Hacienda Tamarindo

Description:

• Established in the late 1990s on the site of an expanded nightclub, less than a mile (1.6km) west of Esperanza, this inn has lots of flair, style, and pizzazz. Vermont-born owners Burr and Linda Vail transformed a thick-walled, rather unimaginative-looking concrete building into a replica of a Spanish colonial hacienda, thanks to Linda's skills as a decorator. The inn was built around a massive 200-year-old tamarind tree, whose branches rise majestically through the hotel's atrium. Its production of fruit (Feb-Mar) is heralded with much excitement. Rooms are stylish, tiled, and spacious. Each contains an eclectic mishmash of art and dark-wood antiques, some of which were brought from Vermont. Bathrooms are modern, clean, and well designed; some contain a tub, others a shower. Although the inn is set about 1/8 mile (.2km) from the sea, there's access to a beach via a footpath, and there's a pool. The restaurant and cafe at the Inn on the Blue Horizon lie within a 5-minute walk. No children under 12 in the off season, under 16 in season.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010