Vista Ballena

Costa Rica , Pacific South Coast
PLAYA UVITA, 17 KM al sur de Playa Dominical
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50 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2025

Fabian

The hotel is extremely beatiful, a wonderfull view of the ocean and a excellent restaurant.

The staff is super friendly, all the amenities you can need.

The pool is too deep, just for swiming, not for relaxing.

Beside the little detail of the pool, 100% recomended.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Sep 2025

Angel

Amazing view but the hotel has some flaws.

My stay was good overall, this hotel is located in a rough place to get to which caught me off guard. It’s up a hill with terrible roads. The hotel itself however has the best view I’ve ever had. The rooms are decent. It’s a bit older construction. The breakfast is ok it didn’t fill me up. All the service was great, the employees were nice. However the communication between myself and the hotel for tour information and pricing was a bit weird/not really clear.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Jun 2025

Esteban

I did not like the drive up to the property. The road is in terrible shape. I see why some driver's refused to take us up there.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

18 Mar 2025

Simona

I trully enjoyed the stunning views, the pool and lovely restaurant and bar area. The staff was welcoming and eager to assist. However our room was dated and the shower area was moldy and could use some attention. We had to request towels, (we had 1 for 3 ppl) someone to refill up the coffee pods etc. The drive to the property is challenging and you could literally lose a tire on the way there. It only takes a bit of effort to cover these holes. The food was decent but nothing spectacular. Overall with a few little improvements this could be a trully remarkable experience!
I booked 2 standard rooms for 2 nights, my friends received an upgrade as their AC was not working and the presence of geckoes and other insects disrupted their sleep in the first night.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Jan 2025

Gilles

Nice view

We walked into our room there was no toilet paper or towels. Everything seemed clean. Just makes you wonder. The restaurant was pricey but very good and efficient.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Sep 2024

Carl

Don’t throw toilet paper in the toilet but in the trash can? Ridiculous, that happened in Costa Ric sin the 1980s but not in 2024. The hotel is very outdated, and there is no parking near the rooms so you must walk in incredible amount of stairs. Not for older people or with bad lunch. The staff is incredibly helpful and the food is pretty decent. That makes up for a lot. The view at the pool, terrace, bar, and rooms is to die for.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2024

Said Raffeeth

Love this place!! Would definitely stay again

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Aug 2024

Dennis

The hotel was a wonderful stop along the way from San Jose to Drake Bay. Hotel and pool were beautiful with amazing views toward the ocean. Staff was friendly and professional. Rooms were clean and well amenitized. Be ready for a rocky road up but well worth it. Perfect stop.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jul 2024

Carlos

Excellent place which very kind people and the most beautiful nature that you can imagine

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2024

Highly recommend for an enjoyable, tranquil stay with an owner and employees who are incredibly welcoming.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

19 May 2024

Edwin

The views were amazing, the food was delicious but the rooms were very outdated can use some remodeling and the road to the place is bad very steep not paved and not wide enough for two cars to pass...

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2024

Amy

Nice place to relax near the end of our visit

The view from the pool is amazing! We spent an entire day there. The view from the room patio was also nice. We saw lots of birds every day. Get ready for the stair master to get to and from your room. Our room had a sketchy hole in the ceiling above the shower and we had quite a few bugs in our room, but no big deal when you're in paradise. The bathroom was a lil small and dated, but we hardly spent any time in there. Drinks at the pool were reasonably-priced even thigh they didn't have any prices listed... food was on the more expensive side... so we just drank more. Really enjoyed our stay here overall and it was a great place to unwind before heading back home. I would stay here again!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

10 Feb 2024

Alan

The view of the sunset

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

11 Dec 2023

Jill

Rooms are down several steep staircases from the tiny common area perched atop the hill. Aversive muzak played nonstop in the bar/restaurant area which permeated the whole place. Not a peaceful costa rican environment.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2023

Molly

We had an amazing stay! The staff was friendly, the food was delicious, and the view is amazing!

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

24 Jun 2023

wendy

The view from the restaurant is breathtaking. The restaurant's food is delicious. But the room we stayed in, the toilet had issues. First, it had no cold water going into the bathroom sink, shower and toilet. The maintenance team resolved as the main line was turned off. Then the toilet was howling every time you flushed for 20 seconds. Sounded like you were at a sports arena with foghorns. They said it was trapped air in piped. The howling/screeching sound lasted the entire time we stayed (one/night). I explained and showed a video to the receptionist and she just gave me a blank stare and said that there is air in the pipes.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2023

Zenon

Villa Ballena is a tucked away gem. About 10 minutes up a narrow and steep road off Hwy 34 you end up a jungle setting. Edgar is bar/restaurant was fabulous

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Feb 2023

Simon

The morning coffee at the restaurant needs improvement.
There are a lot of stairs.
Nice pool.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2022

Davina

Everyone at Vista Ballena was welcoming and friendly the pool area/restaurant bar area was so relaxing. Definitely a must go to place!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 May 2022

Boris

Amazing food, views and service. Nice clean rooms with a great view from the balconies. Will go back next time.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2022

Connie

What a beautiful place and such a find! We absolutely loved this place. The common pool/dining/bar area was the highlight and is as gorgeous as all the photos. It has a two-level infinity pool that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, Uvita townsite below, the national marine park and is the best view of the Whale Tail Sandbar. The adjacent bar places great ambient grooves perfect for the place, has a great selection of drinks and same games to borrow if desired. Plenty of lounge chairs as well as tables/chairs if you want to eat, play games, etc. Restaurant offers a great mix of all sorts of dishes, and BIG portions. The rooms all offer the same beautiful view of the ocean and each has its own patio with table and chairs. Rooms are of a good size and the bathroom too. Mini fridge available. The only drawback to the rooms is no in-room safe. The road to get up to the property is STEEP and very narrow, and there are many, many stairs within the property, between the main restaurant/pool/reception area building and the two room buildings. We didn't even make it down to the lowest one to check out the yoga platform. There is some handicap parking available but I imagine that driving between main building and rooms would be the only way to get around.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jan 2022

Linda

I’ve stayed at Vista Ballena several times and always had a wonderful room and experience. This last time was not so good. All I can say is, do not accept a room on the bottom floor. Not only are they an extremely long hike up the stairs to the restaurant area, but the rooms are just not nice. Just a plain ugly room with 2 very uncomfortable double beds. I only had a sheet on my bed when I arrived - no bed cover. Just a blanket in the closet. Not good for the price you pay for a room there.

Business_and_leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

27 Nov 2021

Sara

The views are absolutely amazing here and the staff are so friendly and hospitable. The hotel, pool, and grounds are well kept. Would definitely return!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2021

Verified traveler

The ocean view was excellent.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2021

Verified traveler

The pool is amazing and the views!!! I enjoyed the staff as well, they were very helpful and kind!

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

15 Sep 2019

Victor

Can't review since they cancelled my reservation the same day of the trip

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jul 2019

EricB

Our family enjoyed stayed at this hotel, the access is easy, steep hill tha makes it more exotic, amazing view from the mountain to the sea and great swimming pool, room are big with amazing view on the Pacicfic ocean. We saw Toucans every day :) Easy access to the beach for surfing. Service was excellent and breakfast that was included with the room was great! A must in Uvita area!

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

01 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

Great view and pool, but not what we had hoped.

The location of Vista Ballena, and the view, were amazing; this made the hotel so promising. The main area (dining, bar, infinity pool) were wonderful. The rooms were... meh. They were very outdated, but pretty clean. The AC worked fine. The wifi was extremely spotty in the rooms, yet they advertised as having wifi. We were only able to connect once or twice from our room during the 24h we were there. The wifi was fine from the main area. 1/3 meals was great and the other two were also just okay; the included breakfast wasn’t great, and we think we may have actually been charged for it. We expected a lot more from this “boutique” hotel based on reviews, and just left us desiring more.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Feb 2019

Elizabeth

We had a great stay and truly enjoyed the pool and view. Th staff was extremely nice especially John, Walter and Albin at the bar. They made are stay fun and entertaining. The food was very good and the sunsets view where amazing.

The facility as a whole could use a little facelift. Public bathrooms were a little dirty and rooms could use a coat of paint, but over all it was a nice stay.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 Jan 2019

George

Amazing

The vista from this hotel and the lobby pool is magnificent. The local area and beaches are amazing and diverse.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

14 Dec 2018

Paul

vista ballena - stunning location

We stayed for two nights at the Vista Ballena. The hotel was up a very steep single track road which could be interesting in the rainy season or when it is dark. The rooms all had a sea view and were comfortable but they are not luxurious. Some of the room fittings could be classed as dated. However, the view was stunning. I do not think there is another hotel in the area that would have such a fantastic over the bay and that alone was worth every penny. There were wild toucans in the trees by the restaurant and pool and the pool was beautiful with stunning views over the national park and a great place to view the sunset. The bar/restaurant staff were brilliant and made us feel welcome everytime we went there. The restaurant menu wasn't great, but the food was extravagant in size and always prepared fresh.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2018

Marlene

Beautiful hotel with breathtaking views. The staf is great. We loved our stay and will stay there in the future.

Partner

4/10

Poor

02 Jun 2018

Verified traveler

This is a very overpriced hotel. The views are beautiful but there are hotels a lot nicer with the same views for a lesser price. The door to get out on the patio did not work so they move me to a different room. The sheets were very thin and didn’t stay on the bed covering the mattress. The bed was very hard. The staff was friendly and very nice but the rest of the hotel is just not worth anything close to this price . The parking is very difficult and tough to navigate around. I would pick something different in the area there so many better options. If they would lower their price it would be an OK hotel but add about half of the price.

8/10

Excellent

24 May 2018

Andrew

Stunning views out over Uvita!

Lovely hotel with great views! Restaurant serves a good choice for dinner. Hotel
Is a little way out off Uvita slightly off the main highway and easy to miss as it's about 1km up an unpaved road. Well worth a visit - if it's the wet season, pack an umbrella as some of the rooms are separate from the bar / restaurant area which can mean you may get soaked heading for a drink.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

18 Apr 2018

Rich and Cathy

Nice hotel. Beautiful views of the jungle &ocean

Very clean hotel with great views of the jungle and ocean. Food was very good, not great. Sitting poolside watching toucans hopping through the trees overhead and listening to howler monkeys in the morning. Room was clean but very basic. Staff was wonderful, always making us feel welcome and taken care of.

8/10

Excellent

16 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

The hotel has espectacular views. The restaurant and the pool are veey nice but the rooms are getting old. The hotel staff is excellent.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2018

joseph

Special spot!

Delightful facility and staff. What a place to enjoy the Costa Rican life!!

Family

8/10

Excellent

20 Mar 2018

CYNTHIA

Beauty

A confusion regarding the room we booked not available the first two nights out of 8 but we moved to the booked room on the third night. The hotel was beautiful and all the staff very helpful and friendly

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Feb 2018

Marsha

Absolutely love this place!

Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

Beautiful View!!

We had to book with Expedia last minute and found this place. As a side note, they didn’t actually have any rooms available when we got there as to an oversight of the manager but they got us in anyway and ot was an upgrade. Very obliging at reception. The room was gorgeous, clean and had a breathtaking view from the balcony. The only thing I would change was the service. It was slow and a bit unprofessional but I believe it’s recently come under new ownership and they’re working out the kinks. Overall, we loved it!!

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Most beautiful site in Central America

An incredible hotel with a marvelous view looking over one of the most amazing coastlines anywhere. The outdoor restaurant and bar next to the infinity pool at the top of a mountainside can't be beat. Toucans and other exotic birds flying among the trees and in formation below are astounding. The rooms are also excellent!

4/10

Poor

15 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Nice Hotel, but could be better.

The hotel is very nice and confortable with amazing views... but I dont know if its at level that is being charged per night. Also, I have to say that is NOT safe for children and elders. It has too many stairs, cliffs and the hotel has as a pet an AMERICAN STANDFORD dog. I believe this is a dangerous dog to have around people, specially kids.

Regarding the restaurant, the food that was able to get to the table was good, but some orders came incorrect and one did not even got out... some plates were not as described in the menu and one order not even came thru, because there were too many orders ahead (6).

I do have to say that the rooms are nice and clean... I only recommend the hotel for young people willing to walk hundreds of stairs from the room to the pool/lobby.

Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Sep 2017

Mateus

Amazing view of the Whale Tail

The hotel is excelent and gives us a great view of the Bahia Ballena and the famous whale tail, a rock formation in the Uvita Beach.
The staff is really nice and polite.

2/10

Poor

16 May 2017

Verified traveler

Worst Hotel Ever

For the amount of money per night, I should of had at least some sense of security or a person to call to when the electricity goes out. If this is something that happens then you should put that in a note when booking a room.
I also wasn't planning on paying for a room which was filthy dirty ( cockroaches, centipedes random bugs galore) to sleep in a night. This was the second room we were in due to uncleanliness. My girlfriend and I had to sleep with one eye open to make sure we didn't get bit or crawled on, then when we had enough, walked up in the darkness to the front desk and not a soul was around. That does not make one feel safe in a new area while on vacation. I wanted to cancel my night get my money back and leave and go to a place where I felt clean and safe. But we had to stay till someone came around, at that point we had to get up and leave. I am completely dissatisfied with my stay. I understand that weather is un rully and what not but owning a business one should have information and backups in cases like this. I was terrified and quite frankly scared in the pitch black of night, overly hot with no a/c or a fan and with zero help.
Furthermore, I had a nice meal leftover from a pricey dinner go bad in the refrigerator due to the electric going out ( No Generator ?) I was planning on eating that for lunch. It was our last night in Costa and it was also the worst night of our trip.

8/10

Excellent

07 May 2017

Verified traveler

Nice hotel and staff, close to the beach, bad road to access the hotel too narrow and not completely paved.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Apr 2017

bruce

Friends with a view

This is our 2nd stay at vista ballena, because the view is spectacular and the staff are always outgoing and friendly. The new owner is a genuine blast and is trying super hard to make this hotel a remarkable experience for guests.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2016

Raquel

Great view of whale tail

Great view, clean rooms, good food and all the staff were very nice.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Dec 2016

Danny

Wonderful views. Nice and welcoming staff.

Positive experience. Nice restaurant with quality food. Internet strength is a little weak in spots and you disconnect often.

8/10

Excellent

27 Nov 2016

Bruce

View hotel of whales talenew

The new owner is very pleasant and determined to make this hotel a peaceful yet fun filled place on the mtn. She has hired a staff that is super outgoing and helpful. We planned on staying 1 night but stayed 3

10/10

Exceptional

08 Aug 2016

Verified traveler

Beautiful views, wonderful staff, and good food!

It's up a steep hill so be prepared for that, but otherwise the views from rooms, the pool, and restaurant are all amazing!