A stay at Costa Rica's Fiesta Hotel
Back in 1996 on a freighter trip down the Pacific coast, the captain of the MV Widukind took five of us passengers ashore at Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, to while the day away as the ship was being loaded and unloaded. We went to the resort Fiesta Hotel (Apostado Postal 171-5400, El Roble, Puntarenas, Costa Rica; phone 506 663-0808, fax 506 663-1516 or visit www.fiestaresort.com), which impressed us greatly with lots of activities going on for the hotel guests, both children and adults. We were impressed enough to consider returning.
Fast forward to 2002, the year of our golden wedding anniversary. We thought it would be a nice idea to spend it at the Fiesta Hotel, inviting our four children and their spouses and children to share it with us. Because the resort is “all inclusive,” with all meals, unlimited refreshments (including local alcoholic beverages), equipment, activities and tips covered in a single price, we didn’t expect to be impoverished by it and agreed to make it our treat (actually, we are just spending their money).
Much to my surprise, each of the children said they would join us for the full 10 days! That made 17 of us: four of our children, four of their spouses, ages 47 to 52, and seven grandchildren, ages four, six, nine, 12, 14, 16 and 19.
Everything was booked for Dec. 5-16, ’02, and we flew American Airlines to Dallas/Fort Worth, where we all met for our American Airlines flight to San José, the capital of Costa Rica.
We stayed overnight at the 4-star Costa Rica Marriott Hotel (www.marriott.com) and were picked up the next morning by a driver and guide in an 18-passenger van from Destination Costa Rica Travel Services (phone 011 506 257-5700 or fax 011 506 257-5717) for the 2- to 3-hour drive from the high central valley down to the coast.
The premium coffee-growing Central Valley, although in the tropics, has a very agreeable climate similar to coastal Southern California, but the seasons seem to be reversed. Our early morning sweaters and jackets were shed aboard the van and not donned again until we were back in the highlands.
The country is dominated in the north by its 11 volcanoes, of which several are active, and dominated in the south by a granitic range of mountains. It has both tropical dry forests and tropical rainforests. The flat plains on the east coast get more rain and are somewhat warmer and more humid than the more mountainous west coast.
We arrived at the resort before check-in time but, nevertheless, were immediately accommodated. The large weekend crowds had not yet arrived.
Then we surveyed the facilities. In addition to the stage for the nightly floor shows and casino, we found three very large free-form swimming pools: one for adults, quite sedate and quiet; one for water sports, basketball, volleyball and polo, and one of various depths for toddlers and little kids to splash around in.
There were two adult restaurants for dining: La Firenza, featuring Italian cuisine, and, at the beach, Caña Brava, which featured seafood. An informal cafeteria-style semioutdoor restaurant, Calypso, featured succulent, cooked-to-order specialties that changed each night. A fast-food kiosk near the swimming pool and volleyball court, Pelicano, featured burgers, pizza, nachos, hot dogs, beer and soft drinks. In addition to the spacious main bar, there was a disco, The 19th Hole, and a swim-up bar.
Other popular activities available were boogie-boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing, tennis, volleyball, soccer, shuffleboard, ping-pong, miniature golf, aerobics classes, dance classes and a kids’ club with video and other games.
Guests ranged in age from babes in arms to old codgers. There was a dedicated kids’ activities director who charmed the little ones as surely as had the Pied Piper of Hamlin. They followed him everywhere and were very well behaved.
Our unanimous opinion is that the Fiesta Hotel is fabulous. Aside from two or three American couples, a similar number of Brits and several Germans, the remainder of the 300 to 400 guests were Ticos (as the Costa Ricans refer to themselves). The facilities were beautiful and the service left nothing to be desired.
Security was unobtrusive though vigilant around the pool and surf areas. Motion detectors were noticed in each room and in the hallways. The grounds were continually policed for trash and other refuse so that the resort was kept immaculate. And we were pleased that not one of us suffered any gastric distress whatsoever.
Also on site were a gift shop, cybercafé tourist center, transportation desk and an excursion director who arranged our outing to the Carara National Park rainforest canopy, river cruises (featuring iguanas, crocodiles, many herons, monkeys, coatis and a roseate spoonbill), a visit to volcanoes, fishing, paragliding, scuba diving and other water sports and horseback riding through the forest and surf, all of which required special fees.
When the date of our anniversary came around, we were treated to an hors d’oeuvres party put on by the management at the Sunset Bar on the pier. It was a nice (and appreciated) gesture.
For our family members, expenses per head (except for the excursions mentioned) averaged $551, round-trip airfare; $120, Marriott Hotel (two days, including meals); $762, Fiesta Resort (10 days), and $17.50 in exit taxes (cash only, dollars or colones).
— SKIP PREMO, Springville, CA