Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais
From ICE Towers 500 mts South, 500 mts East, Mal Pais 50201 Costa Rica
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About
#1 of 1 boutique hotel in Mal Pais
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.8
Value
4.7
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 STYLE
Bay View
Great View
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Hotel links
Location
From ICE Towers 500 mts South, 500 mts East, Mal Pais 50201 Costa Rica
Hotel Casa Chameleon Mal Pais
Getting there
Car recommended
Grade: 40 out of 100
40
107 Restaurants
within 5 miles
507Reviews37Q+A90Room tips
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+1
Private & Perfect As wonderful as I had hoped. Personal attention from the time you arrive and new friends when you leave. The staff (In particular - Ariel, David, Andy, and Christopher, and the amazing chef we did not get to meet, but most definitely enjoyed) were welcoming and very helpful. The room was large, clean, and inviting, but what stands out when first entering the room are the large glass doors that fold open onto the personal balcony and plunge (infinity) pool. We were in the pool in minutes overlooking the green jungle canopy and the ocean. The cocktails were freshly made and delicious at happy hour. The breakfast selection was great and came with fresh juice and fruit along with Costa Rican coffee. We did happy hour every night and dinner twice - both great. The staff set up an island tour for us and transportation. A great, great place with great people. …
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: If you are renting /driving a car from Liberia, use Waze app for mapping, not Google maps -...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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+1
Hotel's Favorite
We had thoroughly researched Mal Pais before choosing Casa Chameleon and weren't disappointed. Our villa was lovely with amazing views down to the Pacific. We only had 2 niggles with the room: the bed was so hard that I had to sleep on top of the pillows and the lovely folding doors kept sticking. Neither of these were too disastrous but our friends were upgraded to a superior villa where the bed was soft and the doors were on runners. There was also no wardrobe so we hung our clothes (after requesting hangers) around the room. The waiting staff and the lady who cleaned our room were all delightful. Andy, David and Justin were absolutely amazing and so efficient. The beauty of the location is tempered by the tremendously steep hill on a very rough road leading up from the main road. We all walked up and down as we deliberately avoided hiring a quad bike (ATV) as being too risky. We took taxis in the evening to go out but at $20 each way, seemingly irrespective of distance, this was another cost if you want to eat out at night. The food at Casa Chameleon is superb. Breakfast was fantastic and the 2 dinners we had during our 6 night stay were excellent. …
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip: Be prepared for a massive hike up and down the hill. A shuttle should really be provided by the...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
My girlfriend and I stayed in the Estrella suite. We are world travellers with a taste for the good life, and we were not in any way disappointed. The room was absolutely gorgeous, with great attention to detail. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, with excellent sense of customer service, and no request was even thought about, just accommodated. The food was terrific, and the location unbeatable - although when they tell you that you should have a 4WD to get from the main road to the reception, you should listen! At the end, we agreed on two things: 1) we will return to Mal Pais and 2) we will not return to Mal Pais and NOT stay at Casa Chameleon!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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We have stayed at Casa Chameleon’s property in Las Catalinas which is one of the top properties we have ever stayed in so couldn’t help comparing the two. First, the good. Mal Pais had even better food and service than the larger, higher rated Las Catalinas property despite only having two guest facing staff members on duty at a time. The staff could not have been any better and the food was even better than one of the highest rated restaurants we ate at in Santa Teresa. Now, the not so good. The road up to the hotel is horrible even by Costa Rica and Nicoya Peninsula standards. Although it is a hurricane evacuation route, it has massive holes that will tear off bumpers and other parts under your car. Do not drive your personal vehicle up this road! I am not sure why the owners along the road don’t chip in to keep the already steep road in passable condition like elsewhere in Costa Rica but they apparently don’t here. Once you get past the terrible road up to the property, the grounds and public facilities are beautiful. However, the rooms are dated in terms of finishes and decor, although the bathrooms have seemingly been updated more recently. According to the staff, the owners built this property before the Las Catalinas property and apparently all of their resources are now being devoted to the Las Catalinas property at the expense of this property. We had numerous maintenance issues (kitchen sink wouldn’t drain properly, leak in bathroom sink, loose boards in ceiling, double glass doors onto patio and plunge pool didn’t operate properly with one side having the opener hardware missing, and numerous missing tiles from plunge pool). Finally, the views were average at best. We paid for an “ocean view” which we technically had but the suite was oriented at an angle to the water so it was a much longer view to the ocean than if it was a direct view and a large tower was right in the middle of the view. As we looked at the other units our view seemed to be one of the better views because of odd orientation of units and trees and other vegetation. I would rate Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas a 10; this property is a solid 8 but could be much better if ownership would invest in improving the road (just fill the holes if nothing else), updating the rooms and trimming trees to improve the views. Maybe it isn’t worth investing in this much smaller property but it definitely hurts the “brand” and if we had stayed in this property before staying at the Las Catalinas property we probably would have opted for a different option when traveling to the Las Catalinas area.…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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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 as a couple
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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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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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
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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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
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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+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 as a couple
Room Tip: If you drive here you will need a 4x4
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PRICE RANGE
$296 - $502 (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 ListingHOTEL CASA CHAMELEON MAL PAIS - Updated 2023 Prices & Boutique Hotel Reviews (Costa Rica)
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, Eat Street, and The Somos Cafe.
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.