Origins Lodge

“A truly exceptional experience.”

We drove ourselves to origins. The roads were very challenging, but we made it. Lots of potholes. Accommodations were spectacular. We stayed in theMandarin unit which had fabulous views over the valley and the main lodge and stables. A highlight of the trip for me was horseback riding. So amazing. … more

We drove ourselves to origins. The roads were very challenging, but we made it. Lots of potholes. Accommodations were spectacular. We stayed in theMandarin unit which had fabulous views over the valley and the main lodge and stables. A highlight of the trip for me was horseback riding. So amazing. We opted to ride to and from the waterfall rather than hike one way and ride back. So glad we did this. We were able to extend our ride into local pastures with some challenging terrain which was my favorite part. The waterfall is a destination rather than a spectacle I would say. We did not do the night hike or any other guided tour. We did have torrential rain when we were supposed to do a nature walk, and so that was abandoned. Totally relaxing, and our every need was met, even to the point of shopping for English tea and milk for us. A nature photographers paradise. Toucans and hummingbirds, sloth, bats, snake. Dining was a daily set menu, but we loved everything that we were served. Delicious. This was an anniversary trip for us and our last night we were given a special dinner screened of from the main dining area. Beautiful.

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“Safari style luxury on a volcano”

Origins is a truly beautiful and intimate luxury lodge. It has been designed with extreme care to blend perfectly into the lush tropical jungle on the hillside with spectacular views to the north. The seven suites are individual buildings that provide complete privacy and luxurious comfort (the bed… more

Origins is a truly beautiful and intimate luxury lodge. It has been designed with extreme care to blend perfectly into the lush tropical jungle on the hillside with spectacular views to the north. The seven suites are individual buildings that provide complete privacy and luxurious comfort (the beds were fabulously comfortable and we are very picky!). With so few guests this is an intimate lodge and the service was impeccable. In addition, the food was also excellent and beautifully presented. My wife and I absolutely loved our stay here. We went on several excursions organised by the concierge (thanks Alex for your awesome help) with the highlight being tubing down the Rio Celeste; highly recommended! If you go, take a private guide! This is a superb lodge to stay for when you want to experience the highlands and their flora and fauna. Highly recommended.

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“Beautiful experience with one caveat”

We spent an amazing 3 nights here. The staff was so accommodating, pleasant and professional. The food offering was fresh, creative and delicious. Cocktail and wine selection were above par. All of the activity guides we had were amazing! All spoke great English, were so professional, offered inter… more

We spent an amazing 3 nights here. The staff was so accommodating, pleasant and professional. The food offering was fresh, creative and delicious. Cocktail and wine selection were above par. All of the activity guides we had were amazing! All spoke great English, were so professional, offered interesting information and more. We loved the farm tour, mixology class and hike to the waterfall. We enjoyed the pool and games in the restaurant. The spa session was also amazing. The rooms were so private and comfortable. We spent a lot of time on our deck with great views, fireplace and jacuzzi. Heavenly! The only one negative experience we had on the entire stay was at checkout. They asked us to leave an additional tip for the staff (note: service tip was already added to lunch and dinner bills automatically already). We explained that we didn’t know that would be added so tipped a significant amount during our stay to every staff member we came in contact with - housekeeping each day, wait staff, activity guides, golf cart rides, spa etc. Even after mentioning that, they asked again and said the additional tip would be for the general hotel staff. We were confused by this additional push but felt pressured to add more even though we felt we had been so generous along the way. It’s a shame that this was such a beautiful experience but ended with a bad taste in our mouth with a guilt trip about additional tipping.

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“Understated luxury with some missing points”

We stayed at the newer Origins Astral. We stayed 3 nights in La Fortuna and then 5 nights at Origins with 4 kids. The property opened a few months ago, so I imagine there are some things that they are working on. Overall, we did have a good experience, however at the price level, there were a fe… more

We stayed at the newer Origins Astral. We stayed 3 nights in La Fortuna and then 5 nights at Origins with 4 kids. The property opened a few months ago, so I imagine there are some things that they are working on. Overall, we did have a good experience, however at the price level, there were a few things that made me give a 4 star review. The positives: - The property has beautiful rooms and villas that are great if traveling with families, we had a 2 bedroom villa with beautiful views, the setting was great for the 6 of us. - The staff is very friendly and there are many activities that can be organized through them. There are a few included activities that the kids enjoyed such as Family Nature Walk, Stargazing. - You can use the facilities at the Origins Floral which is within walking distance, even though the internal walk was not recommended doing by ourselves, you can walk through the outside road (15 minute) or drive. - I really liked the Origins Floral, I thought the setting, style, pool area was more breathtaking than the Astral, however the Astral is better for families. - The property felt very private as only 2-3 families were staying while we were there. - Fishing. The boys loved fishing at the pond and catching the fish and they cooked us the fish for dinner, which was amazing. The negatives: - Food. We did not explore the dining options at Origins Floral, however we felt the options at Astral were not what we expected. Breakfast was pretty good, good selection of items, juices, you can choose the traditional Gallo Pinto and then all sort of options, loved the French toast and chia pudding. We did not have lunch at the lodge as we did activities, so we cannot comment on that. Dinner was for me the most disappointing part. I am expecting a more "farm to table" typical experience while in Costa Rica. I am expecting traditional dishes, more fish, salads, rondón, stuffed snapper, arroz con camarones, so many amazing options in Costa Rican cuccine, but it felt we were in any American restaurant. After a few days you might feel is repetitive as well. They should have at least a daily special dish that could be rotating and more traditional. I have read other similar comments and have discussed this same concern with other guests. If it had not been for the roads at night we would have had dinner in the near town for a local experience. I cannot understand why they have gone this route for a more rural luxury experience. One night I did ask for something more typical, they offered me the Gallo Pinto with a protein instead of eggs. I specifically mentioned that I did not want the pork ribs, as I had them the previous day and didn't like them at all, and the dish was brought with ribs again! How can this be the only typical thing they can offer. We had amazing food while going to local Sodas for a fraction of the price. I understand it might not be as refined, but they can offer re-invention of traditional food and make it a little bit more refined. - Room service. I wish they replenish daily the fridge or the room with snacks, juices, drinks etc. I am sure you can ask for it, but at this price point, should be a given. The mini bar had barely anything. - Kids activities. The staff were wonderful with our kids and the property is geared more to families because of the larger units, however the kids club had relatively limited activities, I think for kids in the 4-8 year range, they might have fun for a short period of time, but there was not much that older kids might find entertaining. The property offers many other paid activities though, some of them seemed quite pricey as you can book them directly for a fraction. But, I didn't feel like I could easily leave my kids for 2-3 hours and they could easily stay all entertained. Overall we had a great experience, however there were a few things that could be improved, especially food which was very disappointing.

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