In short: Patrick Rey and Valérie are the French couple behind Odisea Retreats in Playa Junquillal, Costa Rica. He is an architect, designer and builder; she is an artist and interior designer. Together they designed and built Villa Diosa del Mar and Villa Hermes by hand, following a rule of their own: make everything, buy nothing.
The detail that tells you most about Diosa del Mar is not the ocean. It is the light switch. Reach for it after dark and your fingers find wood where you expected plastic, shaped from what the land around the house provided. Nobody ordered it from a catalogue. Somebody made it in a workshop, because making it felt more honest than buying it.
Who are Patrick and Valérie, the founders of Odisea?
Patrick is an architect, a designer and, unusually for his profession, the builder too. The drawings and the construction were never separate jobs. Valérie is an artist and interior designer, the one who decides how a room should feel once the walls are up: the colour, the light, the objects, the art on the wall.
What stands out when you hear them talk is the patience. They did not arrive with a finished plan. First they learned the country, its climate, its materials, its pace. Only when they felt ready did they start building, with their own hands. Patrick has an image for that moment: like a little bird that doesn't know how to build its nest, but builds it anyway.
What does "make everything, buy nothing" mean in practice?
Everything is made in their workshop. The furniture is artisanal. The sculptures in the garden at Diosa are originals by the owners, and the century-old trees around them were painted by hand, by the couple themselves. And yes, even the light switches were made in wood, with what the site offered.
At Villa Hermes the rule reaches its fullest expression. In Patrick's words: "It's not just a villa. It's a work of art. Everything in there we make in the workshop." Each bedroom was treated as its own piece: "All five rooms have different themes — different art, different lighting, different paintings, glass work, wood work. We use all local materials." The result is a house you cannot shop for, and he knows it: "You won't see this anywhere else in the world."
How are Diosa del Mar and Villa Hermes different?
Diosa del Mar was the first, and it is often called the soul of Odisea. It sits on a small cliff above the beach, with a private staircase down to the sand, a vaulted outdoor lounge, a firepit and a garden that feels closer to a gallery than to landscaping. Those who know it best describe it like this: "Diosa, if I could imagine it, is like a living being… a place that gives you peacefulness, a peace of mind, somewhere where you can let go."
Villa Hermes came second, built with everything years of hosting guests had taught them. If Diosa is organic and rooted in its garden, Hermes is architectural: a curved wooden vaulted roof, double-height spaces, a sculptural staircase, a form drawn from the horizon, the sea and the sun. The house is designed around the sunset, down to the pool deck. In 2026 it received Best Architecture at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards, an honour given to the villa and to Patrick Rey.
What is it like to build a home as a couple?
Honest, by their own account. Patrick and Valérie do not pretend it is always smooth. "Sometimes you have to fight. That's the beautiful part… in the end we always agree." You can feel it in the houses. The architect's structure and the artist's interiors do not read as a compromise; they read as an argument that was allowed to finish.
Who will you meet when you stay?
Most likely Luca, their son. He grew up at Diosa while it was being built, so he knows the house the way you know a childhood home, because it is one. Today he is the concierge on site. Before you arrive, Gaby, the online concierge, handles the planning: the transfer from Liberia, a private chef, a yoga session, a sunset catamaran.
Where to stay
- Villa Diosa del Mar — beachfront art retreat →
- Villa Hermes — modern architectural beachfront villa →
- Rent both villas together as Odisea Retreats →
For the full story of the award, read how Villa Hermes won Best Architecture, or talk to the concierge.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed Villa Diosa del Mar and Villa Hermes?
Both villas were designed and built by Patrick Rey, a French architect, designer and builder, together with Valérie, an artist and interior designer. The furniture, the sculptures and many small details were made in their own workshop, using local materials, rather than bought and installed.
What makes Odisea an artist-designed villa in Costa Rica?
The founders made the houses instead of furnishing them. Original sculptures, hand-painted century-old trees, artisanal furniture and wooden light switches all came out of their workshop. At Villa Hermes, each bedroom has its own theme, with different art, lighting, glass and woodwork.
Did Villa Hermes win an architecture award?
Yes. In 2026 Villa Hermes received Best Architecture at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards, an honour given to the villa and to Patrick Rey. The house is known for its curved wooden vaulted roof, double-height spaces and a sculptural staircase, all designed around the Pacific sunset.
Will we meet the family during our stay?
You will meet Luca, Patrick and Valérie's son, who grew up at Diosa while it was built and is now the concierge on site. Gaby coordinates everything online before you arrive. For anything specific, from a private chef to a yoga session, the concierge is your first call.
