Wow! We went from the Flamingo Beach Resort to Hotel Borinquen, and the results were like night and day. It was peaceful, serene, and absolutely beautiful! You get your own villa with even a private porch with hammock. The grounds are impeccably maintained! And the food was awesome! I had the fettucini alfredo with ham and chicken one night, and while it's not exactly native cuisine, it was the best I've ever had!

For fun, we splattered mud from the hot springs on ourselves, swam in the amazing cold-water pool, and soaked in the hot springs pool. We also did the canopy tour, which means ziplining back and forth over the jungle. Finally, we went over to the Guatechiplen Hotel (spelling?), and did their adventure tour. This included ziplining, rapelling, climbing, horseback riding, and a tube trip down the Rio Negro.

I can't say enough how beautiful the resort is. You need to stay here if you go to Costa Rica. It's more expensive, but it's worth it.

John

My family and I just returned from a visit to this hotel and I have to disagree with the previous review. We found the hotel staff to be exceptionally nice and helpful, even those who couldn't speak English. The manager was so nice that he personally drove us to the airport at 4 in the morning when the taxi prearranged by our travel agency didn't show up.
The hotel setting and grounds are absolutely stunning. My two kids (ages 6 and 11) loved the horseback riding and swimming pool. I enjoyed the mud bath and we all loved lying in the hammock outside our room each afternoon.
The food is simple but the loin of beef was very good (beef is a Costa Rican speciality) and the rice and chicken is also tasty.

We stayed for 2 nights.. found on arrival no useful information regarding resort offered. Dinner Buffet was awful.. just awful.. horrendous service / poor poor dining experiences over course of two days. Breakfast opened 30 minutes late.. inconvenienced most all guests. Not a person cared.. for the overall monies paid.. not a good thing.

The mud baths are anther story all together.. quite enjoyable.. unbelievably sophisicated for CR..enjoyed this trememdously..

Very hilly property.. extremely tough on old knees.. promised golf cart transportation is hard to come by and does not come when arranged for.

Unlike the rest of CR.. these employees respond only to tips.. and generous ones at that, otherwise they could care less if you are there.

Would go back for the spa experience.. but need to figure how to provide own food and beverages.. before rebooking.

We (4 adults, 4 kids from ages 7 to 11)stayed 4 nights and wished for 6 or 7. The hotel it self is outstanding and luxurious in a 3rd world eco-lodge way. The activities, particularly the canopy zip lines and the ATV tour, are excellent. Tons of birds and monkeys. Gorgeous pool with swim up bar. A good mix of Central American, European, and American guests. A perfect place for the adventurous family. Two negatives: the drive there and the restaurant. If you drive from San Jose it's a hard five hours and the roads for the last 2 or 3 are so incredibly bad you can't adequately desribe them to Americans. They must be seen to be believed. We made a game out of avoiding the massive potholes and just swerved our way there. Much better roads in El Salvador and Guatemala. It's a lot better to fly into Liberia (Delta from Atlanta) if possible and then you could be at the hotel in an hour or so. Use Tricolor Rent-a-car in either San Jose or Liberia. Avoid Budget. The restaurant can be good if you are insistent that you want to order from the menu. The buffet, particularly at dinner, is weak. It's a shame b/c the facility is gorgeous and they have some good wine at around $20/bottle(but, insist on seeing the cellar where a lot can be found that is not on the official list). Be insistent and the staff will bend over backward to make you happy. The problem is that navigating the roads at night is not safe and the only meal option is at the hotel unless you drive 1 hour to Liberia which has a great grocery store and some good restaurant options. Bottom line: if you are adventurous then you'll love it. If you want American style conveniences then stay at the Four Seasons where everyone speaks English and you may as well be in Florida with some mountains sprinkled in. You can be at the beaches in 2.5 hours driving from the Borinquen (if someone tells you less they are lying or crazy). I'd go back in a heartbeat.