Villa Durazno was the PERFECT choice for our group of 9 adults (4 couples and one single).
1: THE HOME/PROPERTY The house was large and well appointed with plenty of room to stretch out in privacy or gather as a group for laughs, meals, and friendship. The view from the pool and sun deck can not be matched. We looked at several other homes during our stay, and as far as views and privacy, this home beats the others hands down! Each of the bedrooms has it's own GORGEOUS en suite bath and 4 have stunning views. The two back bedrooms downstairs lack the view but are nicely appointed and large in size.
The only thing we found to be lacking which was not evident when booking was THE HOT TUB IS NOT FUNCTIONAL. This was a disappointment for our group, but certainly did not take away from our overall experience. I would urge the home owners to fix this issue for the price point when renting the entire villa. I know it's expensive to get parts/repairs in Costa Rica, but your renters would appreciate it! There was also a television missing in the downstairs living area.
2: PROPERTY MANAGER
David, the property manager, lives in the casita behind the main house and was instrumental in ensuring perfection for our group. I was the primary contact/coordinator and we were in constant contact regarding the rental itself, activity suggestions, and many general questions answered. During our stay he went ABOVE AND BEYOND when we had an issue with securing a rental car at the airport (The company required a $2500 hold on a credit card for their $11/day rate) One quick email to David and he had us on our way and was kind enough to help us transport back to the airport the following day to secure another car!
Our group also travels "on the fly" with no solid itinerary and he was quick to respond with suggestions and assistance for last minute bookings!
The tour he helped me set up for my husband's 50th birthday was OUTSTANDING! a local tour company with which David is familiar picked us all up from the villa and took us for a day of Zip Lining, horseback riding, volcanic hot spring and a mountain water slide. Everything was included in the affordable price of the trip and we didn't have to worry about a thing. Wonderful way to spend the day!
David and his dog Sam are always near by and never intrusive. We had an issue with plumbing in our bedroom (the shower pressure was AWFUL) and when we alerted David, he and my husband grabbed a few tools and fixed it in 5 minutes!