Barons Resort

The only two good things that I can say are that the young lady at the helm of this sinking ship is delightful even though it's one problem after another. There was only one other couple staying at the same time as us. This should have been a BIG heads up when we arrived. The views are amazing except from OUR room. The palm trees were sooo overgrown on the deck/patio that you couldn't see anything without trying to lean over the deck and literally try to pull them apart. The room next to us did not seem to have this problem and being that they were the only others their, I don't know why they put us in this totally obstructed room. There's NO A/C....that's right, Costa Rica with NO A/C. The place is old, run down, dirty and completely disappointing. The "restaurant" had two choices....chicken or a very well done burger. They had a huge menu to look at in the room, but none of it was available. I'm a vegetarian, so I only got a salad. The bar had liquor but was not serving it....no bartender! I woke up the next A.M. and had to RUN to the bathroom due to an issue with the lettuce from the night before. My friend had to go to a non-English pharmacy to find an anti-diarrheal so that we could leave the resort. I felt really badly for Maria because she was in charge of dealing with all of this. She was really nice but very limited as to the help she could offer. I did try the pool however, the only not broken chair ripped right out from under me because the seat was all dry rot. When I went to just step in the pool, the tile was so slippery(slimey) that my foot slipped and I took a nasty fall into the gunite and stairs. The place is for sale and they should not put up these 30 year old pictures, amenities that they don't have, like food and a bartender or tell about the great food and views unless they can provide it. We're very disappointed and should have asked for a refund.

This place recently changed hands, and the restaurant lost its chef. However, they are working diligently to get up to speed before the next tourist season arrives in November. The views from here are spectacular. The staff are super helpful. The menu at the restaurant is extremely limited at this point, but we tried the shrimp alfredo pasta, which was quite good -- pasta was not overcooked and the white sauce was tasty but not gloppy. The Tico Pork Loin was a bit tough, but the passion fruit bbq sauce was fantastic. Currently they have a very limited selection of wine by the glass (red or white) and the full bar is not fully functional. However, they have plans to expand the offerings and service. The rooms look nice -- the "deluxe" have a roof top patios (and kitchens) with outdoor stairs (NOT mobility impaired friendly) and the "standard" rooms have great views and are at the same level as reception, the pool, and the dining room. If plans come to fruition, this should once again be a lovely place to stay in Atenas -- "the best climate in the world" according to National Geographic.

The hotel is very dated. Our kitchen faucet fell off in my hand. It was obvious that it had been glued and taped on. The bugs were horrible, but the hotel did the right thing and moved us. Unfortunately, the next room's plumbing was dated as well and the bathroom faucet squirted water all over the bath. The restaurant food was truly fabulous -- The restaurant is not affiliated with the hotel. Go for the food but don't stay at Barons.

If you’re expecting a “resort” don’t book. Pros: The pool was gorgeous. Views were great. Temps were cool & pleasant. We met an awesome couple from Germany & San Jose. Cons: Pool didn’t have any seating. Restaurant prices were astronomical. (Food & beverage). Walls were so thin we could hear conversation in the next room & their phone ringing. Parking area was gravel & very noisy as all hours. Our room wasn’t clean. Hope this helps. Live & learn.