Costa Rica Luxury Resort Rental Reviews

It is only through the hard work of our talented staff that we are able to provide the quality and consistency to produce the responses we regularly receive from our guest form all over the world. We want to acknowledge and thank them for their continuing efforts.

“AMAZING” Abby…April 2013

We went to stay at the castle with a group of 10 people. We had such an amazing stay. We stayed for over a week. From the moment we landed at the airport we felt very accommodated by the castle and staff. There were so many activities at the castle. We would wake up and play tennis then use the pool to swim or start up a game of water volleyball with friends. There was also a separate pool near by which had a really fun water slide for any age. The castle also had a chipping green, giant chess game, and a hot tub. It was beautiful to sit and relax as well as swim up to the bar to be waited on by such wonderful, respectful, and helpful staff. They are there to ensure you have a great stay! The food was superb. Presentation and taste was impeccable. Every meal was fresh and enjoyable. The staff was very flexible with time and place with meals inside the castle. The staff recommended taking a trip the beach, zip line in the forest, and a crocodile tour. All were excellent recommendations and would recommend anyone else to do the same things. However, there are more activities outside the castle in which you can do! Overall, I am definitely coming back to the castle. Not only is there so many activities and the staff was wonderful, our stay had great value for our money spent. Well worth every cent!

“More than “The Most Relaxing 4 Days You Will Ever Have”” DanS March 2013

First let me share with you that the best way to book this wonderful property is directly with the owners as we did. This privately owned estate is managed flawlessly by Mr. Henry “Hank” Denzler; who made sure from our first inquiry that our visit would be exceptional. I am confident that we got a lot of additional value from going direct to “Hank” rather than booking through a property broker-listing agent.

We arrived at San Jose Int’l a little after noontime and emerged from customs to be greeted by Hank who had us loaded into the Castillo vans and on our way. It should be noted that Hank will arrange the commute by helicopter to the estate’s helipad if you prefer.

We drove up the winding road to the front gate which opened to reveal El Castillo de Esparza which as you can see from the photographs is magnificent and really more impressive in person. Anna, the head of staff, opened the front door leading into the grand foyer where the entire staff of 10 were assembled to greet and welcome us with tall glasses of rum punch. Not a bad start to what was going to be a great 5 day retreat for 7 guys looking to escape and recharge.

Our group hails from across the USA and Europe. We are blessed with wives who encourage what we like to refer to as “The Global Economic Conference” – a considerably more exclusive confab than Davos or G20. The El Castillo de Esparza is easy for all of to reach with direct connections into San Jose from many hubs in the states.

After settling into our rooms – with 10 bedroom/suites spread through the main house and guest cottages, there is plenty of choice; we convened cocktail hour at the swim-up bar. The bartender and head waiter, Joshua, is quick to learn your preferences and invisibly attendant to your needs. Relaxing at the pool we began solving the global economic conundrum in earnest – the conference had begun!

At around 5PM we showered up and headed to the game room located on the open mezzanine in the main house to shoot a game of pool and enjoy Chef Minor’s hors d’oeuvre offering. Dinner is served on the main outdoor portico deck looking out across the bay toward the bright orange setting sun.

The food served at El Castillo de Esparza is all delicious owing to both Chef Minor’s knowledge of local sources of fresh everything! And his skills in the state-of-the-art kitchen which he is happy to show off, if asked; make every meal a culinary joy. In the course of our visit we enjoyed numerous seafood dinners, local beef, incredible salads, grilled veggies, chilled soups and amazing desserts. Breakfast menu starts with fresh local fruit, strong Costa Rican coffee followed by whatever you ask the kitchen to prepare. Lunch is served in the comfortable poolside “restaurant” which is big enough to invite your 30 best friends over to. So, suffice to say we all have nothing but great things to say about Chef Minor and his varied menu offerings – all delicious. That said, having a top to bottom friendly staff who work hard, have a great attitude and really enjoy extending the hospitality of the house to visitors is a huge plus!

Costa Rica is full of great opportunities for excursions to see jungles, alligators, big surf, zip lines, volcanos, deep-sea fishing, monkey tours and Cuban cigars. Here is where Hank can be of immeasurable assistance. When we booked our visit he inquired as to what off-property activities we would be interested in booking. We had a couple of ideas but he had a wealth of additional suggestions from which we selected a day of fishing and visit to the volcano. All of our side trips went off flawlessly and were huge successes.

I am writing this review on behalf of the entire “Conference”. We had a great time; came back relaxed and are looking forward to returning to El Castillo de Esparza. Also thinking about booking a big family reunion because I know all the in-laws and their brood will love it – tennis, on-property chip and putt, basketball court and the most exhilarating water slide I have ever been down. Great location, great staff, incredible property, daily perfect weather and gourmet food. Enough said. Did I mention messages and piano recital by a member of the national academy? OK enough.

“Amazing Getaway” Bill Tasha January 2013

El Castillo is amazing. From the minute we arrived, we were greeted with champagne and fabulous hor d’ouvres. The staff was attentive and helped us plan an amazing week. We went zip lining, croc tours and beach and saw crazy wildlife – the monkeys were the highlight.

The resort has a private pool and hot tub which is great if you just want to spend the day relaxing. We were even presented with lunch in the pool side patio. After lunch, we needed some exercise so we would venture to the waterslide.

There was never a lack of activities. One of our favorite parts of the day was having cocktails on the veranda as the sunset overlooking the ocean.

Can’t wait to come back!!

“An Oasis for Family and Friends” PearlTrav March 2013

We needed a place for 4 families to get away for a week for fun and adventure. The castle worked perfectly for this purpose. The environment is such that the children could run around and play without concern, leaving the adults to enjoy the golf greens, tennis, and poolside cocktails. Also the buildings and property is absolutely gorgeous. An amazing paradise in an amazing place.

The location is great for day excursions to both the beach and rain forest. Allowing us activities such as deep sea fishing, and hiking and ATVing in the jungle.

The perfect location to relax as well as see the sights of Costa Rica.

“Private Paradise” DonaldM March 2013

If you’re looking for a private getaway with a large group of family/friends, you should seriously consider the Castillo de Esparza in Costa Rica. This is a small private estate with great staff, service and amenities that rival the best hotels. The best part is you have complete access to the estate for up to 20 guests with a full staff and you make your own schedule – when to have breakfast, lunch, cocktails and hor d’ouvres, dinner, where to go outside the Castillo, or just stay poolside; have a massage, play tennis, use the water slide, jacuzzi…you decide. I’ve visited the Castillo many times over the years and i always look forward to returning. Enjoy!

“Beautiful Grounds, Amazing Staff, Phenomenal Food” ChrisBore May 2013

Our visit to El Castillo was an unforgettable experience from the moment we stepped foot off the plane. What makes El Castillo special is not only the ornate and meticulously decorated spaces, but the staff who works there. During our entire trip of seven days, the staff would drop everything and make accommodations to take us on our choice of excursions, even at the last minute. Everyone truly goes the extra mile to make your stay unforgettable. The drinks, the incredible food, the music, the company…they truly exceeded any expectations we had prior to our trip. The key is that the staff is detail-oriented. From the moment you awake, your curtains are drawn and fresh sheets are on the bed. Every morning a gorgeous breakfast would be waiting for us on the beautiful terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the day, they oblige at any moment to make you a snack (we highly recommend the guacamole) or an alcoholic beverage. The dinners prepared by Chef Minor were absolutely phenomenal, consisting of three courses. We highly recommend Minor’s famous azteca Soup, as it was unforgettable. As night falls, the bed is subsequently turned down and the curtains drawn. Day after day, no detail was looked over.

Not only are there several activities to keep you busy outside the castle (eg. Crocodile River Tours, exploring the Monkey Beach, Volcano view, etc.), but there are so many activities to do at the property. We could have spent all day playing volleyball in the pool, challenging each other to tennis tournaments, playing cards on the veranda, learning to play pool with a gorgeous view of the terrace framing the experience, or selecting a movie from hundreds of choices available in the home theater room.

El Castillo de Esparza is a true gem in the heart of Costa Rican activity. We will never forget the experience or the friends that we made on our celebratory adventure.

Comments from our Guests:
“…This visit was a great success and the fact that he stayed at El Castillo was the key for making the client feel very comfortable. Thank you for all the efforts done by everyone, even due to the last minute call for the reservation.”

1/22/2013
“…When I sent out an email to the children/grandchildren about who is coming and when, I got 100% participation and all for the entire stay! Quite a testament to the great time we had on our first visit. We looked at a number of other places for this “once in a life time” (well maybe twice) vacation and nothing can come close.”

1/22/2013
“…I should say thank you to you and the staff for making this the best family vacation we’ve had. Your attention to detail made all the difference.”

1/5/2012
“…Thank you again for a wonderful week!!! Our time there was a most enjoyable and memorable experience. Please extend our most sincere heartfelt thanks to all. Again, the beauty of the property was only exceeded by the charm and attentiveness of the entire staff. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Merry Christmas & Many Thanks to all.”

12/24/2011
“…We hope you are all doing well there in wonderful Costa Rica. We missed your wonderful locale once we came home to all of the cold and snow! Please give our hellos to everyone. We had a wonderful time while we were there, and all of you made it a fantastic experience.”

2/13/2011
“…We have not stopped talking about our vacation to El Castillo since we visited almost 2 years ago, dreaming to come back one day. This brought us to the decision to have it at its full this year again. We are thrilled to be coming back finally!”

1/21/2011
“…The staff was excellent – an incredible job in selecting and training. They were so attentive to our needs and were not put off by my mother-in-law’s less than happy demeanor. My only complaint is that we had too much food! We truly could have managed with half the portions served, but we loved Minor’s creativity and everything looked so delicious that we couldn’t help but try and eat it all. Josue was terrific and I think the kids miss him most of all – he was so pleasant and on top of all our requests for pina coladas and daiquiris…nothing was too much for him, although he wisely deferred to you on the Caesars! The home was immaculately kept, thanks to Paola and Magalli – they had such terrific smiles and were so helpful. And of course you, Henry, leading the pack by example – nothing too small or too big a request.”

1/5/2011
“…A quick note to thank you very much for last week. We had a wonderful time and we love El Castillo. As ever
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