Travel Review: Costa Rica Vacation, Arenal, Cloud Forest & Rainforest Hikes

We would not stay at Establio hotel.  It was very inconvenient to have to take a shuttle every time we wanted to go to our room.  It seemed that most of the clients were on large tours and that is exactly what we hope to avoid by using Zicasso.  I would have appreciated more detailed information on what the experience would be.  For example to get to use the ferry as transport, it was necessary to walk, with our luggage, down a gravel embankment and up another to the road to meet our driver. I am not saying that this was unacceptable, just that a more detailed explanation of of what the expect would have been appreciated.  

TRAVEL COMPANY COMMENTS:

Hi Anne

 
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed your time in Costa Rica! We greatly value feedback and are always looking to improve our customer service, as are our partners in destination, so I will definitely pass your kind words—regarding the drivers, guides, their suggestions/restaurant recommendations for you—along to them.
 
Traveling around holidays, particularly Easter week (which happens to be in the middle of Costa Rica’s high season), is a very popular time period and as a result tends to cause quite a bit of congestion in the popular travel areas,  as you saw with the numerous group tours. Unfortunately, it is to some extent an unpredictable circumstance.
 
I also would like to apologize for the misunderstanding about the boat transfer across the lake. In your itinerary we provided, we have the transfer across Lake Arenal listed as a private boat, which is what I understand you received.  In our phone conversation this afternoon it sounds like you were expecting a ferry on the lake.  I admit I'm confused where the idea of a “ferry” came from, but regardless, I can see how expectations for a ferry versus a private boat differ and I hope the boat transfer lived up to your expectations.   I am glad our staff helped you with your luggage.
 
As for the Establo hotel, I am very sorry it did not meet your expectations. It is a rather large establishment due to it being considered a Mountain Resort as opposed to a lodge. Meeting—or better, exceeding—your expectations is our number one priority and seeing as this resort had rather an opposite impact, I would like to offer you a full refund for the amount charged for this hotel: $356.00. I sincerely hope it didn’t dampen the rest of your trip.
 
After speaking with you on the phone today and hearing about your trip, it really sounds like you had a wonderful experience.   I think there might have been a couple of misconceptions on your part about what to expect in Costa Rica, and I hope I was able to clear up a few of the remaining doubts you had about the trip.  And it does not sound like your 3-star rating on Zicasso truly reflects your overall experience in Costa Rica.    As I mentioned before, we are always striving to improve, and do our utmost to incorporate client feedback and suggestions - so please let me know of any other feedback you have regarding your experiences in Costa Rica.
 
I look forward to working with you again in the future!