I'm very late to write this but better late than never! We loved this place! Jane and Barry were wonderful and the estate was more than I ever expected! We were on secure grounds, Jane e-mailed us information beefore we left the US and Barry gives a great coffee tour. My favorite partwas being able to have fresh squeyou ezed OJ every day....oh yeah... the bread..WONDERFUL! We did have dinner in one evening and I think it was one of the best meals I've ever had. Loved it!

This place was a great find...Nestled on a steep hillside overlooking Boquete, with Volcan Baru in the distance, the three, well-appointed, bungalows were a great place to relax, drink coffee, and generally decompress. It's hard to say what was best...the large arrangement of fresh flowers from their gardens, the freshly-baked breads provided for breakfast, the comfortable deck overlooking the valley, or the unending supply of freshly-roasted coffee harvested from the trees scattered about the property. Staying there was like staying with friends; Jane and Barry are helpful, outgoing, and interesting. You will not be disappointed.

We knew, from the very first contacts with Jane and Barry, that we were dealing with a most unusual property and with some of the most responsive and friendly people we had ever dealt with and this initial reaction was more than borne out after our one week stay at this indescribably beautiful place in the Boquete Highlands. After our stay in mid-August 2009, we now consider Jane and Barry to be our good friends and one indication of how much we loved the place would be that we reserved a bungalow for a return visit in February, 2010, and are seriously considering returning even before then. In preparing for our trip, which was occasioned by attendance at a seminar in Panama City on living in and investing in Panama sponsored by the International Living magazine firm, the information they sent to us proved to be invaluable in assisting us in getting ready for the trip, and I talked with Jane several times about questions we had about the best way to travel from Panama City to their area and other concerns we had, as we had never been to that part of the world. Phone calls were answered on the spot and e-mails were never more than an hour or two before a response came back; this kind of service and promptness is practically unheard of in our experience and told us a lot about these wonderful folks we were about to get to know a lot better during our visit. Their property, situated on a 2.5 hectare Coffee Plantation, consists of three very private bungalows, and I would have to keep my Thesaurus at the ready to have a sufficient supply of adjectives to describe the beauty of the grounds, the lovely bungalows, the views from the balcony of our bungalow (for which there simply are no words and only pictures will suffice, which I will forward separately), the always ready service, the immaculate cleaning the place got every time we left, and the list could go on far beyond the space limitations which should in good form be observed here. Jane and Barry were very generous with their time and expertise, and taught us a great deal about the general area and its microclimates, about the Coffee Farm itself, on Barry's very thorough and most informative tour, in lining up activities for us such as a fascinating birding tour and guiding us to some very nice, and, in some cases, superb restaurants in the Boquete area and in always being available for any kind of assistance one could possibly ask for. They arranged for a rental vehicle at the David City Airportand made reservations for a subsequent stay at the superb Bristol Hotel in Panama City. If we had to pick just a few standout features of our stay with Jane and Barry, the list would have to be headed by the incredible "Date Night Dinner", a most memorable dining experience in which the cuisine was absolutely perfect and the floral arrangements, put together by Jane's Mother, were beautiful beyond the ability of mere words to describe. And, also, way at the top of the list would have to be the fact that right at the entrance of the path leading up to our bungalow was a gorgeous Orchid bush, something we have never seen anything like in all our travels around the world. While it may seem redundant after this review to say it, we would recommend this magnificent Inn unqualifiedly to anyone, as it is quite simply without peer, and Jane and Barry, as noted before, have now become not only the owners and operators of one of our very favorite Inns in the world, but our good friends who we cannot wait to see again in a few months!

While I am admittedly a Type A personality who generally only takes time to write reviews following a disappointing hotel/B&B stay in an effort to forewarn fellow travellers of a potential letdown, it would leave a scar on my soul to not give praise where it is due and highly recommend the experience that awaits you should you make the spot-on decision to stay with Barry and Jane at their “Garden of Eden-esque” La Montana y el Ville (Coffee Estate Inn).

It is apparent from the moment you arrive that this is no ordinary B&B (actually, I wouldn’t consider it a B&B at all). As someone who travels often, I always strive to stay somewhere other than a traditional hotel with the usual accroutrements (or lack thereof) and also tend to avoid B&Bs because community eating/fireside chat encounters are not something that appeal to my wife and I when what we truly desire is some “us” time. Well, I am pleased to write that La Montana y el Ville is neither a hotel nor B&B but, rather, something unique and special indeed.

From the moment of my first email inquiry with Jane, she saw to it that every detail of our trip was attended to (if we wished to be attended to). Jane provided contacts in Panama City so that I could arrange for taxis (which can cost you in P.C. if you are uninformed). Jane also arranged for our car rental at the airport in David; this was extremely valuable as the information you find on the internet from the rental companies was confusing, leading us to believe that a Saturday pickup/dropoff was unavailable. Further, Jane and Barry send an information packet which, if you take the time to review, will more than prepare you for every turn you are likely to encounter while in Boquete; everything from their menu (including “boxed lunches” for hiking) to recommendations of surrounding restaurants, to the variety of hiking trails replete with directions, was included in the information packet. If you are a less-than-experienced traveller to Central America and the idea of taking such a trip is the least bit intimidating, Jane and Barry will allay any apprehension you may be having and leave you feeling confident and prepared for your journey.

Our bungalow had an everchanging “picture-show” view of Volcan Baru and the Boquete valley. While sitting on the terrace of our bungalow, sipping Barry’s single-estate, shade-grown coffee brewed in either a traditional drip coffee machine or the french press (our favorite) and absorbing the panoramic vista as it rejuvinated our spirit, I must say that it took some effort to even leave the estate and venture out to the hiking trails. My wife and I commented time and again how their six or so acre estate felt like 20 due to the loving care Barry and Jane have given the grounds. Just walking/hiking the estate property was a feast for the senses. From the orange and banana trees (the fruit of which is provided daily in your room) to the more exotic flowers and birds residing on the premises, walking the grounds is something that will beckon you time and again. Even the locals we encountered congratulated us on finding La Montana and affirmed that we were staying in “the best accommodations Boquete has to offer.” This was evident in the attention to detail paid to the room, from the comfortable bed (a MUST in my opinion) to the high thread-count sheets and towels, down to the Dove soap, Q-tips, makeup remover towlettes, etc., in the bath.

When my wife and I wanted nothing more than a private day on our terrace or walking the grounds, there was nary a soul around save the occassional gardener keeping the impeccable grounds. When we desired further information on hiking/restaurants or an in-room meal, Barry and Jane were instantly available. Two examples I must cite: 1)When I mentioned that we would enjoy their estate coffee with half-and-half, Jane informed us that half-and-half is simply not available in the region. The next day, we opened our refrigerator and, lo and behold, there was a bottle of half-and-half lovingly hand-crafted by Jane. 2) La Montana offers “date-night dining” on Tuesdays and Saturdays (a must-do, the finest dining in town). Jane had just come off of some knee surgery and was not getting around as well as usual. We had advised that she need not trouble herself with the date night dinner. Well, knowing we were departing on a Saturday, Jane informed us the next day that she would have date night dinner available for Friday night, the evening prior to our departure! Our last night in our room went something like this: My wife had an hour-long massage on our terrace, we then went for a lovely walk on the grounds, returned to our room and found a romantic, candlelit room, with fine linen dining complete with the most beautiful flower arrangement on the table (hand-picked from the estate grounds, of course). Our room had been transformed! Before we could gasp for air, Barry arrived with our exquisite meal and then simply disappeared. No waiter pestering you yet everything for a perfectly romantic meal attended to. Everything was clearly thought out in great detail so that our meal arrived and we were left to enjoy a most romantic evening!

Barry and Jane are no ordinary innkeepers. To the contrary. This is a couple who have perfected their art and execute the most detailed care with simple, graceful elegance, and it is obvious this is a labor of love. If Boquete, Panama is in your travel plans, La Montana y el Ville is a must-stay. If Boquete, Panama is not in your travel plans, La Montana is reason enough to bring you there.