From ‘Highly Recommended’ to ‘Please Don’t Come Back’
Highlife Destinations, one of the largest and most ambitious resort operators in Second Life, has just launched a new resort: a Costa Rica–themed getaway. According to its official website, it features rainforest hideaways, hotel suites, and private villas.
They’ve always excelled at beach and tropical builds, so I imagine you'll have a good experience if you go.
I say that because I know their work. Over the past four and a half years, I’ve visited six of their properties, and Sarah reviewed a seventh this past December. We’ve explored builds that ranged from tropical luxury to alpine getaways. Some have been among the most impressive in SL.
Highlife is one of the reasons this site even exists. During COVID, I visited one of their destinations, which inspired me to chronicle SL’s hotels and vacation spots.
Ibiza Nightlife Resort, 2021
Since then, five of their past resorts have been marked highly recommended on this site, and the remaining two, including Sarah's December 2024 review, were marked recommended.
And yet, we won’t be reviewing their latest project. Here’s why.
Sarah was booked and ready to visit the Costa Rica resort, but was then told she’d been identified as being affiliated with The SL Hotel Inspector. She could only stay if she agreed not to write anything, and I was no longer welcome (and for good measure, could she pass this info onto me).
What happened?
After five glowing write-ups, I visited their Summer 2024 build: a French Riviera–themed destination. Highlife wasn’t pleased with what I wrote.
What did I say? You can read it for yourself. A few things didn’t work for me, and while I didn’t state it outright, I felt it didn’t match the standard of what they’d done before. Even so, it still had scale, ambition and extensive amenities and I recommended it.
From Sarah Tonin’s Dec 2024 review
Sarah’s review of their winter resort, Big Bear / Aspen Lodge, praised its immersive feel, thoughtful design, and helpful staff, but noted a few quirks. Again, recommended.
Not Every Review Can Be a Love Letter
The SL ecosystem has a complicated relationship with critique.
Trading access for exposure has become commonplace, and while that’s not inherently wrong, it fosters a culture where praise is expected. Even mild criticism can trigger wildly outsized reactions.
The notecard Sarah received referenced the “integrity of guest experiences” and the need to “protect our team.” From what?
In a way, I get it. These builds are very personal. Creators invest weeks of effort, and often real money. Of course, their friends want everyone to love it.
What isn’t reasonable is assuming that anything less than a glowing report must be the work of a bad actor. Over the years, I’ve had messages in response to reviews, claiming I must have made the whole thing up / I didn’t understand the concept / or I must have a hidden agenda (or all three).
But measured commentary and suggestions is fair if you charge money, as you then move from being a private experience to offering a service. Guests are entitled to their impressions. Not everyone will think everything is perfect all the time.
At this point I should say that many destinations have also responded constructively, using my review to make improvements or even inviting me in before opening for early feedback. I want resorts in SL to succeed and am always happy to offer input. I’ve seen more SL hotels than anyone else, and what I do in RL is actually pretty close to my SL persona.
But if operators mistake coverage for PR, they’re not fostering a genuine community or benefitting from a valuable feedback loop; they’re creating a walled garden where no one will tell you if the flowers are wilting.
What This Means for Readers
Back to Costa Rica:
I was told not to come to the resort (and I assume to Highlife destinations in future), and Sarah was told she could only come as a guest and not a reviewer. Naturally, we will respect that.
However, readers should still know about it, so here is the relevant information:
Prices range from L$2,500 to L$4,000 per night. Facilities include RP dining and spa services. Note that Costa Rica is pre-booking only resort (click here for an idea of how these work). While check-in is at 4 PM SLT, they’ve previously shown flexibility for European visitors not wanting a 1 am arrival.
These destinations tend to stay open 4-5 months, so this will probably be gone by October. For bookings and further information, see the website.
To recap:
Highlife Destinations received seven reviews from this site.
Five were highly recommended (rated as excellent)
Two were ‘recommended’ (rated as good, some caveats), they were unhappy with at least one of these
They’ve since stated they no longer want to be reviewed here.
Our review policy is public and transparent: We don’t ask for comps. We don’t write hit pieces. We give an honest account of what we find. Otherwise, what’s the point? In the meantime, if you want somewhere to visit and stay, you can see the latest picks (highly recommended and recommended) here.
I considered whether to publish this, but friends pointed out that readers would wonder why there is no review of this resort when every other Highlife Destination in the past has been covered. Having said that, this will be my last word in public on this subject, though I am happy to answer anyone who wants to contact me privately via email.
