61 Reviews of Property 310299 in Puntarenas City, Costa Rica

We just returned from 10 days at this wonderful resort. Our family of 14 including 6 adults and 8 kids ages ranging from 7 to 17 had the perfect vacation centered around this family friendly house. The layout is like a small hotel with 5 suites. All the rooms can accomdate anywhere from 2 to 3 people and there are amazing indoor and outdoor common areas. Room for those who want their own space and for those who want to be together. The large dining table makes communal dinners fun and festive and also serves for a place to gather and play games. The pool area is amazing and the backyard complete with a volley ball net is large and inviting. The house backs up to the ocean where you can hear the waves crash at night and there are boogy boards available to play with in the ocean. We paid an unbelievably small fee to have the caretaker's wife, Maribel make our meals and it was sooo worth the money. She is an expert chef satisfying those of us that are more adventurous as well as kids and those that prefer more American cooking. She also did our laundry. Arturo, the caretaker is hard working and made sure our trip went smoothly. He kept the pool and grounds immaculate, went to the fish market to pick up fresh fish for dinner, ensured we were safe and well taken care of. Maribel and Arturo were like family by the end of the trip. We also used Varso travel to take us on our excursions, they are a family owned company, very honest and very reasonable. We did 3 all day excursions with them and they took care of us like family. Definitely the way to go vs. renting your own car especially if you have a large group. I highly recommend meeting with them on your first day to plan out your vacation. We could not have found a better place to have our family reunion and i highly recommend it for anyone but especially for large groups.

Our honeymoon EXCEEDED all of our expectations. We literally had the time of our lives.

I'm sure you have heard this a hundred times, but we simply cannot say enough about Maribel and Arturo. They were the sweetest and kindest human beings we've ever encountered. Her cooking was AMAZING! They both went ABOVE and BEYOND what we expected.

We had a really amazing experience on our trip. We were doing some exploring and wound up getting our car stuck in the mud at the bottom of a large hill in VERY rural town inland of Jaco (pretty much the middle of nowhere) and a man came out of his shack to help us. He called some friends who came down with a wench and one had a very old tractor. They spend 4.5 hours inching our car up the hill of mud in the pouring rain and wouldn't quit. When we offered money as a thank you they all refused and said the did it out of their hearts. Our rental car company wouldn't even come out to get us or help us b/c they had no idea where we were. We were so humbled by their help that it literally has changed our entire outlook on life and we couldn't be more grateful for such an amazing experience and life lesson. Our car, clothes and shoes were trashed with red mud and Arturo cleaned out the car (it was coated in mud) without us even asking. Ryan went to go help him out and Arturo insisted we enjoy our vacation while he cleaned the car. Arturo even cleaned our our filthy shoes.

The house was beautiful and incredibly clean. The pictures didn't do the property justice! We are already planning a trip back to Casa Rector in 2012 with some friends and family!

Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us.

Also Varso Travel worked out great. We'll definitely use them again. We used them for a tour to Arenal volcano hot springs and really enjoyed the trip.

Our overall experience was fantastic! Rich, the owner, was very attentive, even down to the detail of providing for a ride for us from the airport. Initally taken back by the less than ideal curb appeal, Casa Rector more than lived up to our expectations. The oceanside view was as beautiful as the picture on the internet. The parrots and the puppies (Bronco & Coco) only made the stay better! They were perfect stand-ins for our pets at home! Maribel and Arturo were delightful to work with, and Maribel's cooking could open a restaurant! Arturo's concern for our well being was top notch. We utilized the high chair for one of the babes in our rather large entourage of 12. We loved the privacy that the separate bedrooms provided as we were traveling as a family group. We had four couples, two singles, and two babies. The house accomodated us perfectly, as it also had a shared, screened-in veranda for eating and hanging out! The pool was very well maintained, and we spent so much time there. We didn't spend as much time on the beach at the property as we had planned, because the surf was more rough and brought in more debris, which made the water murky. We still enjoyed body surfing though! We followed Rich's recommendation of not renting a vehicle in country, and instead went with Varso Travel Agency, who provided excellent curbside service. We did enjoy the tranopy rainforest tour in Jaco, which was ok for our babies, as long as you have someone to watch them when the rest of you zip-line! :) We were disappointed in the total expense required for a day on Tortuga Island. Be prepared to pay for absolutely everything, including the use of the bathroom! The island itself was amazingly gorgeous! All in all, we had a phenomenal time in Costa Rica, especially our time at Casa Rector! By the way, never fly Spirit Air! :)

I wish I could give it 10 stars. What an amazing place. There were 14 of us. We stayed two weeks and didn't want to leave. The house is great. The yard is spectacular. The pool is the best. The ocean is right outside the yard. And the best part of all, the family that lives on the property. Maribel cooks all of your meals (for a mere $20 per day), Artur is a very gracious host to the guests, Bronco and Coco are fantastic guard dogs and the girls are super sweet and helpful (Mariel, 18 and Madelin, 10). Artur is very vigilant regarding the guests. He goes to the bus stop with you to make sure you get on the right bus, he tells the taxi driver where to take you, he watches you while you play on the beach to make sure that the locals don't bother you and he secures all of the belongings that you left outside overnight to ensure that they don't disappear. The area is not as touristy as some of the neighboring towns, which makes it nice. Varso Travel (right down the street from the house) is very eager to meet your needs; they are very nice and willing to take you anywhere you want to go (don't hire them for a fishing trip as they are not knowledgable fishermen and you'll be basically on your own--except for the ride). Maribel will even go to the grocery store with you to make sure you get everything that she'll need to prepare your meals. This family made our vacation so spectacular; we wanted to take them home with us. I can't say enough about the hospitality of the hosts and the owner. The property description and pictures accurately depict the amenities. It is very clean and extremely well cared for. I recommend this property to anyone considering vacationing in the area. Two pieces of advice (neither reflecting the house or the owner/hosts, just the area in general): hold on tight to your belongings, the locals will steal the shirt off your back; and american currency is accepted just about anywhere you will shop but if there is even the most slight tear in the money, they won't take it. Happy vacationing; I plan to return for sure!!!

I went for 10 days in July and loved this place. The rooms were great, food was excellent, and the beach and pool were fantastic. I will be returning to Casa Rector!!! Not only is the house unbelieveable, the location is convenient. There is a tourist place down the block that knows Casa Rector and treats you accordingly. We did a lot of activities and it was hassle free thanks to the staff at Casa Rector. I highly recommend this place...it is a steal for the price!

Traveling with a group of friends and this was our first excursion to Costa Rica. While we did some research Rich and his team where extremely helpful, knowledgeable and went above and beyond in making sure our stay was comfortable and well, quite frankly, AWESOME! The residence is perfect for those wanting to relax and chill by the pool/beach. Arturo and Maribel (on site staff) made our stay even that more enjoyable. If you are planning to travel to Costa Rica, this is the spot to stay, you'll thank yourself later! Definately looking forward to returning.

- Jason

Casa Rector was an ideal place to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary (and our youngest grandaughter's first birthday) with all of our children and grandchildren (ranging in age from one year to 20). All of us had a thoroughly enjoyable time that included riding the waves at the beach, relaxing in and around the beautiful pool, visiting the town of Puntarenas, taking tours arranged through Varso Travel, and enjoying the meals prepared by Maribel and the constant attention and help of her and her husband, Arturo. The location was convenient, the house and property were clean and well maintained, and all of our needs were well supplied, but it was the people (and dogs) that made the experience special. From the owner, Rich Rector, to Maribel, Arturo, their daughters and two dogs (Branco and Coco), all went well beyond expectations to insure we had a wonderful time together at the house and in Costa Rica. The folks at Varso Travel were also helpful and accommodating. It was a memorable experience for all, and we have many pictures of the group to remind us until we can return for another visit in the future.

Well we just got home last night and already back to the grind:( However, the memories at Casa Rector were well worth the exhausting trip to and from. Every review is right on. Especially about Maribel and Arturo. We wanted to take them home. The most down to earth caring people who went above and beyond to make your stay amazing. And yes, her cooking was Mucho bueno!!! It was my birthday while we were down there and she went out of her way to make a Costa Rican dessert called Flaun (I think that's it). Anyways, she makes you feel so special. She served it to me pool side in the afternoon. Not to mention she made one of her amazing Costa Rican dinners AND another cake in which they all sang happy birthday. Some in Spanish, others in English. Anyways, aside from them and their family being amazing, the place was indeed nice. I do have to say it was a little hard for me to get use to the idea that you didn't leave the property without Arturo and Bronco the dog as there is a lot of crime especially with Americans. With that said, I definitely felt safe the entire time and actually sad that it had to be that way. It was an eye opener for my own kids who hopefully can appreciate all that they have. We took some tours - the canopy tour was our favorite. The guys went deep sea fishing and Maribel prepared it for us - the best ever!! Went to Tortuga Island, and the animal tour. The rest of the time was enjoyment with family by the awesome pool. It's back to reality and cooking:(((( Thank you Mr. Rector for a truly wonderful trip. I would recommend it to anyone whose ready to kick back relax and unwind in the beautiful surroundings of Casa Rector.