Casitas Sollevante Boutique Hotel

Privacy is the main idea here. Casitas Sollevante Boutique Hotel sits among lush tropical gardens, with just 15 units spread across rooms, apartments, houses, villas and suites rather than packed into one large building. Founded in 2000, it has grown gradually, keeping the accommodation low-key and separate enough for you to have your own space when the day is done.

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside Spanish, German, Italian and French. That matters when you are arranging a car, asking about a boat trip or simply trying to explain that the shoulder has had enough for today. The atmosphere is suited to couples looking for privacy, but family accommodation is also available, with children of any age welcome.

You stay in Montezuma, Costa Rica, at an address 400 metres south of Cabinas Linda Vista. The hotel is set away from the busiest parts of town, in a private position looking towards the Pacific and surrounded by tropical greenery. You get the useful combination of a proper base and a sense of being out in the landscape, without booking a place in the middle of a large resort strip.

Montezuma Beach is about 0.9 miles away by car. Montezuma Waterfall is closer, at roughly 0.3 miles, while Parque Montezuma Zman is around 0.7 miles away. For a longer outing, the entrance to the R Natural Absoluta Nicolás Wessberg is about 1.3 miles away, and Cabo Blanco Absolute Natural Reserve is around 6 miles away by car.

The surroundings are better suited to a car or arranged excursion than to spontaneous public transport. A tour desk and car hire service are available, and the hotel can arrange trips including Isla Tortuga, Playa Grande, Cabuya Island and Cabo Blanco.

The accommodation works particularly well if you do not want to spend your evening folded into a standard hotel room. Couples can choose between compact sea-view rooms, larger double rooms, junior suites and apartments, while the houses and villas give families or two couples more room to spread out. The Two-Bedroom Villa with Ocean View is the obvious choice when the view matters as much as the extra space; the apartments make more sense when you want a little independence without taking a whole house.

All units have air conditioning, a refrigerator and a coffee maker. That means cold water when you come back warm and salty, and coffee without having to organise your entire existence before breakfast. Houses, studios and villas also have fully equipped kitchens, useful for a quiet night in or for keeping simple provisions to hand.

Balconies, terraces, outdoor furniture and garden views give several accommodation categories somewhere to sit outside. Inside, you have a seating area in the living spaces, WiFi in the public areas and daily housekeeping. The bright décor keeps the rooms feeling connected to the tropical setting, while air conditioning deals with the practical business of sleeping in a warm climate.

The Restaurant–Lounge Bar sits beside the pool, with an ocean view and a menu that covers the full day. Breakfast is served as a buffet, with Costa Rican gallo pinto, pancakes, eggs, fresh tropical fruit, natural fruit juice, coffee and cappuccinos. It is the sort of spread that gives you a reasonable chance of finding something useful before an excursion, even if your definition of breakfast changes completely when you are travelling with dive gear.

Lunch is built around cold dishes, salads and sandwiches, with a snack bar also available on site. In the evening, the kitchen moves to international cooking and sushi prepared with fresh fish caught that day. That gives dinner a more distinct local connection than a generic resort buffet, without pretending the menu is exclusively Costa Rican.

Drinks are handled at the same poolside venue: tropical cocktails, cold beer, soft drinks and wine or champagne are available. There is one named restaurant-lounge bar rather than a parade of separate drinking spots, which suits the size of the hotel. You can eat, order a drink and remain by the pool without turning the evening into an expedition.

Two infinity pools give you two different ways to spend an unhurried afternoon. One is designed for swimming lengths; the other is a beach-style lounging pool, better suited to lowering yourself into the water and staying there until the argument about going anywhere else has quietly ended. Sun loungers and umbrellas are available around the pool area.

Yoga classes and massages provide the gentler options. Full-body, back and couples massages are available, so you can book something more constructive than complaining about your lower back over a drink. The gardens and outdoor seating add places to read, sit or simply watch the light change over the Pacific.

For days when doing absolutely nothing feels wasteful, the hotel offers bike tours and can arrange fishing and boat excursions. Hiking, wildlife observation and cultural excursions take you beyond the property, with Montezuma Waterfalls, Isla Tortuga, Playa Grande, Cabuya Island and Cabo Blanco among the outings available. Snorkelling and horse riding are also offered away from the hotel.

Check-in runs from 3 pm and check-out is by 11 am. A shuttle service is available to arrange with the hotel, while private parking is available on site without reservation. Car hire, luggage storage, concierge assistance and a tour desk make the property practical if Montezuma is one stop in a longer Costa Rican trip rather than your only base.

Cobano Airport is about 5 miles away by road, with a drive of roughly 10 minutes. Tambor Airport is around 8 miles away by road, taking approximately 23 minutes. A transfer can therefore be organised around either airport, in a private or shared form through the hotel.

WiFi is free in the public areas. Laundry is available, as is a safety deposit box, and the hotel provides daily housekeeping. Cash is an accepted payment method. Children of any age are welcome, with extra beds available on request depending on the accommodation selected; children aged five and over are charged as adults.