★★★★
Hotel
Uvita
9.1/10

Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa

Surrounded by lush tropical gardens, this resort offers a spa, an outdoor pool and Mediterranean-style suites with ocean views. The Ballena Marine National Park is a 15-minute walk away. Cristal Ballena Hotel Resort & Spa is situated in Costa Ballena, between the Pacific Ocean and rainforest-covered mountains. The resort offers a beach shuttle and has a private rainforest hiking trail. Each spacious, air-conditioned suite has a four-poster bed, satellite TV and a balcony. A minibar and coffee maker are included, and bathrooms come with toiletries and a hairdryer The poolside Pura Vida bar-restaurant serves Costa Rican and international dishes and has wonderful ocean views. The varied buffet breakfast includes home-baked bread and fresh fruit. The Cristal Ballena can arrange diving and snorkelling sessions or whale-watching trips in the nearby Marine National Park.

Top location: Highly rated by recent guests (9.3)
Breakfast info: Buffet
Free private parking available at the hotel

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Kids

Children of any age are welcome.

Dogs

Pets are not allowed.

Address

Uvita, Costa Ballena, 85-1000 San Jos Uvita, Costa Rica, Uvita, Costa Rica

Facilities

Outdoor swimming pool Free parking Free WiFi Family rooms Restaurant Airport shuttle Spa and wellness centre Facilities for disabled guests Bar Exceptional breakfast

Gallery

a bathroom with a sink and a mirror and a toilet at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

a resort with a swimming pool and a building at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

a group of white tables with white chairs and flowers at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

a large swimming pool in front of a building at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

a humpback whale jumping out of the water at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

a restaurant with a table and chairs and lights at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

an aerial view of a house with a pool at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

a bedroom with two beds and a living room at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

a porch of a house with a table and chairs at Cristal Ballena Boutique Hotel & Spa in Uvita

More photos on Booking

Reviews

Melissa 9/10

Germany 🇩🇪

Beatiful hotel not too far from playa ballena.

Pros: Beatiful hotel not too far from playa ballena. The facilities are lovely and clean. The staff was very helpful and kind, and aimed to take into account food intolerances at the restaurant, which I appreciated. I defintetely recommend it.

Cons: N/A

Tatiana 9/10

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Beatiful place

Pros: We liked this place's vibes and its location surrounded by a rainforest. The swimming pool is amazing—big and clean—and the view is breathtaking. The restaurant is also nice. I felt that it was built with soul.

Jennifer 8/10

Canada 🇨🇦

Pros: What a gem. A beautiful spot with lovely grounds and a pool. A perfect location for watching birds and the sunset. Close to several towns and beaches so great if you have a car but want a quiet spot to come back to.

Laura 9/10

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Classic hotel choice with wonderful sunsets

Pros: Beautiful location set up high on the hillside overlooking the Ballena Coast. Amazing view from room with great sunsets. Had dinner one evening and menu choice/food was excellent. Beautiful large pool.

Cons: Slightly dated building- but location gardens and view make up for this.

Riccardo 9/10

Germany 🇩🇪

Good resort and easy access to Marino Ballena NP / Uvita.

Pros: Very nice resort with huge garden and perfect view towards the sea. We only stayed 1 night, however, the service & staff was very good (we got a later check-out on request without any problem/charge). The rooms are very big with lots of space and a nice balcony. All is very clean and professional managed.

Cons: It seems that the hotel /rooms need some renovation & updates after many years: e.g. not the newest standard on furniture, lamps, bath, etc.

André 9/10

Denmark 🇩🇰

Nice hotel with a wonderful pool

Pros: Wonderfull pool to relax at the end of the day. Not in the center of Uvita, but they have a shuttle to take you down to the beach. Staff was very helpfull in arranging a tour we wanted.

Cons: Breakfast selection could be improved.

Sarah 9/10

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Pros: Beautiful location and lovely clean rooms. Great to sit and watch sun go down and bird watch. Lovely x

Cons: Noise from A/C on balcony. Price of drinks

Brenda 10/10

Canada 🇨🇦

beautiful beyond what I expected

Pros: beautiful views, total tranquility, architecture is lovely, big pool with beautiful views, large breakfast buffet selection, nice to have a restaurant and bar on site, wait staff was very vigilant and accommodating, beautiful big rooms with great A/C

Cons: the actual food at the restaurant wasn't the best -- I would suggest the staff cut down on the menu size and prioritise quality over quantity of options. Having a one page menu with ~5 main course options that are refined, fresh, and focused is always better than 10 pages of 30+ options that will be poorer in quality.

Nino 10/10

Denmark 🇩🇰

Excellent stay

Pros: Everything was excellent: value for money, view from the room (forest, toucans, many birds), pool, restaurant, etc.

Cons: N/A

Fiona 10/10

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Astounding views, comfortable bedrooms, lovely outside spaces and unforgettable sunsets.

Pros: Amazing views of the ocean and the grounds overlook the forest. Close to nature with all manner of bird life… stunning. Everything was very clean, the staff were fabulous. The owners stay here and they are very friendly. I would highly recommend a stay.

Cons: No complaints at all. If the pool is too warm you can’t really get too upset. Can you!