Designer Villa in Tamarindo

The house sits inside a gated community on the stretch of Guanacaste coast between Tamarindo and Playa Langosta, close enough to the sand that the walk to the water takes less than a minute. Its name comes from a word that describes a way of living more than a place: open, unhurried, generous with guests. The house is built to that idea. The main living spaces open completely onto the terrace, the pool and the sea, and on most evenings the whole group ends up outside at the second dining table facing the beach, drinks in hand, as the sun drops into the Pacific.

At its centre is an 18-foot wooden table (about 5.5 metres) that seats all 20 guests at once, which is rarer than it sounds and the reason the house works so well for weddings, retreats and large families. Behind it, a full kitchen with an island and integrated seating is backed by a separate prep kitchen, so a private chef can work without anyone tripping over them. Around the pool, the terrace breaks into lounge areas for the slower hours.

Four primary suites face the ocean, each with a king bed, its own bathroom, a desk and a walk-in closet, and several of them add outdoor showers with sea views. A fifth king room looks inward onto a patio, quieter and cooler for anyone who sleeps late. Two children’s rooms each sleep four in twin XL bunks, both with their own bathrooms. Next to the main house, a self-contained studio with a queen bed, kitchenette and bathroom with outdoor shower gives privacy to grandparents, a couple who wants their own door, or a nanny or chef travelling with the group.

Housekeeping, laundry and pool and garden care happen daily, and breakfast is laid out as a buffet each morning, with groceries billed at cost. The concierge team plans the rest at no charge for their time, from private chefs and massage therapists to pre-stocking the kitchen before arrival (groceries extra). Still and sparkling water come from an in-house purification system, the outdoor spaces are treated with a botanical misting system to keep bugs away, and there’s Sonos throughout, a barbecue, beach chairs, umbrellas and a few surfboards on request. An alarm system and a night guard look after the house after dark.