ONE OF COSTA RICA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS HAS A NEW FAMILY-FRIENDLY HOTEL — AND IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE BEACH
Silvestre Nosara is a game-changer for families visiting the quaint surf beach town of Nosara.
It didn't take long for my five-year-old son to start running around Silvestre Nosara after we checked in. Within a couple of hours, he had made friends with the owner's son, and while they played on a sofa at the hotel's cozy rooftop, we adults were enjoying drinks next to them. The intimate nine-key property felt more like a friend's home than a boutique hotel throughout our week-long stay.
In the age of flexible schedules and remote work, residential-style hotels are rising in popularity. However, delivering that cozy and welcoming vibe that makes you feel at home — with the amenities to match, is not as easy to nail down. That's not the case with Nosara's newest boutique stay of residences, whose owners have done a masterful job creating luxurious spaces that every traveler, especially families, will appreciate.
Silvestre Nosara
- Each residence offers plenty of indoor and outdoor space and fully equipped kitchens, living rooms, and washer and dryer units.
- Fridges are stocked with groceries upon arrival and can get restocked when you place an order with the concierge,
- Surfboards are complimentary.
- The hotel is a minute's walk from the beach and has an infinity pool on the rooftop.
A few years ago, during the pandemic, Chris Ingham Brooke, a British media entrepreneur-turned-hotelier and one of the property's co-founders, came to Nosara for a week-long family vacation after a friend invited him. However, he and his family of four ended up staying for two months, mostly in hotel rooms. And while Brooke enjoyed Nosara's postcard-perfect sunsets, lush setting, and the opportunity to spend time with his friend (and now business partner, Ilya Korolev), he noticed a gap in the local hospitality market.
"One of the things that struck me was you really only have hotels or villas, so there's nothing in between," Brooke explained, noting that it's essential for young families with small children to have the freedom to choose between eating out or preparing a meal in the privacy of their own residence, while also enjoying the amenities of a hotel and "being able to connect with other people."
"The idea was to create something that filled all of those needs," he added.
On Feb. 1, the duo opened Silvestre Nosara, a boutique hotel just a minute from Nosara's most beautiful beach, Playa Guiones.
Read on for a full review of the property and what to expect when you visit this serene property.
The Rooms
Each of the nine residences boasts at least 1,000 square feet of impeccably designed indoor and outdoor spaces that blend lush landscaping and Costa Rican art. The design was a collaborative effort by Korolev, Brooke, and Cola Blanca Studio, who have also worked on projects at the luxury enclave of Peninsula Papagayo.
I stayed at one of the ground floor apartments, with two bedrooms, looking out to a spacious private courtyard divided into several living spaces. A barrel sauna and a cold plunge tub were at one end, also easily accessible from the primary bedroom, while the living room overlooked a pair of hanging chairs (a hit with my five-year-old) as well as a large marble dining room table and a cooking area with a grill. A beautiful macrame hammock was installed in the courtyard in front of the second bedroom. Hanging tree lights, palms, and other native plants created a whimsical ambiance, and we often spotted monkeys in the tree branches.
The interiors are the epitome of functional luxury, where high-end finishes and decor work in perfect harmony. The sofa, for example, is plush and big enough for an afternoon nap, while the massive wooden dining table can easily accommodate eight people. Instead of being cramped in a corner, the kitchen occupies the entire living room wall. It boasts every appliance you need — from an oven to a family-size refrigerator and a freezer, with ample countertop and drawer space equipped with cooking utensils and handmade ceramic plates and cups sourced from Indonesia.
Modern art pieces by Costa Rican artist Allegra Pacheco hang above the sofa, while surfboards in vibrant hues anchor the serene bedrooms. Brooke commissioned American-born Marbella-based shaper Douglas Evan Weiss, who was inspired by the sport's history, with the project.
"We've got everything from 1970s 'guns' [long performance surfboards that can reach up to 12 feet usually used by big wave surfers] through traditional longboards and more modern asymmetrical boards," he explained.
Brooke also incorporated little reminders of his life and home in England. There is a Marshall speaker in each bedroom, which, he explained, is a nod to his childhood (when he was 11 and a budding musician, he saved up enough to buy his first Marshall amplifier).
Food and Drink
There is no full-service restaurant at Silvestre Nosara, but breakfast is included in each stay. In the morning, guests head to the rooftop lounge and bar, which serves as the de facto living room of the property.
The hotel works with over 25 local vendors to source ingredients for the breakfast menu, which includes delicious options to satisfy each craving: dragonfruit smoothie bowls with granola, fresh fruit, and almond butter; avocado toast; eggs and bacon; sandwiches; and pancakes are some of the options guests can choose from.
Brooke said that the team redesigned the space four times to reach the current configuration, which he says encourages "effortless connections." The space features different seating arrangements instead of just dining tables, similar to a restaurant or a coffee shop. The idea is that people find their ideal spot for lounging, enjoying a drink, or their breakfast.
Amenities
While Silvestre Nosara may not boast the square footage of large resorts (and, frankly, that's one of its best features), the layout of the hotel makes clever use of every inch of it.
For example, the property has a daily activities program that guests can sign up for, and many take place in a modern and air-conditioned fitness studio in the basement.
The concierge can arrange for an in-room spa treatment, too. I tried the sound bath and Pranassage experience, a combination of a sound bath, meditation, yoga, and bodywork, where an instructor helps you stretch different body parts while you focus on relaxing.
The pool area on the rooftop is another highlight. It is shrouded in the lush canopies of trees and is the perfect spot to spend the afternoon — or stargaze at night. The infinity edge pool has a physical wall that divides it into two areas: shallow and ideal for children and deeper and perfect for adults.
A shaded cabana, sun lounges, and a large sitting area with a sofa surrounded by greenery give the sundeck a decidedly residential feel.
Of course, most people come to Nosara to catch a few waves, and a surf school is the de rigueur amenity in every hotel. Silvestre Nosara is no exception. Guests can choose from various surfboards from Bali-based shaper Jim Banks stored in a space with see-through doors on the side of the building. Boards are complimentary, but you can book a surfing lesson for a fee.
The concierge services are indeed the star of the show and the hotel's most valuable amenity. While typically, I rarely make it to the concierge desk in hotels, here, I would reach out almost every day for something—from asking them to restock an item in the refrigerator to booking us a table at a local restaurant or providing us with beach chairs and umbrellas.
This year, the hotel will also add a playground and electric bikes to its list of amenities.
Activities
With Brooke and his family living on the property full-time (his wife owns the chic clothing store, Alberka, down the street), it's clear that the community is central to the hotel. The week before I arrived, the property started its speaker series with Dan Buettner, the New York Times-bestselling author, and host of the Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.
Brooke explained that the speaker series aims to help "foster authentic relationships" with the destination and the community.
Guests can also book activities like sunset boat tours, excursions, and ecological tours (we visited the nearby International Animal Rescue Center), private chef-catered dinners, surf boat charters to nearby breaks, horseback riding, hiking, fishing, ATV, and zipline experiences.
Accessibility and Sustainability
Eco-conscious travelers will undoubtedly approve of Silvestre Nosara's sustainable initiatives, including water conservation, stormwater and wastewater management, and energy efficiency. Every residence has multiple reusable water bottles, so guests don't need to buy single-use plastic bottles. The property will also soon add solar panels.
The hotel supports local non-governmental organizations such as Costas Verdes, which restores coastal ecosystems, and Bomberos de Nosara, the town's volunteer fire department.
While the property has an elevator that goes up to the rooftop, where the restroom is wheelchair accessible, the hotel is not fully compliant with ADA. However, several of the residences offer wheelchair ramp access.
Nosara, the small coastal town famous for its consistent swells resulting in world-class breaks over 300 days of the year, also attracts travelers with its expansive beaches and serene setting between the jungles of Costa Rica's Guanacaste Province.
The hotel sits a short one-minute walk through lush vegetation (the law here prohibits construction less than 200 meters from the beach) from Playa Guiones, a four-mile stretch of vast sandy beach. People flock to the beach during sunset hour — some are surfing, while others are watching and enjoying a drink.
There are many restaurants, shops, and bars near the hotel, including another valuable amenity for when you travel with kids — a 24-hour urgent center just down the street from the property.
How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay
Nightly rates at Silvestre Nosara start from $960, and there is a three-night minimum. Each reservation includes a complimentary private airport transfer, daily breakfast, a stocked refrigerator with groceries upon arrival, and a choice of Jim Banks performance surfboard to use for the duration of your stay. The Tropical Garden Grand Residence also comes with a private barrel sauna and ice bath.
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2024-04-24T18:43:57Z dg43tfdfdgfd