www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Been back a while and have been meaning to post a report on Los Suenos . But the job, the SO, the bills, and general life have had me focused on things other than my trip. Plus I hate to dwell on the last trip as it makes coming back to reality that much harder.

Ok.. it was about day 4 of the trip and I grab my crazy cajun wingman, new found friend GreyWolf69, and some travel decoration and head for Los Suenos (translated it is The Dreams).

Here's a link to their website. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel-guide/sjols-los-suenos-marriott-ocean-and-golf-resort/

I had been seeing tons of advertising in the states about the resort and before I send friends and family off to a new place I always want to check it out for myself. Los Suenos is just north of Jaco in Playa Herradura. The drive (about 2.5 hrs from SJO) was great visually with scenic views around every curve... the tourists like that kind of thing.

We arrive and are greeted by a terrific staff wanting to take care of our every need and desire. We explained that we were only there for lunch and to visit for the day and were still welcomed warmly.

After the long drive, we are interested in lunch and a cool drink so off to the restaurant we head. The restaurant overlooks the pool and the beach in the distance.. very nice but amazing in the evenings I am sure with the setting sun. We order a wide variety of appetizers, drinks, and different entries to get a good overview of the menu selections. Believe it or not... I had the best hamburger I have ever had in my life there. GeauxLB my crazy Cajun ordered the burger and since he eats like a bird he cut it into pieces so everyone could have a taste. Argentinean beef mixed with pork, and spices.. grilled perfectly so that the meat was juicy yet completely cooked. Served with Cajun Fries (seriously that's how it was listed in the menu).. it was amazing. We tried the ceviche.. small but very good served in a hollowed out pineapple, grilled chicken with vegetables, and a few other standard American dishes. Everything was perfect. The service of course was outstanding, as you would expect at a resort.

After lunch we split up to check out what else the resort had to offer. I head for the beach... I've been on beaches all over the world and this one quite frankly sucked. Volcanic sand inside of a cove so no waves to speak of. Tons of debris to contend with.. no trash.. just seaweed and natural hazards that had washed up that should have been removed.

After about an hour we head for the pool.. it's a typical resort pool with swim-up bar... and like all resorts it is HUGE. After getting a few ounces of sand in the cracks and crevices of my aged ass, the outdoor shower was a welcome relief before jumping into the pool. Everyone had fun around the pool cracking jokes and making fun of the touristas (as if we were locals or something). But hey.. we're CRTers.. we can make fun of whom ever we want.. right?

Others toured the grounds and reported just what you'd expect at this type of resort.. nothing outstanding.. just a nice place to dump a bunch of cash on a room you'll spend 8 out of 24 hours in. The golf course looked nicely manicured but we didn't have time to explore it. There is an independent zip line about 500 yards outside of the resort, but the rain started so we had to miss out on that. Chapped GeauxLBs butt as he is a K*D at heart and was itching to spend $60 to ride another zip line.. he's only done 3 in CR in the last 2 years. Like all hotels and resorts they offer tons of activities outside the grounds including white water rafting, tours through the national parks, trips to the volcanoes, and the typical tourista adventures. These can be arranged through the conceriege desk.

Los Suenos is a pretty place.. expensive.. good food, and great service. I'd send my non-mongering friends, clients, and family there for a couple of days especially after spending a few days in the rainforest. Then they would really appreciate the place.

I personally would not want to spend very much time there. I prefer to spend my time experiencing the real Costa Rica in places like Sarchi, Grecia, Alajuela, and other small towns with real people and few tourists. The food is usually better, definitely cheaper and the people are real.

The best part of the visit... seeing the great big grin on GreyWolf69s face as he enjoyed the company of Anna for the day outside of the gulch. That was priceless!

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Counting down to retirement.. 1/16/25

Nice report Joe

My first trip to CR I went to Los Suenos, but stayed at the Marina (vendor paid trip). We trekked over to the Marriott for the breakfast buffet on get away day and it was fantastic. Loaded with assorted fruits, and all kinds of breakfast dishes, American and Latin.

If you are that way again, check out the bar at the Marina, it is called the Hook Up. As per usual, there were some tasty lil bartenders, but no p4p. Of course most of our night time was devoted to BB in Jaco

Last trip in April my brother (CRT like me) played a round at Los Suenos while I "walked" the course with him. He liked it well enough but he's from Florida and has traveled the Carolinas so he's used to the best. A bit pricey especially for the club rental and skip the paid guide--you don't need him. Not worth the the trip for just playing the course but if you're on site already..."A nice walk, interrupted".
I'm assuming you're talking about The Hook-up Sportsbar and Restaurant? And that they mean "hook-up" in a different sense than we do at least on this Forum? Whatever. Nice looking (and, evidently, tasting) $8 burger platter--I'll have to check it out after my Salsa dancing lesson in October.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

I have no doubt that Los Suenos is very nice, but, I am not likely to ever book there. My perception of many large corporate resorts is that they are often not as friendly as smaller Mom and Pop owned places. Secondly, many of the higher end guests are less than chatty with a single traveler, unlike smaller places that are more down to earth. Lastly, the price point for that level of luxury is more than I usually care to spend. My goal is to travel as much as I can afford to, to be comfortable, but not spend more than necessary.

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