Samara Palm Lodge

Samara Palm Lodge was a beautiful spot. The pool is lovely and we enjoyed spending free time there. It is located close to the beach--easy walking distance there and to many restaurants and shops. Breakfast was delicious and bountiful. The Lodge was a cool oasis and the owners were very helpful and friendly.

Off the next morning on the long journey to Samara on the Pacific Coast. We descended westwards from the watershed in glorious sunshine with impressive views of the nearby mountains and the distant lowlands and coast. The journey became a bit tedious hours later as we slowly approached Samara on winding roads with little or no chance to overtake. We arrived at the Samara Palm Lodge early in the afternoon to be kindly greeted by the Swiss or German manager who said that in all the 16 years he'd been here this was the first time it had ever rained in January and February😬. However, the sun was out so we passed 2 hours by the pool before wandering along the beach and into town to check out the bars and restaurants. Valentines' day Fri 14 Feb was a leisure day for us, and we spent it around the hotel pool, exploring the wide beach and places in town. We quickly realised that Samara, for all its hype, is a bit like the wild west. The hotel host had indicated to us some places to eat but cautioned that the Gusto Beach was way overpriced. And so it proved as we swung by there out of curiosity to find prices more than double those charged elsewhere. They trade on the beachfront location. I felt for the couples who had booked a romantic Valentine's dinner there, because later that evening a violent thunderstorm occurred with torrential rain and flash flooding which washed out the Gusto Beach⛈. We ate in the popular Limey's bar which was reasonably priced with live music. The ambience, rooms, service, breakfast and features of this hotel are very good, but it suffers from a very noisy location. Almost the entire hotel and central pool is enclosed by high lush vegetation which gives an air of privacy and seclusion.  However, it's let down by continuous noisy traffic even late at night and early morning.  Also there's no bar, only an honesty system from a fridge with limited stock.  But there are bars and supermarkets nearby.  Also, surprisingly they do not take credit cards, only cash.  We found Samara too busy for our liking and if we were to return to the Pacific coast, we'd be seeking a quieter more upmarket resort.

What a stunning place! We had the most wonderful stay at Samara Palm; we stayed in the spacious family room which was beautifully presented and had everything we needed for a few nights’ stay. Spotlessly clean everywhere and our very helpful host Lothar was always on hand with tips and ideas. Beach is a leisurely 10 minute walk, supermarket within 5 minutes and a host of restaurants within 5-10 minutes from the lodge. We ate breakfast at the lodge too and it was perfectly sufficient. Beach towels are provided, which is a useful touch, and there’s a well-stocked honesty bar too. Our son loved the beautiful pool which is available until 8pm at night. Beach toys are available to borrow too. All in all a lovely stay in the very gorgeous Samara! Thoroughly recommended!

The best vacation I have experienced....it was our 1st time in Samara Costa Rica and Brigitte is the BEST host I have ever met. She is by far the most responsive person I have ever met. Brigitte answered every question I had while planning our trip in an extremely quick manner. It didn't stop there as she arranged transportation from the airport and back to the airport. When we arrived she got out a map and highlighted everything we asked about Samara and was extremely welcoming. During our she helped us with anything that we required. Brigitte's Lodge is small, quaint, very clean, peaceful and welcoming. The breakfast she serves are outstanding and fresh. The pool is nice to come back to after a day at the beach. I can't say enough about Brigitte and how she serves and welcomes her guests. Brigitte went above and beyond our expectations and this was very welcomed as we are from the United States and it was our 1st time in Costa Rica and Samara. When we go back to Samara there will be no other choice that we will have to make on where to stay. Thank you Brigitte for everything and making it the BEST vacation we have had. We look forward to seeing you again

The Samara Palm Lodge is a one of a kind authentic Costa Rican experience. Brigitte is warm and welcoming and will ensure that you have a great time during your stay. The rooms are ultra clean with amazing air conditioning and ceiling fan, fridge etc. The refreshing pool is awesome after taking a hike or an ocean swim( 5 minutes away) and the breakfast features bold Costa Rican coffee, fresh fruit and whatever else you might like to order. The location is perfect (away from the fray of central Samara) but proximate to several Italian, French and local restaurants via foot. As a regular visitor to Guanacaste, I will certainly come back to the Samara Palm Lodge.

Late writing our review but my wife and I were at Samara Palm Lodge for 2 weeks if early February - had an absolutely a fantastic stay. From the very beginning Bri and Lothar showed how focused they are on friendly and personalized guest service. Pre-trip questions were quickly answered with Bri arranging a stress free SUV pick-up from the airport. As we had a tight connection in Canada, she even monitored our flight status to ensure the pick-up would align with any changes in our arrival time. Once onsite, the Lodge was superb ＞ close to the ocean and the town center, a beautiful pool area with shaded chairs (we used in the afternoons after a morning ocean swim), and clean beyond your imagination (I joked with my wife that Lothar would catch any falling plant/tree leaves before they even hit the surface!). Bri and Lothar were also extremely helpful arranging some tours/excursions we were interested in. All in all a great vacation. Some other couples we met at the Lodge were repeat customers staying for a month ... we were jealous when we left but can certainly understand why they'd repeat year after year. Can't wait until we enter our retirement phase in a couple years and are able to come back and stay a little longer. Thanks again to Bri and Lothar for a great winter get-away from -30C in Winnipeg!