When you stay at Villas Rio Mar in Ballena, you'll be by the ocean, within a 5-minute drive of Costa Rica Stand Up Paddle Boarding and Sunset Surf Dominical - Day Lessons. .This family-friendly hotel is 4.5 mi (7.3 km) from Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge and 6.4 mi (10.4 km) from Nauyaca Waterfalls.
What's nearby
Playa Dominical - 17 min walk - 0.9 miles
Costa Rica Stand Up Paddle Boarding - 18 min walk - 1.0 mile
Hacienda Baru - 3 min drive - 1.9 miles
Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge - 9 min drive - 4.6 miles
Nauyaca Waterfalls - 12 min drive - 6.5 miles
Getting around
Quepos (XQP) - 35 min drive
Restaurants
Scala - 13 min drive
Tortilla Flats - 18 min walk
Restaurante La Parcela - 7 min drive
Coco's Restaurant - 19 min walk
Fuego Brew Company - 15 min walk
About this property
Villas Rio Mar
Family-friendly hotel with free breakfast and an outdoor pool
Villas Rio Mar offers 48 air-conditioned accommodations with complimentary toiletries and ceiling fans. Rooms open to furnished patios. Accommodations offer separate sitting areas. Flat-screen televisions come with cable channels and pay movies.
Bathrooms include showers. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is provided daily.
Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor tennis court and an outdoor pool.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 48 air-conditioned rooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Rooms have private furnished patios. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have showers and complimentary toiletries.
Relax and unwind with massages, body treatments, and facials. You're sure to appreciate the recreational amenities, including an outdoor pool and an outdoor tennis court. Additional amenities at this hotel include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and wedding services.
Enjoy international cuisine at El Rancho, a restaurant which features a bar/lounge and a garden view. You can also stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours). Grab a drink at the swim-up bar while enjoying a refreshing dip in the hotel pool.A complimentary full breakfast is served daily from 7 AM to 9:00 AM.
Featured amenities include a computer station, dry cleaning/laundry services, and multilingual staff. Planning an event in Ballena? This hotel has 947 square feet (88 square meters) of space consisting of a conference center and a meeting room. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours), and free self parking is available onsite.
A complimentary full breakfast is served each morning between 7 AM and 9:00 AM.
El Rancho - Overlooking the pool and garden, this restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and light fare. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. A children's menu is available. Happy hour is offered.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Languages
English, Spanish
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transportation
24-hour roundtrip airport shuttle on request for a surcharge
Free self parking on site
Wheelchair-accessible parking available
Food and drink
Free full breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM
A bar/lounge
A poolside bar
A restaurant
A swim-up bar
Restaurants on site
El Rancho
Things to do
Billiards/pool table
Hiking/biking trails
Library
Mini golf
Outdoor pool
Outdoor tennis court
Playground
Tennis lessons
TV in common areas
Family friendly
Free crib
Laundry facilities
Mini golf
Outdoor pool
Playground
Conveniences
Laundry facilities
Limited-hour front desk
Luggage storage
Safe at front desk
Guest services
Concierge services
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Housekeeping (daily)
Multilingual staff
Tour and ticket assistance
Wedding services
Business services
Computer station
Conference center (947 square feet of space)
Meeting room
Outdoors
Garden
On a river
Pool loungers
Pool umbrellas
Terrace
Spa
Body scrubs
Body wraps
Couples treatment rooms
Facials
Manicures/pedicures
Reflexology
Sports massages
Accessibility
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Grab bar near toilet
No elevator
Wheelchair accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible parking
Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
More
1 floor
12 buildings
Banquet hall
Mosquito nets
Smoke-free property
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Blackout drapes
Free crib
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Private bathroom
Shower
Towels provided
Entertainment
Flat-screen TV with cable channels
Pay movies
Food and drink
Limited room service
More
Air conditioning
Ceiling fan
Separate sitting area
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 10 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before noon
Special check-in instructions
This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
The front desk is open daily from 7 AM - 10 PM
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property ahead of time using the information on the booking confirmation
If you are planning to arrive after 10:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours)
Pets
Pets not allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
4 children, up to the age of 4 years, can stay for free if using existing beds when occupying the parent or guardian's room
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Free cribs are available on request at the property
Property payment types
Important information
Optional extras
Airport shuttle fee: CRC 33600 per person (one-way)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and window guards
We should mention
This property does not have elevators
Pool access available from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments; reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Property is also known as
Rio Mar Villas
Villas Rio Mar
Villas Rio Mar Dominical
Villas Rio Mar Costa Rica/Dominical
Villas Rio Mar Hotel Dominical
Hotel Rio Mar
Hotel Villas Rio Mar Ballena
Ballena Villas Rio Mar Hotel
Villas Rio Mar Ballena
Hotel Villas Rio Mar
Villas Rio Mar Hotel Ballena
Villas Rio Mar Hotel
Villas Rio Mar Hotel
Villas Rio Mar Ballena
Villas Rio Mar Hotel Ballena
Villas Rio Mar Reviews
Reviews
8.8
Excellent
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Loved this place so much we changed our plans and stayed for another night! The restaurant is fantastic (recommend the croc burger) and swimming pool is great. Aircon keeps the nights cool and is a well kept place!
This was my third time staying at Villas Rio Mar in Dominical and it's an excellent place to stay when you're in the area. The staff here is very friendly and accommodating - shout out to Noellia from the Crocodile Grill & Bar, especially - and they work hard to make your stay a pleasant one. My wife and I are vegan and the menu had changed since we last visited and they were still so kind and helpful with what dining options are available and all of the food and cocktails were delicious. Clean, well maintained, a comfortable walking distance from Dominical proper and staffed with friendly people, I highly recommend the Villas Rio Mar to anyone. Also, it's a great place to spot some of Costa Ricas beautiful birds, butterflies and big ol' iguanas!
The staff was absolutely awesome! We did not encounter anything but kindness, friendliness, and respectful service with everyone we crossed from Front desk, maintenance, cleaning service and especially tne restaurant.
A staff on this property. Delightful.
Lovely garden grounds and great restaurant; tbe shower was weak though and the water never really got hot. Our room was the farthest away from reception so very quiet. The staff were always friendly and helpful, inclucing helping us book the ferry to Nicoya. The breakfast had great choices on the menu also!
Paula
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024
8/10 Good
Richard
May 8, 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Only resort in Dominical.
It's a very nice location. A bit dated but has everything you need. Nice quiet cabanas that are clean and really decent sized. Pool area needs some upgrades. The 2 !!! sunning lounge chairs need to be junked. The restaurant and bar are very nice, and food is great. Breakfasts are top notch. Biggest complaint is the beds. Rock hard. Had terrible time sleeping. Couldn't wait to get home to my bed. We've stayed her two times this year and because of the beds it will be our last.
Loved our stay at Villas Rio Mar. The pool area was great and having access to the restaurant and bar was an added bonus. Restaurant staff are so friendly and accommodating, food is also delicious!
Hotel grounds are beautiful and staff is very friendly. Would like to recognize a man named Joiner who worked in the pool bar and restaurant area. He is an outstanding employee who is extremely helpful and goes out of his way to get to know guests by name. A rare quality!
the property grounds are amazing and the rooms are spacious and clean. However, i would not be back - getting to the property there's a long stretch of a dirt-gravel road in such bad condition that we decided not to go in and out of the property just to avoid this bone-jarring driving
expereince
This is a really nice property with a good restaurant on site. We loved our room and the property. The food was good. Our room was clean and quiet. We stayed 3 nights and it was very relaxing and fun. The hotel is located 1/2 mile down a very rough gravel road. This didn't bother us and we were glad to be out of downtown Domincal. We walked in to the beach every day. We would recommend this place for sure and would stay there again.
We really enjoyed our stay. The grounds are beautiful. The pools are nice. We loved our room and patio. Everything was very clean. The restaurant food was very good. The property is located about 1/2 mile down a very rough gravel road. We didn’t mind the location and walked to the beach each morning and evening. The front desk staff was a little less welcoming than some of the places we have been in Costa Rica but it was adequate. The restaurant staff was super friendly and fun. We would definitely stay there again.