"Our family of 10 stayed at the Kunken Hotel for 5 days. Here are my pros and cons: Pros: This is a stunning property, a small paradise in the middle of the jungle, where you are woken up by howler monkeys and birds. We saw scarlet macaws, toucans and many other birds, as well as howlers and coatis up close, which was a real treat. We all enjoyed the big pool and the short walk to the beach. The hotel staff at the property were all very nice and tried their best to accommodate our group. The rooms were spacious and clean. There were 2 bathrooms in each of the cottages. One shower contained plants to give you the feel of an outdoor shower. There were screens everywhere to keep the bugs out as well as it is possible in a tropical environment. Cons: The communication with the main office before we arrived at the hotel was unacceptable. When I would ask 4 questions, one was answered and many times the answer was very vague. Question: “How much do you charge for meals for the children”. Answer: “It depends on how much they eat.” Even when at the property, it took a while before I was told the price of meals for children. There also was no children’s menu and most of the food options were not suited for children. Also, I was not told any details of our pick-up at the P J airport despite several emails until I finally wrote a WhatsApp the day before we left and got an answer from one of the property managers, Estoban. Not stress that I needed the day before our travels. The second big con was the food. If we would have stayed for 2 days, we would have thought that it was okay but getting the exact same side dishes every single day with no change in menu for the whole 5 days was frustrating. Also, neither meat nor fish were usually well cooked. On our last day, 6 of us ordered well-done steaks (we learned that otherwise the meat would be almost raw), and only one was well done. The same meal was also not consistently done in the same fashion-chicken with passion fruit sauce came with the sauce on one day and no sauce the other day. The food is very expensive and for the price, we would have expected something different. Cocktails were also very expensive, but at least, they were good. It seems that there was a general lack of attention to detail at this hotel on several fronts. We did not mind that there was no air conditioning in the rooms and did not need a TV (which was in our room, not the other villas) but we felt that there should be at least a table and one or 2 chairs inside the room. Currently, there were chairs on the porch but inside the room you had to sit on the bed if you wanted to sit somewhere. The furniture at the pool was old and not all umbrellas were functional. Overall, this is a truly beautifully located property but improvements are needed to make this a place to which you would like to return."

"This resort is like no other that my husband and I have ever visited. After a fantastical boat ride through the mangroves into Drake Bay we debarked onto a private beach, meandered onto a perfectly manicured garden of jungle flora where we were greeted by Alonzo with a refreshing face cloth and hydration drinks. At the front desk, Albert and Liseth were delightful and debriefed us on the amenities and the property in general - which is a lush haven for some of Costa Rica’s most beloved animals i.e. Macaws, sloths, white-faced capuchin and howler monkeys. Now, to the rooms! The villas are gorgeous right down to the strategically placed artwork. Crisp white sheets, robe, slippers and coffee/tea amenities are all there. The restaurant: the food and selection of drinks - suffice to say it is comparable to Michelin experience — 3 x a day.! The chef along with Henry and his bar and restaurant crew — incredible. Oh, and if that’s not enough — there is food service from your lounger at the pool. But, who needs a pool when you can follow one of the curated paths that connect the villas, the restaurant, and reception area right into the perfect waters of Drake Bay. (We swam a mile every morning!) And when my husband and I weren’t eating and swimming, we were busy seeing the nearby wonders (the days fly by). Our trusted boat Captain Daniel, along with our very knowledgable tour guide, Anthony, took us all over including to the Corcovado National Preserve, we also visited Cano Island preserve to snorkle (this is a must). Anthony was terrific at spotting and identifying the sea life. If you’re feeling adventurous (be prepared with water and snacks), my girlfriend and I also went for an incredible seven mile hike along the coastline that turned out to be very, very fun - (we met all the locals like Enrique and Ban Ban!) Suffice to say Copa De Arbol was a dream vacation BUT … it’s truly the people (and it’s everyone there — I know I have forgotten some names - I’m sorry) who work at this resort, who genuinely live the PURA VIDA and go above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of — this is why we will go back. The place is fantastical and the people are incredible. Live your best life and enjoy the Copa De Arbol."