RipJack Inn

19 years ago we came to Costa Rica for our honeymoon. One of the places we stayed was the Rip Jack Inn in playa grande …a great little boutique hotel right next to the most amazing 3 mile long beach. We had never been to Costa Rica and chose it based on their website. We met and got to know the owners during that first visit and truly enjoyed 5 days there. We came down again in 2007 for a friend’s wedding but had not been back to CR/the Rip Jack until last week. The Rip Jack has expanded from like 8-10 rooms and no pool to 25 rooms and two pools (the owners had just bought it the same year we came down 19 years ago) but what has not changed is the incredible location, wonderful hospitality and the upstairs bar/restaurant that serves the most delicious food and drinks. We can’t recommend this place enough.

Warning! I’m a little bias because I’ve known the owner since the early 90s. Quality people running this place and they do whatever possible to make people’s stays here as wonderful as possible. Yoga, Surfing, ATV and Horseback tours, zip line, and other excursions can all be booked through the reception desk. The world famous surfing beach is 75 yards away. There are a couple of swimming pools. Lots of yoga retreats happen here. A HUGE plus is the restaurant. Fantastic food and atmosphere at very reasonable prices. Rooms, suites and villas are comfortable, with most amenities you’d expect except NO microwaves and that’s by design. This is a fabulous boutique hotel to relax and a great base of operations to explore the surrounding areas.

RipJacks is absolutely incredible. We have been going here for years, both staying in the hotel and going to the restaurant. Luli and Dave are incredible and so hospitable. Mayra is an exceptional server and person. So kind and helpful! The food and the new space are great! 10/10 recommend!!

My wife and I stayed at the RipJack Inn from August 18 to 21st 2005. We loved this place. It is run by 3 american partners, each bringing their passion to the table: a chef, a surfer, and a yoga instructur. The food is very good, the atmosfere is great, and the rooms are simple, well decorated, and CLEAN! There are few rooms, I think 8 in all, and we stayed in the ones detached from the main building - cabinas style. Our room was newly decorated in a simple and tasteful fashion. This was one of the few places in Costa Rica where mold and bugs were not present. I was surprised to not find any insects crawling under our bed....it was impeccably clean! The Inn is definately geared to the surfer crowd (as most places in tamarindo/playa grande), but neither of us are surfers and we still had a great time. Relaxing Yoga sessions are offered regularly. The beach is just a 100 yards away and it is stunning. You can walk for miles without seeing anyone. We spent our time in Playa Grande, Tamarindo, and our favourite beach (for the non-surfers) PLAYA CONCHAL. When you get to the RipJack Inn you are quickly welcomed by the numerouse super friendly pet dogs and cats that have now become part of the property. We stayed in much more expensive hotels in Costa Rica such as the Tabacon Resort in Arenal and Villas Nicolas in Manual Antonio and found the RipJack Inn to be in such better shape. All the other hotels we stayed at had mold and insect problems, but that was not the case at the RipJack Inn. I highly reccomend the RipJack Inn for both surfers and non-surfers. We stayed 3 nights here and if we were to plan the same trip again I would have stayed longer.

We stayed at the RipJack Inn Villas and had a wonderful stay with family. The villas are very nice, comfortable beds, covered outdoor seating and a great pool. The short walk to the beach was very convenient, the beach is beautiful and all sand. There are many restaurants in the area and every meal was very good. The Estuary tour is recommended as an outing. Highly recommend this place for a wonderful relaxing vacation! Fabulous stay with family and friends Pura Vida

I just hosted a yoga and wellness retreat at the Rip Jack Inn and it was an incredible experience! The staff were the absolute best--from the people at reception, to the restaurant and house and grounds keeping. The location is idyllic too; nestled amongst trees, with monkeys swinging overhead, and only a 1 minute walk to a pristine beach. There are two spaces to practice yoga, and both are impeccably maintained and come with all of the supplies one needs to practice. And the food at the restaurant was great! I could go on on and about how perfect it was... I'll definitely be back!!

We had a lovely week at RipJack and it is a beautiful place but I would say expensive for what it is. The pools are gorgeous and access to the beach is super easy. The staff were friendly and helpful. Food is not included and the onsite restaurant is good but very expensive. We headed out to local eateries. As a surfer my husband found the locals to be aggressive and unwelcoming in the water which was in stark contrast to any of our other stops in Costa Rica. Half an hour away we found places that were much better value for money and at a better price.

The rooms are so comfortable after a long day of surfing, yoga, or adventures! The staff is amazing and can help you schedule trips and anything you could need. The beach is literally across the street, but the pools are great the inn too! The food and drinks at the restaraunt are so fresh and delicious and there’s so much variety! You’ll probably see monkeys, iguanas, and birds too!

It is easy to see why the Ripjack would get excellent customer reviews. However at the time of our visit there was heavy noisy construction taking place on the site. It would have been appreciated if we had been made aware of this prior to our arrival as it meant any room close to the construction site could not be enjoyed during the day.