Reviews of Kunken Boutique Hotel 4 stars

The cabin was spacious and clean, lovely big comfy bed, great views, lovely gardens and we loved the seclusion and being immersed in the sounds of nature. The staff were great and couldn’t do enough for us. The whole area and the Gulf was totally unspoilt.

The property was close to the beach which unfortunately wasn’t a good beach for swimming but very quiet and nice to walk along and there is a good sized altho’ not very deep pool at Kunken.

Beautiful grounds and buildings

A full spa would have been nice as they call themselves kunken resort and Spa

It is so peaceful and beautiful and the staff are delightful. We saw so much wild life around the property and the dolphin watching tour was worth the money , so many dolphins and a glorious sunset. The food was delicious and super healthy. We had the villa with the plunge pool which was worth the extra as its very hot in the day and this was the only cool water. The sea and main pool are very warm

Its away on its own so it would be good to have a car(which we didn’t)

The view, private beach, relaxing atmosphere

The location and the view

Hotel is poorly maintenance No staff - maybe two people working there and not friendly rooms are without curtains and only broken mosquito nets Feels abandoned Expensive for what it is Website is not accurate No hot water Internet never worked

The location and atmosphere is very unique. We loved the small trail route stating from the hotel we were able to spot some animals. It was great to be able to swim and take the kayak out to explore more of the bay. Everyone working the was very friendly and caring. I would definitely recommend!

As a lot of places in Costa Rica you need a 4x4 as the road coming in is unpaved and steep.

The property was absolutely beautiful, the sunrises make it worthwhile on their own. Great for birdwatching and just winding down. The staff are incredibly friendly and do their best to help whenever asked. We stayed there at the end of our trip and wanted the chance to relax and just enjoy our surroundings and it delivered perfectly

Amazing hotel in a perfect location right on the beach and with lot of fauna and flora around. The villas are incredible, very comfortable and spacious. Staff is very kind and professional. Good help to book tours to Corcovado park with a great guide (Bolivar). Food in the restaurant is very good

Restaurant could have options to eat light snacks during meals. Price of transfers to tours is exaggerated

Beautiful hotel set on the Golfo Dulce with amazing villas with a refreshing outdoor shower. Very friendly and helpful staff. Great breakfast and relaxing swimming pool.

Dinner was just ok at the hotel restaurant, but since the hotel is very remote you don’t have any other option.

Spectacular location and garden, quiet, with lots of birds and amazing view over Golfo Dulce. Probably one of the best location I have ever seen for an hotel. Great swimming pool. Free kayaks (great early morning).

Air cond feels missing when it is too hot but fortunately it doesn’t happen too often. Food is good but not cheap

the location is great.

The rooms ( small houses) have not got any air conditioning. The only space there with A/C is reception office. With outside temp up to 37 degree Cels and hot nights it is impossible to sleep in the night. My spouse got ill , she could not sleep in the night either ( the hotel has not got even basic medicaments) and we had to leave 2 nights earlier. So we paid in total 2150 USD and stayed 2 nights instead of 4 nights only. We asked for partial refund at least but we doubt we will get anything. In our opinion the hotel has great location , the staff is ok , the meal is acceptable but without A/C it is definitely not worth of the price (more than 500 USD per night)

We loved, loved, loved the location. It was paradise. We loved the calm bay and the set up of the villas. It was very peaceful and we enjoyed the feeling of having the place to ourselves. We loved the staff. They were all very professional,polite, friendly and attentive. We enjoyed the kayaks and the beach dinner. It was truly different and amazing all the effort they went to make it a one-of-a-kind stay.

We didn’t like the fact that the villas weren’t air conditioned. It was very warm at night and took awhile for them to cool off.

Idyllic location

The area is beautiful, very remote.

- The staff seemed very unhappy to be there and to be serving patrons. Something we didn’t experience in any other hotel in Costa Rica. They were unable to communicate. Only one manager was nice enough, but he couldn’t communicate much either. The other one just seemed perpetually angry. - Rooms don’t lock and no AC either. It being in the middle of the jungle, the humidity was unbearable. The only AC is in the manager’s room, which also doubles as a reception. There are ceiling fans in the outdoor dining area and bar, but most of them don’t work. - Place is very remote. If you don’t have a car, taxis will cost a fortune. Hotel will charge you a premium for booking through them.

The lodge is surrounded by nature in a clearing directly on the Golfo Dulce. There are only 6 bungalows, so the number of guests remains small and this provides a very relaxed atmosphere. The bungalows each have 2 bedrooms, both with their own bathrooms, one of which has an outdoor shower. In one of the rooms there is an (empty) fridge, a coffee machine and a tea maker. There is no television (why would there be in this environment). There is no air conditioning, only a ceiling fan, which is quiet and efficient. All terraces offer beautiful views over the gulf. The two bedrooms are only separated by a thin wall, so you can hear everything that happens in the other room. They are therefore more suitable for families or if you know each other (very) well and can put up with that. We were travelling as two couples and didn't realise this. We felt it was a great courtesy that we were offered accommodation in separate bungalows for at least 3 of the 4 nights we had booked, as the booking situation allowed for this. We also felt that we were well looked after in every other respect. Everyone was very friendly and our every wish was fulfilled. There were lots of animals to watch and the best thing was the macaws that had their lunch in a tree on the beach every evening. We had a partner massage in an enchanted spa in the forest by a stream, which was unique. You get used to the lack of air conditioning surprisingly well, especially as it cools down to 20°C at night and the bungalows are open all round (protected by fly screens). Contrary to expectations, there were hardly any mosquitoes. The food was very good and varied enough for a 4-day stay. There was only a small salad as an alternative to soup as a starter, in this respect there could be a little more choice. Everything is very attractively designed. Thanks to the Kunken team for a great stay at this special place! We will definitely be back.

What was there to criticise? That was actually only the communication in advance. This is apparently handled by an office in San Jose and the staff there don't seem particularly motivated. Answers are only received with a delay or after repeated requests and enquiries do not reach the lodge. We had booked a tour to Corcovato NP early on, which the lodge didn't know about when we arrived and which therefore didn't materialise. Strange payment links are also sent out, although the booking is made with the information that payment by credit card is possible. This was particularly tricky in our case, as the lodge's booking account was hacked and we only recognised that it was a fake message when our firewall warned us. Kudos to Booking who helped us in this situation and were able to stop this with the lodge office. You should therefore always insist on payment by credit card and be careful with links in emails - even via the Booking email system.