The property is just as described, it is true when they say no suitable for little ones, and you need a driver the roads require someone who knows them, trust me (Douglas was the best at getting us any and everywhere we wanted to go, he always arrived 15 minutes before). Huber was always available, and he made breakfast every morning and to my picky family’s specific demands without any complaints. We opted for catered meals and although Freugo Azul (Chef Mark) was good, Chef4U (Chef Maria and Johnathan) were like no other, they made every meal hot, and even went so far as to be sure that the two with allergies could still have a great meal. Both Chefs were very informative about the meals and very appreciative. This property is hands down one for the books

The hospitality, views and architecture are remarkable! Truly living in a work of art with the comfort of having the kindest staff. Huber, who maintains the home and makes the most fabulous homemade breakfasts with the local twist. They also arranged a chef to come in most nights, which is the way to go. Explore by day and enjoy the view, home and the friends by night. They also scheduled a full time driver for us which was a must…none of us would want to master the roads. My favorite day trip was the boat outing from the beautiful beach just below the home. We caught some fish in the calm waters, enjoyed it on the boat as they made us sashimi, drove the boat into cool wooded areas and did some fun tubing. I would completely recommend staying in this beautiful home and enjoy their terrific hospitality. There are some steps throughout the home, however it’s what helps make it an architectural gem.

Our stay at Villa Nova was dissatisfying in so many ways, I’m not quite sure where to start. However, before the beginning, I want to stress that the service of Huber and Nela, Star Villa (concierge) as well as our driver Jason, was second to none. Renters, beware. The pictures displayed on-line are truly spectacular. We came with high expectations. What the pictures do not show is how dilapidated this place actually is. Parts of the ceiling are cracked and falling apart, flooring is missing, and the overall place needs a MAJOR facelift. The kitchen is old and stocked with second rate items. The showers were truly awful- shower heads were rusted and clogged and the closets and cabinets were hard to open. Everything in the house felt dated and old. Here comes the worst part of all. Let me start by saying we have traveled extensively, including spending time in areas within rain forests and jungles, so I realize travel to these places involve a number of outdoor creatures. If properly sealed, it’s not much of an issue. The villa was literally infested with moths, crickets, and flying black roach-type bugs. Hundreds of them would accumulate during the night. The bug issue was so out of control that my wife refused to sleep in the master room (which is by far the biggest and most beautiful with a breath taking view). Every morning handfuls of bugs were surrounding the pillows and all the sheets!! The entire house is surrounded by windows, which is beautiful, but due to lack of sealing/ insulation in between the doors and windows, this house is a haven for all the outdoor bugs to enter. There were bugs and spiders in my makeup bag, in my clothes, in the refrigerator, in the cabinets. This made the whole experience completely uncomfortable especially if creatures aren’t your thing. Note to add, we kept lights off when possible as moths are attracted to the light, but this was beyond that. We expected to stay home more than doing outside activities but all 7 of us just wanted to get out as much as we could as eating while bugs landed on our plates was disgusting. The architecture is funky, but is not practical. There are many sharp edges, stairs without railing, and wood planks which are easy to trip on, and slippery floors. You need a PHD to learn how to use the lighting system. The hot tub outside the ‘second master’ was filthy and couldn’t be used. So, my advice to you Is not to stay here. There is more to say- I am out of space

First, the 360 views are ridiculous. Watching the sun come up and set over such a beautiful setting is pure heaven. Something to be aware of. If you rent a stick shift, you better know how to use it. Roads are narrow and steep. Our driver, German, was an absolute pro. The breakfasts from Huber were a highlight. Our kids range from 12-23 and the last day they argued over which breakfast was the best. All of my kids were excited and on time for breakfast every day. He will make anything you ask. We only did that one day and decided we liked being surprised and trying new things. The property management company was very responsive and communicated with us months in advance to help us plan. House was very clean. There were bugs, but that’s Costa Rica. It was tough to read at night because the bugs were attracted to the lights. The lighting was difficult to figure out and after 8 days, we still weren’t sure how it worked. Even though beach wasn’t walking distance to the, we do not regret staying there and will go back. You won’t be disappointed. Comfy beds, plenty of seating and did I mention the views 🤯 The rest of this is more about other activities we did. Many of which management or Huber suggested. Maracuya Beach Club close by. You can pay $30 per person to have pool and chairs for the beach. $24 of it is applied towards food. You can access the beach for free and still order from the restaurant, but for us it was worth it for the chairs. Haciendo Guachipelin is a must for adventure seekers. The ziplines were decent and good for newbies. But the tubing was incredible. We would have gone back again just for that. So worth it. We road horses and had an OK lunch. We added canyoneering, which was repelling into the river, climbing up a waterfall, repelling down a cliff, then a Tarzan swing. This was a little much for my younger and less adventures kids buy for the rest of us, pure adrenaline. Thanks for the recommendation! Our driver took us to Tamarindo one day and we rented chairs and an umbrella. It’s 90 minutes each way but the waves are much better than near the house. We did an ATV tour with a company out of Coco and it was ok. It was a good beginner tour if you haven’t ridden much. We ate at Father Roosters twice. Great food. Huber also suggested a pizza/pasta place closer to town that was really good. In town we ate at Taste of Texas and a place right on the beach and weren’t big fans. The 50’s diner had great deserts.

Villa, although beginning to show its age, is lovely and spectacularly situated. The REAL gems of this property are the on-site manager Huber, and the team at StarVillas who coordinate your rental. Their service, preparation, friendliness and professionalism are flawless, from arranging reservations on the fly to serving a delicious and varied breakfast every morning. They erase the minor flaws that are present in the building and make your stay the absolute best experience it can be. I cannot praise them enough.

Our stay at Villa Nova was fantastic. The home is beautiful and the views are some of the best we've ever seen anywhere on earth. There were 4 adult couples on the trip. The home is perched high up above the ocean, so I would definitely recommend the available van/driver service. We cooked in the very nice kitchen several nights. The outdoor seating and pool area was our favorite place to hang out during our trip. The staff was first-rate. Very attentive and knowledgable. I would definitely rent Villa Nova again.

My friends and I stayed at this lovely property for almost a week and can't say enough about how wonderful it was! The hosts were really friendly, approachable, and helped out as much as they could with transportation and food. We really enjoyed our stay and highly recommend!

5 couples stayed here for 3 weeks. The house is perfect for a large group and staff are amazing! The breakfasts are fabulous and the full time driver was wonderful and made life easy for a group. The view can't be beat. The house is at the top of the mountain so you do have a drive to the top to get there but definitely worth it.

We enjoyed our stay it was very unique. We travel in large group once a year, usually live in the pool when we go on vacation and we never got into this pool. It was strange 80% of the pool was for wadding which we did sit in chairs, only small area was deep enough for swim, but kind of dark and scary. The infinity edge was in the wading area very strange design. The house is very hard to navigate the floors are different heights from one surface type to another. Rocks then wood deck to concrete, glass stairs and tiles floors with sunkin living room. Not conducive to having a few cocktails it could be dangerous. So very interesting stay and we enjoyed just not our normal vacation. We usually drink cocktails and live in the pool. BUT on a positive we did have Monkeys in the trees all kinds of birds dipped in the wading pool including green parrots and tiny hummingbirds and friendly Bluejays that take snacks out of your hand, and a cool Iguana that lives over the pool edge that we fed grapes daily. So it did fill our expectations for wildlife but failed with relaxation of pool cocktails and hot tube time. The breakfast that was included was great and the staff was excellent.

Our stay way incredible from end to end. Prior to our arrival, the staff helped us customize our stay, both at the home and for any activities off the property. The on-site staff were incredibly kind and went above and beyond - making sure we didn't have to think or worry about anything during our stay. And RTR home itself is just incredible - the view is unmatched and its perfect for entertaining. My only feedback is the temperature of the pool. Our stay was in December, which may have impacted this - it was ok but do wish it could have been a bit warmer. All and all it was perfect and we will be back!