Pura Vida Hotel

Pura Vida is an oasis in the midst of a somewhat chaotic and bustling city. The second you go through the main gate, you realized that you have entered a special place. The grounds are beautiful and full of Costa Rican flora including a wide vast variety of orchids. The casitas are nested within the beautiful garden with some outstanding views to the mountains and Poas Volcano. The casitas are simple but ample and have everything you need for your stay. Berni and his wife are excellent hosts. Berni provided great recommendations for local restaurants and places to visit near the hotel. It was also great to talk to him about his experience as an expat living in Costa Rica. The rate included breakfast. By far the best fruit presentation I have ever seen!! and delicious yogurt, granola and bread was served. Every detail at Pura Vida is designed to transport you outside of your routine and remind you about what makes Costa Rica so special! We strongly recommended Pura Vida Hotel and will definitely stay here again during our next trip to Paradise.

We were all delighted when the owner, Bernie, opened the property gate and welcomed us into this gorgeous garden oasis! We spent our first and last nights in Costa Rica here. The breakfast was fresh, delicious and so fun! Bernie was a fantastic host and has a deep knowledge of the place and lore that he will share if invited to. The views from the room are so beautiful, and the hammocks in the garden are lovely. Coffee and outdoor dining space are great. We loved it and would love to return!

We loved our stay and breakfast so much! The one item to improve would be the warmth of shower water (if it is an option to do so).

Our stay at Pura Vida was one of the most memorable of my entire life. This trip was my first visit outside of the country that I was born in, and Pura Vida Hotel was the first place I've stayed outside of the USA. Bernie started communicating with me via email immediately after I made my reservation. He offered the best advice on places of interest in Costa Rica and patiently answered all my questions, some of which I'm sure he probably thought were ridiculous. He also arranged for Alamo to deliver a rental car to us the morning after we arrived. His and Nhi's place is breathtakingly beautiful, and it has the best "Zen vibe" I've ever experienced. Nhi's meals were superb as well, and both she and Bernie were the perfect hosts, entertaining us with stories of Costa Rican history while we dined with the other guests. I would recommend Pura Vida Hotel to anyone who wants to experience the best of Costa Rica!

I cannot think of anything that could be improved.

We loved Pura Vida Hotel. It was a lovely oasis, with beautiful grounds that are meticulously cared for. Berni was engaging and funny and made some great recommendations (Especially for a dinner out our first night). Breakfast, which is included, was a wonderful bowl of local fresh fruit, yogurt and granola, some amazing freshly baked banana bread, and lively conversation with Berni. If you are looking for a unique stay that really introduces the flora and fauna of Costa Rica, and is close to the airport, stay here!!!

Gorgeous garden and exceptional service. Innkeeper Berni will regale you with Costa Rican tales between the superb breakfast and organising trips for you. If you're only in Costa Rica for a brief visit as I was, it is essential you get some help to arrange things such as tours and drivers due to the laid back way the country operates. Pura Vida Hotel is close to the airport and Berni will help you with all the critical taxi details, including getting you to your flight on time despite San Jose traffic. This is a must stay.

Our villas were excellent; clean, comfortable and well furnished. The grounds are beautiful. You'd never know you were close to the airport, without hearing any planes. Berni, our host, was very helpful in all ways. He shares so much of his knowledge, that this is a great place to begin your stay in Costa Rica. From free taxi to the hotel, to helping rent a car, he does it all. Breakfast to go and got us a taxi for our early flight out.

They were so accommodating when we arrived later than expected. We had to order dinner to be delivered and our hosts set a table for us to enjoy it. We had an early flight the next day and our hosts packed a delicious breakfast to go for us and our two kids. They also arranged a taxi to pick us up the morning of our flight. Service was above and beyond!

Wish there was a fan in the room just to keep some air circulating. Loved the place otherwise.

I enjoyed my cabina so much I just wanted to hang out there. I had more than enough privacy from the other cabinas. The grounds are lush with tropical plants and home to many interesting birds. My breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt & granola, bread pudding, and eggs was amazing. Bernie is very personable, helpful, and a wealth of knowledge. It’s the perfect place to land if you’re coming from or going to SJO. I will be returning.

The mattress was a little firm for my taste.

Great place for a first night in Costa Rica. We arrived late from the airport and received a warm welcome. Owner Berni was very communicative and helpful by email before arrival. He supplies a wealth of information about Costa Rica in written form and in person, as he was around at breakfast to chat with the guests about their upcoming travels. The hotel has a beautiful garden and breakfast was fresh and tasty.

The casitas are spacious, exceptionally well appointed, the attention to detail remarkable, all in an exquisite garden that felt like a private botanical garden. The breakfast was absolutely lovely, the beds incredibly comfortable. Having a separate kitchen/living areas was a bonus. The owner is extremely knowledgeable about all things Costa Rica.

The bathroom was gorgeous, but the shower was, sadly, the worst I’ve had in Costa Rica (and I’ve stayed in a number of places that weren’t nearly as nice): virtually no pressure, and switching from scalding to cold by the second. I like to walk around, and there is really nowhere to walk around from here. If you are using it as a base to drive off to somewhere it’s perfect, but that’s not what we were doing.