We just got back fro m CR, and spent two nights at the Monteverde Lodge. From the moment we entered our room we loved it. The hotel is set against the rain forest and we spent hours staring out our room window looking at monkeys, toucans, and countless birds.

Great hotel with gourmet food, and warm, really friendly, helpful people. I'm going back!

We booked two nights based on the Lodge's #1 rating on TripAdvisor, and were not disappointed. The Monteverde Lodge & Gardens is a beautiful property just out of Santa Elena, offering a decoratively constructed rustic, wooden indoors, with lush foliage and tropical flowers in its surrounding gardens.

Upon entering the Lodge, there is a large dining area and bar overlooking the gardens a story below. We found the reception folks to be as helpful as any hotel we have ever been to. After check in, they give you a brief orientation on the area, restaurants, and activities. We booked a night hike and a morning of the Monteverde Cloud Reserve, and paid the same price we would have directly at the reserve (plus $2/person for transportation there and back). They were also very helpful when our private transfer did not arrive on time to the hotel. I can't say enough about how courteous and helpful they were at the front desk.

The rooms themselves were quite nice. Each room has windows looking out into the surrounding trees...the scenery outside the windows was very nice...we felt like we were staying in a little rustic cabin, not a hotel. There was no air conditioning in the rooms, but we were there on a warm day for Monteverde, and by evening the rooms had cooled off quite nicely.

As this is an eco-hotel, the whole Lodge closed down quite early for our standards. I would say this was the only drawback to the place. When we came back one night at 10 PM, the whole place was dark inside. A man came to the front door to let us in, and guided us down the stairs to our rooms by flashlight. I guess they try and conserve on electricity, and as there is not much going on in the area after dinner time, they close everything down at the hotel quite early. This includes the bar as well, which was well closed by this time.

As far as activities in the area, I would recommend doing both a day hike (first thing in the morning), and a night hike of the cloud forest. As the front desk to arrange it for you. While we actually did our night hike on a slow night for animal sightings, the feel of being deep into a primary forest in the pitch dark was very exciting. We also went to Selvatura for zip lines, which was very fun, though it seemed like they shortened the course from what I have read of other reviews.

If you do come to the Lodge and you want to just kick back and enjoy the area, I would recommend just going out the gardens. We saw monkeys in the trees right outside the hotel, as well as a variety of other little animals and birds. There are also a few short trails right out back that go around the property.

Overall, we loved Monteverde, and were happy we stayed at the Lodge. The friendliness of the staff and the property itself made our stay. Though we did not look at any other hotels in Monteverde, I would definitely give a thumbs up to anyone looking to stay here.

PS, the restaurant at the Lodge was not that good, and pricey. It is worth the trip into town or on the road to Monteverde...we did like the typical breakfast, but at $7 there are much better alternatives. The lunch and dinner menus are the same, and we were not impressed.

I enjoyed my stay here (5/20/2006) as part of a tour with Costa Rica Expeditions, the Lodge owner. This is an environmentally sensitive lodge in the heart of the cloud forest so expect dim lighting, solar heated hot water, and sensitive septic system. No tv, radio, a/c (very cool climate) etc. The rooms are large and comfortable and simple; I enjoyed the in-room coffee service and the huge picture windows facing the cloud forest. I watched the active wildlife from the windows including the keel-billed toucan and other wildlife in the trees. This lodge has a very nice hot tub in a separate glass walled (solar collector) room, nice bar area and dining room (meals included with rooms). Avoid mixed drinks at the bar as the young waiters are overly conscientious about measurements and the cost is too high for stingy bartenders; stick with beer or wine. The grounds are outstanding and teeming with wildlife.

I just returned from the Cloud Forest Lodge. This was one of the coolest parts of the trip. There are no phones or telephones. This is truly a get back to nature place. The rooms are emmaculate and impeccably clean. The hotel staff is AMAZINGLY Wonderful, I spoke to the overnight attendend for about 1 hour and he is very infomatinve. They give a wake up knock to wake you in the morning. You are about 5 minuets from town of Santa Elena which has loads of things to do. I would go back in a minute. The sky walk tour is awesome. PURA VIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Costa Rica will grow on you and truly make you fall in with love with it's beauty and the Ticos are the nicest most genuine people you will ever want to know. I can't wait to go back