Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais
From ICE Towers 500 mts South, 500 mts East, Mal Pais 50201 Costa Rica
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$276
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$325
$260
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Official Hotel$325
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What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitized in high-temperature wash
- Face masks required for guests in public areas
- Face masks required for staff in public areas
- Floors marked for social distancing
- Hand sanitizer available to guests & staff
- Stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
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Updated 09/21/21 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
A note from Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais
Updated 09/21/21 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#1 of 9 in Mal Pais
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.8
Value
4.7
Travelers' Choice
Casa Chameleon at Mal Pais is more than just a place to lay your head – it’s an experience. Our ADULT ONLY hotel is comprised of just ten rustic villas that were designed to maximize the Pura Vida lifestyle and promise an uninterrupted, peaceful escape. Each villa hosts a number of eclectic touches and inviting amenities, including handcrafted masonry, your own private plunge pool, and a glass wall that opens to let the ocean breezes in. After a day of exploring, the sparkling blue pool, lush green surroundings, and inviting lounge at Brasas del Mar set the scene for guests to mingle, swap stories, and create memories while our chef serves up authentic Costa Rican dishes. Daily breakfast and either lunch or dinner are included with all reservations. Whether you’re looking for an epic surf vacation, or space to unwind and surround yourself with the tranquility of nature, Mal Pais is a bucket list destination that will not disappoint.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Yoga classes
Bar / lounge
Bicycle rental
Diving
Airport transportation
Secured parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Infinity pool
Pool with view
Adult pool
Outdoor pool
Private pool
Restaurant
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Complimentary welcome drink
Happy hour
Outdoor dining area
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Poolside bar
Hiking
Horseback riding
Snorkeling
Water sport equipment rentals
Evening entertainment
Fishing
Patio
Massage
Adults only
24-hour security
BBQ facilities
Concierge
Outdoor furniture
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
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Room features
Blackout curtains
Bathrobes
Private balcony
Room service
Safe
Telephone
Coffee / tea maker
Walk-in shower
Wardrobe / closet
Bottled water
Iron
Private bathrooms
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Ocean view
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Ocean View
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
Full view
Contact
From ICE Towers 500 mts South, 500 mts East, Mal Pais 50201 Costa Rica
Getting there
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504Reviews37Q+A88Room tips
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Casa Chameleon is fantastuc. Our house was spacious and had great view to the ocean. The staff was simply amazing and the food served was top quality. Garden is amazing with really cute animals. If you go, i’d recommend renting a 4 wheel drive car as the road to the hotel is steep and bumpy
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled
Room Tip: Take a 4 wheel drive car and tour the area. I recommend visiting sevaral beaches as they are all...
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Planned well ahead of time, we knew the trip to Casa Cameleon would be part of the challenge. Arriving at Liberia airport at 9PM, we chose to stay at the Hilton located directly at the airport. In the morning our driver was there promptly to pick us up (he was amazing) and we took off on the 4 hr drive down to Santa Theresa, Mal Pais technically. Set up by the hotel, the cost was $400 each way. The roads from the airport were all paved and easy to navigate until you near Santa Theresa where they turn into mostly unpaved, dirt roads. Its a VERY steep hill up to the resort, so be aware that you will need a 4x4 car or ATV if you plan on leaving the place during your visit (or taxi). The hotel can set this up for you. Finally arriving we were greeted by a lush paradise and wonderful staff. Interesting that we were told they didn't have a current liquor license, so they were not able to serve alcohol beverages. Might have been a good idea to tell us this ahead of time, not that it would have changed our plans. However we were welcome to purchase our own liquor at one of the local stores and we could bring it to the bar where they had all the other ingredients needed to make whatever cocktail we wanted. Walking down the over 100 steps to get down to our Estrella suite (there are other suites closer to the top if you don't want to hike), we were met with the most beautiful room, pool, waterfall and spectacular views. Communication with the staff was facilitated by using WhatsApp which worked very well. We purchased the package that included breakfast and it did not disappoint. We always received fresh squeezed juice and plate of fruit in addition to several other breakfast options. The avocado toast was delicious. Diego our server was just the best. The hotel also arranged for us to have an ATV for the week we were there. 85$ per day. You do have to keep in mind that you are in Costa Rica so if you have a big rain storm at night that lasts a couple of hours and the power went off like we did, just enjoy listening to the sounds of the rain forest. The air-conditioning worked good enough, but the one in our bedroom (a wall unit) kept leaking down the wall and onto the floor. We had daily room service including sweeping the pool. They always provided fresh towels and our room was left immaculate. So if you have ready this entire post, my last comment would be that while our trip certainly was not on the budget friendly end, we had a wonderful stay here and I highly recommend it.…
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Date of stay: April 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
This is a beautiful spot for a romantic getaway. It's quiet and secluded with beautiful views. The king bed was very comfortable (and this isn't something I say often when travelling), the place was very clean and smelt amazing, and the staff was very friendly. The private plunge pool was so nice to have with the hot weather, especially after surfing or adventuring out, it was lovely to come home to our peaceful villa. It's nice and close to the surf and Santa Teresa, but I'd recommend getting an ATV if you want to explore. Highly recommend Casa Chameleon Mal Pais for a couple's getaway.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Cleanliness
Service
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Helpful
Casa Chameleon Mal Pais is beautiful. Also, you should know before you go that it is not for everybody. First, the great... There are only ten villas, offering a level of quiet and calm that is refreshing. Each villa has its own pool, which is delightful. Each villa also has a lovely view of the ocean and a measure of privacy. The restaurant on site is great for several reasons: each of the staff is terrific (special shout out to Diego), the view from the restaurant is gorgeous and the food never disappoints. Kudos to the restaurant. Some things to be aware of: there are lots of steps and they are not necessarily well lit at night. Some of the villas enjoy more privacy than others (ours was somewhat lacking in this regard). The wall between the bedroom and the bathroom does not reach the ceiling so middle of the night visits to the bathroom light up the entire place, likely waking your partner. The drive up the hill to the location is an intimidatingly steep road with lots of potholes and off and on pavement/concrete. We didn’t mind it, some would. If you want something a little different, where you feel exclusive, this is it. Overall a lovely experience.…
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Date of stay: March 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Helpful
We stayed in a suite, it was private, spacious, and gorgeous. We were a little disappointed at first that we weren’t closer to the beach but our room was so nice we didn’t care. Amazing view of the ocean and we got to watch about 20 monkeys travel through the trees one morning. The service was friendly and awesome.
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Date of stay: January 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Helpful
+1
Started with fantastic communication from the concierge staff who took care of us before we even arrived from planning our transfers to and from Tambor air strip to taking care of all the details for our excursions. They arranged a private surf lesson, a boat trip with snorkeling to Tortuga island, and arranged for our canopy ziplining tour with all transportation details. All we had to do was show up, easy breezy. They also scheduled for a doctor to come perform our covid test for returning home on site—very convenient. The onsite restaurant was delicious and we were grateful for our new friends, Andy, Diego, and Justin. They took excellent care of us. We had no problem having bottles of Rosé to our room, not sure what happened with the prior reviewer? Every meal was delicious. And the view from the open air restaurant was gorgeous. We loved the private terrace and used the dip pool daily. We are very active so we enjoyed trekking to nearby Santa Teresa but the hike up the hill is not for the feint of heart. Ending the hike with a dip in the pool and watching the sunset over the pacific was pure magic. You can walk on the beach all the way to Santa teresa or take the road. We felt very safe on the road but it is dirt and busy so lots of dust. The town of Mal País is raw, beautiful, not overly populated. The rock pools in the ocean were awesome to relax in. We found the room to be in fine shape, slept well every night. Somehow woke up on our own around 630-7 am every morning with no alarms feeling refreshed. Loved the indoor to outdoor vibes and shower! My only complaint will be for the guest who brought their drone. We only seen it flying around one day but we found this very intrusive to our privacy. The villas are very private and have a nice indoor/outdoor flow, so seeing this fly by we found very rude. We loved hearing and seeing the howling monkeys, iguanas and enjoyed all the flowers/butterflies. Coming from a large city we loved the brightness of the stars at night. Would love to revisit and hope nothing changes! this place was magic. Be sure to book your ATV before you arrive, they were completely out of them in whole town and are needed to visit Montezuma falls. We visited during peak season.…
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Traveled
Room Tip: If you drive here you will need a 4x4
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Staff and food was great. But the room was not living up to the standard of the price. Very expensive room for the quality of the actual room (villa with plunge pool), our room was "Vista". Pool and the terrace in the villa we did not use. Also we filled out a form before where they asked us if we were celebrating anything special. We wrote two times that we had our honeymoon but we did not recieve any acknowledgement of this. I even wrote to ask if we could order sparkling wine to our room, whichs we did not get. Despite this we very much enjoyed our stay in the area. The gardens, main pool and restaurant is very nice and the staff in the restaurant were really friendly, social and helpful and we really enjoyed the food!
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Date of stay: December 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: The Vista room did not live up to the value for the price. It's probably worth booking the...
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Helpful
We received outstanding service during our stay at Casa Chameleon Mal Pais. We highly recommend their spacious private villa with your own private pool and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean! The concierge, Karen & Katherine were kind, professional, efficient, and very welcoming! They truly thought of all of the details, were an absolute pleasure to communicate with. They both made planning our trip and outings very easy, from fishing to snorkeling to horseback riding and more. Brasas Del Mar, is the restaurant where Andy and Diego catered to our every need, from a freshly prepared cuisine to deliciously prepared drinks, they both went above and beyond to provide exceptional service during every meal. They were friendly, professional and attentive yet still allowed us to have that “private getaway” experience we were looking for. We cannot wait to return!…
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
+1
Hubby and I went here over July 4th for 5 nights. Everyone working at Casa Chameleon is amazing. Always smiling, happy to help and accommodate. The staff is what makes this place. I would give them 10 stars out of 5 if there was a staff ranking. We got the half board, which included breakfast and one other meal (lunch or dinner). Fresh fruits and juice each morning for breakfast were divine. We chose dinner our second meal and were not disappointed and because we were there for five days we were able to sample almost everything on the menu. Almost everything was delicious. The one exception to this was our breakfast on the last morning, the eggs were VERY overcooked (dry and did not taste good) and had shells in them. The toast was either burned or not even toasted. Most of the meal was inedible. Happy hour drinks were reasonably priced ($5 to $6). Drinks were very tasty and well worth the happy hour price. The room we stayed in needed some work and is the reason I’m not giving this place 5 out of 5 stars. For the price we paid I expected the room to be in better shape. The plunge pool had many tiles missing. In the bathroom one of the sinks (it had double sinks) did not work, turn on the water and nothing would come out. My husband didn’t notice this until our next to last day and we decided to not bother with getting it fixed since we could use the other sink. A couple of odd things… one day we found an opened package of disposable chopsticks near the shower (see photo) and on the wall near the nonworking sink was a red splatter of something (not sure what exactly it was and afraid to speculate). The location was great if you want seclusion, which we did. The views are AMAZING. Beaches nearby (5-30 min walking distance) are breathtakingly beautiful. You can take taxis into Santa Theresa but they are $10 one way (less than 2 miles) which we thought was rather pricey so we ended up walking most days. We saw monkeys around our villa a couple of days and most nights could hear the howler monkeys (very odd, creepy sound if you’re not used to hearing them). Would I go again yes, if I found another deal like I got for this trip. I would not pay full price.…
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Date of stay: July 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
I am an avid traveler, domestic and abroad. I review a lot of hotels and restaurants around the world. My preface to this review is this: One - I rarely give five bubbles because I feel there is always room for improvement. Two - When reading reviews to evaluate where I stay, I always take the negative with a grain of *sand, and that is what I recommend you do. If you are looking for a remote, secluded, get away from humans, pampered like a celebrity feel, book this "hotel". I put that word in quotation marks intentionally. I have stayed in Leading Hotels of the World, and I know what to expect; this place exceeds expectations. That being said, if you are a diva from the city who cannot comprehend the fact that you are at the tip of a jungle in a rustic country, this may not be the place for you. From the moment my fiance and I arrived until the moment we left, we encountered maybe eight other humans aside from the phenomenal staff. I like to get a lay of the land when I arrive at a hotel. Please let me describe the lay of the land here: a tiny, appropriate driveway at the top of a RUGGED HILL, followed by a brief check-in experience under a 20' x 20' "reception area" that later became our private wedding dinner covered outdoor area. After we were given our room directions and key, we walked around the corner and there, waiting for just us, was Andy, in a starched white shirt, welcome drinks on a platter, eyes beaming with a smile beneath his mask. Truly, I felt as thogh we had arrived at Fantasy Island, and we were all that mattered to this fabulous staff. The ENTIRE elite stay was this type of experience. Room: Nicoya. Karen and Katherine moved us to the top of the mountain for the VERY best view of he jungle and ocean, and I am married to the ocean. There are 55 steps to the room, no elevator, etc., and remember, you are in the jungle. View: I literally cannot come up with appropriate adjectives to describe this "room." Ocean, kind jungle, hower monkeys, tropical birds, NO mosquitos (we lucked out and it had rained, then stopped and this creates a no bug environment if you can imagine that). A/C but full wall of doors that open to your private plunge pool and deck to warm ocean air. Super comfy bed with bug net for bedtime. *NOTE: close the doors at dusk and drop the bug net around your bed - not because there are bugs, truly, I am a bug-a-phobe, BIG time, but if you keep the lights off they simply do not come. I am not exagerating, I left with no bug bites, and a million memories of the perfect combinaion of jungle and ocean. No bug spray needed, ever at the hotel. We did the elopement package, and from moment one until the second we left, the staff was phenominal. Karen, Katherine, Jose Pablo the GM, Andy, Diego were all FANTASTIC, and remember, I rarely give five bubble reviews. I paniced the day of our wedding becauswe Jose Pablo was nowhere to be found. Where was he? Out scouting the best beach option for our wedding that day, to be sure there were no people and the weather would be perfect for sunset! He personally groomed the sand to be sure it was right. The staff was 100% lock and step for our whole stay and anything we needed was delivred to us within five minutes - food, drink, iron, extra hangers, literally anything we needed. I'm pretty sure Diego was out of breath from jogging up the stairs with our breakfast to our room one morning. I simply cannot rate this staff high enough. Looking for interracton with other people? Not your place. Looking for staff who know your name, likes and dislsikes before you walk through the door? This is your place. This is the sort of rating where I want to keep it to myself so no one ever discovers our most special place on Earth, but that would be unfair to the hotel. Don't consider any other place in Mal Pais. Do not book anywhere but here. I promise you will not regret it. Also, do the long hike excursion and ask for Junior. Mad kudos to the entire staff for making our wedding week 100% and more than we could have ever imaginged. Message me for questions, as there is so much more to describe about this slice of heaven on Earth!…
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Date of stay: July 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: All roomes are individual, you will not see or hear other humans
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3 Helpful votes1 Save
Helpful
PRICE RANGE
$306 - $356 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
casa chameleon mal pais
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of PuntarenasMal Pais
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais
Which popular attractions are close to Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais?
Nearby attractions include Playa Santa Teresa (1.8 miles), Isla de Cabuya (4.2 miles), and Playa Carmen (1.2 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
Is parking available at Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais?
Yes, free parking and secured parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais?
Conveniently located restaurants include El Tercer Ojo Costa Rica, The Somos Cafe, and Satori Terrace Sushi Bar.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais?
Yes, guests have access to a pool and yoga classes during their stay.
Does Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais have airport transportation?
Yes, Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.5 miles away from the center of Mal Pais.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
Does Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.