DoceLunas Reviews
Reviews
5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
15 Reviews
100% recommend it
Awards
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![Kyna]()
Kyna B. Sent on 03/20/2024beautiful jungle wedding
Carmen and the staff at DoceLunas made our wedding the best day of our lives. The hotel is gorgeous, the decorations were incredible, the food and cake were great, and everyone was so friendly. They made everything so easy, including arranging transport for to and from the hotel at all hours and even went so far as to give folks who were arriving in the middle of the night after a long journey dinner waiting for them in their rooms. Carmen accommodated every request we made both big and small. We would absolutely recommend anybody considering DoceLunas for their wedding to go for it -- you wont regret it!
PS - queer couples look no further, as there wasn't a single moment where we were made to feel anything other than loved and welcomed as we are.
Thank you Carmen and DoceLunas, we'll never forget the most beautiful day of our lives. -
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![Angel]()
Angel P. Sent on 03/02/2024Amazing Wedding Venue and Staff
We had our destination wedding with DoceLunas on Feb 2024. We have nothing but positive things to say about the staff, our wedding planner Carmen executing our vision for our wedding day perfectly, and the vendors she recommended that they have worked with in the past. The attention to detail the staff provided left us in awe and our guests always felt taken care of. My personal favorite part during our stay in DoceLunas was the amount of wildlife that we got to see while in the hotel area. -
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![Jenny]()
Jenny Sent on 07/02/2023Best Wedding Experience Ever
DoceLunas was fantastic!!! It was so easy to work and plan with Carmen. She sent excel sheets to select what we were looking for including food, apps, cake, flowers, bouquets, hair/makeup, etc., connected us to photographers, and created photo boards of ideas we would like to include at the reception! The flowers were UNBELIEVABLE for the ceremony (they built a pergola and had a flower walk way!) and all the bouquets and table arrangements. The staff was so friendly and fantastic. We were able to reserve the entire hotel for friends/family which made it feel like we were in a place surrounded by our people! DoceLunas helped with transportation to and from the airport for all guests, was very responsive, and truly was the best wedding experience we could have asked for! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! -
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Natalia B. Sent on 11/02/2021
Beautiful property with wonderful staff
Recently had my wedding here and we could not have been happier with the outcome! From the beginning, we had a great experience with our coordinator, Carmen and she was the most attentive and helpful person ever! The decorations were beautiful, the floral arrangements both for the bouquets and decorations were absolutely gorgeous. We really were amazed with everything they had to offer us. The staff was friendly and helpful, as well. The place is very well kept, very affordable, and it was just beyond our expectations. -
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Rachael B. Sent on 07/14/2022
We had our dream wedding at DoceLunas!
The idea of planning a wedding during a pandemic was overwhelming and scary no matter what, so we decided to take a big risk with a destination wedding in Costa Rica and we’re so happy we did! We had the most amazing wedding at DoceLunas on July 24, 2021!
We chose Costa Rica because it was the first place we vacationed together as a couple and we both fell in love with the country. We also wanted to make our wedding as COVID safe as possible without having to put restrictions on our guests, so finding a secluded outdoor venue was important. We did a lot of online research and kept coming back to DoceLunas because they offered an affordable nearly all-inclusive wedding package, they could accommodate all of our 65 guests, and they were so happy to work with us! Chris answered all of our questions, Anabel gave us a wonderful virtual tour of the grounds, and everything just seemed to fall into place!
Leading up to the wedding we had numerous conversations with the hotel staff to ensure that the events would meet our expectations. We planned to take over the entire hotel for 4 nights and host multiple events in addition to the wedding itself. Patricia was an incredible coordinator and made sure all of the details like flowers, decorations, food, cake and drinks were in line with our vision. Carmen served as the main point of contact for our guests and was super helpful with booking rooms and arranging transportation. They were even willing to provide assistance to our overflow guests staying at other hotels in the area.
We were picked up at the airport by a very clean and friendly car service, which the hotel arranged for us. Our driver was waiting for us when we landed and we enjoyed a pleasant 1.5 hour ride from San Jose to Jaco. When we finally arrived at DoceLunas we received the warmest welcome from Jose at the front desk! Patricia also came to greet us, took the wedding dress to hang up in the bridal suite, and provided us with her direct contact info and instructions to reach out to her anytime for any reason. Despite the late hour, the kitchen made us a delicious dinner and the most amazing fresh pineapple juice we’ve ever tasted! We quickly settled into our comfortable, spacious suite and enjoyed our first night in our large, cozy bed which was beautifully decorated with swans and rose petals when we arrived! The next morning we enjoyed a delicious traditional Costa Rican breakfast and then had our first chance to explore the hotel. We were blown away by the immense beauty of this venue. The circular arrangement of the grounds provided easy access to everything, and it was truly nestled in the middle of the rainforest! In addition to lush greenery, colorful flowers and fruit trees, we also constantly encountered amazing wildlife like monkeys, toucans and leaf cutter ants throughout our stay.
We had a few days to ourselves to wedding prep and explore Jaco before our guests arrived. During that time the hotel staff helped us arrange mani/pedis, hair/makeup trials, massages, and last minute day trips. They also got us water bottles and a variety of local snacks for filling our welcome bags. All of the services they arranged for us were excellent!
We kicked off our wedding weekend with a welcome reception in the beautiful palapa style restaurant/bar area, which provided excellent protection from the rain and created a very pleasant atmosphere for everyone to socialize while enjoying the lush rainforest scenery. Lovely Costa Rican music played over the sound system, specialty cocktails were served by exceptionally friendly wait staff and a plethora of hors d’oeuvres were displayed on a beautiful wooden table which we were impressed to learn was actually built on site! The event was a huge success and a perfect start to the wedding festivities!
The next day we were mostly off site enjoying a full day catamaran cruise to Tortuga Island with Costa Cat Cruises. Upon returning to DoceLunas we hosted a rehearsal dinner in the covered bar/restaurant area which was set up beautifully! String lights and lanterns created an elegant ambiance, and a chiffon archway provided a perfect background for pictures! Since it was Friday night and we were having a Jewish wedding, we wanted to celebrate Shabbat. Patricia made sure we had everything we needed for the short service, including Shabbat candles, a kiddush cup with wine, and a huge, beautiful, delicious challah bread! The dinner itself consisted of a variety of local Costa Rican cuisine and everything was fresh and delightful! The hotel staff provided amazing service throughout the meal and everyone had a great time!
Finally the wedding day arrived. We began our morning with a wonderful yoga class led by Anabel. The yoga studio was fully equipped with plenty of mats, blocks and towels to accommodate our group of about 30 people of all ages and abilities. Anabel was an amazing instructor who managed to keep everyone captivated as she guided us through a flow that was both energizing and relaxing. Adding to the ambiance were the beautiful canopy views and the sounds of tropical birds and monkeys surrounding us as we practiced. The class was so much fun and we all left feeling mentally and physically prepared for the exciting day ahead!
After a quick rehearsal in the garden we split off to get ready for the main event. The salon/spa area served as the bridal suite and provided a lovely space for all of the girls to hang out and get ready together. The salon setup was perfect for hair and makeup, and the adjacent sitting room was filled with snacks and champagne which everyone enjoyed. Cecilia Acquaroli and her team did a phenomenal job with everyone’s hair and makeup. During this time the boys all hung out together in our bedroom suite and celebrated with a round of tequila shots!
Just before the ceremony we met with the Costa Rican lawyer and our Rabbi to sign the marriage license and the Ketubah. The hotel made the legal process very easy and we received our marriage certificate in the mail about 3 months later.
The wedding ceremony can only be described as a dream! The beautiful rainforest garden provided a stunning backdrop as romantic guitar music filled the air, and a delicate flower petal path led us down the aisle to the gorgeous chuppah covered in vines and brightly colored flowers. The sound system worked great so everyone could hear the lovely ceremony led by our Rabbi. We said our vows, kissed, and our guests blew bubbles as the guitar player serenaded us and we made our way back along the flower petal path. The guests were then directed to the cocktail hour while we took pictures. Magically, the rain held out.
The hotel did a beautiful job setting up the reception with gorgeous lighting, tropical flowers and hanging foliage. The tables were arranged in a circular fashion around the perimeter of the covered area, creating a nice dance floor in the center. This made the whole affair feel intimate and inclusive. The size and layout of the space was just right for accommodating our 65 person party. The event staff took amazing care of us and all of our guests, making sure everyone was happy and having fun. All the food was delicious, and our white chocolate strawberry wedding cake from a local French baker was the best cake we’ve ever tasted! Gabriel and the rest of the bar staff did a great job keeping the drinks flowing all night, and the DJ kept the party going even after we were supposed to have finished. It was a truly magical night!
The day after the wedding we hosted a farewell brunch and pool party. Tito, the same DJ from the night before, set up karaoke on the pool deck, and the hotel set up a bar by the pool offering us cocktails and beer. We were served delicious snacks including fresh fruit, guacamole with plantain chips, and leftover wedding cake. The pool was clean, comfortable and filled with beach balls which everyone enjoyed. We spent the entire day swimming, singing, eating and drinking! It was a really fun way to end our wedding weekend!
Every single member of the staff provided exceptional service throughout our stay, but we want to give extra special recognition to Lis, because she truly went above and beyond in caring for us and our families. We became familiar with Lis because she served us breakfast every morning, and during the wedding reception she attended to us personally all night. At one point during the reception, Lis surprised my mom and me with gifts: beautiful handmade crochet bralettes! When she gave them to us she told us how thankful she was to be involved in our wedding because events like this bring her so much joy. It was such a wonderful heartfelt gesture that I’ll never forget! Later in the night she noticed my dad looking a little overheated while dancing and brought him a cold wet towel to help him cool off. Although seemingly simple, it was exactly what he needed at the time and he still talks about how happy it made him! We are so grateful to Lis for her remarkable attentiveness, immense kindness and generosity.
There are a few things we learned throughout our experience that should be considered when planning a destination wedding in Costa Rica. First, the humidity is no joke, so dress light and be prepared with bug spray. Second, “Tico time” is real, so it’s important to go with the flow and not be surprised when things don’t always happen right on schedule. Third, it’s important to clearly communicate your expectations, discuss details, and ask questions, because things that seem standard in the United States are not always the norm in other countries. For example, in the US it’s typical for a wedding DJ to also act as an MC, but our DJ told us he would not be providing this service. We informed the hotel that it was important for us to have someone making announcements throughout the night (wedding party entrance, special dances, toasts, cake cutting, etc.), so they offered to find us a bilingual MC (hired at an added cost) to help direct the flow of the party. This turned out to be the only real disappointment of the weekend because the person who showed up seemed to have a very different impression of what her job would be and didn’t feel comfortable acting as an MC. She ended up staying and helping to translate between our wedding planner and DJ, but our wedding planner ultimately ended up having to take over the job of MC. Although the situation was a little annoying, it had no major negative impact on the weekend overall.
DoceLunas was a fantastic place to stay and an amazing place to celebrate our wedding! Every single member of the hotel staff was super friendly, extremely helpful and supported us in every way possible from the moment we started planning and throughout our entire stay! They treated us like family and gave us the most magical wedding weekend we could have ever hoped for! It was an experience that we and all of our guests will never forget. Thank you to everyone at DoceLunas for making our dream wedding a reality! -
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![Andrew]()
Andrew W. Sent on 11/29/2021Excellent Venue, Professional Team, Memorable Experience
We had our wedding at DoceLunas in late June 2021 with 24 guests. None of our guests had been to Costa Rica before, and our experience at DoceLunas and the surrounding Jaco area had left a great impression on them.
Regarding the venue -
The rooms are spacious and comfortable. The pool and hot tub areas were great places for guests to meet each other, and the morning breakfast was well made and in a comfortable atmosphere with accommodating staff. There are many flowers and other tropical plants that you will see on your walk from your room to the restaurant area.
The gardens area is also very beautiful - this is where we had our ceremony. It was set up better than expectations with flower petals lining the grass and nice leaves and flowers on the archway. Each day yielded a new sighting in the garden -- monkey, toucan, other colored birds, fallen fruit (mango, coconut, papaya). It was a joy to simply be outside and appreciate nature.
Regarding the wedding prep and ceremony -
We met our officiant a day or two prior to the wedding day. This meetup with coordinated by DoceLunas and they were flexible with our days literary. The officiant met us in our room and explained the wedding process and what he plans to do for his remarks. He heard our preferences, got to know each of us, and eased any concerns we had. This officiant was one who previously worked with DoceLunas, and we had not seen or spoke with him prior. He did an excellent job as officiant, had a very calming presence, and we're both very thankful for him. His remarks were kept brief, yet effective.
The day prior to the wedding, the DoceLunas wedding team met up with myself, my wife, and her father for wedding preparation in the garden area. They described the order of events, when the song queues will happen, etc. My wife practiced walking down the aisle as many times as she needed to feel comfortable with the process.
The day of the wedding, our ceremony was at 4pm in the gardens area. Around 1pm or so I started to get ready (groom). I had my hair done in the spa, then my wife and her friends went to the spa for her getting ready process. The stylist and time coordination were handled by the DoceLunas team based on our preparation needs. They made the day-of very effortless for us. DoceLunas also coordinated flowers for a bouquet and boutonniere. The flower choices were coordinated around a central wedding color that we had picked prior (orange, bird of paradise).
Guests started to gather in the gardens area about 15 minutes prior to the ceremony. We were lucky to have mom and baby monkeys swinging in the trees overhead while people were taking their seats.
After the ceremony completed and we took photos, my wife and I headed to the restaurant area for the reception. Guests made their way to the restaurant while we took photos at various places across the venue.
Regarding the reception –
Our reception had 5 guest tables, and my wife and I sat at our own table. We didn’t determine the table configuration, just a seating chart. Our guests were all served drinks by the time we arrived after taking photos from the ceremony, and we were quickly served drinks upon arrival. The tables were elegantly decorated with leaves and flowers. The food was served after an appropriate amount of time spent socializing. Orders were pre-coordinated prior to the wedding day. The food was great, and any guests with special needs were accommodated. After dinner we proceeded with speeches, cake cutting, and finally karaoke. The DoceLunas team helped coordinate and manage timing for all these events and transitions. I think karaoke wasn’t a common offering, but we requested it and it worked out great.
Overall –
DoceLunas helped coordinate and hosted one of the most memorable days of our 2021 year. We are still hearing from guests how much fun they had as I write this review 6 months after the wedding.
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![Adam]()
Adam D. Sent on 11/19/2021Doce Luna’s Wedding Review!
This review has been a long time coming as my wife and I hosted our wedding at Doce Lunas back in August of 2019. Additionally, we also stayed there in June 2018 prior to our wedding to check out the grounds/rooms/facilities/city. We had 40 guests stay at the hotel for the wedding with all 20 rooms booked.
Hotel overall- While The hotel is located a little off the beaten path of Jaco, it is still ideally positioned and in a more quiet spot of the busy town. A quick car/uber/taxi/bike ride will get you quickly into town. What really sold us on this hotel for our wedding was the overall grounds which are breathtaking and amazing. All the rooms are generally secluded and provide great privacy but are also very comfortable and nice. Awesome pool and restaurant.
Staff - everyone at Doce Lunas is super nice and helpful. Special thanks to Jose, Marilyn, Carmen, diego, Ariel, Rubier (Ariel and Rubier also own the shuttle company and operate nice shuttles and can take you to other places like manual Antonio) and our wedding planner Kate. Everyone was so friendly and helped to make all our guests stays more enjoyable.
Food - Wow. All the food was more than amazing. We even had a whole pig cooked for our rehearsal dinner. Diego was the chef and everything he made was phenomenal.
Wedding - while the overall planning for the wedding may not be up to par with American/western standards (this is Costa Rica after all and is to be expected), everything went off without a hitch. We had one minor issue during the entire wedding day therefore it was a win in our book! The whole wedding was amazing and we wouldn’t change one thing about it. Food, DJ, ceremony...everything was great. At the end of the wedding, a lot of our guests and us all decided to go for a late night swim in the pool (something you can’t do at a lot of places).
Overall, our guests and us all had such a great time with no complaints from anyone. While the biggest downside is just the overall planning and some coordination (mind you that my wife and I are also big planners), all the great memories and everything else far outweighed anything. As a part of our guests wedding packages, everyone received shuttle to/from airport, all meals, and their rooms at a very affordable price. What made this even more special and enjoyable was the fact that we had the entire hotel/grounds/pool to ourselves. This made guests feel entirely comfortable and meant that everyone could easily relax and just have a great time.
Would highly recommend Doce Lunas for your wedding. -
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![Skye]()
Skye Sent on 10/28/2019Amazing. Perfect wedding. Perfect honeymoon. Amazing.
I can't recommend DoceLunas enough. I feel so blessed to have found this wonderful place and am happy to share my experience. I had my wedding here in April of 2019 and everything was perfect. I'm a picky bride - I had a vision - DoceLunas delivered beyond my expectations. The planning process was easy, flexible, relaxed - everything they tell you a wedding isn't! My wedding was a dream. The experience of being in Costa Rica and staying with the welcoming, loving people at DoceLunas changed my dad's life. Our family spent two weeks here and can't wait to be back. I plan to update this review with more details and more photos soon, but just had to get a review out there telling you how great this place is.DoceLunas's reply:
Hi Skye,
Thank you big time for the stellar review. It was a pleasure having you, Mike, and both your families and friends here! Can't wait to have a beer and chat with your Dad again. Hopefully we can do some fishing next time, when we don't have a schedule. Enjoy your Halloween, we are doing the Haunted House again for the neighborhood kids!
Chris -
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![Mary]()
Mary Sent on 06/15/2022LGBTQ Wedding in the Jungle
We had the best experience planning and hosting our wedding in Costa Rica at Doce Lunas. The staff was so flexible and able to work within our budget. They helped us plan a wedding in another country - which is a large ask! We weren't familiar with the area and they helped us find some really memorable and special activities and venues off the beaten path. We never would have been able to afford to give our guests this kind of experience in the US. Everyone who attended brings it up all the time. It was such an adventure! I can't recommend them enough. -
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![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 10/22/2019Absolutely Amazing
My husband and I got married at DoceLunas and could not be more pleased with how everything turned out.
Brian took care of everything for us. I cannot stress how significant this was. He arranged the transportation, lawyer, photographer, flowers & decorations, hair & makeup, food, room reservations for family and friends, the list goes on. We didn’t have to worry about anything and were free to relax and enjoy our time swimming and sightseeing.
Since we went during the rainy season, we did have to change our original plan to have a beach wedding. This, too, was handled flawlessly. The transition was very smooth and you would have never known that our wedding took place at a backup location; it was like it was planned from the start.
The hotel itself was amazing and the grounds are gorgeous and well kept. Since we had family and friends also staying at the hotel, I was able to see several rooms and they were all spacious and very clean. There was always someone available to help us and everyone was so friendly. The restaurant is affordable and highly recommended. There are several delicious options on the menu to choose from.
We recommend DoceLunas to anyone traveling to the Jaco area and definitely hope to return on our next trip.DoceLunas's reply:
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for the great review! Hope to see you guys on an anniversary one year.
Chris -
Damien S. Sent on 10/22/2019
Best Wedding Ever
Picture Perfect Wedding without breaking the bank! Hotel Doce Lunas hosted our wedding in March 2017. It was simply amazing and everything we could have hoped for.
Brian went over and beyond to make sure we had everything thing we needed while staying under budget. The hotel has 20 rooms so booked the entire campus plus some overflow rooms at a nearby hotel. We planned our entire wedding over email/phone.
This included: Decoration, Food Menu, Ceremony, Reception, Waterfall Tour, Excursions, Photography.. EVERYTHING! and it was PERFECT! Shirley (bartender/waitress) was a delight! She greeted and feed our guestsevery morning for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! The front desk crew took care of our guest the entire weekend. If you are looking for a great destination wedding location, look no further than Hotel DoceLunas in Jaco Costa Rica.DoceLunas's reply:
Hi Damien,
Muchas gracias! We're glad that your group enjoyed their time here so much! We hope to see you again, when you're down this way.
Chris -
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M Pearce Sent on 12/03/2019
Amazing service
A little back story, my now Husband and I knew we wanted to go to Costa Rica for our wedding, we looked at many hotels to do a scouting trip beforehand. Brian at Doce Lunas was the only one who actually picked up the phone and called.
The service just from that phone call was amazing, but when we got there the attention to detail was unreal. In a passing conversation my husband talked about how he likes specific drink, that night the bartender made it to perfection, even though it had never been made before by them.
We spent a week at Doce Lunas before the wedding, and they made sure everyone of our 40 guest had a unique experience that and any whim would be accommodated. Decide at 7pm you want a fishing trip the next day? done!!! The other group wants to go do a coffee tour? be at the van at 9! Anything wanted was taken care of!
The wedding its self was amazing, there happened to be a Celebrity Chef staying there who was friends with the owners and volunteered to cook all of our food, including a whole roast pig for our rehearsal dinner because at Doce your family. I want to point out that our entire wedding (including the rehearsal dinner, food, DJ, decorations, alcohol for rehearsal, wedding, and bloody mary bar for the day after) was less then 4000
Doce Lunas is to thank for an amazing week, our friends and family can not wait to go back to this special place!DoceLunas's reply:
Hi Mickey,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review. It was nice to talk to you again recently, and we look forward to your return! We'll leave a light on.....
Chris -
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