Hotel La Finisterra

Driving up the winding road to Hotel La Finisterra feels like driving into the sky. As the road bends and curves uphill, the view from the rearview mirror keeps getting better and better. Once at the top, Hotel La Finisterra sits like a king overlooking his empire. Unfortunately, that impression doesn’t extend too far past the exterior facade. The hotel’s bright orange exterior gives way to a nondescript entryway, where the separation between reception and restaurant isn’t exactly clear. Past a small seating area is the hotel’s on-site restaurant and bar. The space offers sweeping ocean views, and is a spot where locals and guests come to hang out and have a few drinks. A laid-back, middle-aged crowd tends to dominate the scene here. Children are welcome, but you’ll hardly ever see them. A more family-friendly option is the nearby Hotel ManGaby. 

Perched on a steep hill overlooking the sleepy town of Playa Hermosa, Hotel La Finisterra offers sweeping vistas of the beach below. The hotel arguably has some of the best real estate in the area, but the location has one major catch: It’s a long, steep walk to and from the beach. However, guests who choose to take the 10- to 15-minute walk from the hotel to the beach will certainly be rewarded. Often lauded as one of the country’s most beautiful beaches, Playa Hermosa is recognized as a Blue Flag beach, which means it has achieved the highest standards of beauty, cleanliness, and accessibility in Costa Rica. But, besides the beach, there isn’t much to see or down in the town of Playa Hermosa. Guests looking for shops, restaurants, and bars should head to the touristy town of Playas del Coco about a 15-minute drive away. 

Liberia Airport is about 35 minutes from the hotel. Potential guests who will be driving to and from La Finisterra should note that roads in this part of Guanacaste aren’t the best. Major thoroughfares are generally well paved, but side streets like those leading to the hotel tend to be unpaved and riddled with potholes.   

Rooms are definitely not what lure guests to La Finisterra. With hodgepodge furniture, ill-fitting bedspreads, and odd mismatched artwork, rooms feel more like an afterthought than creatively decorated spaces. But besides the poor design scheme, rooms are also small and cramped. Beds feel too big for the spaces they occupy, and furniture seems to be placed wherever it will fit. In-room amenities include flat-screen TVs, alarm clocks, and full-length mirrors that may be hanging horizontally or vertically on the wall somewhere. 

Bathrooms are tiny, with pedestal sinks, glass-enclosed corner shower stalls, and a lone towel rack hanging over the toilet. Guests looking for more space might prefer a Junior Suite over a standard room. Suites are larger, and boast an extra special amenity (a mini-fridge!), but are otherwise not worth the upgrade. It should be noted that 10 out of the hotel’s 11 rooms are located on the second floor, and there is no elevator. The sole exception is the accessible room, which is located on the first floor, just off the lobby.   

If guests can look past La Finisterra’s not so amazing rooms, the hotel’s amenities are worth sticking around for. The small pool and patio area affords some of the best views in Playa Hermosa -- it overlooks the beautiful beach and the Papagayo Peninsula in the distance. The pool is tiny, but hardly ever crowded, and is surrounded by a few teak lounge chairs and cafe tables. There’s a small outdoor bar area as well, but it’s only open during the high season (December though April). Past the pool, the patio converges into a triangularly shaped lookout point, where the astounding view is made all the better by the custom rockers just waiting to be sat in. 

The hotel’s on-site restaurant serves dinner every night of the week. The indoor space is equipped with a small bar and a handful of tables and chairs. From any angle, the room’s giant windows provide fantastic ocean views. The restaurant is a popular spot for locals and guests alike -- especially when it’s raining, as it’s one of few completely indoor restaurants in the area. 

As far as freebies are concerned, the hotel offers free parking and Wi-Fi for all guests. Unlike many hotels in the area, breakfast -- which is typically served on the pool patio -- is not included in the room rate.