Hotel Villas Gaia

3.0 star property
Beach hotel with 2 outdoor swimming pools and family fun
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Hotel Villas Gaia

2 outdoor pools
Standard Villa, 1 Bedroom
Beach nearby, beach shuttle
Property grounds
Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; international cuisine, garden views

Reviews

8.0 out of 10

Very good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Spa
  • Pool
  • Room service
  • Breakfast included
  • Pet-friendly

Explore the area

Map
35KM al Sur de Dominical, En playa de Osa, Ballena, Puntarenas
  • Playa Ballena
    1 min walk
  • Pinuela Beach
    6 min walk
  • Marino Ballena National Park
    2 min drive
  • Drake Bay (DRK)

Room options

Family Villa

Highlights

Furnished balcony
Separate dining area
Separate sitting area
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Free cots/infant beds
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
  • 72 sq m
  • Sleeps 8
  • 1 Double Bed and 3 Single Beds

Superior Villa, Garden View

Highlights

Furnished balcony
Separate sitting area
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Free cots/infant beds
Ceiling fan
Premium bedding
Select Comfort bed
  • 36.0 sq m
  • Partial ocean view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Single Bed

Standard Villa, 1 Bedroom

Highlights

Furnished balcony
Separate sitting area
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Free cots/infant beds
Premium bedding
Separate bedroom
Ceiling fan
  • 36 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Single Bed

Similar properties

About the area

Ballena

A family-friendly stay in Ballena awaits you at Hotel Villas Gaia. Within steps you'll find Playa Ballena and Pinuela Beach within a 10-minute stroll. Highlights at this beach hotel include 2 outdoor swimming pools, 2 bars/lounges and a restaurant. .The hotel's own poolside bar is a nice place to enjoy a drink. Enjoy the kids' swimming pool along with access to ecotours and hiking/biking trails. Additionally, you'll find free Wi-Fi in public areas, spa services and laundry facilities. Free local cuisine breakfast is available daily between 7 AM and 9 AM. There's also free self parking, along with the convenience of an airport shuttle. .With a stay at this 3-property class Ballena hotel, you'll be 2.3 km (1.4 mi) from Marino Ballena National Park and 3.4 km (2.1 mi) from Arco Beach.

What's nearby

  • Playa Ballena - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
  • Arco Beach - 2 min drive - 2.7 km
  • Ventanas Beach - 5 min drive - 4.1 km
  • Uvita Beach - 7 min drive - 7.4 km
  • Playa Tortuga - 10 min drive - 6.1 km

Restaurants

  • ‪Pizzeria La Fogata - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Restaurante Heliconia - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Sibu - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Pizza Time - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Restaurante Marino Ballena - ‬7 min drive

About this property

Hotel Villas Gaia

Beach hotel with 2 outdoor swimming pools and family fun
You'll be playing in the surf in no time with a ride on the hotel's beach shuttle (surcharge). Bring your whole family to Hotel Villas Gaia for summer fun including 2 outdoor swimming pools and a children's pool.

Free breakfast is served daily. There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at one of the bars, which include 2 bars/lounges and a poolside bar. Public spaces have free WiFi. This Art Deco hotel also offers a garden and a terrace. Free self parking is available.

This 3-star Ballena hotel is smoke free.

  • 1 floor
  • 14 guestrooms or units
  • 2 bars or lounges
  • Built in 1996
  • Local cuisine
  • Breakfast available (free)
  • Childcare (surcharge)
  • Dry cleaning
  • Self-service laundry
  • Staff members are multilingual
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Tour and ticket information
  • Concierge
  • Wedding services available
  • Library
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Newspapers in lobby (free)
  • No smoking on site
  • Bar by the pool
  • Dining venue
Hotel Villas Gaia offers 14 air-conditioned accommodations, which are accessible via exterior corridors, and features a safe and free toiletries. Rooms open to furnished balconies. This individually decorated accommodation has separate sitting areas. Select Comfort beds feature premium bedding. This Ballena hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Bathrooms include a shower. Housekeeping is offered on a daily basis and in-room massages can be requested. Cots/infant beds (complimentary) and Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge) are also available.
Guests can pamper themselves by indulging in the on-site spa services. Services include massages.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and transport

  • 24-hour return airport shuttle on request for a surcharge
  • Beach shuttle (surcharge)
  • Free self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Free local cuisine breakfast available daily 7 AM to 9 AM
  • 2 bars/lounges
  • A poolside bar
  • A restaurant

Family friendly

  • 2 outdoor pools
  • Babysitting (surcharge)
  • Children's pool
  • Free cot
  • Laundry facilities
  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)

Conveniences

  • Free newspapers in lobby
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Dry cleaning/laundry service
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Wedding services

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • In the mountains
  • Terrace

Spa

  • In-room massages

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel

More

  • 1 floor
  • Art Deco architecture
  • Built in 1996
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Free cot
  • Premium bedding
  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
  • Select Comfort mattress

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Limited room service

More

  • Access via exterior corridors
  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • Individual decor
  • Safe
  • Separate sitting area

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2 PM; check-in end time: 6:00 PM
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property

Pets

  • Pets are welcome and stay free

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are available for CRC 7000.0 per night.
  • Free cots (infant beds)!

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Airport shuttle fee: CRC 120000 per vehicle (return)
  • Airport shuttle fee per child: CRC 120000 (return)
  • Rollaway bed fee: CRC 7000.0 per night

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

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
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club and JCB International.

We should mention

  • Reservations are needed for massage services. For reservations, contact the hotel before arrival using the contact information on the booking confirmation.

Property is also known as

Hotel Villas Gaia
Hotel Villas Gaia Ballena
Villas Gaia Ballena
Villas Gaia
Hotel Villas Gaia Hotel
Hotel Villas Gaia Ballena
Hotel Villas Gaia Hotel Ballena

Frequently asked questions

What is the cancellation policy at Hotel Villas Gaia?

Hotel Villas Gaia offers free cancellation on select room rates. Check out the cancellation policy for more info.

Is parking available at Hotel Villas Gaia?

Yep, Hotel Villas Gaia has a free self car park.

Are there any beaches close to Hotel Villas Gaia?

Yep, Hotel Villas Gaia is a short 6-minute walk from Pinuela Beach. Fun beach activities include scuba diving, body boarding and kayaking.

Is there a spa on site at Hotel Villas Gaia?

There's no onsite spa, but this property does offer services like massages.

Does Hotel Villas Gaia have a pool?

Hotel Villas Gaia has 2 outdoor swimming pools and a kids' pool. Grab your bathers and lounge poolside while enjoying with a coldie from the bar.

What makes Hotel Villas Gaia a romantic place to stay?

Garden-view dining, plus comfy beds in the guestrooms, help set the scene for a romantic weekend at Hotel Villas Gaia.

Is Hotel Villas Gaia family-friendly?

You bet! With amenities such as a children's pool and children's meals, as well as free infant beds in the guestrooms, it's no surprise that Hotel Villas Gaia is a hit with families.

Does Hotel Villas Gaia serve breakfast?

You bet, free local cuisine brekkie is served daily from 7 AM to 9 AM.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at Hotel Villas Gaia?

No, but there's an airport shuttle that runs 24 hours a day on request for a fee.

Is there a bar or restaurant at Hotel Villas Gaia?

Yep, they've got a poolside bar and an onsite restaurant that serves international cuisine. Pre dinner cocktails anyone?

What time are check-in & check-out at Hotel Villas Gaia?

Check-in begins at 2 PM. Check-out time is noon.

Hotel Villas Gaia Reviews

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 36 out of 103 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 37 out of 103 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 103 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 103 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 6 out of 103 reviews" "

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

7.0/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Our villa was located at the front of the property and there is 24/7 noisy heaven truck traffic on the road not twenty yards away. Also the signs on the main road are tiny and easy to miss. Jose, the manager, was wonderfully accomodating and made up for any other deficits with his helpfulness.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

C

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great little hotel located on the main highway just outside Ojochal. Ambience was jungle perfect with a peekaboo view of the ocean. A good walk from the beach but no problem if you have a car. Truck noise at night was annoying at times. Restaurant and meals were excellent.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness
The propert consists of several different cottages spread throughout the property and offer a great deal of privacy. The staff was very friendly and helpful at the front desk and restaurant. However, the room was fairly dirty. There was a significant amount of mold in the shower and brown stains on the purportedly clean towells. While the floors looked like they had been swept, it also appeared as though it needed a good mopping. Needless to say i was very happy to only have stayed one night there.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great swimming pool!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Joshua

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
VILLA Gaia
The staff were always friendly and helpful. Jose at the front desk was a pleasure. The pool was fantastic with ocean views. The casita we were in was comfortable for the 4 of us, but the AC was super loud and only in one room. Running it kept my daughter from sleeping well, but we didn't really have a choice since the area is so hot and humid. The entrance door to the casita was beautiful, but really hard to lock. It felt a little insecure and left a huge gap when closed that allowed bugs in. The shower was great and hot, and the beds were comfy. All in all, and despite the little things in the room, our stay was enjoyable. I would recommend as an affordable and comfortable option close to Uvita.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Trip to Ojochal.
The place needs lots of repairs. We changed rooms twice. The staff was great. The owner needs to spend money. It's great for seeing monkeys and Toucans.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service
Disregarded my reservation and gave room away
This hotel had my reservation, but gave all their rooms away. When I arrived, they just said sorry we don't have any rooms left. Had to scramble to find a room in the area during very busy holiday season. Also, didn't even process a refund quickly.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Peacefull place, excellent place to relax and share with the family. Nice places around the hotel, like Uvita and Ventanas
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
It's a nice place, the first day we didn't got the room we booked and some stuff was damaged, but everything clean. The next day the woman from the staff was so kind and with the best attitude and change us from room where everything was perfect. Really nice place to stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Gustavo, San Jose

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location, nice and confort Hotel. Nice pool with great ocean views
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018

6/10 Okay

Ray, Minnesota

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The biggest issue was at night there would be cockroaches, lots of ants, and other insects in our room. Considering we were literally staying in the forest we couldn’t be too mad. We were a more adventurous group so we kept with our booking, but I know many people would have asked to change hotels. The location was farther out than we expected so we ended up renting a car. Car rental is a must for this location. The staff was wonderful and very kind. Breakfast each morning was a highlight. The pool was also a great amenity. Our WiFi barely worked in our room so we often just hung out in the community area in the evening.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Everyone was very nice and great service. The grounds were beautiful.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Ideal rainforest villa
Comfortable accommodation with lovely pool area with views to the sea. Lots of wildlife seen from the property
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2018

10/10 Excellent

Mary G., Boise, Idaho

Great place to settle for a few days
My husband and I stayed for 3 nights, and enjoyed the beautiful grounds, we especially enjoyed the terrace at sunset looking for wildlife. Toucans and monkeys were there to entertain us. The room had a nice deck to sit on! The staff was helpful and attentive!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

Melissa, Costa Rica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable villa with friendly staff
The hotel was a very nice jungle villa with a pool, comfortable rooms and good breakfast. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The location is ok if you are driving your own car as it is within 5-10 minutes of Ventanas, Piñuela and Uvita beaches. It is close to Tortuga beach.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

6/10 Okay

Randal, Seattle

Disliked: Room comfort
Nice place, but needs better management.
Cottage was in some disrepair: a/c problem, plumbing problem. Kitchenette completely un-equipped. Lighting poor, poorly located. Service spotty. Someone could make this into a great place. Beautiful pool!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Rachel, PA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful hotel, surrounded by pure beauty
The hotel was beautiful. Wonderful scenery, warm pool, helpful and kind staff, and so close to so many great things! Playa tortuga is not a swimming beach but was pretty to walk along.. no one for miles. We rented a car so we drove to nearby beaches (Ventana, Hermoso, Ballena). It is reasonably close to Corcovado, Manuel Antonio.. Near great waterfalls like El Pavon and Nayuayaca. The hotel is right next to the town Ojochal, "the culinary capital of Costa Rica". Great restaurants.. French, German, Canadian owned, etc. The hotel itself had great food too. Never ate lunch but dinner and breakfesr was great! If you are looking to see monkeys, you are in a great spot. Howler and white face monkeys come and go. They can be seen at morning and at night, sometimes in between. The only negative part of the hotel was that our door was not correctly on the hinges so it didn't close properly. Regardless I rate the hotel five stars!

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Old room, great restaurant
Friendly staff, room quite old, breakfast ok, dinner was amazing

8/10 Good

Robert, Ottawa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Nice individual villa. Some could be close to highway. Ask for one by pool. Closed to nature. Very good restaurant

6/10 Okay

Lee, Saskatoon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel - stay away from rooms near the road.
This hotel is quite nice, but has units near then road. These are excessively noisy as they are near the highway. Upon check in, we were told that we had to move to a different unit after our first night. The unit they put us in was meant for a family. It was dated and uncomfortable. The air conditioning didn't work properly and my husband and I had to sleep in the two single beds under the barely functioning air conditioner. Sleeping in the far back room in the Queen bed wasn't even an option. The door to the unit did not close all the way and there was a large gap between the sliding glass doors. We ended up stuffing our own beach blanket in there in an attempt to keep bugs and other critters from coming in. Having to move the next day was not enjoyable due to having to repack everything. The stay in the new unit was more enjoyable but left us with a bit of a negative opinion of this place.

10/10 Excellent

Tricia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel at good value
The hotel and the view of the ocean were beautiful. Nice pool and great food. Right by Osa Penninsula and easy drive to Manuel Antonio.

8/10 Good

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Carroll

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoyed all, the grounds and views and the food was spectacular!