Relaxation at its Best!

Costa Rica is known for its ecotourism and nature adventures. Since I am more of a spa and sit by the pool type of girl, I was hoping to see another side of this beautiful country during my visit. I chose the Pacific Coast because I heard about the small beach communities and yoga properties throughout the Guanacaste Province. I ended up choosing a small boutique hotel called the Harmony Hotel.

The property is set within the natural landscape of Nosara, a small beach community a few hours drive from the Liberia Airport. It is the perfect escape from the daily grind of city life. The hotel focuses on sustainable tourism and environmental practices and works to make guests more aware of the environmental impacts of travel. They offer a daily sustainability tour where guests can see the inner workings of the property to support their environmental initiatives. They recycle, have a salt water pool rather than chlorine, and use organic products and food throughout the property. If that wasn’t enough, they also sponsor beach clean-ups and allow guests to off-set their stay by donating to a tree planting organization.

But this doesn’t even begin to cover the stay at the property. I had one of the most restful nights in months my first night at the hotel. The bed linens are super comfy and even though there is no television, the bed instantly makes you relax and fall asleep. It is also the perfect place to catch up on your “me” time with a good book on your own personal patio. Rest on the hammock and read that latest novel you never have the time to read.

Still not relaxed? Why not get a massage at the Healing Centre. Once again the property provides the best in services. Using natural products the masseuse will work away every tension imaginable with their signature spa. Once it is over you should be ready to take on the rest of the vacation. The Healing Centre is also the place to get centered with daily yoga. It is also a great place to interact with members of the Nosara community. Harmony Hotel offers the only spanish language yoga in the city, allowing locals and guests to interact.

Of course you must be hungry by now. The restaurant on the property will keep you well fed and truly satisfied all day long. From the juice bar with its cold food and natural smoothies and juices, to the fish dishes, sandwiches and breakfast items in the main restaurant. Even dessert provides mouth watering choices. There is a bar on the property so you can also mix the wonderful drinks with the cocktail of your choice. The Tamarind Fizz, a mix of ginger, lime, sugar and tamarind was a staple throughout my entire stay. With the open lobby area and free wi-fi you also can enjoy the refreshing juice drink while chatting and emailing your very jealous friends back home.

For a day at the beach it is just a short walk steps from the hotel. With beautiful sunshine this beach is a great place for surfing and sunning. Another way to relax in this beautiful area.

Needless to say I ended my few days at this lovely hotel rejuvenated and very relaxed. Sad to go home I was energized from my time to face my life back home. But I will definitely return to this oasis of tranquility near the sea.

Harmony Hotel
www.harmonynosara.com

W Dallas

Video of highlights of the area around the W Dallas at night.

Recently Renovated is a Relative Term…

I now truly understand that you can take a theme too far. It is not reserved for Mother’s at their children’s birthday parties or for wedding planners that just must have everything covered in pink for an upcoming nuptial. The Luxor has also joined their ranks in letting their decorator loose with every imaginable item related to Egypt, pyramids, pharaoh, or the Nile.

We chose the Tower rooms because they were “recently renovated” and offered additional square footage. This we figured would be important to Escape Together readers who travel in groups and would want newer rooms with a lot of space. As we traveled through the maze of the large casino hotel to our rooms we couldn’t help but notice the random pictures of Cleopatra or Egyptian kings framed on the walls. If they had been nice pictures it might have been a nice addition to the theme but they were tacky dollar store photos that were thrown into even tackier frames. This should have been our first warning of what was to come… Read more

Review of Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk

Hotel: 

After arriving after midnight we were greeted at the hotel by Justin at the front desk. He was very friendly and nice and we quickly were checked in and on our way to our room. Unfortunately, though the lobby is very nice and spacious do not get your hopes up, the rooms are very different. The beds seem to be on the newer side but the dirty carpet and older bathroom make the room seem dingy. Many of the travelers in our group complained of weird smells, non working light fixtures, and even a dirty bathroom. The beds though large with newer mattresses had three very small pillows. Luckily there were extra pillows in the closet. The rooms have a portable phone allowing you to walk around and talk on the phone. The hotel offers free wireless internet access but unfortunately the network is not secured and the data over the network is not encrypted. For individuals that are unsure of the security there is also free internet access right next to the front desk in the lobby.  One other problem in the hotel is the lack of signage. The lower floor is very maze like and finding your way to and from the restroom can be a bit of a challenge. Also the wake-up calls are inconsistent so if you have an important meeting or early morning flight have a back-up method to wake you in the morning. The hotel offers a diverse channel selection and the Wyndham By Request program is one of the best hotel reward programs. Regardless of status or how often you stay at Wyndham’s all members receive a welcome drink and snack of their choice waiting in their room upon arrival.

Restaurant:

I have never in my life received such horrible service in a hotel restaurant. The serving staff paid no attention to details and was extremely slow. One group waited over 20 minutes for a menu before giving up and leaving. As a diet soda drinker, I often order a lime or lemon with my Diet Cola. I am still waiting for the lemon I asked for 5 times. Our diverse order of entrees took over 45 minutes to arrive to our table and included the spinach and chicken quesadillas, burgers, and a southwest salad. Unfortunately, though the burgers were requested to be cooked medium well to well done all were served extremely rare with both having middles of uncooked hamburger meat.  The Quesadillas were good served in a tomato basil tortilla with chips and salsa on the side. There are several other restaurants in walking distance (see our review of b.b.’s) so if possible eat somewhere else. 

Overall Review: Hotel has some great things (free wireless internet, friendly hotel staff, Wyndham by Request Program) but the overall experience was not the best. Hotel restaurant avoid if possible.