Sofia

Reviews

57 total reviews

70% Excellent

57 reviews

4.53

2023–2026

Cleanliness 4.6

Accuracy 4.7

Communication 4.8

Location 4.8

Check-in 4.8

Value 4.5

57 reviews

2BR Home in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Hilda

Not good, 1 month ago

Downsides: - We were not informed about a camera that had a motion sensor, so sometimes it pointed at the windows. Not knowing there was a camera, we changed one of the children, and it was a bit concerning after realizing that it was there. - The bathroom in the master bedroom didn't work. There was no water supply. I immediately informed the host. She said she was going to resolve it, but she never did. - At 2 or 3 pm, a guy showed up at the accommodation to clean the pool. They didn't inform us (the host didn't notify us) because we were leaving for the beach. He told us he would come back in the evening. Guess what? He didn't come back. - In the showers of the other two bathrooms, only 3 drops of water came out. It was impossible to wash your hair and even take a shower there. We ended up having to share a shower (the one in the master bathroom) among 8 people 😓

This is a beautiful property with a lot of potential to be a 5-star stay, but it’s missing many essentials and has several flaws that made our experience less comfortable. Main issues: - No A/C in the main/common room –> the house heats up quickly during the day and becomes unusable. - Security concerns –> no working locks/locking gates for the home, and there was no safe for valuables. - No blackout shades (and some windows with no coverings at all) – made it impossible to sleep past sunrise and added to the heat. - Bathrooms – one had no hot water, the other had hot water but no working lights. - Kitchen – cookware was very old (nonstick peeling, some items broken), no cleaning supplies provided, and we saw cockroaches in one bathroom during our stay. - Safety – one of the stairs had a loose wood plank, which caused a trip hazard. - Communication – I reached out to the host about security and maintenance issues but received limited response and no follow-up.

The location is on the outside of town, so walking can be sketchy home so have a buddy. there are 3 gates to go in and out everytime. This is time consuming for coming and going. Especially if you forgot something. The space didn't feel secure. as the house doors do not lock. The gate has a inside latch you could put a lock on I suppose. Also, when you leave for the day it is not locked... we contacted the host but got nothing to help. The jacuzzi was broken but no discount, we didn't ask either. Each room has AC but I did not use mine as they get me sick. No hot water, which is typical. The fridge has lots of room for longer stays. Stayed 5 nights. The TV has all the apps for music or movies. Being not private as advertised, so no looser tanner because we can see I to neighboring windows. This place is good but check out other options. When there were neighbors, we would pretend to lock and unlock gate when we left.

Mariana was a very friendly hostess who always responded to my messages quickly and helpfully. The place was modern, clean and adequately equipped and we felt very comfortable there - our personal highlight was the outdoor area with the pool. Unfortunately, the power went out several times a day; the hot tub, oven & dishwasher did not work, in one bathroom it smelled strongly and the smell also spread further in the apartment & on our last day of the week there was water damage in the kitchen, so we only give 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you!

The house is very pretty! The only reason we dont give 5 stars is because we had some issues with the jacuzzi that never worked and the hot water

Host Response

Hola Leonardo, gracias por compartir tus comentarios con nosotros. Lamentamos el inconveniente inicial con el agua caliente, en cuanto nos informaste del problema te indicamos cómo solucionarlo y afortunadamente al momento de la revisión, todo funcionaba correctamente tal como nos confirmaste. En cuanto al jacuzzi, creemos que hubo un malentendido en la comunicación, ya que siempre estuvo en funcionamiento. Es posible que no estuvieran familiarizados con su uso, pero esperamos que una vez que les compartimos las instrucciones, hayan podido disfrutarlo sin inconvenientes, ya que no recibimos más comentarios al respecto. Apreciamos tu retroalimentación y siempre estamos disponibles para asistir a nuestros huéspedes en lo que necesiten. Saludos!

House is beautiful, spacious, and very well-equipped. One of the cleanest homes I’ve encountered in CR! We enjoyed being able to walk to the beach and town, yet the location is just enough off the main drag to feel peaceful and secluded. The hot tub was very welcome when the weather turned rainy and breezy. Hosts were very friendly and responsive, dealing with some issues from a storm immediately. Just a perfect stay!

Mariana was amazing host She was very responsive and helpful She even sent us a pdf with everything we could think about the area The house was nice and clean in a quiet area a bit away from the crowds but at the same time close to everything The only disappointing thing was that both washer and dryer were not working and when I booked the house one of the reasons was having a laundry

Host Response

Hi Anwar, thank you so much for leaving your review, we are very glad to hear you liked the house, the area and all our recommendations. Regarding the washer, I’m sorry you misread the information, since the listing doesn’t have a washer or dryer listed in the list of amenities and also has a specific note in there explaining that the house doesn’t include this items. Regardless this detail we hope you have enjoyed your stay in Casa Koa.

Overall the place looked better than the photos. The only and main problem were the water shortages, in the listings it does not state that this would be an issue. Thus it became a surprise when we could not use the water to do basic necessities such as shower, use the toilet, brush our teeth, or even just to wash the dishes. I suggest that the owner buy a water tank so that this does not become an issue. Yet overall the place was very nice everything was clean and the host was very responsive.

Host Response

Hi Kristen, thanks for leaving you very valuable feedback. I’m sorry to hear you continue to have issues with the water, since you reported it the first night you arrived and shortly after said it was back again, so we thought everything was fine. We wish you had reported this so we could have helped, again we are very sorry for this inconvenience. The house actually has a water tank, plus the property has a well and the water from the public local service but since it was presenting issues we had it checked and fortunately we found and correct the issue. We hope that you still had a good time despite that, and thanks for staying with us.

A stay that is worth not only once, if not always, cozy, super accessible, very good living area, I just left and I'm already thinking about coming back and knowing that they have other stays gives the option to take a large group trip with friends or full family.

Host Response

Muchas gracias por tu comentario Álvaro, nos encanta saber que la pasaste bien en tu visita a Casa Koa. Te esperamos de vuelta cuando gustes! Saludos :)

The house is quite good although the dishwasher and washer/dryer do not work and there is no hot water. The home is semi private and has a pool.

Host Response

Hola Sara, gracias por dejarnos tus comentarios. Tal y como te indicamos al inicio dentro de la lista de amenidades de la casa en Airbnb no están agregados el lavavajillas, ni la secadora o lavadora, ya que aunque se encuentran en el lugar no están en funcionamiento, por eso es algo que no se ofrece desde que se reserva. Con respecto al agua caliente de igual manera, en el momento de su reserva no se había solucionado por lo que se había indicado en la lista de amenidades que ya cada no contaba con agua caliente, pero por fortuna ya se pudo arreglar ese tema y la casa tiene agua caliente de nuevo. Agradecemos su visita y esperamos poder volver a alojarlos en un futuro. Saludos!

First of all, the pictures does this place no justice. The property is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! I had a fantastic time here. I hope I can book this AirB&B again and again. The locations was so open and spacious. We had privacy, a pool and a hot tub. The pool was absolutely cool and refreshing. The hot tub just help me to let go, relax and just unwind. I needed a little time off from work and this property was THE PERFECT REMEDY FOR RELAXATION!!! I only had two complaints. 1 was that I didn’t get to bring my children with me to enjoy the property cause I know they would have had a blast in the pool. And 2 is that we had to leave :( . But I know 100000% I will be back to enjoy this location again. I’m actually looking to come back in July or August of 2024 and this AirB&B is my first option. Thank you sooooooo much Mariana for all of your hospitality!! We are sooo greatful to have booked this AirB&B.

Host Response

Thank you so much for your kind words Warren! We are very glad to hear you enjoyed your stay in Casa Koa. You are welcome back anytime! ☺️

This AirBnB has so much potential but the owners clearly do not use the airbnb like a guest would. Some of the things that were frustrating: - 2 showers had broken shower heads - water was spewing out the side and lower pressure and no hot water - Water is NOT drinkable. They left a 5 gallon jug of drinkable water but the device to dispense the water did not work - The appliances get plugged in and taken out when no guests are there causing the refrigerator to have developed rust stains and it took several hours to fully cool - They disclose that they are giving you only one towel per guest which would have been fine if we could have used the dryer but it too was broken - The front yard gets very muddy and there are no door mats to clean shoes before entering - No towel hooks to hang things - Only two hard pillows per bed which means one per-person if sharing Overall is was big, clean, and the beds comfortable but the little things above could have made all the difference in our stay

Host Response

Hello Wade! Thank you for taking the time to leave us your comments, we are always willing to improve in the areas our guests point out, however there are a few points that we feel is important to clarify for future guests that are reading this feedback. Regarding the hot water, yes it’s currently unavailable since we are having problems with the heater and haven’t been able to fix it yet, but that’s why we don’t have the “hot water” listed on the amenities the house includes, which was already there when you booked with us, so you probably missed that information. Unfortunately the water in the whole area is not drinkable, this is not something that happens just in our house but in the town in general, we tested the water container we leave for our clients each time so they can have drinkable water and it worked just fine, not sure why you said it wasn’t working for you. The appliances are never plugged out like you mentioned it happens when we have no guests, we are actually wondering how did you came to that conclusion if you just visited us for 2 nights, since this is our family house we are always there when we have no guests to make sure everything is ok and to use the space like you also mentioned it doesn’t happen. The washing machine and dryer are also not listed in the amenities (which we already know you didn’t go through) otherwise you would have known the house doesn’t include a washing or dryer, that’s why even though you saw a machine there, it’s not available like previously clarified in the list. Finally your comment about the pillows is surprising to us, since it’s the first time we are hearing that from a guest, like mentioned this is our family home so we come and stay here whenever we don’t have any bookings and have never had issues sleeping, also since you were only 3 guests and the house fits 6, you had 2 pillows each, but we will consider adding extra pillows in the future. Good news is, we have already taken care of the showers which just needed a tweak if you just would have mentioned it to us as soon as you used them we could have fix that for you, but they are now fully working. We also placed extra mats, besides the 3 ones that were already there. Hope this answer clarified a few things for you and future guests. Best regards!

Mariana’s place is located in a great place near a couple of beaches, shopping and restaurants all in walking distance. The house is super spacious which was nice and the pool was a nice touch of course. The only thing is that there is no hot water and personally that is a must for me when showering however, after asking the host about it she pointed out where I missed that hot water is not listed in the amenities. So that was my oversight as it’s not something I typically look for but lesson learned. Also the house has a smell to it but I assume it’s due to the natural moisture in the air. The kitchen was nice and very well stocked. The towels provided could have been cleaner, but again lesson learned I will always bring my own towels in the future. Overall it was a nice stay and Mariana seemed sweet.

Host Response

Hi Biancca, thank you so much for leaving us your review! Yes we are sorry you missed that information about the hot water, we are currently working on it so we can have it back as soon as possible. Regarding the smell sometimes when it has been raining a lot that happens but it goes away too, we added extra air fresheners to the bathrooms so it can help with that. Thanks again for your visit!

2BR Home in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Javier

Excellent, 2 years ago

I really liked the house and the location is excellent.

We had a wonderful time as Casa Koa. The air conditioning in the bedrooms was a plus, it was so hot when we visited. The pool was nice. Kitchen is well stocked. We could never get hot water in the showers, but it felt refreshing because it was so hot outside. We felt very safe in the area and very comfortable in the home.

Host Response

Thank you for your comments Jacque! We are very pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay with us! We are already working on the hot water situation, thanks for reporting it to us and for the patience towards it. It was a pleasure having you in our home.

The stay at Casa Koa was simply wonderful, the interactions with the host were pleasant and respectful, he was always available. All that made the stay special was the cleanliness, comfort, the quiet and safe atmosphere charm us, it was like being at home. We loved the location, the information provided by the Host was very helpful for our visit to Puerto Viejo, the restaurants, activities, places to visit, the recommended beaches, everything was a SUCCESS!

The place is beautiful, they are starting to wash it so I recommend including cloths and basic items like soap and shampoo