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The Collection · Costa Rica

Luxury hotels
in Costa Rica

15 hand-picked stays in Costa Rica, independently reviewed.

15

Properties

The destination

Why stay at a
luxury hotel in
Costa Rica

Costa Rica is two distinct luxury experiences in one country — the Pacific coast (Guanacaste, the Nicoya Peninsula) for surf-and-pool resorts, and the cloud-forest interior (Monteverde, Arenal, the Osa Peninsula) for biodiversity and adventure. The luxury scene combines internationally recognized names (Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica, Andaz Peninsula Papagayo, the recent Auberge-managed Hacienda AltaGracia) with strong local eco-lodges (Lapa Rios, Pacuare Lodge, Nayara properties at Arenal).

For a first stay, most repeat visitors split the trip: 3 nights at a Guanacaste coastal resort (Four Seasons, Andaz, JW Marriott) for the beach-and-pool agenda, then 3 nights at an interior eco-lodge (Nayara Springs at Arenal, Hacienda AltaGracia in Pérez Zeledón, Lapa Rios on the Osa Peninsula) for the rainforest experience. A pure coastal stay misses the country's biodiversity; a pure interior stay misses the easier coastal beauty.

Visit December–April (the dry season). May–November is the wet season — manageable but with daily afternoon thunderstorms in many regions, particularly the Caribbean coast and interior rainforest. December–April are the peak rate months. The Osa Peninsula and Pacific south coast remain wet most of the year but are at their most spectacular green in October–November.

15 of 15 hotels
Amor Arenal Adults Friendly
★★★★★
Nayara Tented Camp
★★★★★
Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection
★★★★★
Nayara Gardens
★★★★★
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica
★★★★★
Makanda by the Sea Hotel Adults Only
★★★★★
The Springs Resort & Spa at Arenal
★★★★★
Hotel Nantipa - A Tico Beach Experience
★★★★★
Los Altos Resort
★★★★★
Hilton San Jose la Sabana
★★★★★
Hotel Villa Caletas
★★★★★
Sheraton San Jose Hotel, Costa Rica
★★★★★
Crowne Plaza San Jose la Sabana
★★★★★
InterContinental Hotels Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall
★★★★★
El Mangroove, Autograph Collection
★★★★★

Editor's curation

The best Costa Rica hotels — by purpose

Our editors group every hotel into the trips it best serves. Pick the one that fits yours.

Best for design & character

Hotels where the architecture, materials, and rooms feel considered — not just luxe by amenity checklist.

Best for honeymoon

Quiet rooms, serious dining, and the kind of service that earns repeat returns — chosen for couples.

Best for spa & wellness

Serious treatment programmes, indoor pools, and the kind of locker rooms where a guest could spend the whole afternoon.

The city guide

Where to go in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is one country with two distinct experiences: the Pacific coast (Guanacaste, the Nicoya Peninsula) for surf and dry-tropical resorts, and the cloud-forest interior (Monteverde, Arenal, Osa) for biodiversity and adventure. The list below assumes you're staying somewhere serious (Nayara Tented Camp, Lapa Rios, Andaz Peninsula Papagayo) and want to get past pool days into the country that draws repeat visitors back.

01

Restaurant

Lapa Rios — Sunday Lunch (Open to Non-Guests)

Osa Peninsula$$$$

Eco-lodge cuisine in primary rainforest, table out over the canopy

Lapa Rios is one of the original ecolodges in Costa Rica — 1,000 acres of private rainforest on the Osa Peninsula, the dining pavilion built into a hilltop above the Pacific. Non-guests can reserve Sunday lunch (with advance notice and transport via the lodge), which gets you the property tour, a real Costa Rican lunch, and a view across primary rainforest to the ocean.

  • Sunday lunch open to public
  • Reserve in advance
  • Property tour included
View on map →Visit website ↗Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula

02

Attraction

Corcovado National Park

Osa Peninsula$$$$

The Osa Peninsula's rainforest, called the most biologically intense place on earth by National Geographic

Corcovado covers a third of the remote Osa Peninsula and contains the densest concentration of rainforest biodiversity in Central America — tapirs, scarlet macaws, all four monkey species, regular jaguar tracks. Visits must be with a certified guide and require advance permits. Day-trips from Drake Bay or Puerto Jiménez are standard; serious naturalists do 2–3 day camping treks.

  • Permit-required
  • Certified guide essential
  • Day or 2–3 day options
View on map →Corcovado National Park, Osa

03

Attraction

Arenal Volcano — La Fortuna Waterfall

Arenal (La Fortuna)$$$$

A 70-meter waterfall in primary rainforest, paired with the country's most famous volcano

Arenal Volcano (1,633m) was Costa Rica's most active volcano until it went into a dormant phase in 2010 — the cone is still picture-perfect against any clear morning. La Fortuna Waterfall (10 minutes from the town) is a 70-meter cascade with a swimmable pool below, reached by 500 steps down through primary rainforest. Combine with an afternoon at one of the geothermal hot-spring resorts (Tabacón is the historic one).

  • 500 steps to the falls
  • Pair with Tabacón hot springs
  • Half-day combination
View on map →La Fortuna, Alajuela

04

Attraction

Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero (Caribbean Coast)$$$$

Caribbean-coast green-turtle nesting site, July–October

Tortuguero is reached by small plane or boat (no roads) and is the main green-turtle nesting site in the western Caribbean — between July and October, certified night tours led by park rangers allow visitors to observe nesting females laying eggs and (later in the season) hatchlings making their dash to the sea. A two-night minimum to do it properly.

  • July–October nesting season
  • No-road access
  • 2-night minimum
View on map →Tortuguero, Limón

05

Attraction

Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio (Central Pacific)$$$$

The accessible national park with three white-sand beaches

Manuel Antonio is Costa Rica's smallest national park and its most visited — rainforest backing directly onto three Pacific beaches, all with monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and (if you're lucky) coatimundis on the sand. Hire a park guide (only 1–2 hours of cost, enormously increases what you see). Closed Mondays. Go first thing in the morning before heat and crowds.

  • First thing in morning
  • Hire a guide
  • Closed Mondays
View on map →Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas

06

Attraction

Río Celeste — Tenorio Volcano

Tenorio Volcano National Park$$$$

The aggressively blue river inside a national park

A river that's chemically — and almost impossibly — bright cyan, the result of volcanic minerals mixing at a specific point inside Tenorio Volcano National Park. The trail to the waterfall and the 'teñideros' (where the colors mix) is 6km return, moderately strenuous, and far less crowded than Costa Rica's more famous parks. Go on a clear day; cloud/rain dulls the color.

  • Cyan-blue river
  • 6km return trail
  • Clear days only for full color
View on map →Tenorio Volcano National Park

07

Experience

Sky Walk Monteverde

Monteverde$$$$

Six suspension bridges through the cloud-forest canopy

Monteverde's cloud forest is best experienced from canopy level — exactly where most of the birds, monkeys, and orchids live. Sky Walk's three-hour guided tour crosses six suspension bridges (the longest 300 meters long, 70 meters above the ground) and reliably finds quetzals in season (December–April), howler monkeys, and the famous epiphytes that give the forest its alien atmosphere. Morning tours have the best wildlife.

  • 6 canopy suspension bridges
  • Morning tours best
  • Quetzal Dec–April
View on map →Visit website ↗Monteverde Cloud Forest

08

Experience

Surf at Playa Hermosa (Pacific)

Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste$$$$

The Guanacaste break that's consistent year-round

Costa Rica has dozens of surf beaches; the Pacific side's Playa Hermosa (15 minutes from the Liberia airport) is the most consistent for intermediate-to-advanced surfers — beach break, multiple peaks, surf year-round. Witch's Rock Surf Camp (in adjacent Tamarindo) is the established lesson school. November to April is dry-season; the swell stays even after rains start.

  • Year-round consistent break
  • Multiple peaks
  • Witch's Rock for lessons
View on map →Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste

09

Experience

Café Britt Coffee Tour

Heredia (Central Valley)$$$$

A working coffee plantation in the Central Valley

Café Britt's Heredia plantation runs the most polished coffee tour in the country — 2.5 hours covering the entire process from cherry harvest to cup, with serious tasting at the end. Less polished but more authentic alternatives exist in the Tarrazú region (Costa Rica's premium coffee origin); the Britt tour is the convenient, all-English-language option.

  • 2.5-hour tour
  • Tarrazú as serious alternative
  • Direct-from-farm purchases

10

Experience

Nosara — Yoga & Surf Week

Nosara, Nicoya Peninsula$$$$

The Pacific town that became Costa Rica's wellness capital

Nosara — on the Nicoya Peninsula about 90 minutes from Liberia — has become Costa Rica's wellness destination over the past decade. Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort and the Harmony Hotel run multi-day retreats combining yoga, surfing, and Blue Zone Costa Rican food (Nicoya is one of the world's five Blue Zones). A 5-day stay is the standard reset.

  • Nicoya is a Blue Zone
  • Bodhi Tree or Harmony as base
  • 5-day reset standard
View on map →Nosara, Guanacaste

Editor's picks · Updated regularly · No paid placements

Good to know

Common questions about Costa Rica

The questions our readers actually ask — answered honestly.

Which is the best luxury resort in Costa Rica?+

The Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo (Guanacaste, Pacific coast) is the consensus #1 — the strongest coastal luxury infrastructure in the country, the most consistent service. Andaz Peninsula Papagayo (also in Guanacaste) is the design-led alternative on the same peninsula. For the interior, Nayara Tented Camp and Nayara Springs at Arenal are the editorial favorites — combining proper luxury with active-volcano views. Hacienda AltaGracia (Auberge Resorts) in Pérez Zeledón is the recent strong entry. Lapa Rios on the Osa Peninsula is the dedicated eco-luxe choice.

How much does a Costa Rica luxury resort cost?+

Five-star rooms in Costa Rica run $500–$2,500 per night. The Four Seasons and Andaz Peninsula Papagayo start around $800; Nayara properties and Hacienda AltaGracia sit at $700–$1,500. Suites and pool villas at the named properties begin around $1,500. Costa Rica is one of the more value-priced luxury markets in the Americas — the price-to-quality favors it over equivalent Caribbean destinations.

Beach resort or rainforest lodge?+

Ideally both. Most repeat visitors split: 3 nights at a Guanacaste Pacific coast resort (Four Seasons, Andaz, JW Marriott) for the beach-and-pool agenda, then 3 nights at an interior eco-lodge (Nayara at Arenal, Lapa Rios on the Osa Peninsula) for the rainforest immersion. A coastal-only stay misses the biodiversity (350 bird species, all four monkey species, the cloud forests of Monteverde); an interior-only stay misses the easier Pacific beauty. The drive between Guanacaste and Arenal is about 3 hours; both are 4–6 hours from the Osa Peninsula.

When's the best time to visit Costa Rica?+

December through April are the dry-season months and the strongest window — sunny days, low rainfall on the Pacific coast and interior, manageable crowds at the major national parks. The Caribbean coast has a different weather pattern (less reliable in dry season). May through November is the wet season — daily afternoon thunderstorms (predictable, not all-day), 30%+ lower rates, the country at its most green. The Osa Peninsula receives substantial rainfall year-round but is at its most spectacular October–November.

Are Costa Rica resorts family-friendly?+

Yes, almost universally — the Four Seasons, Andaz, and Nayara properties all run extensive kids' programs and offer family villas. The Four Seasons has the strongest children's infrastructure including a dedicated kids' club. Costa Rica itself is exceptional for active families — zip-lining, surf lessons, wildlife guided walks, volcanic hot springs at Arenal. The country invests heavily in eco-tourism education that engages older children particularly well.

Do Costa Rica resorts offer airport transfers?+

All luxury resorts arrange transfers. Guanacaste resorts use Liberia International Airport (LIR) — closer to the Pacific coast, 30–60 minute transfers. Interior and Pacific south resorts use San José International Airport (SJO) — longer transfers (2–5 hours by road) or domestic flights to nearby airstrips. The Osa Peninsula resorts almost universally use small charter or scheduled flights from San José (1 hour) plus a short boat or road transfer. Many resorts arrange the entire transfer chain — confirm at booking.

Also worth considering

If you like Costa Rica

All destinations →

Editorial

T

Edited by Tor Lindberg

Founding editor

First published
Last reviewed

We refresh ratings and prices monthly; full editorial review at least twice a year.

How we choose

Every hotel on this list is cross-checked across Google, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Agoda and Hotels.com — plus first-hand traveler accounts on Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok. We screen aggressively for fake or incentivised reviews and weight only verified, recent, substantive guest feedback. We accept no paid placements and no sponsored reviews. When affiliate links earn a small commission, we disclose it; it never influences which hotels appear here.

Read our full methodology →