Hotel de Montana Monteverde

“The True Costa Rica”

We were told the Hotel is under new ownership/management We spend a couple of nights there. Lets start with the negative aspects (for some) but not for us. Its a rough road getting in but you don't need 4WD, just a higher clearance car, like a Rav4 etc. They do have a generator, which means ... more

We were told the Hotel is under new ownership/management We spend a couple of nights there. Lets start with the negative aspects (for some) but not for us. Its a rough road getting in but you don't need 4WD, just a higher clearance car, like a Rav4 etc. They do have a generator, which means the power is not on 24 hours a day but it is on several hours in the morning and at night, their are candles for night time. We didn't find this to be a problem as the power was on very early in the morning and it was still on when we went to bed. The positive.....The rooms all have great views of lake Arenal and the volcano. The rooms are very spacious. They have their own hiking trail that can't be beat that you don't have to pay for. This trail has many water falls, few tourists, just one of the best places we hiked in Costa Rica or for that matter anywhere. The manager cooked us several meals himself, If you ask me, I would say he is in the wrong business, he should have be a chef. Great Service. Overall we thought it was a great place (thus the 5 stars) for those that like the outdoors and really want to see the true Costa Rica and not the touristy Monteverde. It's probably a 20 minute drive into Monteverde itself, thus those that are looking for a night life probably would not like it here. Those of you that just want to be part of nature will love it.

less

“Fairy tale location and unbelievable value”

We had the greatest couple days. The rooms all had magical views of the forest and when the weather was clear, we could see Arenal. Truly felt like living in the clouds. The staff was absolutely incredible and went out of their way to make our stay better than we could have dreamed. Gorgeous trai... more

We had the greatest couple days. The rooms all had magical views of the forest and when the weather was clear, we could see Arenal. Truly felt like living in the clouds. The staff was absolutely incredible and went out of their way to make our stay better than we could have dreamed. Gorgeous trails leading to beautiful waterfalls...and and restaurant was delicious. All of this and such value...would recommend this hotel to anyone and everyone. A MUST visit

less

“Gorgeous View, Amazing stay”

Although the road to get to Monteverde was INTENSE, and the road to this hotel more so, once we arrived everything was great. Spectacular views. Very nice people. The place is no resort. If you want umbrella drinks and five star accommodations, this isn't the place for you. The rooms are a bit on... more

Although the road to get to Monteverde was INTENSE, and the road to this hotel more so, once we arrived everything was great. Spectacular views. Very nice people. The place is no resort. If you want umbrella drinks and five star accommodations, this isn't the place for you. The rooms are a bit on the roughing it side, but clean and very quaint. The hot water and electric only work for a few hours a day, in the morning and at night, while the generator is running. Still, we loved our time here. It was very serene and beautiful. Every night at about one I would wake up and see the Volcano erupting in the distance. Unbelievable. The restaurant was OK, good breakfast, OK dinner, but you could probably find something better in town. And I don't recommend the horseback ride they offer at the lodge, I don't think the animal welfare laws are maybe quite as stringent down there. Overall, though, a great stay. Just look at the pictures.

less

“Interesting 'back in time' experience”

Monteverde Your experience will depend on the weather. We were hoping for nice volcano views, but the entire stay was in clouds/fog and rain with strong winds. After all, it’s a cloud forest ;-) The overall experience is fair/good. The place is located at approx. 1400m height. We had 4x4 car so ... more

Monteverde Your experience will depend on the weather. We were hoping for nice volcano views, but the entire stay was in clouds/fog and rain with strong winds. After all, it’s a cloud forest ;-) The overall experience is fair/good. The place is located at approx. 1400m height. We had 4x4 car so getting there was not a problem. We’ve seen standard cars but it may get damaged as the access road is very bumpy and wet. There was only one other couple on the estate so the place is quiet. We stayed end of December for 2 nights. The place is served by generator so power will not be available for all time. The owners were very kind and helpful, they asked us what time we need the generator on so we could charge our camera and phones. The generator was on for 2h a day in total. After that time, we were asked to use candles provided. I have to say it was an interesting experience – specially for our children aged 8 and 10 y.o. that are used to all amenities of modern world. No tablets, games and we started to chat and laugh as a family by the candle light. Nice! Cabins are cleaned daily, however they are very dated and drafty. Even when the generator is working the lights are very poor. We still used our own high power CREE torch. The hot water is heated by gas so it’s available at all times – thank God. It’s quite cold up there - approx. 15C so get some warm clothes. The humidity is 100%. For breakfast we had some fruits, pancakes, egg, plantain, rice with beans and bread, tea, coffee and some delicious juice. Good breakfast. Overall I think that the stay was worth to experience. I feel that the cost of stay was little bit overpriced for what you get in comparison to other places we stayed in CR. Unfortunately we haven’t seen the breath-taking views of volcano, but the weather is not guaranteed. I suppose if the weather was better we would focus our attention on nice views rather than the overall lodge quality. As mentioned above, your experience will depend on the weather. We stayed on CR end of December for 2.5 weeks and apparently most of times the volcanoes were covered in clouds.

less