The LLA — Luxury Lifestyle Awards — annually recognizes hospitality spaces that transcend the category of accommodation to become works of design. In 2026, Villa Hermes received recognition in the Luxury Villa Design, Beachfront category for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Not a surprise to those familiar with the work of architect Patrick Rey — who is also co-owner of the estate alongside his wife Valérie and son Luca.
The Design Philosophy
Villa Hermes was conceived as a dialogue between structure and nature: clean lines that frame, not interrupt, the view of the Pacific. The materials — local stone, teak wood, polished concrete — are sourced or produced within a 200-kilometer radius.
Each of the five bedrooms has its own orientation and its own relationship with the exterior. The Arca bedroom faces the ocean horizon. The Donna bedroom opens to the tropical garden. The project's logic is that of a small village organized around water and landscape, not a hotel tower with a sea view.
The Five Names
Villa Hermes's rooms carry women's names — Arca, Boma, Ciena, Donna, Ema — chosen by Valérie Rey as a tribute to the female figures who have marked the history of the estate and the family. Each name evokes a different quality: solidity, spaciousness, calm, grace, light.
The 2026 LLA Award
The LLA jury highlighted the coherence between the architectural concept, integration with the natural environment, and the guest experience: "Villa Hermes demonstrates that contemporary luxury does not need to impose itself on the landscape — it can be born from it."
Patrick Rey received the award at the Cannes ceremony in March 2026. Asked why the villa had taken twenty years to exist, he answered simply: "Costa Rica is not designed. It is listened to."
