In short: Villa Hermes is an architectural beachfront villa on Playa Junquillal, Costa Rica, designed by Patrick Rey around a single hour of the day: sunset. Its curved wooden vault, the arch and the pool deck all answer to the horizon, the sea and the sun. In 2026 it won Best Architecture at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards.
It's a little past five and nobody has announced anything, yet everyone has drifted to the deck. Someone left a paperback face-down on the wood. The pool goes still; the Pacific doesn't. The light drops, turns sideways, and the vaulted ceiling, which at noon read as just a ceiling, starts changing color. At Hermes this isn't luck. The whole house was drawn for this stretch of time.
What does it mean to design a house around sunset?
Most beach houses start with the floor plan: how many bedrooms, where the kitchen goes, how big the living room is. The view gets sorted out afterward. Patrick Rey worked the other way around. An architect, designer and builder, he began with what sat in front of the land at Junquillal: a clean horizon line, the ocean beneath it, and a sun that sets over the Pacific every evening. The shape of Hermes grows out of those three things.
In practice, the shared spaces and the pool deck are resolved for the last light of the day. There's no single "sunset window" bolted on as a feature. The house is arranged so that the moment lands at the center of the group's day, not in a corner of it.
Where does the wooden vault at Villa Hermes come from?
The vault is the signature. A curved wooden roof, double height, that gathers light instead of cutting it off. The arch isn't ornament; it's how Patrick translated the horizon into structure. If the horizon is the straight line that rules the landscape, the vault is its curved reply, and the place where you sit to watch sits between the two.
Patrick and Valérie, an artist and interior designer, both French, first built Villa Diosa del Mar right next door. Diosa came first; they call it the soul. Hermes came later, after years of hosting guests, when they knew what people actually do with a house on the ocean: where they gather, what hour they wait for, what they miss. Hermes is the house you design once you know all of that.
It was built the way everything on this domain is built, by not buying what can be made. Their philosophy is "make everything, buy nothing," and it isn't a brochure line. Even the light switches were carved from wood in their own workshop, from what was on site. Patrick puts it plainly: "It's not just a villa. It's a work of art. Everything in there we make in the workshop."
Why is every bedroom at Villa Hermes different?
Because nobody wanted to repeat one. Every bedroom looks toward the ocean, and each has its own theme: different art on the walls, different lighting, different glass and woodwork. All have a private bathroom and air conditioning, but that's the least interesting part. What matters is that by day three guests talk about "the glass room" or "the dark-wood room" as if they were separate places, because they are.
In Patrick's own words: "All five rooms have different themes — different art, different lighting, different paintings, glass work, wood work. We use all local materials." Local materials, worked by hand. A sculptural staircase links the levels and reads almost like another piece in the collection.
What did the Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2026 Best Architecture prize recognize?
In 2026, Villa Hermes and Patrick Rey received the Best Architecture award from the Luxury Lifestyle Awards. What it recognizes is exactly what's described above: contemporary, sculptural architecture, made with local materials, that doesn't borrow from any template. We tell the full story in Villa Hermes and the Best Architecture award.
Our honest take: the award confirmed what guests were already saying. Patrick said it before any jury did: "You won't see this anywhere else in the world." A house made by hand, piece by piece, can't be reproduced.
Where to stay
- Villa Hermes — modern architectural beachfront villa →
- Villa Diosa del Mar — beachfront art retreat →
- Rent both villas together as Odisea Retreats →
The two villas sit side by side, and, as Patrick puts it, in one place you can live two entirely different experiences. For dates, talk to the concierge.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed Villa Hermes?
Patrick Rey, a French architect, designer and builder, together with Valérie, an artist and interior designer. They built the house themselves and made much of it in their own workshop from local materials. Before Hermes, they built Villa Diosa del Mar next door, their first work in Junquillal.
Do all the bedrooms at Villa Hermes have ocean views?
Yes. Every bedroom looks toward the ocean, and each has a private bathroom and air conditioning. What sets them apart is the theme: different art, lighting, glass and wood in each one. If your group has preferences, the concierge can help you assign rooms before you arrive.
When is the best time of year for sunsets in Junquillal?
There's a sunset over the Pacific all year. In the dry season, roughly December to April, skies tend to be clearer. In the green season, clouds bring more dramatic color, and rain usually falls in the afternoon or at night. Both versions have loyal fans among returning guests.
Is there space for yoga at Villa Hermes?
Yes. A yoga space can be set up on request, and the concierge can arrange an instructor. Many groups schedule practice at first light or just before sunset on the deck. For more ideas, read our guide to yoga retreats at Odisea.
