Ocio Villas Mal Pais

Location and views

The food was just bad. Costa Rica is full of excellent food. On a 10 day trip this was our worst meal, and at $60 per head for the pre fix menu it was a rip off.

The view and the pool

The villa was like a scene from a movie. It was stunning!! The plunge pool was spectacular and the views were phenomenal. Brandon was such a great host. He carried our luggage down all those stairs. The wildlife is amazing right outside of the room. We saw monkeys, scarlet macaws, coatis, and tons of birds just sitting in our private plunge pool.

The shower didnt get hot. There were ants so we had to keep food in the fridge. We found out about the ants when we tried to eat the food we left on the counter so that was disappointing because we had to drive back to town to get food. There were 125 stairs to get to our room but honestly it was worth every step. I wish they had a restaurant. We saw many photos of the restaurant on property and it was before ownership changed. There is a kitchen but not even coffee is provided.

It was beautiful. You really are in the "jungle". We woke up our first morning to Howler Monkeys, cooing doves, and an over 4 foot Iguana just hanging out on a tree limb. The rooms are individual and more like cabins. Our room had a private spa pool with ocean view and private deck. They have the most beautiful shower with a wall of glass and ocean and "jungle" view. There was also a larger pool for all guest. There is a kitchen with stove top, refrigerator, and basic utensils and kitchenware. It would be a perfect place for a honeymoon, or other couple's occasion where you wanted to snuggle up in a beautiful room for several days. I highly recommend it for the very adventurous and amorous.

Don't book this hotel if you are not a courageous driver. Since I had rented a car I didn't try using a taxi or Uber, but it is doubtful that either would book this ride as it is quite a way from Santa Teresa town (in travel time, not distance). It is up a one lane, steep dirt road that is not well maintained. Also we were lost for quite a while....there are no street signs or even a hotel sign at the main road, and the hotel just changed its name and location 3 months ago (don't use online maps or you will end up at the old closed hotel), so even the locals couldn't help us locate it. It used to be called The Chameleon hotel. When we finally found that out, a local was able to help us find it, but he had to lead us up the road on his motor scooter. Had he not done that I don't think we could have found it. Thank you wonderful stranger....Other considerations:1. Although it was wonderful to have the spa pool, the resort controlled the use by turning on the electricity for the pool at 10am and turning it off at 5pm. This meant if you came back after a day of tours it wasn't useable, and wasn't heated.2. The "cabins" are down a lot of stone steps without railings or lights, making this very hard to navigate at night. Not handicapped accessible.3. The rooms have no TV, but do have speakers for your phone if you have the correct cord connection and a music app on your phone.4. There were only about 4 parking spaces, so not sure where people park if the place was full. It appeared that only 1 other family was there when we were.5. There was no breakfast....as a matter of fact, there was no food or drink service. Bring your own because it wouldn't be worth going up and down this "road".

It was a beautiful.

The property itself was difficult to find, as the name listed on Booking.com was different from the name displayed on the sign outside the villas. Check-in was handled by a security guard who was very kind, but spoke limited English, which made it difficult to get basic information about breakfast, parking, and check-out. I was advised to ask someone the following day.The room itself was very nice; however, I was disappointed to find that the shower was not working, and I was unable to reach anyone to report the issue. There was also no bottled water available. Since I had an early excursion, I had to leave around 8:00 a.m. to purchase water at a local grocery store before heading out.At check-out, there was no staff available. I ultimately left the key with a member of the cleaning staff I found working in a back room.Overall, while the room was comfortable, the lack of communication, staff availability, and basic amenities made the stay more challenging than expected.

The location, the confort and the staff! Individual private pool, with a big terrace and a great view on the ocean! Amazing place!

Not the case

everything was amazing! staff, location, rooms, food the POOLS. The photos don't do it justice - the rooms were beautiful and spacious. we loved having our private plunge pools and seeing the monkeys in nearby trees. Food, cocktails and staff were all excellent. We wished we could have stayed longer :)

Beautiful suites with views out over the ocean, the rooms are spacious and incredibly comfortable. The private pools and terrace areas are private and make a lovely relaxing space from which we saw lots of wildlife! Others have mentioned the road up, we had a compact SUV in dry season and had no issues at all - it is steep but no concern, you couldn't attempt this in a low clearance car.

The doors to the room do not fully seal so bugs and little lizards get in very easily, all food/drink needs to be properly sealed away due to ants. Our villa was at the bottom of around 100 steps so be aware if any mobility issues to mention this! Due to the hill up you do have to drive anywhere from the hotel.

Everything. Wanted to stay longer. Amazing boutique hotel with only six villas. All in their own space with incredible views of the pacific. Beautifully decorated. Everything we could need and more. In front of room private plunge pool, sun loungers, chaise lounge, table and chairs. Great place to spot wildlife. The room was perfect with emperor sized four poster. Bathroom had double sinks and shower that had a door to outside area as well as into the bathroom. The staff were very attentive and helpful. A deliciously cool drink on arrival. Also amazing cocktails and delicious breakfast and dinner. All served in a beautiful dining space overlooking the Pacific and gardens. Would stay again and recommend.

We had to leave!The track up to the hotel is very steep but it was easy for our 4x4 jeep. As long as you have a high clearance vehicle it is possible to drive.

Lovely place to stay with wonderful staff (Andy was a star). Food was really nice in the restaurant.

The only downside to the hotel was the fact that without a car it was a relatively isolated place which meant getting around wasn't that easy or cheap as taxis were the only options.

Stunning views, gorgeous landscape, yummy food and drinks, top-notch staff, quiet location

Amazing small property. 10 rooms. Fabulous individual very private suites. Fantastic staff. Amazing views. Delicious food.

Nothing! If I had to make one comment it would be to have more recliners around the pool as the standard rooms don’t have them on their terrace.

It’s a nice small hotel on a hill, with romantic villas and a beautiful view. Breakfast is tasty and the staff in the restaurant is attentive.

Hotel guest representative Mariano was unfriendly and not helpful when we called prior to arrival on the phone and also in person during our stay. Several times he made sure to tell us that he has no time to help us despite only one more villa was occupied in addition to ours. The view facing wall of the villa is not well isolated, so there are opening in several places where insects are coming into the room. No Christmas decorations or greeting during the holiday time we’ve stayed

My stay was amazing. Everyone was so nice and made sure we had atvs to get around. They helped book our tours and massages.

The room patio doors and bathroom showers don’t seal. So you may have a buggy crawly friend who peaks in and says hello. The restaurant on site is closed during slow season so you have to book your dinner ahead of time.

The roads to get to this resort are terrible, they need to fix it. Good thing we have a 4 wheel drive car, a regular car will be very hard to get in, specially when is raining.

We love he food and the waiters are very nice.

Casa Chameleon is a lovely hotel. My partner and I spent a week there and we had a wonderful time - really is a little bit of paradise. Breakfast was included and it was a great way to start the day. The staff were really accommodating, helping with any of our requests (e.g. booking tours, arranging a transfer to the airport, putting a bottle of drink in our room for arrival, keeping us informed of any changes/ cost increases in the tours etc). The hotel is up a steep hill, so you get your steps in when walking, but we also hired an ATV for a few days. Food was lovely, had dinner there most nights. View from our room was stunning. Would recommend highly!

nothing really.

The food was an unexpected surprise. Honestly, some of the best meals we’ve EVER had!

Because of delicate septic, no flushing of paper is annoying, but not a deal breaker for us

Hotel Casa Chameleon Hotel Mal Pais - Adults Only - is an extremely beautiful and well-maintained hotel located on a mountain slope in the jungle just outside Santa Teresa. The hotel has 10 beautiful bungalows, all with their own terrace and infinity pool which are completely private. With these 10 bungalows, the hotel can only accommodate a maximum of 20 adult guests (no children at this hotel), which gives a very private atmosphere. From our terrace, which had a view of the Pacific Ocean, we saw, among other things, howler monkeys, beautiful birds and large butterflies. Our bungalow was very nicely decorated and we also really appreciated that there was a real coffee maker (coffee refilled daily) and a small fridge in the room. Wonderful to start the day with a cup of coffee on the terrace and look out over the jungle and the Pacific Ocean!The hotel has a beautiful restaurant and bar where you eat breakfast and/or lunch and dinner. Very good food is served throughout. Fresh fruit and a fruit smoothie are always served with each breakfast. Next to the hotel's restaurant is also a small pool where a family of 4 lizards used to sunbathe during the day! Peaceful and exciting animals.The staff is extremely concerned about the guests and the guests' well-being. We would like to extend a very warm thank you to Alfredo, Mariano, Justin, Andy and David and all the other staff who made our two weeks stay very special!As the hotel is outside Santa Teresa (it takes about 45 minutes to walk to Santa Teresa), we strongly recommend renting an ATV during your stay there. Walking along the roads, all of which lack sidewalks, after dark is life-threatening as the roads lack lighting and cars, motorcycles and ATVs drive at high speeds and often without their lights on. With an ATV, you can also easily get around to all the paradise beaches in the region.We can only warmly recommend Hotel Casa Chameleon Hotel Mal Pais. //Frederik & Maria

Great atmosphere, privacy and best Staff, especially David & Justin.

Entry drive up the hill hard to manage.

The property is amazing. The bungalow was outstanding with a magnificent view. Everything was very clean and the staff was most attentive. Casa Cameleon is worth every penny you pay them (especially in comparison to other hotels in the area). We enjoyed everything and would love to stay again.

Nothing to dislike. Our waterfall stopped running but they repaired it immediately.