Hotel Shawandha Lodge

Doing it right -- and with flair

This is a lovely Tahitian-style facility where our bungalow made us feel as though we were alone in a wonderful tropical garden. The bungalow did not have air conditioning, but the 18-foot thatched roof with huge screens up top and, indeed, all around (even the shower) AND a great ceiling fan kept temperatures comfortable, even chilly in the early a.m. There's no hot water, either, but beautiful, artistic tile mosaics, gorgeous woods and fabrics and the good taste evident everywhere lessens the chill. Our bungalow had a lovely covered porch with comfortable couch and hammock, and our view was of a towering tree with trunk diameter of 15-20 feet. Flowers and well tended concrete paths abound, including a gated path that leads across the road and through a wood to the beach (Few accommodations in Puerto Viejo are on the beach). The hotel reception and restaurant are equally beautiful and the food, although a bit pricey, is excellent -- including the free breakfast that features magnificent fruits, pastries, scrambled eggs, fabulous coffee, etc. Service is polished and attentive and comfortable. Table flowers are always lovely, and the staff puts flowers to good use on serving plates as well. Good taste, good design, lovely stone and wood, sculptures -- it all adds up to a most pleasing environment. There's a bit of evidence that it's time for small repairs on the bungalows, but nothing -- not even cold showers and no AC -- can detract from the positives. And it's worlds apart from most Puerto Viejo accommodations, many of which deserve a nightmare rating.

Unique Quality: The tiled bathrooms are unlike anything you're likely to see in most moderately priced facilities. Indeed, the only comparable tile work we've seen is in several hotels in Paris and, maybe this is no surprise, this lodge's mosaics were the work of a Frenchman, who signed his work. The work is imaginative and delightful -- and helps assuage the pain of cold water showers.