Why Affluent Families Choose Private Estates Over Luxury Resorts 

Every family trip has a planner. Usually it’s one person, often the one reading this, holding the spreadsheet, the passports, and the quiet responsibility for whether everyone comes home rested or merely tanned. 

Sooner or later, that person faces a fork in the road: a luxury resort, or a luxury family villa in Costa Rica.  

One path offers a famous name, a long pool, and a kids’ club. The other offers one house, one gate, one team, and nobody else. For a growing number of affluent families, especially those spanning three generations, the second path has particular appeal. A private estate isn’t simply a bigger room. It’s a different way of being on holiday. 

This guide compares the two, one decision at a time: privacy, space, dining, families, and value. Our example throughout is Villa Firenze, a private estate on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast near Los Sueños. 

The Real Choice: Private Estate vs. Luxury Resort 

Strip away the brochures and the difference comes down to one word: shared. 

A resort is built to share. The pool, the restaurants, the lobby, the staff, and the schedule are divided among hundreds of guests, and the experience is designed to work for all of them at once.  

A private estate is built for one group. Every lounger, every table, and every member of staff is there for your family and no one else. 

Neither is wrong. Each solves a different set of family travel needs. Here’s how they compare where it matters most. 

Privacy and Security: A Gate That Closes Behind You 

At a resort, privacy stops at your door. Beyond it are corridors, elevators, and lobbies you share with strangers, and a pool where you’ll need to be up early to claim a corner. 

At the estate, privacy starts at the gate. Villa Firenze sits behind a gated perimeter with a private entrance, a security guard, and cameras. The grounds are reserved for your family and the team looking after you. For families who value discretion, that can be an important part of the decision.  

It also means the children can wander from the pool to the courtyard without anyone doing a headcount of strangers. 

For more on how the estate approaches this, see why Villa Firenze is considered one of the safest villas to rent in Costa Rica. 

Space: Together, but Never on Top of Each Other 

At a resort, a family of 10 usually means three or four rooms, sometimes on different floors, and a shared living room that doesn’t exist. Evenings become a question of whose balcony. 

At the estate, the whole family sleeps under one roof, yet no one is crowded. Villa Firenze sleeps up to 12 guests and comfortably hosts 10, with the room arrangement shaped around each family. Four suites open onto an Italian-style courtyard: 

• Upstairs: The Upper Master Suite and the Upper Patio Suite 

• Ground level: The Lower Master Suite and the Dome Suite 

• Plus: A convertible office room that works as a fifth space for a teenager, a nanny, or a parent who can’t quite switch off 

The grandparents get a door that closes. The cousins get a courtyard to run through. Everyone meets at the same table without needing a reservation.  

Take a closer look at the Villa Firenze suites to see how each one is laid out. 

A Private Chef Table vs. Resort Dining 

At a resort, dinner for 10 is a logistics exercise: a reservation, a table that may not seat everyone together, a children’s menu of breaded things, and a bill that arrives with the dessert. 

At the estate, dinner comes to you. Villa Firenze’s private chef team plans meals around the family, including children’s meals and dietary restrictions. The toddler who eats only pasta and the grandfather who can’t have gluten can sit at the same table and both be happy with what’s on it. 

Ingredients are fresh, mostly organic, and locally sourced: tropical fruit at breakfast, fresh fish from the Pacific coast, colorful salads. How much of that dining is included depends on the package, which we cover below.  

Is a Private Estate Actually Suitable for Families? 

Yes, with one honest caveat worth knowing before you book. 

What Works 

• Privacy and space: one gated estate and four suites, reserved for your family alone. 

• On-site staff: two managers, two housekeepers, and two maintenance workers, on-site throughout the stay. That’s a team on the grounds, not a phone number on the fridge. 

• A chef who cooks for children: meals planned around kids’ tastes and any dietary needs. 

• Plenty to fill the downtime: the pool and terrace, the X-Golf simulator, games, and movie nights. 

What to Plan For 

• A private home, not a resort: Villa Firenze is a private home and isn’t childproofed. 

• Stairs: there are stairs inside the house and around the grounds. 

• The pool: it isn’t separately fenced. 

• Supervision: parents of young children should bring the same habits they’d use in any multi-level home. 

We’d rather you know that now than discover it on arrival. For a fuller picture, see whether Villa Firenze suits a family vacation. 

Villa vs. Resort: The Real Value Comparison 

A private estate’s nightly rate covers an entire property for your whole group, not a single room. For a large family, the per-person cost can compare well with booking several resort rooms, before counting the privacy, staff, and space that come with it. 

A resort price is usually quoted per room. Villa Firenze’s rates cover the whole estate: the suites, the pool, the grounds, the staff, and exclusive use for your group.  

The Firenze Escape starts at $5,000 per night, which works out to about $500 per guest per night for a family of 10. Compare that with the cost of several resort rooms, plus dining, and the math often looks different from the sticker price. 

Every package has a 4-night minimum. For a broader look at the numbers, our guide to hotels versus vacation rentals for a family trip runs through the trade-offs. 

One Gate, One Family, One Table 

The choice between a resort and a private estate usually comes down to control: over who shares your space, how your days unfold, and what ends up on the table. A resort gives you a beautiful place to stay among many.  

A private estate gives you a place that, for a week, belongs only to your family. 

Check availability, or email the concierge team at concierge@villafirenzecr.com with your family’s size and dates. 

Make Your Reservation with Villa Firenze

Frequently Asked Questions 

How many people can Villa Firenze accommodate?

Villa Firenze sleeps up to 12 guests and comfortably hosts 10. The estate has four suites around an Italian-style courtyard, plus a convertible office room, and the room arrangement is shaped around each family's needs.

What security features does Villa Firenze offer for families?

Villa Firenze has a gated perimeter, private entrance, security guard, and cameras. It isn't childproofed, though: there are stairs inside and outside the house, and the pool isn't separately fenced, so young children need normal supervision.

Can a private chef accommodate picky eaters or dietary restrictions?

Yes. Villa Firenze's private chef team plans meals around the family, including children's meals and dietary restrictions. Share your family's needs when booking so menus can be planned ahead. How many meals are included depends on the package.

Which Villa Firenze package is best for a multigenerational family?

Most families choose between the Firenze Escape and the Firenze Signature. Escape suits families who prefer to plan meals and outings themselves. Signature adds daily chef-prepared breakfast, a welcome dinner, grocery pre-stocking, itinerary planning, and a dedicated concierge.