Buddha Retreat Hotel

2.5 star property
Waterfront hotel with an outdoor pool

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your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Buddha Retreat Hotel

On the beach
Outdoor pool, pool loungers
On the beach
Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; international cuisine
Front of property – evening/night

Reviews

6.2 out of 10

Popular amenities

  • Bar
    Bar
  • 24/7 front desk
    24/7 front desk
  • Breakfast available
    Breakfast available
  • Pool
    Pool
  • Housekeeping
    Housekeeping
  • Air conditioning
    Air conditioning

Room options

Signature Room

Highlights

Air conditioning
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
Travel cot
High chair
  • 19 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Similar properties

About the area

Map
Frente de la Plaza Deportiva, Cuajiniquil

What's nearby

  • San Juanillo Beach - 5 min drive - 2.5 km
  • Playa Ostional - 9 min drive - 3.9 km
  • Ostional National Wildlife Refuge - 11 min drive - 5.7 km
  • Frog Pad - 29 min drive - 17.2 km
  • Nosara Beach - 38 min drive - 17.4 km

Getting around

  • Liberia (LIR-Daniel Oduber Intl.) - 145 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Bar Las Brisas - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪Restaurante Chirriboca - ‬29 min drive
  • ‪Bar & Restaurante El Jardín - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Tiki Hut - ‬23 min drive
  • ‪Gecko Lounge - ‬29 min drive

About this property

Buddha Retreat Hotel

Hotel near the bay
A terrace, a coffee shop/cafe and a garden are just a few of the amenities provided at Buddha Retreat Hotel. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi, and guests can find other amenities, such as a bar and a conference centre.
You'll also enjoy the following perks during your stay:
  • An outdoor pool with sunloungers
  • Free self-parking
  • Breakfast (surcharge), a nature reserve and coworking spaces
  • A front desk safe, tour/ticket information and a 24-hour front desk
Room features
All guest rooms at Buddha Retreat Hotel have comforts, such as air conditioning, in addition to
Extra amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with showers
  • Travel cots and daily housekeeping

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking and van parking available

Food and drink

  • Daily breakfast to-go available 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee: USD 6.50 to 12 for adults and USD 6.50 to 12.50 for children
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant
  • Snack bar/deli

Family friendly

  • Outdoor pool
  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
  • Snack bar/deli
  • Travel cot

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Business services

  • Conference centre (700 square foot of space)
  • Coworking space

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • In a nature reserve
  • On the beach
  • Pool loungers
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • 4 accessible parking spaces
  • Fixed shower seat
  • Front entrance ramp
  • No lift
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible business centre
  • Wheelchair-accessible concierge desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk (60 centimetre high)
  • Wheelchair-accessible van parking

More

  • Designated smoking areas

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)

Bathroom

  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

More

  • Air conditioning

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 1:00 PM; check-in end time: anytime
Early check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Late check-out subject to availability

Special check-in instructions

Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staff will greet guests on arrival
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 25.0 per night.
Cots (infant beds) are not available

Payment types at the property

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for to-go breakfast: approximately USD 6.50 to 12.00 for adults and USD 6.50 to 12.50 for children
  • Rollaway bed fee: USD 25.0 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts

Property is also known as

Buddha San Juanillo
Hotel Buddha San Juanillo
Buddha Retreat Hotel Hotel
Buddha Retreat Hotel Cuajiniquil
Buddha Retreat Hotel Hotel Cuajiniquil

Frequently asked questions

Does Buddha Retreat Hotel have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is Buddha Retreat Hotel pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Buddha Retreat Hotel?

Self-parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at Buddha Retreat Hotel?

Check-in start time: 1:00 PM; check-in end time: anytime.

What time is check-out at Buddha Retreat Hotel?

Checkout is at 11 AM.

Where is Buddha Retreat Hotel located?

Nestled on the beach, this Cuajiniquil hotel is within 2 mi (3 km) of San Juanillo Beach, Playa Cocal and Playa Pleito. Playa Ostional is 2.3 mi (3.7 km) away.

Buddha Retreat Hotel Reviews

Reviews

6.2
Rating 10 - Excellent. 1 out of 13 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 6 out of 13 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 13 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 13 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 13 reviews" "

7.4/10

Cleanliness

7.8/10

Staff & service

6.8/10

Amenities

6.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Angelina

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great Place to stay near the beach! Tasty food and good service! Definitely will be back!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

2/10 Terrible

Edgar

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

4/10 Poor

Jorge

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Truly an experience not to repeat. I consider that it was not a real hotel, because there was no real reception, only a person in charge of giving you the keys and from there, you never have contact with anyone responsible again. The condition of the room is far from what is seen in the photos. - I booked a king bed room and got a regular double. - The a/c didn't cool enough, it made a lot of noise, as did the ceiling fan. - There were constant water and electricity cuts, even one of almost 3 hours that made us spend a terrible night. - The pool had a regulation of use until 10:00 p.m., however at midnight there were people in it who even played music with a very high volume and you could not sleep. In short, much to improve for this supposed hotel.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

2/10 Terrible

Alice

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Staff & service
Not quite there yet. Pros: beautiful modern quiet room JoseLyn is nice, smiling and helpful. Great communication Cons: We were charged once we had book through Expedia. Turned out out that it came up double the price. Says it’s on the beach, know that it is about a 5 minute walk. The hotel is in town. Wiffs of dumpster or garbage near wall in pool area... No big deal. I had to clean the pool twice, filter was off most of the time we were there. We had an awkward experience checking in -like we were unexpected. We concluded that San Juanillo is a developing town. The Buddha is trying to bring it upwards, but is charging you as if it were already there. Don’t get me wrong the room is great, but the whole experience is not worth the steep price. Included breakfast is a joke (1 or 2 toasts and 2 eggs) compared to what is offered everywhere in Costa Rica (fruits, eggs, rice beans, plantain...) You want a handful of beans? $4 extra! We ended up eating at Soda Las Brisas del Mar. Great food, Tico owned and great prices.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Pros: location, restaurant on site, staff support, A/c, wireless, pool Cons: breakfast is included but is just one every day, rooms need more bed options for families
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel was nice , rooms clean , area very well manicured with a pool . Has an attached restaurant and the food was very good , even vegan selection. 1 block from the beach . Was a pleasent stay
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018

8/10 Good

Klemen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

8/10 Good

Mike, Orlando, FL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A very pleasant surprise!
We booked our trip to Costa Rica at the last minute and this was the only hotel with rooms available on the entire west coast. With no previous reviews, we were a bit concerned, but very pleasantly surprised! Hotel Buddha has been open for less than two months and is located in the delightful village of San Juanillo. The staff are very friendly, the rooms clean and comfortable (with both overhead fans and air conditioning), the pool inviting, and the restaurant quite reasonable with superb food. A beautiful beach is just a short walk away and appears to be very popular with local Costa Ricans. You can hire horses for riding on the beach, go fishing, or swim and snorkel. It is clearly off the beaten path with few tourists around. We stayed two nights, including New Year's Eve, and were treated to hometown fireworks. It is a dirt road most of the way down Route 160 with several streams to cross. A 4WD car is a must. The Ostional National Wildlife Refuge is 20 minutes south and well worth a nighttime visit! We saw 20-25 turtles laying eggs on the beach during a two hour walk. The guide's office in Ostional is clearly marked. Arrive around 6 PM to reserve a spot for the 8:30 PM walk ($10 per person). If you want elegant hotels, shops, and restaurants, head to Nosara, 45 minutes down the coast on Route 160 (this is the closest gas station by the way). Hotel Buddha is perfect if you want a true Costa Rican experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

8/10 Good

patricia

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Hôtel très mignon où nous avons passés qu’une nuit. La chambre était confortable et la douche chaude. Nous avions accès à la piscine et il y avait un parking sécurisé aussi. La plage est à côté dans une petite baie où l’on peut admirer les petits poissons et se baigner tranquillement loin des surfeurs.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

2/10 Terrible

Albert

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Expert in hospitality tries to scam
We arrived to the hotel to find that the owner had received a booking just for two people. I politely clarified that if that was the case, we would happily honour extra beds, but I would first check with hotels.com. The owner claimed he didn't work with hotels.com, showed very little empathy to figure out the issue while he clarified he was from California, and had traveled the world a lot, knew a lot about how the world works. I'm still trying to figure out why he thought this was relevant to me. He first attempted to charge us for the extra beds (+15% cost). After I proved him that our booking included free extra beds and breakfast, he literally told us to leave the hotel and figure out how to get a refund. He reacted emotionally claiming we had been disrespectful to him. While we were looking for a new hotel on 30/12 lunch time in the area, he decided to provide one extra bed (not two, as our booking made him). Again, claimed that he didn't work with Hotels.com, ONLY expedia, which is not true as I've seen his hotel in multiple platforms. This was a clear attempt to not honor his commitment. After this, everything else was trouble. Thousands of mosquitoes in our room, we ask for help: and he clarifies we are in the jungle. Thanks for the info. 5 cars parked behind ours and we couldn't move the car on time: he asks us to pay the dinner bill before he moves the cars. A real crook. Good luck building up a business, Californian expert.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Patricia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2018