Santarena Hotel at Las Catalinas

Style

Homage to Havana

Setting

Community-minded cove

Santarena Hotel at Las Catalinas is a microcosm of the coastal town in which it stands: car-free Las Catalinas is hot on community spirit, and this colonial-style hotel follows suit with its convivial courtyards and bakery. It’s flanked by palms and playas, so surfing and kayaking rank high on tropical agendas; juice bars and wellness studios are your lo-fi alternatives. Back at your beachfront base, you’ll preach pura vida from the ocean-ogling suites and rooftop pool, especially when the gin cart rolls along the terrace at sundowner hour…

Facilities

Rooms

45, including three suites.

Checkout

11am. Check-in, 3pm; both are flexible, subject to availability.

More Details

Rates at Santarena Hotel don't usually include breakfast but an à la carte or buffet breakfast can be purchased for an additional cost.

Also

There are two accessible Danta Standard Rooms; please let the hotel know in advance if you'd like to stay in one. The communal areas are suitable if you have reduced mobility, plus there's an elevator.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Spa

At the Hotel

Free WiFi throughout. In rooms: smart TV, climate control, tea- and coffee-making kit, minibar, free bottled water and local bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

The rooms at Santarena Hotel take cues from colonial mansions in Cartagena and Havana with their high ceilings, hardwood floors and teal flourishes. Stays in the spacious Ocean View Premium room are pretty sweet, enhanced by salty-breeze-cooled sessions on the water-gazing balcony. You’ll get double the action in the corner-set Almendro Suite: fling open arched French windows onto its two balconies, and its double rainfall shower is made for two.

Poolside

You’ll be kept busy at the rooftop pool’s infinity edge: people-watch sunbathers and surfers on Playa Danta below; admire the island-dotted ocean, or keep a beady eye out for the gin cart that sometimes trundles along the terrace at sunset. Handwoven rocking chairs are dotted underneath a wood-beamed pergola, or take your tipple to one of the palm-shaded sunloungers.

Spa

There’s no spa, but this boutique hotel has partnered with the Center of Joy, which hosts weekly vinyasa yoga classes, meditation sessions and sound baths, plus massages and facials are on offer.

Packing Tips

Bring yoga kit for sun(rise) salutations; breezy linen for sundowners.

Children

Welcome, but there’s no specific kit. An extra bed for one child under 10 can be added on request to all rooms for US$30 a night; suites can accommodate two under-10s for a charge. Ponciana has a kids’ menu.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

One of the tree-shaded tables on Ponciana’s terrace.

Dress Code

Don your workout kit or beachwear for Cuatro Calle la Ronda or breakfast at Ponciana; swap swimwear for sundresses and shirts later in the day.

Hotel Restaurant

Ponciana nods to the Mediterranean’s summers, but still roots itself in its Costa Rican co-ords, with produce sourced from local fishermen and farms. Vegan breakfast burritos, chia-seed pancakes and cardamom French toast fuel pre-adventure appetites; come afternoon, tuck into Italian-inspired fare (we’re eyeing the seafood pappardelle and pecorino-and-spinach pizza). If you’re eager to hit the beach first thing, Cuatro Calle la Ronda delivers on-the-go pastries, yogurt bowls and detox juices.

Hotel Bar

Charcuterie boards and seafood bocas (bites) pair well with a Palmera cocktail at Ponciana Bar.

Last Orders

At Ponciana, breakfast is 7am–10.30am, lunch is noon–5pm, and dinner is 6pm–9pm. Cuatro Calle la Ronda is open from 7am to 5pm; Ponciana Bar pours from noon until 9pm.

Planes

Liberia’s Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport is a one-hour drive from the hotel; staff can arrange transfers on request.

Automobiles

Should you hire a set of wheels at the airport, there are two routes you can take to Santarena Hotel: the one via the Monkey Trail takes an hour, but you’ll need a four-wheel drive to tackle the adventurous terrain; the second, through Belen, is closer to 90 minutes’ drive, but the roads are smoother. Guanacaste’s surfing and swimming spots, such as Tamarindo and Playa Hermosa, are a 45-minute drive away. Although Las Catalinas is a pedestrianized town, the hotel has free valet parking (for up to two cars a room) outside of the restricted area.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Coastal Santarena Hotel is backdropped by dense greenery, and so days at large might take on a Tarzan-like quality. Swing through the jungle (with considerably more clothing) on a zipline, with pit stops at hot springs and picturesque canyons. Spy monkeys while mountain biking; befriend fillies (Jalapeño or Cangrejo) on horse rides along Playa Azúcar; spot wildlife on a boat trip down the aquamarine Río Celeste, or coo over the sleepy creatures at a sloth sanctuary. Experienced surfers will head straight to the breaks; newbies can take a surfing lesson with Pura Vida Ride, a local center with guides and kit to borrow. Heart rates rise with a hike along the trails to Punta Penca and Punta Guachipelines, then settle down with an ocean-facing picnic. Staff at the hotel can also arrange wine tastings and beach barbecues, so you can toast to your day in Costa Rican style.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .