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Vista Ballena

3.5 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Vista Ballena

Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; Mediterranean cuisine
Outdoor pool, pool loungers
Aerial view
Exterior
Outdoor wedding area

Reviews

8.4 out of 10

Very good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Room service
  • Breakfast included
  • Pool
  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry

Explore the area

Map
17 KM al sur de Playa Dominical, sobre la Costanera, Jardines del Morete, Ballena, Puntarenas, 60504
  • Catarata uvita
    6 min drive
  • Secret Lau Pool
    6 min drive
  • Beehive
    19 min walk
  • Buenos Aires (BAI)
    97 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Superior Double Room

Superior Double Room

Superior Double Room

  • 18 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for Deluxe Room

Deluxe Room

Deluxe Room

  • 18 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Standard Room

Premium bedding, minibar, desk, free WiFi

Standard Room

  • 18 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Twin Bed

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About the area

Ballena

Located in Ballena, Vista Ballena is within a 10-minute drive of Catarata uvita and Marino Ballena National Park. .This inn is 2.3 mi (3.8 km) from Playa Hermosa and 3.3 mi (5.3 km) from Uvita Beach.
View more Inns in BallenaOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Catarata uvita - 6 min drive
  • Secret Lau Pool - 6 min drive
  • Marino Ballena National Park - 9 min drive
  • Uvita Beach - 11 min drive
  • Playa Hermosa - 13 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Pizzeria La Fogata - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Scala - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Sibu - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Pizza Time - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Restaurante Marino Ballena - ‬4 min drive

About this property

Vista Ballena

Inn with free breakfast, near Catarata uvita
Vista Ballena offers 20 air-conditioned accommodations with minibars and coffee/tea makers. Rooms open to balconies. Beds feature premium bedding. Flat-screen televisions come with cable channels.

Bathrooms include showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. This Ballena inn provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is provided daily.

An outdoor pool and a children's pool are on site.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Make yourself at home in one of the 20 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars and flat-screen televisions. Rooms have private balconies. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Pamper yourself with onsite massages or enjoy recreation amenities such as an outdoor pool. Additional amenities at this inn include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and wedding services.
Satisfy your appetite for lunch or dinner at the inn's restaurant, or stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours). Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served daily from 7 AM to 9:30 AM.
Featured amenities include multilingual staff, laundry facilities, and a safe deposit box at the front desk. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours), and free valet parking is available onsite.
A complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served each morning between 7 AM and 9:30 AM.
Onsite venue - This restaurant specializes in Mediterranean cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and public transport

  • Free self-parking on site
  • Free valet parking on site
  • 24-hour return airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Airport shuttle on request

Food and drink

  • Free cooked-to-order breakfast available daily 7 AM–9:30 AM
  • 1 restaurant
  • 1 bar
  • Room service available

Things to do

  • Children's pool
  • Ecotours
  • Outdoor pool

Family friendly

  • Children's pool
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Snack bar/deli

Conveniences

  • Front-desk safe

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Laundry facilities
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour/ticket assistance
  • Wedding services

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Picnic area
  • Pool sunloungers
  • Terrace

Spa

  • Massages

Accessibility

  • This property does not have any lifts

More

  • Mosquito nets
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hairdryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels

Entertainment

  • TV channels
  • Flat-screen TV

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Minibar

More

  • Desk

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Late check-out subject to availability
Late check-out fee: USD 20

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
The front desk is open daily from 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Airport shuttle fee: USD 70 per person
  • Airport shuttle fee per child: USD 70
  • Late check-out fee: USD 20 (subject to availability)

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
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, and a first aid kit

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

Whales Dolphins Hotel Dominical
Vista Ballena Inn Dominical
Whales Dolphins Dominical
Vista Ballena Inn Uvita
Vista Ballena Inn
Vista Ballena Uvita
Whales & Dolphins Ecolodge Hotel Uvita
Vista Ballena Costa Rica/Uvita
Vista Ballena Inn
Vista Ballena Ballena
Vista Ballena Inn Ballena

Vista Ballena Reviews

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 46 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 35 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 9 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 98 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 98 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Carl, Escazu

Business traveller
Don’t throw toilet paper in the toilet but in the trash can? Ridiculous, that happened in Costa Ric sin the 1980s but not in 2024. The hotel is very outdated, and there is no parking near the rooms so you must walk in incredible amount of stairs. Not for older people or with bad lunch. The staff is incredibly helpful and the food is pretty decent. That makes up for a lot. The view at the pool, terrace, bar, and rooms is to die for.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Said Raffeeth

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Love this place!! Would definitely stay again
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Dennis

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel was a wonderful stop along the way from San Jose to Drake Bay. Hotel and pool were beautiful with amazing views toward the ocean. Staff was friendly and professional. Rooms were clean and well amenitized. Be ready for a rocky road up but well worth it. Perfect stop.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Carlos

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent place which very kind people and the most beautiful nature that you can imagine
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

RC

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Highly recommend for an enjoyable, tranquil stay with an owner and employees who are incredibly welcoming.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Hilary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024

8/10 Good

Edwin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The views were amazing, the food was delicious but the rooms were very outdated can use some remodeling and the road to the place is bad very steep not paved and not wide enough for two cars to pass...
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amy

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place to relax near the end of our visit
The view from the pool is amazing! We spent an entire day there. The view from the room patio was also nice. We saw lots of birds every day. Get ready for the stair master to get to and from your room. Our room had a sketchy hole in the ceiling above the shower and we had quite a few bugs in our room, but no big deal when you're in paradise. The bathroom was a lil small and dated, but we hardly spent any time in there. Drinks at the pool were reasonably-priced even thigh they didn't have any prices listed... food was on the more expensive side... so we just drank more. Really enjoyed our stay here overall and it was a great place to unwind before heading back home. I would stay here again!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Marvin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Alan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The view of the sunset
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

6/10 Okay

Jill

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Rooms are down several steep staircases from the tiny common area perched atop the hill. Aversive muzak played nonstop in the bar/restaurant area which permeated the whole place. Not a peaceful costa rican environment.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Molly

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had an amazing stay! The staff was friendly, the food was delicious, and the view is amazing!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

william

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Randall

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

Scott

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

6/10 Okay

wendy

Travelled with partner, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness
The view from the restaurant is breathtaking. The restaurant's food is delicious. But the room we stayed in, the toilet had issues. First, it had no cold water going into the bathroom sink, shower and toilet. The maintenance team resolved as the main line was turned off. Then the toilet was howling every time you flushed for 20 seconds. Sounded like you were at a sports arena with foghorns. They said it was trapped air in piped. The howling/screeching sound lasted the entire time we stayed (one/night). I explained and showed a video to the receptionist and she just gave me a blank stare and said that there is air in the pipes.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Zenon

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Villa Ballena is a tucked away gem. About 10 minutes up a narrow and steep road off Hwy 34 you end up a jungle setting. Edgar is bar/restaurant was fabulous
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Simon

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The morning coffee at the restaurant needs improvement. There are a lot of stairs. Nice pool.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Gary

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 15 nights in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Davina

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Everyone at Vista Ballena was welcoming and friendly the pool area/restaurant bar area was so relaxing. Definitely a must go to place!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Boris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing food, views and service. Nice clean rooms with a great view from the balconies. Will go back next time.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Connie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What a beautiful place and such a find! We absolutely loved this place. The common pool/dining/bar area was the highlight and is as gorgeous as all the photos. It has a two-level infinity pool that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, Uvita townsite below, the national marine park and is the best view of the Whale Tail Sandbar. The adjacent bar places great ambient grooves perfect for the place, has a great selection of drinks and same games to borrow if desired. Plenty of lounge chairs as well as tables/chairs if you want to eat, play games, etc. Restaurant offers a great mix of all sorts of dishes, and BIG portions. The rooms all offer the same beautiful view of the ocean and each has its own patio with table and chairs. Rooms are of a good size and the bathroom too. Mini fridge available. The only drawback to the rooms is no in-room safe. The road to get up to the property is STEEP and very narrow, and there are many, many stairs within the property, between the main restaurant/pool/reception area building and the two room buildings. We didn't even make it down to the lowest one to check out the yoga platform. There is some handicap parking available but I imagine that driving between main building and rooms would be the only way to get around.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022

6/10 Okay

Linda, Melbourne Beach

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I’ve stayed at Vista Ballena several times and always had a wonderful room and experience. This last time was not so good. All I can say is, do not accept a room on the bottom floor. Not only are they an extremely long hike up the stairs to the restaurant area, but the rooms are just not nice. Just a plain ugly room with 2 very uncomfortable double beds. I only had a sheet on my bed when I arrived - no bed cover. Just a blanket in the closet. Not good for the price you pay for a room there.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

8/10 Good

Donna

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022