My mother, stepdad, a freind and I stayed at the Rip Jack Inn for four nights back in early June and absolutely loved it. The atmosphere presented by the Rip Jack Inn and surrounding Playa Grade area influenced my parents to persue their dreams of moving to Costa Rica and they are now avidly searching for land near Rip Jack to make the move within the next year or so.
The inn was very easy to find once we got into Playa Grande. The drive there was hell, the roads were absolutely horrible, but that's expected in Costa Rica, but on the way out, apparently road crews had came through and completely paved the road to Liberia. (I recommend flying into Liberia rather than San Jose)
First impression was great. We walked up to the restaurant/bar/recpetion area upstairs and were greated by the owner Annie and staff. THEY GREETED US BY NAME!!! how inviting is that?? We were immediately showed to our rooms. We had the two rooms detatched from the main building which was nice. We immediately went to the beach. The beach is right across the street, about a 30 second walk.(The Inn is not right on the beach becuase the beach is preserved as the main nesting site of the leather back turtles. )
We ate every meal at the hotel restaurant. Our trip throughout Costa Rica was an adventure and tiresome, and this was a great place to unwind and simply relax.
The staff was great. We felt like we had made great friends in all of the friendly staff by the end of the week. The inn is also filled with great people. It was fun mingling with all of the other patrons every night in the bar.
The owners, Annie and Dave, are a young couple from San Francisco who drove to Costa Rica for their honeymoon and never went back. They have taken the small inn, made it larger and better, and turned it into the "place to be" in Playa Grande.
The best thing about Rip Jack was the FOOD. I LOOVE seafood and there was plenty of fresh seafood everyday. The menu changed nightly, and the decision on what to eat was difficult because it all looked sooo good, as it was.
Lunch was great too, as was breakfast. The salads and hamburgers were great for lunch favs, and breakfast offered up everything from fresh fruit and yogurt, to classic eggs and bacon. The banana pancakes were to die for.
The chef is some young hotshot from somewhere in the southern US. He has trained his staff of ladies to cook just like him, but he is there for most nights. The bar was a great place to hang out and enjoy drinks with friends. The chef even took shots of guaca one night while preparing dinner, it was funny. There was a great sunset happy hour everynight. It was soo much fun hanging out in the bar having drinks and chilling with fellow travelers and staff. The staff was very friendly and down to earth. They hung out with us and other guest just as if they were guests themselves. It helped us to feel very much at home and relaxed. I've never stayed at a hotel where it was hard to distinguish geusts from staff until i stayed at Rip Jack. It was great. You could tell they truly had a passion for this place and helping guests to feel welcome and at home. We had fun drinking beer, chatting and getting to know everyone up in the treetop bar/restaurant. That area was without a doubt the best place in Playa Grande.
The staff was very familiar with the area and set up all of our day trips for us. We went deep sea fishing one day and the captain they set us up with was great. We caught multiple mahi mahi, and a sailfish. We had to let the sailfish go but the boat captain prepared and bagged the mahi mahi right on the boat, fresh out of the water. The fishing trip was great. We saw a lot of dolphins and even leatherback turtles.
The greatest thing was the fact that when we got back in the evening from our trip, we gave the mahi mahi to the chef at Rip Jack and he prepared it for the restaurant for dinner. He served it up several different ways, even sushi style. can you say fresh seafood???
The rooms were simple but comfortable. The shower was nice, and the rooms were well airconditioned. This place is definatley a surfers paradise. Some of the greatest waves in costa rica are right outside your door, and atmosphere at the hotel definately has a younger, laid back, chilled vibe.
Overall the stay was amazing. They gave such a great impression of life in Playa Grande that my parents are moving there, I think that says enough

My husband and I just returned from our honeymoon which included a 5 night stay at the Rip Jack Inn. From the moment I booked the hotel the day before we left for Costa Rica I knew we were in good hands. Annie let us know that for a small charge we could have a large flower arrangement in the room which was a nice touch for us honeymooners.

Although the roads aren’t the greatest they are no worse than the other roads in Costa Rica. Upon arrival everything went smooth. We were greeted by name, even though they had never seen us before, and escorted to our room. Since we had a rental car they showed us our parking space right in front of the room so we didn’t have to worry.

The hotel itself is intimate with only 7 rooms. This just means more personalized attention for each and every guest. Any help you need is available from the wonderful staff. They book everything for you and gave excellent driving directions (if you are driving) for each trip. The restaurant/bar is upstairs and offers an ocean view. The food was the best we had in Costa Rica. Amazing! Brett and his staff do an excellent job for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The prices are very reasonable for the gourmet food such as swordfish, jumbo shrimp, ahi, dorado, and the list goes on. For the guests, the bar has an excellent happy hour that allows for a complimentary drink as you watch the sunset.

The location of the Rip Jack Inn is perfect if you are looking for a getaway from all the hustle and bustle of everywhere else. It is quite and located just off the beach (about a 30 second walk). There is hardly any development on the beach because it is the nesting ground for Leatherback Turtles. The beach itself is spectacular, perfect for surfing, relaxing, and collecting shells. The hotel provides beach towels at no charge. The hotel also offers on-site surf board rentals for those of you who don't want to haul your surfboard through the country. My husband had a great time surfing the many breaks located along Playa Grande. I enjoyed relaxing on the sand.

The Rip Jack is an excellent place to stay if you are looking for a relaxed environment. The hotel pets make you feel welcome and help put you at ease. The hammocks are a great place for an afternoon snooze. We had no problems with the security at the hotel and were happy to store our valuables in the office safe. There is a night security guard to further put you at ease. Our room was always nice and clean each day. Overall, I don’t think there is a nicer place in Playa Grande to stay. I was very happy with our choice.

We just returned from 8 days at the Rip Jack Inn and I have to say that it was the best vacation we've ever had.

First, I have to rave about the staff. From the moment we got there they were courteous and helpful. By the time we left we felt like family. We even got Marlon and Shirley to go with us to Tamarindo for a night out on the town. Anything you want they are happy to provide it for you with a smile. From airport transfers to rent cars to canopy tours they handled everything. It was like having a personal concierge. I got into the habit of leaving my board outside my room and was relieved to find a note on my door one day from Tim that he locked it up for me.

The rooms are simple but clean. A/C worked good but I don't think we ever figured out how the remote worked. No tv's, clocks or phones which was fine with me. If I needed the phone, which I did on a few occasions, I just went up to the bar. I had a friend in Tamarindo that called me a few times and I thought it was funny when Gregory would show up at my door with the phone in his hand. Between me, my wife and 4 kids ranging in ages from 18 to 7 they put us up in 2 rooms. Since there are only 8 rooms we took up 1/4 of the hotel. We also had the only rooms that aren't under the restaraunt so I can't comment on the noise during yoga. However, yoga is only on Tuesday and Friday and it starts at 8am. I could never sleep that late anyway. My wife and kids are all animal lovers so the resident pets were a bonus for us. Jack Brown is a character.

For a surfer the location couldn't be any better. I was literally about a 30 second walk to the main peak at Playa Grande. I had always heard that the main peak was in front of Las Tortugas but I think I couldn't have been any closer. Up at dawn, quick stroll down the path, surf for a couple hours (the surf was good every day that I was there) and I was back in time to have breakfast with my family.

About the food, everything that has been said on this board is true. The food is outstanding. Truly gourmet. Brett does a superb job and has trained his staff well. We never ate lunch there because we usually had breakfast between 9 and 10 and then were off on an excursion. But we ate every breakfast and either full dinners or appetizers every night. The Ahi is a must have.

I have to respond to the 1 negative review on this board. First of all, the walk to Tamarindo is 25 minutes. We timed it, and that was walking with a 7 year old. He must have walked along the road instead of the jungle trail that everyone else takes. There may not have been a safe in the room but there is one in the office. We just left our valuables with Annie and she put them in a safe. My friend that was staying at Capitan Suizo in Tamarindo did get ripped off. While he was at the pool just a few feet away somebody went into his room and stole his camera and expensive carry-on bag. That was at one of the nicer hotels in Tamarindo. As far as the roads to Playa Grande, I don't think the Rip Jack Inn has much control over that. However, I did drive to Avellenas one day and the roads there were just as bad.

I could go on but I think you catch my drift. If you are looking for an inexpensive & relaxing surf vacation, this is the place. If you're looking for luxury and lots of night life go to Tamarindo. I'll take the Rip Jack Inn any day. We will definately be back. Many thanks to Dave, Annie, Brett, Gregory, Alyssa, Marlon, Shirley, Tim and all the rest.

We just returned from 3.5 weeks in Costa Rica and spent the last 4 nights at the Rip Jack Inn. Gregory and the staff made this place incredibly comfortable and relaxing. They are laid back, play great music, and have a fun happy hour. RIp Jack was exactly what we needed. My two teens loved it. Even though it is very isolated and there is no technology, my 15 year old daughter said it was her favorite place in Costa Rica.

I was so happy with the food! After 3 weeks in Costa Rica, I was shocked to get served big inventive salads, hummus, blackened fish sandwiches and even bagel breakfast sandwiches. It is all fresh and creative. We ate every meal there.

The rooms are pretty basic and there is not a pool, but I understand that there are plans to expand in the near future. The AC worked very well and the housekeeping was attentive.

We stayed at many beaches in Costa Rica but the beach at Playa Grande is the most beautiful we ever saw (it reminded me of Pt Reyes in California).