JW Marriott Guanacaste – Wish I were still there!

JW Marriott Guanacaste Hotel Inspection 2010

On Saturday afternoon I jumped on a short domestic flight from San José with Nature air to Tamarindo. The flight takes about 50 minutes and is an great way to get a bird’s eye view of the countryside. On this flight I saw the Tempisque bridge, which I’ve crossed numerous times but have never seen from the area before. It was kind of a windy day and there was more turbulence than normal, but I felt safe in Nature Air’s dual engine Twin Otter and we made it without a glitch. The rental car was there waiting for us at the airport in Tamarindo and after quickly filling out some paperwork, we were off.

The JW Marriott just opened in December of 2008 and is located on the immense Hacienda Pinilla property, located approximately 20 minutes south of Tamarindo. We drove through the dusty Guancaste countryside to the Hacienda Pinilla entrance where we were welcomed and given a map showing us how to get to the newly built hotel. Upon entering the property you are greeted by an incredible fountain centered in the large courtyard. The valets greeted us to take the car and we entered the reception area for check in. We arrived around 5:00 p.m. and there was live music on the veranda and the sun was startig to set. The hotel is set up like an old colonial hacienda and it was a great first impression.

They upgraded our room to a “Deluxe Ocean Front” and as soon as we walked in, we were in love. The ocean was just steps away from our patio and the hotels Mansita Beach is one of the most beautiful and calm that I had seen. You could see the attention to detail in every aspect of the room, from the mirrors, the lamps, the furniture, the bathroom – everything perfect. I could tell that it was going to be hard to leave the room and check out the rest of the property, the room was everything we could have hoped for.

That night we went out to dinner at one of the hotels 4 restaurants, Tamarine, which specializes in Asian Fusion, offering sushi and other seafood dishes. We sat out on the balcony overlooking the hotels impressive pool. The pool is one of the largest in the country and was lit up at night – the combination of the pool lights, the stars, the tropical breezes and the sound of the ocean made this setting absolutely perfect. The food was incredible and dinner here was a great start to our trip.

The next morning we woke up late, the bed was just too comfortable! I ran off to meet up with Daniella Quintana, the marketing manager of the hotel for my inspection. She took me through the hotel spa, which was truly impressive. Couples can choose to have there massages in a thatch roofed palapa overlooking the Guanacaste countryside. Once again, the JW Marriott paid close attention to every detail inside the spa to make sure that it promotes a relaxing experience while here. After the vist to the spa, we went through the hotel’s gift shop, jewelry shop, two separate reception areas (one specifically for groups), conference rooms, business center and small chapel. We checked out the different room types and I was just amazed by rooms like the Presidential Suite, which is one of the nicest rooms I had every seen – very spacious and comfortable, offering more than anyone could ever need.

We walked around the pool (which takes a while – it’s huge!) to the pool bar/lounge “Azul” and checked out the beach “Mansita”. Manso in spanish means tame or calm, a great description for the tranquil waters found here. There is a little hut where non-motorized sports can be set up (kayaking, surfing, etc.). The hotel just a bit north of the popular surfing beach of Avellanas, so boards can be rented here and escursions set up to “Little Hawaii”. The beach is small, but very private and exclusive for hotel guests as access here is very limited. After the beach, we checked out the kids club and met up with the director in charge of setting up the daily activities for guests. The Kid’s Club is a great perk for families, and they offer guests child care and babysitting with a wide variety of programs.

After the inspection we had breakfast at the Mansita restaurant where we were treated to one of the best buffets I have ever had. We were amazed by the wide variety of tropical fruits offered, some of which I had never even seen before – even after nearly 10 years of living in Costa Rica. I especially recommend “Pithaya” a strange looking fruit that grows on a cactus – very exotic! The rest of the day we spent lounging by the hotel’s spectacular pool, walking down the beach, napping, etc. Very relaxing and a real treat! At night we visited the Hotel’s steakhouse, El Sabanero, and enjoyed one of the best meals I can remember.

Unfortunately all dreams must come to an end and on Monday we hopped into our car, drove out the central courtyard and through the dry countryside of Guanacaste back home… Today, back in the office, I am daydreaming of the week visit to the spectacular JW Marriott!