Located in Ballena, Vista Ballena is within a 10-minute drive of Catarata uvita and Marino Ballena National Park. .This inn is 2.3 mi (3.8 km) from Playa Hermosa and 3.3 mi (5.3 km) from Uvita Beach.
Marino Ballena National Park - 9 min drive - 3.5 miles
Uvita Beach - 11 min drive - 3.4 miles
Playa Hermosa - 13 min drive - 2.4 miles
Hacienda Baru - 18 min drive - 10.0 miles
Restaurants
Pizzeria La Fogata - 5 min drive
Scala - 13 min drive
Sibu - 3 min drive
Pizza Time - 5 min drive
Restaurante Marino Ballena - 4 min drive
About this property
Vista Ballena
Inn with free breakfast, near Catarata uvita
Vista Ballena offers 20 air-conditioned accommodations with minibars and coffee/tea makers. Rooms open to balconies. Beds feature premium bedding. Flat-screen televisions come with cable channels.
Bathrooms include showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. This Ballena inn provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is provided daily.
An outdoor pool and a children's pool are on site.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 20 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars and flat-screen televisions. Rooms have private balconies. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Pamper yourself with onsite massages or enjoy recreation amenities such as an outdoor pool. Additional amenities at this inn include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and wedding services.
Satisfy your appetite for lunch or dinner at the inn's restaurant, or stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours). Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served daily from 7 AM to 9:30 AM.
Featured amenities include multilingual staff, laundry facilities, and a safe deposit box at the front desk. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours), and free valet parking is available onsite.
A complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served each morning between 7 AM and 9:30 AM.
Onsite venue - This restaurant specializes in Mediterranean cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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
Free valet parking on site
Food and drink
Free cooked-to-order breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM
A bar/lounge
A restaurant
Snack bar/deli
Things to do
Children's pool
Ecotours
Outdoor pool
Family friendly
Children's pool
Laundry facilities
Outdoor pool
Snack bar/deli
Conveniences
Laundry facilities
Limited-hour front desk
Safe at front desk
Guest services
Concierge services
Housekeeping (daily)
Multilingual staff
Tour and ticket assistance
Wedding services
Outdoors
Garden
Picnic area
Pool loungers
Terrace
Spa
Massage
Accessibility
No elevator
More
2 buildings
2 floors
Mosquito nets
Smoke-free property
Room amenities
Bedroom
Premium bedding
Bathroom
Free toiletries
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Shower
Towels provided
Entertainment
Flat-screen TV with cable channels
Food and drink
Coffee/tea maker
Limited room service
Minibar
More
Air conditioning
Ceiling fan
Desk
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
Late check-out subject to availability
Late check-out fee: USD 20
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 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours)
Pets
Pets not allowed (service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees)
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available
Property payment types
Important information
Optional extras
Airport shuttle fee: USD 70 per person
Airport shuttle fee per child: USD 70
Late check-out fee: USD 20 (subject to availability)
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; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, and a first aid kit
We should mention
This property does not have elevators
Property is also known as
Whales Dolphins Hotel Dominical
Vista Ballena Inn Dominical
Whales Dolphins Dominical
Vista Ballena Inn Uvita
Vista Ballena Inn
Vista Ballena Uvita
Whales & Dolphins Ecolodge Hotel Uvita
Vista Ballena Costa Rica/Uvita
Vista Ballena Inn
Vista Ballena Ballena
Vista Ballena Inn Ballena
Vista Ballena Reviews
Reviews
8.4
Very Good
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.
The hotel was a wonderful stop along the way from San Jose to Drake Bay. Hotel and pool were beautiful with amazing views toward the ocean. Staff was friendly and professional. Rooms were clean and well amenitized. Be ready for a rocky road up but well worth it. Perfect stop.
The views were amazing, the food was delicious but the rooms were very outdated can use some remodeling and the road to the place is bad very steep not paved and not wide enough for two cars to pass...
The view from the pool is amazing! We spent an entire day there. The view from the room patio was also nice. We saw lots of birds every day. Get ready for the stair master to get to and from your room. Our room had a sketchy hole in the ceiling above the shower and we had quite a few bugs in our room, but no big deal when you're in paradise. The bathroom was a lil small and dated, but we hardly spent any time in there. Drinks at the pool were reasonably-priced even thigh they didn't have any prices listed... food was on the more expensive side... so we just drank more. Really enjoyed our stay here overall and it was a great place to unwind before heading back home. I would stay here again!
Rooms are down several steep staircases from the tiny common area perched atop the hill. Aversive muzak played nonstop in the bar/restaurant area which permeated the whole place. Not a peaceful costa rican environment.
The view from the restaurant is breathtaking. The restaurant's food is delicious. But the room we stayed in, the toilet had issues. First, it had no cold water going into the bathroom sink, shower and toilet. The maintenance team resolved as the main line was turned off. Then the toilet was howling every time you flushed for 20 seconds. Sounded like you were at a sports arena with foghorns. They said it was trapped air in piped. The howling/screeching sound lasted the entire time we stayed (one/night). I explained and showed a video to the receptionist and she just gave me a blank stare and said that there is air in the pipes.
Villa Ballena is a tucked away gem. About 10 minutes up a narrow and steep road off Hwy 34 you end up a jungle setting. Edgar is bar/restaurant was fabulous
What a beautiful place and such a find! We absolutely loved this place. The common pool/dining/bar area was the highlight and is as gorgeous as all the photos. It has a two-level infinity pool that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, Uvita townsite below, the national marine park and is the best view of the Whale Tail Sandbar. The adjacent bar places great ambient grooves perfect for the place, has a great selection of drinks and same games to borrow if desired. Plenty of lounge chairs as well as tables/chairs if you want to eat, play games, etc. Restaurant offers a great mix of all sorts of dishes, and BIG portions. The rooms all offer the same beautiful view of the ocean and each has its own patio with table and chairs. Rooms are of a good size and the bathroom too. Mini fridge available. The only drawback to the rooms is no in-room safe. The road to get up to the property is STEEP and very narrow, and there are many, many stairs within the property, between the main restaurant/pool/reception area building and the two room buildings. We didn't even make it down to the lowest one to check out the yoga platform. There is some handicap parking available but I imagine that driving between main building and rooms would be the only way to get around.
I’ve stayed at Vista Ballena several times and always had a wonderful room and experience. This last time was not so good. All I can say is, do not accept a room on the bottom floor. Not only are they an extremely long hike up the stairs to the restaurant area, but the rooms are just not nice. Just a plain ugly room with 2 very uncomfortable double beds. I only had a sheet on my bed when I arrived - no bed cover. Just a blanket in the closet. Not good for the price you pay for a room there.
The views are absolutely amazing here and the staff are so friendly and hospitable. The hotel, pool, and grounds are well kept. Would definitely return!