We really enjoyed this property. It was well kept, close to town, The Springs Resort, and several good restaurants. We did the two day pass at The Springs and had a very good time river rafting and soaking in the springs. We at an Don Luisa's, Jalapo's and a nearby pizza restaurant. Each night/afternoon we played pool and horseshoes with our teenagers. We did not cook while here but the set up seems good for those that would like to do so. The kids only used the pool once since it rained pretty hard most afternoons; however, it is a beautiful setting. The only suggestion I would have is to have a book at the house describing everything that you need to know, along with recommendations for food and activities. For directions, just turn at the blue Jalapos sign and continue as if you were going to the restaurant. Although some mention the road is rough getting to it, we did not find that to be the case at all. If you have driven from San Jose here - this was EASY compared to those :) Don't hesitate on this one - just book.

Property was fantastic and completely as advertised. Clean while feeling immersed in nature. The owners really care about the property and it shows - it really is a special place. Pool area is fantastic and amenities are ample to make the stay comfortable. Despite being in relatively close proximity to the main house, the owner did a nice job giving the group privacy while being available to help with whatever we needed. Super close to a couple of fantastic restaurants as well, including Dona Luisa. Highly recommend!

We had such a lovely time. Thank you for being a supper host too Judah! Your accommodation for us was perfect, comfortable well stocked with utensils pots, plates etc. Having the cabin separate for the girls was perfect too. The special place was the pool surrounded by amazing plants and birds very relaxing and peaceful, especially after a day of adventure. We miss you all and the amazing restaurant Jalapas! Say hi from us. Thank you Jules

I'll give the Pros first: The pool is beautiful and the gardens/paths are full of exotic plants. This is a unique property with nice outdoor spaces. There are two good restaurants nearby. Judah graciously made reservations for us at the hot springs and helped with directions. The Cons: It's a hard drive to this property because of the very bumpy, dirt road. You will have to endure about 20 minutes of a teeth-rattling drive to finally get to the paved part of the road. You also should know that the only part of the property that is fully walled is the master bedroom. The kitchen and dining room are outdoor spaces. Even the guest cottage (which they refer to as Villa Toucan) is partially screened with no AC. The game room is across the driveway, under a detached garage. Wi-Fi is only available in the master bedroom and the outdoor kitchen. Whoever is staying in the guest cottage will not have connectivity, nor will they have complete privacy due to the partial walls. This didn't go over well with our teen kids. Both shower faucets were a disappointment. We either couldn't get any warm water, or it would go from cold to scalding hot, with no control over the temperature. I would suggest that the owners address this issue so the guests can take comfortable showers. I did not expect to hear so much road-noise, starting at 6:00 am. Many people in this area drive ATVs and dirt bikes, so it was quite noisy during commute times because the master bedroom is so close to the road. I also found it strange that someone came into our bedrooms while we were away and moved our luggage around (for no apparent reason). I know each family is looking for different amenities, but I think our stay in the La Fortuna area would have been much better if we had stayed at one of the Hot Springs resorts (Paradise Hot Springs is about the same price).

I originally booked this property because i fell in love with the pool pictures, and those pictures did not disappoint. The pool area was actually larger than I expected and surrounded with lush, beautiful trees and plants. The whole property is a gorgeous garden. Judah was incredibly helpful before and during our stay. He's happy to help book excursions and is avaiable for any questions you have. That was appreciated! He and Michele were there during our stay (their home is also on the property) and were there to greet us upon arrival. Thank you to Michele for loving on our babies. :) We appreciated the little extras like pool floats and games. We didn't do much cooking, but there is a grill and stovetop. It's about a 15-20 minute drive into La Fortuna. Some parts of the roads are paved and others are quite bumpy. We drove into La Fortuna most days for an excursion. We enjoyed hot springs, waterfall rapelling, and horseback riding to the La Fortuna waterfall. We also found a free swiming hole with a rope swing that was a favorite for our family. We also ate at two restaurants very close to the house and both were excellent! I will note that I feel this property is better suited for older children. The second house that sleeps three is on the back side of the property. My kids did fine with that, but they did have to walk across the pool deck and through a short path to get to the main house. It was also slightly difficult to keep them away from the game room as the owners ask all kids be accompanied by an adult and my kids wanted to play pool and darts way more than my husband and I did. ;) I felt the pressure of making sure my kids were always in my sight and not being too loud as the owners were also on site. But for families with older kids or just adults, this property is fantastic! Thank you again to Judah and Michele for sharing your home with us! La Fortuna is full of so many fun activities and adventures and the volcano is gorgeous! The Costa Rican people are as kind and warm as they come!

The property is very nice, the pool well maintained, and the detached rooms a nice bonus. It is a little bit of a drive to get to other areas, and you have to get used to how the dirt roads impact your drive, but otherwise well placed. Our family had a great visit.

Our family of five enjoyed a great week. Judah did a terrific job of surveying our interests for local activities, setting up the week, and communicating effectively along the way. His recommendations for Kayak safari, sunset boat tour, Volcano hike, hot springs, and massages were great and really saved us the hassle/risk of sorting through options on our own. Last time in Costa Rica we secured a rental SUV at SJO. Our total cost with Judah's shuttle and local SUV was about the same, but so much easier for both ends of the trip. Highly recommend. The property itself is wonderful, with plenty of space for larger families and privacy. Since only the bedrooms/bathrooms are indoors, it does have a very outdoors feel which is wonderful. All the leisure time and meal prep/consumption are out in the fresh air which we loved. My family really liked that Judah and Michelle were also on property in their own separate residence. They hit their goal of being available but not intrusive. They were there to welcome us on arrival the first evening and saw us off at 12:40 AM the last day. Top notch. If we could do it over again, I think we would have skipped the $$$ dinner at the Springs resort and had 2-3 other dinners out at local restaurants. The dinner and atmosphere was great, but just a lot of budget for a single meal. The recommended clinic for Covid tests for return to US was fine and cost was the same as doing it at the airport.

Villa Hermosa and Villa Toucan did not disappoint! The property was beautiful and the location was just what we were looking for! Judah and Michelle are by far the best hosts! They were so nice and welcoming, and Judah helped setup reservations and tours for us, which were outstanding! We saw beautiful birds every morning and red-eyed tree frogs at night. Costa Rica is beautiful and we would definitely stay at Villa Hermosa again! Thank you Judah and Michelle!

Our hosts were very communicative throughout the whole stay. The property is beautifully maintained and we loved a morning and evening swim in the tranquil pool. This was a nice calm retreat for our family of 5.

This property is absolutely beautiful! We were looking for a place to stay near the Arenal volcano area outside of La Fortuna. After reading the reviews, we chose the Villa Hermosa. We arrived very late on a Friday night in the middle of an impressive rainstorm, so we weren't able to see the property until the next morning. When I woke up early the next morning and walked out of the bedroom, I was blown away by the beauty. The groundskeeper (Misael) does a wonderful job maintaining all the beautiful flora on the grounds. We were there during the rainy season, so when we arrived back at the villa at night, the frogs were out by the pool and it was amazing. The sounds of the rain forest at night are hard to describe. We would sit out at the outdoor kitchen/bar and listen to the sounds of nature. The villa is about 20 minutes outside of Fortuna. I wouldn't recommend trying to find the villa at night on your own until you've driven the road in the daylight. I've read reviews that mention how bad the road is to the villa, but it wasn't an issue for us. The pool was great, the kitchen was more than sufficient, and the bird alter was awesome- put some fresh fruit out and watch the birds flock to it. From the start of my research, Judah was extremely helpful and responsive. Once we were there, Judah was always ready to recommend excursions and make reservations for us. We went white water rafting, watched sloths, spent a couple of days at the Springs Resort, hiked the Arenal volcano area, went zip lining, and ate at some great restaurants based on Judah's recommendations. The Red Frog Cafe for breakfast and Don Ruffino's for dinner were two of our favorites. Judah arranged to have a rental car dropped off the morning after we arrived. You won't find a better host than Judah. He helped make our stay, which was a graduation gift for my son, special. I HIGHLY recommend this property! Date of stay: July 2021 Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes.