make my initial deposit. I did not receive an email confirmation, or response to a subsequent email I sent to confirm our stay, or to provide check in instructions, etc. I was fortunate to find a WhatsApp number (not included on an email, or website). When it came time to settle the bill, we had to wait for someone to respond to us on WhatsApp, and then come back to the hotel (as there is nobody at reception) to run our credit card again as they didn’t have our information on file.

We will NEVER stay here again- what a disappointment.

If you’re into spending lots of money and love club bangers 24/7, then this is the place for you.

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!

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/