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Casa Zen: Traveler Reviews

Southern Nicoya Peninsula, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Hotel amenities
Casa Zen
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54 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveler rating
    31
    11
    7
    2
    3
Date Rating
Vancouver, Canada
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Great location, terrible kitchen”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed April 5, 2012

I stayed here for 5 nights. The location is fantastic, just steps from the beach, close to a grocery store, and about halfway along the long dirt road that is Santa Teresa. The rooms are nice and dark so you can actually sleep in (something rare in CR!) There are plenty of hammocks and places to sit and hang out. It was quiet though, and not very social. The restaurant had shut down when I was there, Unfortunately, their communal kitchen was terrible. It consisted of a two portable burners of which only one worked, a fridge and a sink. The pots and pans were in terrible condition, there wasn't enough cutlery for more than 3 people to eat at a time. A bit difficult for a traveler on a budget that relies on cooking for himself. The other thing I did not like was that in the entire time I was there, our room was not cleaned at all. Garbage bins were kept outside and were emptied, but with all the sand and dirt that accumulated in the room, I felt that 6 days was too long to go without giving it a sweep.The woman at the front desk could be a bit defensive sometimes, even when you were just asking her a simple question.

  • Stayed March 2012, traveled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Ask Traveling936 about Casa Zen
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
15 hotel reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
“Verrrrry good food”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 16, 2012

Did not sleep here, but the food is good and finally found a place that is not sooooo expensive. Food is realy good and the price as well, if you don't sleep here at least go for the food!

  • Stayed February 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
See 4 more reviews by MIZAWD for Santa Teresa
Ask MIZAWD about Casa Zen
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
phila
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Good Vibe!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 2, 2012

The atmosphere is very relaxing and in a good location. The rooms are clean and the community bathroom facilitys are well maintained. Close walk to the beach and supermarket. The food at casa zen is ok but you have plenty of other options around you. Great price, you definately get more than what you pay for. After reading some comments on here about theft, I must say that anywhere you go in Costa Rica there is theft. Don't leave your stuff outside at night,you are in a tourist area. What else do you expect! I suggest trying the Yoga. I did it for the first time and it was good. More of a workout than i expected. Definately will be back! Don, Kelly, and the rest of the staff are really nice people. Goto Casa Zen!

  • Stayed January 2012, traveled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Ask Tom C about Casa Zen
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Spokane, Washington
2 reviews
“Always great”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 2, 2012

We've stayed at the Casa Zen several times and it is always great. The facility is always clean and nice, the price is very reasonable, the location is central and easy to walk everywhere in town, the beautiful beach is less than a minute walk away and most importantly the people are fantastic. Everyone is friendly and very helpful.

Stayed January 2012, traveled with family
Ask dave_black-spokane about Casa Zen
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Islamorada, Florida, United States
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
7 hotel reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
“I'd come back but...”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 23, 2011

Having lived in Costa Rica previously for 11 years, I kinda knew how to "expect the worst, hope for the best". CZ is somewhere in the middle. The service was ok, mostly friendly but losing the personal touch that is so important and that they should not let slip. The property is very nice and well kept but... we were in the apartment, my husband and I, and the cleanliness was a little slipshod; there was no room service but wasn't really expecting it even though all the comparable properties we'd stayed at provided it. Lot's of ants of various species and yes, I know it's the jungle, but this property had by far the most of all the places we stayed in two weeks. There was someone else's food in the fridge - oops - the kitchen sink leaked horribly and there was no way to lock the safe. The ceiling fan over the bed did not work but there was a floor fan that kept us cool. Ask for extra pillows.

We ate at the restaurant a couple of times and were excited to be eating Thai as we consider ourselves Thai officionados - it's one of our favorites. Disappointing. The curry was served over way too much rice which made all the curry sauce disappear and it needed a ton of salt. The pad-thai also not so great. And finally, someone tried to break into our completely empty rental vehicle that was parked in the adjoining hotel owners or managers driveway.

All that said, for what we paid for the room and the location, it was a good deal but I don't know if we'd come back with all the other interesting looking properties in the area.

  • Stayed December 2011, traveled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Ask Carol C about Casa Zen
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Pranamar Villas and Yoga Retreat
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Santa Teresa, Province of Puntarenas
4.5 of 5 stars 140 Reviews
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Additional Information about Casa Zen

Also Known As:
Casa Zen Hotel
Casa Zen Hotel Santa Teresa
Casa Zen Costa Rica/Santa Teresa
Address: Southern Nicoya Peninsula, Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Region: Costa Rica > Province of Puntarenas > Santa Teresa
Amenities:
Restaurant
Hotel Style:
Ranked #11 of 35 Specialty lodging in Santa Teresa
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
Casa Zen, located only 100 meters from the beautiful beaches and surf spots of Santa Teresa/Mal Pais, is a guest house catering to couples of all ages (+ kids!), backpackers and dedicated surfers. You will feel at home with our amazing staff, on-site restaurant specializing in Thai food, internet and wi-fi access, yoga classes, and spa featuring massage, waxing, accupunture, and more. We invite you to visit -- for a day or a month -- and join the Casa Zen family! ... more   less 

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