Located in the beautiful setting of Gulfo Dulce, right at the beginning of Golfito, this a bit pretentious and a bit run down hotel or motel.
Rooms are spacious overlooking the garden and the peaceful bay
The pool could be magnificent but was not well entertained.
Security is questionable.
Not recommended
We stayed at Las Gaviotas for 7 nights and by the time we left, it felt like home! From check-in the staff was friendly and very helpful. We had a couple problems with the room which were corrected within minutes of when we reported them. The rooms are clean and spacious. The grounds are very well kept and had quite the population of wildlife! There is a restaurant and bar on site. Both are open-air which allows you to enjoy the breeze while you relax. The pool is clean and warm and right on the water. There is no beach, the only real downside I can think of. Definately try the Gallo Pinto for breakfast and the grilled kabobs on Friday or Saturday night...you won't be disappointed!! As far as Golfito goes, it was probably a booming town years ago, now there isn't anything there really. To do the "tourist' thing, you'll need to take a ferry across the bay to Puerto Jimenez or drive up around the gulf (which was breath-taking).
I stayed at Hotel Las Gaviotas for one night in April. The hotel is located at the entrance of Golfito directly on the shore of Golfo Dulce. The grounds are beautifully landscaped, however there is no beach, just a pool (very nice) and a pier for fishing-boats. My room was quite large, tastefully decorated with high ceilings...two double beds, flat-screen-tv, refrigerator, safe-deposit box and pleasantly silent A/C. The bathroom was spaceous too with good water pressure in the shower. The hotel restaurant offers ok food at reasonable prices. Staff were very friendly and helpful.
Still I was glad to leave after one day, because the town of Golfito is a disappointment. It is basically one noisy street with mostly businesses on either side. Other than fishing it has nothing to offer for tourists. There is a tax-free shopping center...but the shops offer mostly home appliances.
What an unbelievably fantastic experience! The serenity, peacefulness, gorgeous landscaping and surrounding beauty are just the beginning of this excellent hotel and resort. The friendly, helpful, staff (including wait staff, reception personnel, bartenders, landscape crews, maintenance personnel, and anyone else we came across) went out of their way to make us feel at home, and provide us with everything we needed and more. The restaurant is poolside and overlooks the Bay, and has exquisite food. Their Carpaccio and Ceviche are absolutely delectable, and their seafood dishes are fresh, with a definite homemade flair. They take their time to prepare everything with the freshest ingredients, and it does not disappoint in th least. (WOW!) When traveling to Golfito, don't miss the comfort, beauty, and stress free peacefulness of Las Gaviotas!
Pros
- Very clean and comfortable rooms.
- The gardens in front of the rooms give them a fresh and peaceful feeling.
- The pool is not so big, but enough to stay there for a while.
- The view is great.
- The rates are good
Cons
- There is no beach to walk or swim.
- The restaurant service is awful. They took half an hour to serve lunch and an hour to serve dinner. We complained with the friot desk and the manager, and even though they have received similar complaints, they haven´t done anything about it.
I recommend to stay in this hotel, but if you are hungry, you´ll need to find another place to eat.
