My husband and I spent 8 glorious days in Punta Uva at the Toucan Stay inn. We had been to the Puerto Viejo area before and loved the non touristy feel of Punta Uva and the jungle meets ocean surroundings.It’s so close to the restaurants and shopping yet has a completely different vibe. We saw families of howler monkeys and passed a resident sloth every day on our 3 minute walk to the most gorgeous beach in the area. The accommodations are so comfy and the bed is awesome! New kitchen appliances and air conditioning, which is a rare luxury in that part of the world. The bus runs right by there and a market across the highway supplied us with anything we needed . We have already booked another trip , but this time for almost 4 weeks!!!
My wife and I reserved and paid in advance for four nights in the Junior Suite “Jose” at Toucan Stay Inn. Given the positive reviews on various websites—such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor—we figured it would be a great place to end our three weeks in Costa Rica. Much to our disappointment, when we arrived, we found it to be dirty and in disrepair. For instance, the room smelled bad, the banister up the steep stairs was loose, the windows in the bathroom were broken, the light switches were dirty, the bedspread was dirty, etc., etc. We both agreed on the spot that we did not want to even spend one night there—that bad! Luckily we found lodging nearby that is clean, well-maintained, and even a little less expensive than what we paid for the Toucan Inn. When we spoke to the person temporarily managing the Toucan Inn, Cansio , he said that the Toucan Stay Inn was being sold, but that he would email the current owner. We haven’t heard a thing back, not even an apology. We can ill-afford to pay twice for our lodging while in the Puerto Viejo area, but we refuse to let our experience at the Toucan Stay Inn ruin our vacation in Costa Rica. By the way, we have stayed at five other B & B’s on this trip to Costa Rica, and every other one was clean and exceeded our expectations. Finally, you need to know that this is not a Bed & Breakfast, as advertised: there is no breakfast served. Snarky signs in the room say, “Bed and Breakfast – Make your own” and “This isn’t the Ritz, get over it.” They’re right -- this isn’t even the Motel 6! We got ripped off—let it be a warning to you, and avoid this place. I dislike having to write a review like this, but perhaps it will save somebody else a similar experience at Toucan Inn.…
My wife and I stayed for a week in the upstairs apartment called “Jose”. The sign that greeted us on arrival said it all “bed n breakfast-you do the bed, you get the breakfasts”. In case you missed that one, there was another “not the ritz-get used to it”. This would normally be fine had we not left another lodge in the same price range where we were quite pampered so the lack of service was evident. We had to ask for a broom so we could control the sand we tracked in and our garbage we carried outside to the street. On the positive side, the Playa UVA beach is a short walk and there is a pleasant beach restaurant, the Eden Beach. Also, we saw monkeys and toucans on the grounds.
Of the three or so Toucan units, Hose B is on the main building's first floor. it is compact apartment streaming with natural light, fitted with a comfortable king-size bed, spacious bathroom, basic utensils and great fridge. Below is a well-equipped kitchen which guests can use for food preparation and cooking. (Manager Canzio is a chef who runs the nearby excellent Restaurant Bamboocha which is well worth going to, and partner Barbara will help with whatever's needed.) Leading out from the kitchen is a spacious, beautiful garden where racoons and other animals can be spotted, as well as the abundant bird life. There is a covered decking space there with hammocks where you can read, rest, down a beer and take in the atmosphere. A slight drawback is the proximity of the Limon to Manzanillo road - however traffic is slight after 8pm as Ticos tend to go to bed early, and tourists/travellers are few and far between on this pretty, largely low-key part of CR's Caribbean coastline. A practical advantage of the Inn's position, however, is being beside the bus stop taking you down to the sleepy village of Manzanillo one way and towards the bright lights of Puerto Viejo, and eco-friendly Cahuita, the other.…
The property is located in an ideal location, just a short 20 minute bike ride from the main town. It consists of a duplex, plus the "owner's home" all on a very large lot surrounded by lots of trees and bushes. The quiet main road borders one end of the property with a small grocery store across the street. The beach, a dive shop, and a wonderful outdoor restaurant named Eden are located down a dirt road which borders the other side of the property. My wife and I spend two wonderful nights in the "owner's home". It was very private and quiet. Early one morning we made the three minute walk down to the beach where we saw a troop of at least 30 howler monkeys attempting to make a long jump across a river from one tree to another. The property manager, Canzio and his wife Barbara, own and operate a fantastic seafood and pasta outdoor restaurant just a 3 minute walk from the Toucan Stay Inn. We ate dinner there twice, and I would highly recommend it. We also ate two breakfasts and a lunch at the Eden Restaurant on the beach, and it has good food at reasonable prices. We booked our stay via email with Jon, the owner of Toucan Stay Inn, via Paypal. Jon is a great guy, and very honest. We spent two weeks traveling around Costa Rica, and the Toucan Stay Inn was the highlight of our trip.…
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