I stayed here two nights with my family so we could go rafting on the nearby river. I would recommend the hotel for its location but I would only recommend the remodeled suite. We stayed in a nice suite with a remodeled bathroom and nice porch. The interiors are still quite dated but the high ceilings and charm do make up for the 1980s heavy brocade furnishings. My children stayed in a room that was in desperate need of updating. It was small, hot (no A/C) and had a moldy smell. The bathroom was cramped and not well cleaned. I would not be rating the hotel with 4 stars if we had stayed in a room and not a suite.
The service was very good and the food was expensive but well prepared. We stayed out by the pool (that does not have towels available) but we had to share our quiet time with a large group that had come in to eat lunch and go riding. The pool area was clean and nice and the waiter was quick to bring drinks and offer us lunch.
The hotel is charming and had some nice pluses but I would not recommend it for everybody.

Gorgeous property not to be missed.Think of an isolated colonial estate with extensive grounds, great staff, beautiful views, and large well appointed suites. Walk over to the barn and watch the horses being fed in the mourning, eat breakfast by the pool, raft the Pecuare river, or just relax. Jana, the concierge/manager, a transplanted Canadian, was phenomenal! . Besides being an excellent source of local activities, her vast experience with many different parts of Costa Rica, along with her generous gift of time and help, made our vacation,wonderful!

We have very high standards and this distinctive hotel exceeded them. Miraculous how in the middle of a very rustic and mountainous area this hotel could have been in Palm Beach, FL or Santa Barbara, CA for its seeming ease in delivering high quality menu, exquisite service, comfort, safety, and beauty. Concierge service - they delivered two children's bikes to us with one hour's notice (borrowed from a staff member's family!), used a saw to cut down the bike seat on their adult bike to fit more comfortably, brought our discovered sugarcane into the kitchen to be cut for us to bring home, and encouraging and with smiles dealt with our appalling Spanish (their English was fine). We stayed a week and tried every menu item - a few were just okay, but most were fantastic. Horseback riding at hotel (even had double seat for me to ride with my 6 yr old) through coffee and sugarcane fields is a must do. The rescue Macau center across the street with beautiful gardens and about 30 scarlet and green Macaus is a must-see. Pejibaye River whitewater rafting with class I-III rapids are only 20 minutes away - it's a Hollywood-worthy beautiful river and thrilling without fear. Costa Rica Expeditions has the best far and away - true white glove service. The entire atmosphere is that you are in your wealthy family's Costa Rica 'Southfork' estate.

You drive up the palm tree lined road to The Grand Hacienda and travel back in time. Get a ride on the horse drawn carriage to explore the grounds. The rooms are above expectations while the food is not. You dine in a beautiful room while listening to the blender in the Bar. How loud can a blender be? Very loud!

We stayed in suite 16 and had to move to 15 because our balconey was next to the fan on top of the roof. The kitchen fan was like the blender. Out next suite was better as far as the noise goes but not much. In side of bedroom and bathrooms were A+. I like the candles in the bathroom.
I would stay here again but not in room #s 15 and 16.