Nectar of the Gods

Guanacaste, Costa Rica –

As I sat down at the table, the waiter came over to get my drink order.

“Dos cafes, por favor.”

He looked at me like I had grown a third head. Or at least a second.

I decided to switch to English.

“Two coffees, please.”

This he understood.

Maybe it was because my Spanish was bad, so bad he didn’t have a clue what I was saying.

Maybe it was because Dore had made a beeline for the buffet, before I had secured us a table, and thus was nowhere to be seen.

He thought I was alone.

I’ll never know the reason he gave me that look, all I can do is guess, because once he understood what I was asking for, he was the epitome of excellent service.

We were staying at the JW Marriott in Guanacaste, and while it was our second morning there, it was the first time we had made it to the breakfast buffet.

On our first morning, we had been scheduled to leave on a tour shortly after the buffet opened in the morning, so even though it was included with our room, we felt that we didn’t have time to partake.

Foolish us, I think everyone else in our group still went down to breakfast, so our tour didn’t leave anywhere close to when it had been scheduled.

Yet I was disappointed with our breakfasts for the remainder of our stay.

See, that second morning, among the selection of juices that they had available to us, I discovered the nectar of the gods.

Guava juice.

Oh man, I don’t think I’ve ever had a fruit juice so tasty, so addictive.

I went back for more, and I saw one or two others in our group had also returned for a second, or third, maybe a fourth glass.

I couldn’t wait to get down to breakfast for the remaining days of our stay, just so I could have more of that delectable treat.

And each day, I was disappointed to find that it wasn’t among the juice selections.

Oh, how cruel, to allow me to have just that one taste experience with such a tasty delight, and then deny me the pleasure ever again.

It’s not right, that’s all I can say.

To allow a single sip of that heavenly nectar, and then deny a second…

On our last morning there, as I realized that I would not be getting a second chance during our stay, I began thinking bad thoughts about their juice planner.

Whoever it is that decides what the juice selection will be each day.

I mean, while the selection each day was very good, it always paled in comparison.

To have allowed me a single taste of heaven, and then have cast me back into juice purgatory…

Maybe I’m being too hard on the place.

After all, it was a very classy resort.

Our room was beautiful, well-appointed with a gorgeous view.

The spa was first rate (according to Dore, I didn’t partake myself).

The grounds were well-manicured and landscaped.

And there were four or five different restaurant choices for lunch and dinner.

Although, their wine selection left a bit to be desired.

At least their red wine selection.

It was OK red wine, but it was served chilled.

As if it were white.

You would think, at a high-end resort like this, they would know not to chill their red wine.

And that they would have a better selection available than the one or two that they were limited to.

Or maybe it’s that Dore and I were the oddballs and practically no other guests drink red wine in a hot, tropical setting.

I mean, the rest of our group that I saw drinking any wine were all drinking white wine.

Which we don’t care for.

Maybe that was it; they didn’t bother to stock good red wine because no one ever ordered it…

Maybe…

No, I can’t even convince myself of that argument.

This is obviously a very high-end resort, catering to people from around the world that have money to spend.

It seems to me that you would want to have at least three or four decent red wine options available.

After all, with the markup that most restaurants put on wine, the first glass or two should cover the cost of the bottle.

Everything after that would be pure profit.

And this being a vacation resort, it’s going to be rare to find a customer that orders only a single glass of wine.

If the wine is good.

After all, they don’t have to drive home.

Just stumble back up to their room, if they partake too much.

But then again, I’m not in the hospitality business.

To tease their guests with just a taste of a delectable nectar like Guava at breakfast, and then to have a very limited selection of red wines to enjoy with dinner…

Oh well, just a slight damper on the experience.

Except it made me feel like a junkie who couldn’t get his fix.

OK, maybe it wasn’t quite that bad, but still.

This is a luxury resort, so I expected…luxury.

Not just ‘close enough’…

For more photos of the JW Marriott, click here.