My husband and I loved so much about this lodging except for one problem. I will address that later but first, the wonderful aspects of this stay. I loved the flight into Drake Bay in the small prop plane. The views of OSA and the bay were outstanding and I enjoyed every minute of it. Jinetes arranged pickup from the airport for about $20 and the drive to the lodge is probably just under 15 minutes on dirt roads. The driver will let you out NEAR the hotel and you will walk the rest of the way. Jinetes staff will transfer your luggage so you do not have to be concerned about carrying it. You’ll walk across a suspension bridge and up a small hill to the pavilion where you’ll check in. The manager checked several of us in at the same time, reviewed tours and discussed dinner reservations at Kalaluna Bistro, which are required. Hotel guests have preference over non-guests so it is highly recommended that you reserve your table for the entire stay upon arrival. Kalaluna was entirely booked up through the end of March during our visit and for good reason. Kalaluna is not owned by the hotel but breakfast offerings are included in the cost of your room and are managed by the hotel. After discussing the finer points of Jinetes de Osa we made our first trek up the steps. My husband and I are seniors,exercise regularly and did not have trouble negotiating the numerous steps up to bungalow 10 with AC. Yes, it’s not as easy as walking down a corridor but it’s a great way to work off the wonderful meals served at Kalaluna. We liked our very spacious room with a deck and comfy chairs overlooking Drake Bay. Birds fly by regularly and you can hear the chatter of the macaws in the trees. Our bungalow was on the right as you faced the bay and we preferred it to 11 and 12 because the steps and walkway were in between those 2, giving them less privacy. However, they were still quite nice with good views. I think there were 5 bungalows in that immediate area, 2 were positioned behind 10, 11 and 12, so those would not be very desirable. Also in that area was a gazebo which had a coffee/cold water station, tables, small fridge and a toaster oven. This was an excellent feature and I noticed a neighboring family taking advantage of it for meals. Our room was immaculate and the bathroom was also spacious with a great shower. We had a twin bed and queen bed, more about that later. We also had a fridge and a spacious armoire for holding our clothes and complimentary umbrellas. We ate every dinner at Kalaluna and they were all delicious, Italian/Costa Rican fusion which is a flavorful mix. My husband has major diet restrictions and Sheila, the owner, jumped hoops to prepare food to meet his needs. At one point, she saw me about to share my entree with him, and she literally ran across the restaurant to stop him from eating the garlic in my dish. Service was quick and very friendly, and every single bite was delicious. The iced lemonade was really tasty and refreshing and I loved the pineapple pork and the mango chicken…works of art! The little village of Drake Bay is a 15 minute walk. Two restaurants we enjoyed very much: Nature Cafe for breakfast and Restaurante Delicias for lunch. Nature Cafe is inexpensive and has the best banana oatmeal I’ve ever eaten, plus you can eat while watching lots of colorful songbirds nibble on fruit. Restaurante Delicias served great jumbo shrimp among other entrees and if you sit upstairs at the counter overlooking the street, you will have a great view of scarlet macaws in the tall trees in the distance. You can also see Bungalows 10, 11 and 12! Back at the hotel, you will see signs for the Coastal path to Cocalita Beach. This is a must. The beach is gorgeous and on the way you can watch groups of white-faced capuchin monkeys playing and teasing in the trees, even a mother with a baby on her back. Another positive: no mosquitoes anywhere!. Checking out of the hotel was quick as was the separate billing from Kalaluna. Customer service was phenomenal so now It pains me to bring up the negative, and there is only one but it’s a big one. The twin mattress was very comfortable but only large enough for one sleeper. The queen mattress was truly the most uncomfortable mattress I’ve ever tried to sleep on. Springs were pressing through and it was very noisy. I told my husband to sleep on the twin the 1st night and he slept fine but I was unable to sleep at all. The next night we switched and I slept while he tossed and turned. Neither of us are that particular and have slept in all types of lodging all over the world. I can honestly say this is the only time this has ever happened and it was a bummer. After two nights with 2 remaining we contacted the management and told them about the uncomfortable mattress. To their credit they replaced the old mattress with a new one by lunchtime. Terrific customer service and in fact, quite remarkable but unfortunately there’s not a happy ending. We crawled onto the new bed that night expecting a soft and cozy mattress. Instead it was like a block of cement. I tried adding quilts and sleeping on a layer of pillows but once again, no sleep. My husband once again returned to the twin while dreaming that somehow we could double its size. The next night we switched again so I could sleep. What are the chances? Two extremely uncomfortable mattresses, not just sort of uncomfortable. As a result, regardless of the fact that we loved everything else and the customer service was outstanding, one of the hallmarks of a good lodging is comfortable bedding and a good night’s sleep. To the management and staff, we send our sincere thanks for a overall great experience but sadly must rate our stay as average due to our nights of discomfort.
