Vista Ballena

Although my plane landed late, it was tricky to get to the area via taxi, but when I arrived late the reception was very helpful and helped me organise my stay. I had a great time there.

**English:** We recently spent a week at Hotel Vista Ballena in Uvita de Puntarenas (November 8 - November 15), and even though the weather wasn’t ideal, our experience was excellent thanks to the amazing staff. Special thanks to Esteban, Edgar, Jason, Yuri, and Liz for making us feel welcomed and attended. We booked a promotion that included breakfast and dinner, and while the selection was limited, the team went out of their way to provide us with variety, offering new dishes to avoid repeats throughout our stay. The food was delicious, and their flexibility truly made our stay memorable. Highly recommended—this is a place we would happily visit again! --- **Spanish:** Recientemente pasamos una semana en el Hotel Vista Ballena en Uvita de Puntarenas (del 8 al 15 de noviembre), y aunque el clima no fue ideal, nuestra experiencia fue excelente gracias al maravilloso personal. Un agradecimiento especial a Esteban, Edgar, Jason, Yuri y Liz por hacernos sentir bienvenidos y atendidos. Reservamos una promoción que incluía desayuno y cena; aunque la selección era limitada, el equipo hizo un gran esfuerzo en brindarnos variedad, ofreciéndonos nuevos platos para evitar repetir comidas durante nuestra estadía. La comida fue deliciosa, y su flexibilidad realmente hizo que nuestra estancia fuera memorable. Altamente recomendado—¡sin duda nos encantaría volver!

We had the most amazing cocktails with all natural ingredients. The bartender infuses his most common used liqueur’s with local fruits to create the best tasting cocktails we have had in Costa Rica. He created his own “Chamoy” with hibiscus flower and local ingredients that provides the most natural tasting flavored chamoy I have ever tasted. We had his Moscow Mule that contained soda infused with natural ginger which tasted phenomenal. Also, he invests time into ensuring the drinks are all garnished perfected. He is a true master of his craft and is fully committed to ensuring your drinking exceeds all expectations. In addition, the food was phenomenal with amazing bold flavors. We had the fish ceviche which is served in natural orange juice and provides a semi sweet flavor which is the perfect contrast to the fish. Amazing. Secondly, we had the Cordon Bleu Chicken and Chicken Ballena which both were extremely flavorful and would definitely try again. Lastly, we loved these dishes so much we asked for a Shrimp Fettuccine with Pesto that was amazing. The pesto was full of flavor with the perfect amount of Parmesan. After traveling through southwest Costa Rica and constantly being disappointed with the dinner and drink options at the hotels, Vista Ballena far exceeded our expectations. They created the perfect ending to our trip to Uvita and helped us establish trust in hotel dining and drink services.

Yes, it’s quite a hill to get there but the view is amazing. They have 2 infinity pools, which was great because my 4 yo was able to play in one of them. Let me tell you about the staff: top notch! All of them were friendly, accommodating, making my little ones feel noticed and cared for. Very comfortable rooms and all with amazing views. The food at the restaurant was delicious. And they had quite the variety of fruit juices. We stayed 4 days and it was just amazing. They are great at helping you book tours, But, If you book any tours with them, inquire on location of tours and how far from the hotel (we had one that was 30 minutes from it. Since it was rainy season and it rained almost every afternoon, the driving back and forth and with the rain, it took our pool time away from us. Not their fault tho). I wish there was a Vista Ballena hotel at every location in Costa Rica that we have gone. Oh and prices were great. Ask for any deals on packages that involve food. We had breakfast and dinner included and they were delicious.

This hotel is on a mountainside overlooking the sea. Fantastic views from rooms and restaurant and bar. Lovely swimming pool. Nice public areas. However, the receptionist was a bit dismissive, not friendly. No thank yous. Waiting staff very friendly though. First night meal was absolutely awful. Set menu for our group of 18, probably not the standard menu. The food was cold and very, very salty. However, the breakfasts were good and our second night meal was good. The rooms are tired and not particularly clean. The bathroom needed a good scrub. Bedding clean. Hairdryer in room. Shampoo and conditioner but no shower gel. Internet off and on. No water in room, but water available from bar urn. The swimming pool was great as the weather was very hot. You cannot walk to anywhere from this hotel. it's in the middle of nowhere up a very steep and narrow drive, which is at least one mile long. Not good for a long stay, but OK for 2 nights.

We went here for the sunset view and decided to have dinner and drinks. The view was amazing however the food was subpar. The piña coladas were delicious. We had bruschetta as an appetizer and it tasted weird. We discovered they put olives on it. It made it treats fishy. I wish they would have indicated that on the menu. As our main meal, I had mahi-mahi and my wife had steak. Our meals came with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The mahi-mahi was good, the steak was tough and the mashed potatoes and vegetables tasted fishy for both of us. I would recommend this place for sunset and drinks only.