Inside Casa Chameleon Mal Pais: Totally Overrated

Condé Nast ranks Casa Chameleon in Mal Pais, Costa Rica, as the third best hotel in Central America, but does it really live up to the hype? I’ve put my own money down to find out. In this video, I’ll take you on a full tour of this 10-room all-bungalows resort, nestled in the remote town of Mal Pais on the Nicoya Peninsula. From the moment I checked in, I had some concerns, from mismatched furniture in the library to being so close to a dusty road. Join me as I explore the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Mal Pais is a quiet town with not much to do besides hitting the beach, which is a five-minute drive or a 20-minute walk from the hotel. You’re better off heading to nearby Santa Teresa for a bit more action. Casa Chameleon’s pool is on the smaller side, but I had high hopes for my room’s private plunge pool—spoiler alert: it wasn’t quite what I expected. From the lack of on-site amenities like yoga, a spa, or a gym, to the confusing interior design of the rooms, I’ll give you an honest look at whether this resort deserves its high ranking.

Despite some disappointing aspects, there were highlights, like the friendly staff and a surprisingly good breakfast. But with room prices starting at $400 and going up to $650 per night, you’d expect more. Watch till the end to see my final thoughts and why I think Conde Nast might have missed the mark on this one. For a detailed cost breakdown of my stay and a ranking of all my Costa Rica hotel experiences, check out the link in the description.

Why should you trust us?

Our goal is to save you time by finding the best hotels and experiences for you, and eliminate the stress of paying for something before you understand if it’s right for you. We work with total editorial independence. That means nothing appears in our videos as a recommendation unless we’ve tried it and loved it. These are the hotels and activities we choose for ourselves and recommend to our family and friends.

We strive to be the most trusted, the most transparent, boutique hotel recommendation service…. ever. If you choose to use our link to book a hotel, you are supporting our work. You can go around us – it won’t save you any money. This hotel commission fee supports us as we travel the world looking for the best places. Running a business costs money, and this is how we cover most of our expenses.

We curate unusual, independent, and sustainable boutique hotel experiences. We’re a small team of 3.5 people – for now. Our founder Don is an American who’s lived about half his life overseas and has traveled to over 60 countries – always looking for that perfect hotel, and often being disappointed. Before starting Swank, Don worked as an entrepreneur in the clean energy space, and then sustainable housing – one of the reasons sustainability is in our DNA.

✔ W E B S I T E

#SwankGuide