*I did not stay in La Casita because it was occupied. We were “upgraded” to a larger cabin that isn’t listed on Airbnb.*
I’m sure I could’ve given T.R.E.E.S a 5 star rating if our stay there had not overlapped with a high school group. I read in the description that student groups might be there, but I wrongly assumed college or graduate student groups only. There was a large and loud (as they should be) high school group, so it felt like we were infringing on their camp experience. I was also trying to take the experience without data, and couldn’t connect to WiFi in the main areas, but the high schoolers had data plans and were constantly snapchatting every little thing... not super peaceful. Also because of the group, it was hard to get sufficient meals from the buffet area unless we arrived very early, so we did most of our eating in nearby towns. The cabin we were moved to also had a lot of road noise, and the door to the back patio was locked the entire time (we never received a key to the cabin and/or the back patio despite asking), so it was hard to enjoy the jungle at the cabin itself. La Casita was much farther off the highway, although still surrounded by other camp style cabins.
The cool part about the property are the hikes, swimming holes, and education opportunities. There was a study on bats being conducted while we were there, and a couple of entomologists were conducting research as well. The work they’re doing there is incredible. Additionally, the proximity to St Hermann’s National Park allowed us to easily escape the bustle of camp and enjoy a relaxing swim in the Blue Hole and journey through the cave.
So, as long as you check in with Vanessa before your stay to make sure no other very large groups will be there, I think your stay will be 5 star!