Punta Islita Marriott Hotel Review - Costa Rica (Autograph Collection)

Punta Islita Autograph Collection is a resort located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and offers a beachfront vacation with a plethora of activities to pick from.

How To Get There

If you are flying in from North America, your best approach is to fly into the Liberia International Airport (Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport/LIB). Many airlines from the US and Canada fly direct to Liberia including United, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue Airways and Air Canada. If you’re wondering how far the Punta Islita Marriott resort is from the Airport, it takes about a two and a half hour drive but may take up to 3 hours depending on traffic. The hotel provides an airport shuttle at a cost of $220 USD plus 13% tax for one way (as of 2024). This means it costs over $700 for a Canadian (about $500 USD) just to get to the resort and back not including your accommodation, food or activities. You could alternatively rent a car but I don't recommend it because the roads are in very poor condition and the drivers drive erratically. Be warned that for the last 15 minutes or so that the road is not paved and turns into a dirt road littered with potholes. Bring anti-nausea medication if you are prone to getting carsick. If you do decide to get a rental vehicle, a car will not be good enough so you will ideally need a 4x4 vehicle with high ground clearance to make it through the dirt road.

If you choose the hotel shuttle, the driver will contact you via WhatsApp to coordinate the time. If you are not familiar with WhatsApp, it’s similar to Apple’s iMessage but far better as it works on any smartphone. I recommend downloading it before the trip. You will need a mobile data plan as you exit the Airport to keep in contact with your driver in case you cannot find him. I always purchase an esim ahead of time on the Airalo App so I’m connected as soon as I land and can call my driver on Whatsapp or use Google Maps without relying on WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll save $3 USD off your first esim purchase! Alternately, you can purchase a local sim on arrival but you do have to go looking for a shop that sells it then wait for it to activate. We had some difficulty finding our driver but we were able to locate him after calling him on WhatsApp.

The Resort

Once we arrived at the resort, we were promptly greeted by friendly staff. The resort is nestled on a remote hill that overlooks the beach. The reception is on the main level just after the entrance, followed by the main restaurant and an infinity pool. The infinity pool is stunning and offers gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

The resort is laid out on several different levels separated by what feels like endless stairs. To get down to the beach, you can either use the stairs or ask the staff to call you a shuttle that will ferry you back and forth from the beach to the reception. Note that most rooms in this resort are not Accessible due to the stairs. The grounds around the resort have been kept as wild as possible to attract loads of wildlife. There are also almond trees planted everywhere to support the local macaws (more on that below).

The Rooms

We stayed in the Deluxe Master Suite with a balcony that had stunning views of the mountains and ocean. The rooms felt private and had decent separation from each other though some like the ones with a plunge pool seemed more secluded. The room was clean and newly renovated but be sure to confirm when booking as not all rooms were renovated when I visited in March 2024. We had originally picked an older room but the staff upgraded us to one of the nicer rooms on arrival. After visiting the hotel, I’d say that the old unrenovated rooms are definitely not worth the price.

The renovated rooms are modern with large, comfortable beds

Our room had a hammock on the balcony with a killer view

Tea, coffee and filtered water were complimentary. Snacks and mini bar cost extra ($)

The sink was conveniently separated from the toilet area

The shower came with a view

Food and Dining

This was the hotel’s weakest point. The food was a disappointment and far below the quality that you can expect at similar Marriott properties at this high of a price point. For example, Westin Resorts are often similarly priced but the food and service is night and day apart. The main restaurant, Alma, was upstairs by the infinity pool and served breakfast and dinner. Lunch was only served at the restaurant by the beach called Aura Beach Club. The ingredients at both restaurants were often inconsistent with the menu description. For example, some days my eggs came poached, sometimes fruits were included but sometimes they were missing. Some dishes were served with pita bread on some days but other times no bread was provided. After pointing it out to the server, he would bring it to the table. The saltiness of dishes were inconsistent as well resulting in the same dish being enjoyable or not depending on the day. The burger was delicious but consisted of pickled vegetables that were too salty to eat. Sometimes I would remember to order it without but whenever I forgot, I was left picking through my burger to make it palatable.

For breakfast, I often ordered eggs and tomatoes which were mostly bland. Lunch was only served at the restaurant by the beach, not by the main pool and left a lot to be desired. On the first day, I had the poke bowl which lacked flavour and was oddly served with a side of rice rather than layered into the bowl as a base.

Lunch was only available at Aura Beach Club which is located down the hill by the beach

For dinner one night, I tried the catch of the day which was a tiny sliver of Mahi Mahi but it did taste good though. The worst meal I had was a seafood salad that had too much oil and toasted rice that it felt like I was eating an oil and sand salad with the sand grinding my teeth. If you find something you like, I suggest sticking to it but I grew tired of eating the same average meal every day. Their chicken dish for dinner was good but the size of the chicken breast kept inexplicably shrinking as the week went on.

The service complemented the food in that it was equally as inconsistent. Some waiters always greeted us with a smile and quick service whereas sometimes we were ignored for long periods of time. Some days we were charged for coffee at breakfast but during other days the waiter said it was included. We weren't really sure what to make of it. Our waiters followed every interaction by saying “Pura Vida”.

Overall, meals were disappointing and without many food options around the resort, I was happy that I had brought protein bars and snacks from home. I had also asked the driver to stop at the grocery store prior to arriving so I could stock up on snacks as I had read ahead of time about the complaints regarding the food in Costa Rica. I recommend you do the same.

The beachfront lunch restaurant had a nice view

Breakfast and Dinner were served at the Alma Restaurant

The resort provided bottled water in each room and it was replenished daily. It seemed like the water was filtered and bottled on site. Tap water is offered at the restaurants and unlike the tap water throughout Costa Rica, it was safe to drink without getting sick.

Pool

The adults only infinity pool at the top of the hill was my favourite spot

The infinity pool was gorgeous and lounging around during the day was a great way to relax. The pool was rarely crowded and there was almost always enough lounge chairs no matter the time of day. The swim up bar served up some excellent cocktails! The infinity pool was by far my favourite part of the resort not just for swimming but also because every once a while, we would hear macaws and as we looked up at the sky, we would see some stunning macaws flying overhead. It was magical.

Some days, we were lucky enough to spot macaws who came to feed nearby on the almond trees!!

The second pool located by the beach felt smaller and was more crowded and loud. There was often families with kids and the water was colder as well as it was partly shaded.

The second pool by the beach was more family oriented and tended to be more crowded and the water was cooler

Beach

The beach at the bottom of the hill required about a 10 minute walk or taking a shuttle to reach it. The beach had dark sand and was very rocky. I wouldn't bother trying to swim here but it made for some relaxing afternoon walks with the sound of the waves crashing in the background.

The beach was very rocky

Activities & Wildlife

The Punta Islita Hotel offers a lot of activities and in my opinion, this is where the hotel really shines. The hotel offered many complementary activities including a mixology and local cooking class, a Forest Hike and a brief candle making workshop at the nearby town. There were also several paid activities, including a visit to the nearby Macaw sanctuary (which I highly recommend), a visit to see turtles, laying their eggs on the beach and other boat and fishing trips. I had already done the turtle trip back in Tamarindo but if you haven't then I recommend doing it here.

For the mixology class, the bartender demonstrated how to prepare a delicious Costa Rican cocktail. For the tico cooking class, we prepared some fresh ceviche and got to sample it after.

Macaws

The Macaw Sanctuary was my favourite activity during my entire visit in Costa Rica and the employees here told us about the history of macaws in Costa Rica and how they were near extinction. Through the work that has been done here they were able to successfully breed the remaining population and have been restoring them back into their natural habitats. I highly recommend making a donation or purchasing something from their gift shop if you can afford it in order to support them (they accept credit cards).

Forest Hike

One of the complementary activities was the forest hike where we saw a family of coatis and a single monkey in the trees. We were accompanied by a guide who took us for a walk in the nearby forest surrounding the hotel. During our regular walks around the property, we also spotted an armadillo.

A family of coatis

A howler monkey

An armadillo

The candle making class took place in the nearby town which was cool and a great opportunity to chat with the locals and learn more about the country and their lives. Next to the candle making shop was a convenience store where I bought some locally made ice cream that made me so sick that I started to both vomit and had to keep running to the bathroom all night long and over the next few days so I highly recommend bringing with you some antibiotics and to be extremely careful about what you eat and drink in Costa Rica and pay close attention to the local sanitary conditions.

Gym

Some days I visited the gym to squeeze in a workout. The gym is located at the bottom of the hill. Once you get to the main road, you'll need to make a left turn and walk for a bit until you reach the building on the right. I asked several staff members where the gym was, but no one seemed to really know so I walked around and explored for a bit until I found it. The gym was unattended and I never saw anyone else using it during the week I was there. Towels and water are provided. Just be mindful not to overexert yourself because you'll need to walk back up the hill to your room. There was also a tennis or Pickleball court nearby that might interest some.

Please note that this hotel is located in a no fly zone so don't bother bringing your drone.

Conclusion

2 things I didn’t like:

❌ The food

❌ Value for money

2 things I liked:

✅ The location in the forest

✅ The macaws

I very much enjoyed the infinity pool and visiting the macaw sanctuary but by the end of my week here, I really looked forward to going back home. I found the beach, wildlife and food to be overrated and the price to quality ratio was simply not (that's just Costa Rica in general). For my next beach vacation or wildlife excursion, I will go head back to Mexico instead for the amazing food, friendly service, stunning white sand beaches and similar wildlife all for a lower price.

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Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Review - YUL International Airport (Montreal)

In this post, I'll be reviewing the  international Maple leaf lounge  at Montréal-Trudeau Airport.  access to this lounge is complementary for Air Canada passengers flying  internationally in business class.  There are separate maple leaf lounges for passengers flying domestically or to the US.  The lounge is clearly marked with banners and Located next to gate A52.   Note that This lounge is located in the international zone and not accessible to passengers flying domestically ( similar to the Air France, Desjardins and the National Bank Lounge).  After scanning your boarding pass, you’ll need to head upstairs.  The elevator opens right into the lounge.

If you are travelling outside of Canada, you can purchase your esim ahead of time on the Airalo App and install it so you're connected as soon as you land and can call an Uber and use Google Maps without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first esim purchase!

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge lobby

There are lots of seating areas followed by a big bar in the centre of the lounge.  The seating areas are separated by  geometric separators to create some privacy.  The seats next to the window offered some nice views of the airplanes on the tarmac. Note that there are no  working plugs available to charge your devices  near the seats. The ones that were present did not work at all  so this was very disappointing for an airline like Air Canada and  definitely a lack of basic amenities for business travellers  who might need to charge their laptops as regular passengers who need to charge their devices before the flight.  thankfully there were dedicated plugs on the plane, but I expected there to be some in the lounge

The main bar

Seating areas with a view

Food and Dining

The main bar is a full service bar tended by a friendly and hard-working bartender who served some very stiff drinks. My bloody Caesar was well mixed and tasty.

Across the bar, you will find the main buffet that offers a Variety of food  options.  I decided to get some fried fish fillets,  bean salad and a Classic Montreal smoked meat sandwich.  I wasn't too sure about the smoked meat sandwich because I previously had one at the domestic Maple Leaf Lounge and it was the worst  Smoked meat sandwich I've ever had.  Here however, the standards were much higher and an attendant heated up my sandwich in the oven and topped it with a slice of juicy pickle.  The sandwich was delicious and the slices of smoked meat were tender. 

Cocktails made to order from the friendly bartender

The main buffet

Great dinner tonight: Fried fish fillet, Montreal smoked meat sandwich and a bloody Caesar.

There are showers available at this lounge although I did not get to try them.  After about  an hour and a half, it was time to board my flight so I headed downstairs. This lounge was a decent place to kill some time before boarding and a massive step up from the domestic Maple Leaf lounge. The food was a welcome improvement over the domestic lounge. I think this is one of the better Air Canada lounges and I’d say about similar to the nearby Air France Lounge and National Bank Lounge.

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Emirates 777 Business Class Review (Dubai to Montreal Long Haul on the Boeing 777-200LR)

At the end of 2024, I had the chance to snap up 2 tickets on Emirates for my flight back home to Canada. In this post, I’ll be reviewing my experience on my second flight on the Boeing 777 from Dubai to Montreal. My first flight was from Mauritius to Dubai just 3 hours earlier. If you’re interested in my experience aboard that flight on the A380, you can find it here.

Emirates business class passengers are entitled to complimentary chauffeur service (more information here), priority check-in and travellers can bring up to 2 pieces of checked-in luggage at 32kg each. Since I was on a layover at DXB, I didn’t experience the services mentioned above but I hope that Emirates offers a quality experience to their premium passengers departing from their hub unlike the boarding experience that I had below.

Lounge

Emirates business class passengers also receive complimentary access to Emirate’s Business Class Lounges which are located throughout the DXB Airport. I suggest accessing the one closest to your Gate to avoid any potential delays. After a brief stay at the Emirates Business Class Lounge where I had just enough time to shower and grab a light snack, I headed to the boarding gate. I wrote a full review of this Lounge here (located in Terminal 3 Gates C).

If you are travelling internationally, you can purchase your esim ahead of time on the Airalo App and install it so you're connected as soon as you land and can call an Uber and use Google Maps without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first esim purchase!

Boarding (and second security check)

I read that Emirates now offers boarding directly from the lounge but this was not the case here. The screens at the lounge indicated that boarding had started but I was quite surprised because it seemed super early. The gate was just across from the lounge and as I arrived, I realized that it wasn’t actually a boarding call but a “pre-boarding” of passengers by moving us from the main Terminal area into a separate waiting room behind the gate. There was no priority boarding for business class passengers as the line was blocked off. Boarding was done via a single line for all passengers. After the gate agent scanned my boarding pass, I found that we had to go through an additional security check. I don’t know what the rationale was but the agent was clearly splitting up all couples and families and picking one person from each group to get searched again. The security check was taking place in the small waiting area which had gotten increasingly crowded at this point and could clearly not accommodate 200+ passengers with its inadequate space or lack of seating.

The security check was extremely thorough as they opened all bags, checking everyone’s clothes, asking them to take off their shoes, patting them down and also testing their bags for chemical residues. There was apparently a separate men’s and women’s line, but they weren’t notifying passengers until they reached the front of the line where the agent would then gesture for them to go to the back of a different line. It was a minimum of 15 minutes extra waiting for the additional security procedure. Be careful about trusting the boarding screen in the lounge and as you might just be going through additional security screening and then sitting in a waiting area at the gate for a while. It’s much nicer to wait in the lounge and head over later.

When the actual boarding announcement was made, everyone crowded the gate trying to push forward. The announcement asked for business class passengers to start boarding and the gate agent asked the man in front of me to wait his turn, but he grabbed his kids and walked through anyway at the agent just stood there and did nothing. The whole boarding experience felt very sad and it was a free-for-all as everyone pushed to get on the jetway. It was a very disappointing experience and not premium at all. I don’t always fly in business class because I simply cannot afford to but when I do, I expect the airline to provide a minimum level of service like priority boarding. Considering this is Dubai which is Emirates’ hub, this was extremely disappointing. I would’ve understood if this was the case when boarding outside the UAE but I just don’t understand what they were trying to do here or if all the gate agents were just fed up. This was in stark contrast to boarding in Mauritius the evening before where everything was done in an organized manner and we even had a separate gate number just for business and first class. Thankfully, this was the only unpleasantly part of the journey and the experience only improved thereafter.

Cabin

Boarding was via 2 jetways that both led into the business class cabin. The first jetway, reserved for business class, connected to the front of the plane while the second one connected to the second door towards the back of the business class cabin and was used for premium economy and economy passengers.

Entering the aircraft felt like entering an elegant and spacious lounge with contemporary lighting and decor. The wide and expansive panoramic ceiling is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen on a Boeing 777. I pondered why until I noticed the lack of overhead bins above the middle seats that made the cabin feel much larger and taller. I quickly checked my AirTag to find my luggage location and it showed that it was near the Gate. I always leave an AirTag in my luggage in case I lose it but the Emirates App also notified me that my luggage had been loaded on the plane.

The cabin felt airy and spacious

We did not mind the lack of overhead bins in the centre as there was plenty of space. However, the business class cabin was less than half full so its possible that it could be an issue on fully booked flights. The seats were very comfortable and plush. We chose the windows seats.

Seats

The seats were wrapped in cream coloured leather and staggered in a 2-2-2 layout. They were not angled but straight and all facing the front of the aircraft. This made the aisle feel even more open and wide. For solo travellers, you will definitely want to choose one of the 2 centre seats that provide direct access to the aisles. For couples, you can choose either but you will need to walk over your partner to go to the bathroom if you opt for the window seat. During the flight, it would also prove difficult for the flight attendant to speak to the passenger sitting in the window seat so they will be leaning over you while they do so (more on that below). The window seat was the most private of all the seats and all seats featured a separator in the middle that was hard to move. This made it difficult to have conversations in flight as well as being unable to talk to each other during dinner.

The aisle seats lacked privacy

The aisles felt oddly spacious as well

The seat controls are accessible from the tablet or console

Compared to the business class seats on the A380, these seats were smaller and there was nowhere to store any of my belongings like a headphone case or phone charger. There was no storage compartment but the seats and the TV looked newer than the A380 and the screens were absolutely massive. The layout seemed impractical because I had to sit at the edge of my seat in order to talk to my partner. It would’ve been beneficial to have a retractable separator.

Mini Bar

At my seat was a mini bar with Perrier, Evian Water, a glass and some snacks that included mini packets of jelly beans and nuts.

ICE System

Emirates’ Boeing 777-200 cabins underwent a refurbishment a few years ago and it really shows. This is where it’s ICE entertainment system really shined with its massive 23” screens. The entertainment system offered a huge selection of TV shows and movies in mutiple languages.

The screens were the largest I've seen in any business class cabin

The seats were so spacious that I could't reach the screen, instead they provided us a tablet

Veuve Clicquot Champagne was served right after boarding with an alternative choice of water or juice. The business class cabin was eerily empty. I’m not sure if Emirates was running a loss on this flight or because it was Christmas, but it was quite surprising either way.

Amenity Kit and Pyjamas

Amenity kit and pyjamas were handed out to passengers while we were still on the ground. Emirates pays attention to the little details and that means different amenity kits that are customized for males and female passengers. The amenity kit included a razor and shaving cream, aftershave, earplugs, tissues, a dental kit, deodorant, lotion, lip balm and perfume.

The complimentary BVLGARI amenity kits (for men)

By my seat was a blanket as well as a pyjama kit. Emirates provides pyjamas on long-haul flights and as this flight was close to 13 hours, I received some complementary loungewear to sleep in. The pyjamas were thin, silky, soft, and quite comfortable. However, they were single use as some of the threads had already starting to come apart during the flight and it clearly looked like it would not hold up against regular usage or maybe even a wash.

Cozy slippers

The pyjamas seemed to be a hit with most passengers having changed into them early on in the flight. The lack of storage space became very apparent during the flight when there was no room to store the amenity kit, a glass of water or a headphone case. I got a small box of chocolates from dinner, but I wasn’t able to find room to store it for later.

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi was difficult to connect to. The Wi-Fi was technically not free, but if you have an Emirates Skyward Member account then you would be able to use it for free for messaging. I wasn’t able to login using my existing Skyward account so I ended up having to create a new one which logged me in right away and allowed me to connect. For more information, you can check out my review here on how to log into the Wi-Fi.

Bathrooms

The bathrooms were located at the front and rear of the cabin. They were decorated with some fresh flowers and stocked with small linen towels for passengers.

Fresh flowers on the walls

Food and Dining

Menus were handed out while we were on the ground so we had time to peruse it. There was Champagne, a wine list, juices, cocktails, and mocktails as well as beers and spirits. The meals were based on Dubai time which was very odd as usually they try to time meals so you are less jetlagged on arrival. In our case, we were departing at 2 AM Dubai time and we would be arriving at Montreal early in the morning so the meals offered were light bites and breakfast followed by lunch served at Dubai time. We were offered hot towels to freshen up before the meal.

Light snack

I had the tuna Poké bowl after takeoff and it was delicious

After my light meal, I decided to get some sleep The food section continues further below if you want to skip the next section.

In-Flight experience (Lie-flat seats)

As the cabin lights dimmed, the ceiling mimicked the look of the night sky with twinkling stars. The overhead bins above the centre seat seats have been removed to create a wide open space above.

I turned my seat into a bed with the press of a button. The seat can be controlled either via the buttons on the tablet or the console. We received mattress pads and a wrapped blanket for the night. I found the seats very comfortable but then again I am grateful anytime I can fly in business class.

Emirates 777 Business Class lie-fat seats

One thing to note is that you cannot fully extend both feet as the footwell only spans half the width of the seat and is offset to one side. This could be a problem if you are tall as you might need to sleep diagonally to fully extend your legs.

The storage panel prevented me from fully extending my left leg when lying flat

I woke up around five hours later and stopped by the “bar” for a quick snack. The bar was very disappointing compared to the A380. It was a snack stand that featured some soggy sandwiches, water and chips. If we don’t compare to the A380 then the bar was a nice little touch just like the Air France snack stands. Some more options would be appreciated.

Breakfast

It was the middle of the night at the destination when the flight attendant came by to mention that breakfast service was starting soon and asked if I’d like to join. I had previously said no before going to sleep but very much appreciated that they noticed I was up already and checked in again. I still don’t understand matching the meals to Dubai (Origin) time but oh well.

For the first breakfast, I had the chebab which are Emirati style pancakes. They were indulgent and served with a fruit bowl.

I had the chocolate mouse for dessert and it was heavenly.

We still had a few hours to go as it was around 2 am in Montreal. I killed the time by watching a movie and listening to some music. I couldn’t help but notice that so much of the cabin was empty with barely half the seats occupied.

Second Breakfast (5 AM “Lunch”)

For the second breakfast referred in the menu as lunch, I started with a Kir Royale and cappuccino. The cappuccino was decent and with served with a biscotti followed by a choice of nuts or olives. I chose the lobster tail for the appetizer and the tandoor lobster for the main. Both were light, fresh and flavourful. The lobster was tender enough to eat without a knife and had a mild seafood flavour. We were also served hot garlic rolls for lunch.

Appetizer - Lobster tail with caviar

Appetizer - Arabic Mezze Platter

Main - Lobster Tail with charred cherry tomatoes

Veuve Clicquot Champagne was also served at breakfast time either straight up or in a mimosa. The flight attendants carried a handheld drink cart with bottles of champagne that allowed them to walk up and down the aisles and quickly top up my flute.

Cappucino and Chocolates after the meal

As we approached Montreal, a flight attendant stopped by with a Polaroid camera and offered to take our photo. He then inserted the photo into a customized greeting card for us to keep as a souvenir. This was a fun little extra that really showed how Emirates goes above and beyond for their passenger experience.

We were offered some hot towels to freshen as we prepared for landing in Montreal on this Christmas Day. I had a wonderful experience on this fight (minus the boarding fiasco) and I really look forward to flying on Emirates again. It far exceeds the business class experience compared to my recent experience on Air Canada and I hope that Emirates maintains their current standards and passenger service.

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Sony WH-1000XM3/1000XM4 Headphones - A long term review

In this post, I'll be reviewing the Sony WH-1000XM3/1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones. WH-1000XM4 is the newer version that replaced the WH-1000XM3 but they are almost identical in many aspects. The newest version is the WH-1000XM5, however you can save quite a bit of money by opting for the WH-1000XM4 instead.

Some of the links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I may receive a small commission from sales of certain items. Thank you for supporting the blog.

I purchased my Sony headphones back in 2021 (at full price) and have been using them since. Considering they were a significant investment, I had my doubts when I purchased them and I wondered how well they would hold up over time, especially since they're made of plastic. This isn’t a full review of the headphones but rather a review of their durability and performance over the years. 

Battery Life

The WH-1000XM3/1000XM4 were originally rated for an impressive 30 hours when first launched and I regularly achieved those numbers when my headphones were new. 4 years later, I can confirm that they are still holding up quite well. I regularly fly to Mauritius from Montreal which includes a total of 19 hours of flying and there is still some juice left in those batteries after using it for my entire trip with Active Noise Cancelling on. I’d say the battery still holds a charge of at least 20 hours which should be more than enough for most people. It seems you can DIY a battery replacement as well but I have not felt the need to do so.

Build Quality

Since purchasing them, I was not impressed with the build quality of these headphones. They are made of plastic and they often creak which made them feel cheap and had me questioning their durability. While the creaking is still there a few years later, it has not worsened, nor has any parts loosened. 

Nothing has faded or peeled away. The leather lining is still intact, as is the soft sponge covering the components. It will occasionally develop an odour after extended use but I simply clean it with an alcohol based disinfectant spray and that always gets rid of of the smell. It’s a good idea to disinfect them regularly anyway for sanitary reasons.

The leather ear cups show no signs of wear or damage

The headband is still sturdy though it does creak

Sound Quality and Active Noise Cancellation

The sound quality is fantastic and little details and more nuanced instruments are audible when listening to music. The bass is thunderous and significantly better than the Bose QuietComfort Headphones when I tested them side by side.

Microphone/Calls

The microphone quality has always been excellent and I've used them for my work Teams Calls for years because they easily outperform Apple's AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro has undesirable background noise and based on feedback from my colleagues, they’ve mentioned that my voice is less clear when using Airpod Pros for Teams calls. I tried some Teams recordings and there is more crackling with the AirPods.

Main Issue

Over the years, the only downside I’ve noticed is the lack of multi device connection as these headphones cannot connect to more than one device at a time. This means for example, if you are listening to music from your computer, you cannot answer a phone call from your cell phone similar to how Apple AirPods has seamless integration with iPhones and Macs. This is however not a “bug” but rather a lack of a useful feature. 

The carrying case is sturdy and despite tossing it in my backpack or carry-on over the years, it has held up well and prevented any damage to the headphones. 

Summary

I think these headphones still provide excellent value and if you are on a budget, you can still look at the WH-1000XM4 (or WH-1000XM3) over the WH-1000XM5. They are durable and even after 4 years, the battery still lasts for 20 hours.