The setting, the grounds and the rooms are wonderful. Unfortunately, for a top Luxury Hotel of the World, the service is not up to standards we expected. Necessary maintenance wasn't done (lights out on paths, fans not working, TV not working), and little was done when requested. And when we mentioned these things when checking out, there seemed to be little or no interest on the part of management. Dinner on the beach is well worth it. But, all in all, I think there are better choices.

The food was amazing, and they have the best pina coladas. They are like milk shakes. I just wish I could get the recipe. The only thing I didn't like was a supertart margarita. The horseback riding was great, because you can really run the horses up the mountain and on the beach, but you will feel sore afterwards. We arrived at the beginning of the rainy season in the middle of May, so it rained a few hours each afternoon, but when the clouds would break, it was just beautiful. We stayed for 5 nights which was about the right amount of time, since it was just the two of us, and you can only relax so much. Flying in and out was a little stressful, since we had never been to Costa Rica before. When we exited the airport, and there was just a mob of people, taxis, and shuttles. One guy tried to help me with my bag, but because of the language barrier, it meant I had no clue why he was trying to grab the bag out of my hand. When the plane from San Jose to Punta Islita lands, the only building is a little waiting area for the resort, so there is no confusion, and they even give you a beer before the van rid up to the resort. On the way back, the little Sansa plane from Punta Islita to San Jose was over an hour late, so we missed our connecting flight. We got a later flight from San Jose, but it meant we only make it to Dallas, TX or any of the other major hubs that day.

If you want to relax and get away, this is a great destination. Simple, but well stocked rooms. Friendly and helpful staff. Great activities including canopy tour, horseback riding (imagine riding through the surf on your steed), ATV rides and more.

The 'infinity' pool has a swim up bar and there is a beach club nearby which is about a 15 minute walk, but the hotel offers regular shuttles to their beach club with another restaurant, pool (again w/ swim up bar), black sand beach and water sports such as surfing and boogie board (lessons available).

We saw monkeys and huge iguanas (not to worry city slicker, non venomous - harmless).

The only downer is that the food is mediocre. You won't go hungry, but don't expect anything more then pedestrian preparation of international cuisine.

We spent the first four days of our honeymoon in Punta Islita in early Dec 2005. From the landing at Punta Islita 'airport' to the romantic dinner at the beach, we really had a great time. The resort was half full which really make us feel that we were VIPs. If you go there, make sure to try the horseriding and then the realxing massage at the beach club. Also make sure to treat yourself with all the delicious meals, including their beautiful grilled lobster with butter sauce. Only piece of advise, ask for a casita on the right side of the resort, it's quieter and you won't see the extension works being done on the left side. All-in-all, we had a great time and look forward to go back to Punta Islita.