This Costa Rican Villa Is A Luxe Beachfront Haven With An On-Call Yacht & Private Chef
Villa Avellana is a buyout-only 10-bedroom all-inclusive retreat on the Peninsula Papagayo, the ultimate private luxury playground on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.
I visited a $26,000-per-night villa in Costa Rica with an on-call yacht, guides for fishing, surfing, and fitness, a full-service spa, and a team of twenty staff members (including a private chef and a mixologist) and it was one of the most personalized and thoughtful luxury travel experiences of my life. No matter what your idea of the perfect tropical vacation is, Villa Avellana will curate it for you. To put it simply, it felt like the private jet version of a five-star resort.
The Art of Seamless Luxury
I kneeled on the nose of a paddle board as a laid-back long-haired waterman named Rolo paddled me from a 42-foot yacht across the clear waters of Prieta Bay to the beach. I’d spent the past few hours surfing for the first time in years at one of the world’s most famous surf breaks, Witch’s Rock, and my arms were like noodles. Rolo pointed out a ray gliding through the water beneath us as the nose of the board nudged onto the sand and I stepped onto the beach.
I walked the short path to the modern villa; an architectural showplace nestled in the shade of indigenous Guanacaste trees for which this region of Costa Rica is named. After rinsing off the salt water in the outdoor shower, I walked up the steps into the giant indoor/outdoor living space facing the pool with lounge chairs, couches, and fans spinning overhead.
Tatiana, the villa’s mixologist, looked up from the bar and asked if I was ready for a cocktail. I had a rare craving for a Piña Colada, but it takes serious skill to nail that drink with the right balance. As she began cutting a fresh, ripe Costa Rican pineapple, I knew I was in good hands. Moments later, as I settled into the hot tub and looked out over the edge of the infinity pool at the ocean, Tati handed me the best Piña Colada I’ve ever had in my life. Not too sweet, the perfect texture from the first sip to the last, and just strong enough to where I only needed one.
I had the pool and hot tub all to myself. I watched an iguana lounge on a tree branch as I sipped my drink. The seamless transition from surfing at a world-class break to sitting in the hot tub with a perfect cocktail was something I had never experienced. Even at luxury resorts, there’s usually a staff handoff after an excursion, a check to sign at the bar, then a lounge chair to claim by the pool. But at Villa Avellana, all those moments vanish.
The service at the Villa Avellana is always a step ahead of you. At dinner, the wine you enjoyed the night before is remembered, and something else suggested if the menu calls for it. If you ordered a cortado after lunch, another one will appear the next day at the same moment without you even having to ask. And if you ordered a Piña Colada after your surfing trip, there will be one waiting for you when you get off the boat the next afternoon.
Getting There
If you pack light and plan it right, from the moment you step off the plane at Liberia airport, you could be stepping out onto the Villa’s private beach in a little over an hour. The airport has a VIP service called V-Pass that makes customs a breeze. V-Pass handlers met me on the tarmac, and I was through customs and headed out to a Villa Avellana Suburban ten minutes later. After a forty-five minute drive, we entered Papagayo: a private, gated peninsula whose cliffs are clustered with modern mansions and several luxury hotels including The Four Seasons, Andaz, The Ritz-Carlton. (St. Regis will soon join the group.) Villa Avellana is a different kind of resort experience, but the presence of these nearby ultra-luxury properties means that gourmet ingredients and the finest wines and spirits are easy to procure around here. The nearby hotels are also nice if you’ re out on one of the villa’s two boats and want to drop in for a meal or a cocktail.
Arrival At The Villa
When you arrive, you’re offered a chilled coconut with a straw as a welcome drink. There is no formal check-in process. I was met by the charming general manager, a Canadian expat named Thomas, and by the vigilant lead concierge, Sergio. He led me upstairs to a large king suite with a massive balcony looking out over the ocean, a walk-in closet, and a palatial bathroom with an outdoor shower. As I rolled my suitcase into the room I asked about a room key. “We don’t do locks here” said Sergio, with a smile that made me realize I didn’t quite yet understand how different this would be from a typical luxury resort. I would soon find out.
A Typical Day At The Villa
You wake up to the sounds of nature, and with a push of a button a shade lifts to reveal the bright blue water of Prieta Bay in a floor-to-ceiling window. Downstairs in the kitchen, your breakfast is waiting for you whenever you want it. There’s a buffet with fresh pastries, bacon, and eggs, and there’s also a made-to-order breakfast dish that changes daily. If you’re heading to a yoga class or on a hike and want to keep it light, there’s a smoothie station with every possible kind of milk, protein powder, or specialty add-on you could imagine. I ordered a cappuccino on my first morning there, and one was brought every morning after without me even needing to ask. If you need a couple Tylenol for last night’s wine, you can text Sergio and he’ll bring it to you in minutes.
After breakfast, Sergio will have already planned your customized morning activity. That might be a fitness class, a private fishing trip, a massage in the spa, or snorkeling with sea turtles. Lunch can be a group experience at the table, or you can dine in any configuration of company you want, nearly anywhere on property. The cuisine of Executive Chef David Moya is insanely good. Every day there is a different menu, and it can range from local fish and Costa Rican classics like avocado rice and plantains, to wood-fired pizza and parrilla barbecue.
In the afternoons, perhaps after a siesta, the adventures continue. Thomas, the GM, took me and my wife and our two kids on a private sunset cruise to “Cathedral,” a hidden place in the trees that only their smaller boat can access. Once inside, he cut the engine so we could listen to the birds echoing on the water. On the boat, there’s always snacks like fresh guacamole and homemade chips, fresh-baked cookies, and a cooler full of local beer and bottled water.
At cocktail hour, Tati usually has some drink du jour made with local ingredients, but she’s happy to improvise with whatever base spirit you prefer, alongside excellent Palomas and spicy margaritas. Tati may be working her magic for a small group, but she could shine behind any cocktail bar in the world. Dinners were served at a long table by the bar or on our final night, on the beach. José, the warm and friendly F&B manager got a sense of what kinds of wine I liked and always had the perfect bottle ready.
Around 9pm, José and Tati would give last call. Whatever you have been enjoying so far, they make sure you’ll have more of it, as late as you want. If you’ve been drinking wine or Champagne, they’ll leave a bottle or two on ice. If you’ve been sipping Glenfiddich 18, Tati will leave out the bottle for you. If the group you’re with wants to party later into the night with the full bar and sommelier on hand, Tati and José can also make that happen.
Nights are magical at Villa Avellana. It feels like your private home. Passing around a chilled bottle of Sancerre, lounging in the couches by the pool, breeze blowing through from the ocean on one side to the woods on the other. You can hear the water lapping against the sand and see the lights on the peninsula reflected in the bay.
Rates & Details
The 33,000-square-foot property has 10 en-suite bedrooms. Rates starting at $26,000 nightly for up to 18 adults and 5 children, with a 5-night minimum stay, plus gratuity and tax.
Final Thoughts
When it was time for me to leave, I wheeled my suitcase out of the villa’s front door to find the entire staff lining the stairway to say goodbye to me. In a sudden wave of gratitude, I found myself welling up. I spent over a decade working in a luxury hotel, LA’s Chateau Marmont, and I still experience resorts and hotels not just through my eyes but also through the eyes of the staff. But at the Villa Avellana, I couldn’t do that. Because it felt like we experienced something together. And that’s a level of luxury that can’t be measured in stars.