Hotel Bosque del Mar Playa Hermosa
A beachfront five-star with a gourmet restaurant right on the sand
About this stay
Hotel Bosque del Mar sits right on Playa Hermosa Beach, close enough that the outdoor pool and hot tub area opens straight onto the sand. Suites are air-conditioned with a terrace facing either the gardens or the sea, decorated in the earth tones you'd expect from a five-star built around a beach view rather than a lobby. The in-house Niromi restaurant runs international and Costa Rican menus in a marble dining room that keeps sight of the water, and the Nya lounge bar covers drinks and a lighter evening menu. The hotel arranges scuba diving trips and other excursions directly, useful given the sheltered bay just outside. Santa Rosa, Guanacaste, Palo Verde and Diria National Parks are all within about an hour's drive for a day trip inland, and Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport is roughly 20 minutes away, making this one of the more straightforward properties in Playa Hermosa for a first or last night in Guanacaste.
- Beachfront pool and hot tub
- On-site dive trip arrangement
- 20 minutes from Daniel Oduber Airport
Our take
Bosque del Mar earns its beachfront position: the pool, the dining room and most suites all face the water, and the on-site dive arrangements make it easy to use the bay rather than just look at it. It's a five-star rate, but the design and the location both justify it more than most comparably priced hotels along this stretch of coast.
Why we love it
- Suites open directly onto Playa Hermosa Beach rather than a road or a pool deck
- Niromi restaurant keeps sea views in its dining room, not just the bar
- Scuba trips and excursions are arranged on-site rather than through a third party
Why guests love itI would choose Hotel Bosque del Mar for families who want a five-star stay directly on Playa Hermosa. Air-conditioned suites sit in tropical gardens around an outdoor pool and a hot tub, with the beach right in front. Dive trips can be arranged on site for older children and parents, and Daniel Oduber Airport is about 20 minutes away, which keeps transfers short. The 8.3 rating suggests a solid, comfortable stay rather than a flawless one.