Our Testimonials

Ryan

The house itself is beyond expectation. As soon as you walk in the doors and look out over the infinity pool and over the pacific ocean you know you are in a special place. The pictures are incredible but seeing it is person is even more impressive. All the bedrooms were very comfortable with the top floors all having large connecting balconies. While at the house, we spent most of the time at the large outdoor space by the pool. Michel, the bartender, is amazing. From his mint-margaritas to Pina Coladas he is an artist at his craft and also a really great person. The food was also above expectation. I will say, we travel every summer mostly to European locations in France and Italy and hire private chefs and Alberto’s food was certainly on par with many of the best we have had over there. As a benefit, the food is often lighter and healthy and very fresh. Give them as much or at little input as you want and you will either be delighted with surprise or have your every desire fulfilled. The excursions that Diego helped facilitate were top notch. We did go outside his services for a few excursions and while cheaper, they were not as professional. You can tell that Diego’s 15+ years of experience in this house and this location pay off in his amazing recommendations and connections in the area. I would not hesitate to let him plan your complete itinerary. If you are wondering about the wifi it is totally fine. No issues. We went during the rainy season and had almost no rain. Really no biting insects to worry about either. As a bonus, a group of howler monkeys stopped by one day right in the tree by the pool. They were maybe 15 feet away from us. That was closer than we were able to get in any of the animal sanctuaries. You do not need a rental car. We got one and it was a waste. Let Bler take you wherever you need in a large comfortable van. The van is stocked with snacks, beer, soda…what could be better. I am skipping over all the little tiny surprises the staff has for you that put the level of service at this place over the top. I want you to experience for yourself. The only thing that is not 100% ideal about this place is the location. It is absolutely beautiful and only about 50 minutes from the Liberia airport but we found that most excursions we wanted to go to were 1 to 1.5 hours each way. Overall, I wouldn’t let this deter you. If anything just do less excursion because spending time at the house is so lovely. Thanks to all the staff for making this experience once in a lifetime! Ryan

Date of Stay: August 11, 2019

Jenni

We thoroughly enjoyed the stay at the villa and all of the staff members are absolute gems!  Truly wouldn’t be the same vacation without the wonderful staff.  We felt sad to leave them after a great week of making new friends.  They all deserve a pat on the back, but Blair and Miche (sp?) especially went out of their way to make sure we had a wonderful week.  Those two were constant sources of interesting info and friendly conversation.  They interacted and danced with our group one evening when we asked the staff to eat with us and have a fun night.  The video of my kids dancing with them is one of my favorite vacation memories I’ve ever had.  We all took our turn at dancing and I so thankful for that evening of fun. Blair and Miche (and Victor in the morning), were always there to make sure we were smiling and enjoying the vacation.  They even made sure we were learning our needed Spanish along the way.  We all have “trip depression” now wishing we were still there.

The favorite excursion that we did was the catamaran trip.  The afternoon could not have gone better.  The crew, the food/drinks, the tour, and the weather all fell into place perfectly.  The crew even made sure to take us to a location to snorkel where we could swim to the shore and feed the monkeys by hand.  The young adults in our group were talking about that day over and over again during the remainder of the trip.  The sunset was a work of art that night, so we were very lucky to have enjoyed it from the water.  We accidentally left some water shoes on the boat and the crew made a point of finding us and Blair in Coco the next day.  They met us on the beach and delivered the shoes.  We had chalked up the shoes as a lost item, so for them to go out of their way to return those items shows their level of professionalism.  I would highly recommend that company to anyone.

The adventure day to Guachipelin was a fun day too.  We were all exhausted by the end of the day, but a good time was had by all.  The only negative was the amount of people crammed into each activity with us.  We were in groups of 30-40 people and it was so jam packed that we had a tough time navigating our group.  The photo package we ended up buying (that they emailed to us) ended up containing over 100 pictures of other people from the tour.  They had a hard time figuring out who our group was as well.  Had the tours been smaller, it would have been more comfortable, but the activities themselves were a lot of fun.

The food and drinks were great.  Alberto cooked up some delicious eats.  He even prepared some fish tacos using the fish that some of our group caught one morning.  The cocktails and snacks were top notch as well.  The whole villa runs like a well oiled machine.

We had no issues with the accommodations and can only say great things.

We hope to have the opportunity to return again some day.  The vacation was a hit with everyone in our group.  Hang on to those staff members as they are representing the villa extremely well!

Thanks again!

Date of Stay: June 1, 2019

Diane

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we had a fantastic time at the Villa.  I can only imagine what the staff must have thought as we all piled off the bus that first day.  A party of 14 with six kids, age six and under, I’m sure looked overwhelming.  There is not enough to say about your beautiful home, the view and most of all the staff.  The kids loved Mr. Mitch, Mr. Alberto, Mr. Blair, Mr. Victor and all of the others.  The staff was wonderful.  On the way to the airport, my granddaughter Emma cried because she didn’t want to leave her new friends behind.  The meals were top-notch, we tried to steal Alberto by telling him how beautiful Ohio was compared to Costa Rica, but somewhere we fell short.  After all who wouldn’t want to live in Ohio?  Becca, who is two would tell him at every meal that the food was delicious!  There was nothing that we would ask for that was always met with a smile and of course.  Everyone has said a zillion times since we have been home what a great trip we had.  We will miss everyone, they felt like friends.

Date of Stay: February 25, 2018

Paula

I had the pleasure of returning to Villa Estrella for my friend’s 60th birthday. It was a couples trip. It was so nice to see the staff again who become like family to you. They are truly the best!! I could not wait to experience the Villa once again with the beauty, serenity, fabulous food and service. It is a place like none other that you will experience in Costa Rica or the world for that matter. Lifetime amazing memories made here.

Date of Stay: November 18, 2017

Julie

I recently experience Villa Estrella for a Yoga Retreat. It was perfect serenity and comfort. The staff were all our friends when we left after a week of pampering and 5-star food. Thank you Diego, Michele, Alberto, Victor, Blair and the beautiful Anna for a fabulous time and wonderful memories!

Date of Stay: January 15, 2018

Holly

Just returned from another wonderful trip to Villa Estrella! This time was a couples trip. My husband was in awe of the marvelous treatment this staff gives to guests! Every detail is perfect – including the best food on the planet, even with allowances for those who may have various food allergies! We enjoyed so many activities each day and saw nature at its finest. This is a must do trip for anyone!

Date of Stay: March 7, 2018

Steve

Villa Estrella was pure perfection—you have set the bar for our future family vacations—thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a fabulous experience. – via Facebook

Date of Stay: December 25, 2017

Barbara

The experience was beyond expectations!

The staff was exceptional! The villa was fantastic! The meals, food and service were great and suggestions for excursions were perfect.

Date of Stay: March 5, 2017

Living Large Outdoors

Awesome Vacation! Highly Recommended!

Star Villas, Diego, Blair, Mitch and our fantastic chefs and cleaning crew: Thank you for making our stay the best I’ve ever had at a resort. Your house in Playa del Coco / Ocotal was awesome! Your hospitality was unforgettable!

It started out great with Blair meeting our crew at the airport. He was waiting for us as we exited the airport. We had a group of 10 (8 arrived that day). Blair was welcoming and brought us to our new Mercedes van – with a cooler full of refreshments in the back. A cold beer was the perfect way to start out our Costa Rican Adventure! When we arrived at the gated house on the hill, we were shocked as Mitch and company were waiting for us with drinks and cool towels! I could tell this was going to be a great week! The house was incredible. An infinity pool that overlooks the ocean and beaches. Our own bartender, chef, cleaning crew and driver. Monkeys were on the trees out back by the breakfast overlook. Diego gave us the overall introductions and helped us navigate the local culture and options for our week. Diego is a ‘can do’ type of guy who makes things happen. If you need or want something, Diego will set it up. A sail boat adventure for the afternoon with snorkeling and drinks – done. A trip to the Volcano for tomorrow morning – done. Locations to rent motorcycles and places to ride – done. A place to rent high end mountain bikes and ride the coastal single track – done. Just want to relax and decide tomorrow – done. Diego was great! Thanks for taking us out to ride Mountain Bikes on the coastal ridge single track. That was awesome! Mitch is the best bartender you can find. Mitch became a great friend and a great host. Thanks Mitch for dealing with us, and for making us feel welcome the entire time! The chef was out of this world with his dishes (sorry, but I cannot remember the name)! Our surf and turf dinner was better than I have had in the States. Each night was authentic cuisine with custom dishes for each of our guests that had gluten allergies and seafood allergies.This was a great vacation and one that I hope I can do again in the future. Thanks guys!

Date of Stay: March 2, 2017

Samantha

Amazing Cuisine, Incredible Staff!

A group of us stayed at Villa Estrella for a fitness retreat in February; the staff was unreal – I highly recommend Villa Estrella. It is so perfect for small groups – you can bond and enjoy each other and the staff tends to your every need! The food was so fresh and delicious, we all felt so at home! It is hard to explain the villa experience until you have stayed in one. With a full staff present, it is really hard to compare it to a hotel stay. Everything about the villa was so perfect – for retreats and for small groups – Villa Estrella is lovely right down to the last detail!

Date of Stay: March 2, 2017

Teresa

Paradise Found

This is the utmost in luxury amenities. From the ocean views from high above to the beach walks along the shore. Swim in the negative edge pool off the back patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Eat breakfast every morning in the open-air cantina also overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are prepared by authentic Costa Rican chefs. Your every need is seen to by expertly trained people. Maid service sees to it that your bedroom and bathroom is cleaned and straightened every day. A knowledgeable driver is available to take you anywhere you need to go. The views are unbelievable, the service and food exceptional and the people so personable. This villa is above and beyond first class perfect.

Date of Stay: February 7, 2017

Tomas Mendonca – Luxury Retreats

We had an extraordinary stay!!!  The all inclusive experience was amazing – the staff was always smiling and willing to help yet very discreet. Mitch does a great job and delicious drinks! The food was excellent! And Superman zip-lining was fun! My friends and I had such a good time… and that view! Breathtaking!

Date of Stay: March 7, 2017