105 ReviewsProperty Location Ro Magnolia Nature Lodge is located in Alfombra. Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 4 individually decorated guestrooms. Your pillowtop bed comes with cotton sheets and down comforters. Rooms have private furnished balconies or patios where you can take in ocean and partial ocean views. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms have showers and bathrobes. Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as an outdoor pool or take in the view from a terrace and a garden. Additional amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and gift shops/newsstands. Guests can catch a ride to nearby destinations on the area shuttle (surcharge). Dining Satisfy your appetite at the lodge's restaurant, where you can enjoy drinks at a bar, take in a garden view, or dine alfresco (weather permitting). Relax with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge or a swim-up bar. For your convenience, a complimentary breakfast is served daily. Business, Other Amenities The front desk is staffed during limited hours. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available on request).
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20 Km East of Playa Dominical,Alfombra,CR,Costa RicaProperty Location Ro Magnolia Nature Lodge is located in Alfombra. Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 4 individually decorated guestrooms. Your pillowtop bed comes with cotton sheets and down comforters. Rooms have private furnished balconies or patios where you can take in ocean and partial ocean views. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms have showers and bathrobes. Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as an outdoor pool or take in the view from a terrace and a garden. Additional amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and gift shops/newsstands. Guests can catch a ride to nearby destinations on the area shuttle (surcharge). Dining Satisfy your appetite at the lodge's restaurant, where you can enjoy drinks at a bar, take in a garden view, or dine alfresco (weather permitting). Relax with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge or a swim-up bar. For your convenience, a complimentary breakfast is served daily. Business, Other Amenities The front desk is staffed during limited hours. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available on request).
Rating from 105 reviews
Sleep QualityRoomsServiceValueCleanliness Dawn M on 09/08/2017 02:37
We spent three nights of a ten day holiday at Rio Magnolia and it was the highlight of the trip. The lodge is wonderful and well set up to meet and mingle with like-minded travellers. The food is wonderful, starting with the appetizers at cocktail hours, through dinner, and the ranch grown coffee is delicious. We had a local birding expert guide us on the property and the number of birds we were able to identify and photograph was amazing. We were delighted with the plentiful number of colourful birds that showed off for us in front of the lodge and while hiking the property. Maureen and John are excellent hosts. We hope to return, and have already been recommending Rio Magnolia to our friends. Be sure to have a vehicle with a strong engine, a few of the hills on the way in are steep!
JohnBigboote503 on 06/04/2017 07:28
After flying into San Jose and driving down the coast highway 34 to Dominical, we made the trek into Rio Magnolia for the first three nights of a 10-night trip to CR. After the... interesting drive in from the road (about 15 minutes, and there was some doubt our little Daihatsu 4WD would survive), we checked in and went to Mono Congo.
My traveling companion literally teared up, it was so lovely. I had booked RM and looked at all the pictures, but she wasn't prepared for how special the place was. The linens were as nice as any we've slept on, and the cabin couldn't have been nicer.
John and Maureen were wonderful, gracious hosts, and it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. After the rough ride in, we decided we'd be happy staying on the property for the entire three nights/four days, and didn't regret it for a minute. We hiked the trails through the forest, went to the waterfall and "water slide" and just generally dug the peace and quiet. It couldn't have been more perfect.
Every meal was outstanding -- delicious, nicely plated, and perfect-sized portions.
The staff were absolutely stellar. In particular, Simon's face should be on the Costa Rican flag. He was incredibly attentive, unbelievably friendly and helpful, and mixed terrific drinks! He set a standard that couldn't be matched by anywhere else we stayed in CR.
... which explains the title of my review. The entire time we stayed at RM, we thought, "We shouldn't have come here first. How can anything else match this?" And we were right. Other places were pleasant, other staff were good, over views were nice, but RM was head and shoulders above them all. I know that, five or 10 years from now, when the memories of the other places have faded, we'll still be looking back fondly on Rio Magnolia.
P.S.: If you drive the coast road down from San Jose, be sure to drive back on the mountain road through San Isidro (RM already gets you partway there). Spectacular, and infinitely nicer than the coast road.
culkein on 03/02/2017 17:37
We spent 5 nights here on a honeymoon package (only 37 years late). We'd echo all the enthusiastic comments below; the location, accommodation, food and service are all outstanding. We particularly enjoyed the house party atmosphere, with guests dining together and enjoying fascinating conversation. We thought Simon the house manager was extremely professional. We'd recommend the birding tour, although we are not experts. The half day is probably enough as sightings dwindle in the middle of the day. The walks around the state are good, but it is also a great place just to unwind.
NJCCalgary on 30/01/2017 04:18
This place is truly one of a kind -- in a very good way. The lodge is sited on the side of a mountain with a million dollar view over the surrounding forest towards the sea. John and Maureen built the lodge from scratch. They did a wonderful job of it. It's first rate. And -- being good Canadian engineers (like me!) they found a way to generate their own power using the Rio Magnolia which runs through the property. They also have a working cattle ranch and a coffee plantation. You can actually buy Rio Magnolia coffee. Starbucks -- move over! The food is good too. Kind of a Canadian/Costa Rican fusion! We had a great couple of days with John and Maureen. It was -- by far -- the best part of a two week road trip through Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
judgebe on 19/01/2017 16:20
This hotel is amazing! We became cloud sleepers because on a regular basis, the lodge was enveloped in clouds. The attention of the owners, Maureen and John, to insuring you have a great stay is unmatched, mention a preference and they immediately try to accommodate it. We had the most restful stay ever.
Just relaxing on the veranda you will see most of the birds, butterflies and hummingbirds you want to see. There are hikes in the rainforests and hills, to the coffee fields or the hydroelectric plant. Dinners are similar to the early 1900's where you dine with people from unusual backgrounds. We had dinner with a female airline pilot and her husband who buys planes, a couple from Canada who lay oil pipe lines, another couple who import and sell a variety of teas, and two primary school teachers from our hometown. The conversations were interesting and lively.
I was a skeptic, I went expecting to find reasons for not giving a 5 star rating...there is none.
