We stayed only 1 night at Cerro Lodge in August and enjoyed our stay there.

+ sides :
- Good location, quiet place and great view.
- Large bungalows (thought the decoration could be improved, and there were 3 beds in ours, which took a lot of space)
- Nice bathroom open on the outside (no roof) which made us part of the wild nature surrounding us (a large iguana was perched on top of the bamboo wall !)
- Discrete and helpful staff (they helped us book our crocodile tour)
- Good breakfeast and dinner (actually, we were not very hungry in the evening, since they serve dinner quite early for us -7:15 pm at the latest- so we asked for a light meal: soup and fruit. They readily complied to our needs and were quite flexible.
- Nice pool and surroundings.

Negative sides ( Not a lot) :
- The only thing is the owner did not talk to us at all although we saw him several times, so we did not feel really the touch of Costa Rican hospitality that we found in most other places during our trip. The service was effective but a bit cold.
- The price : 90$ for one night (bungalow, the other rooms are less expensive) : not so expensive as such, but it was the most expensive night of our trip, we payed less in other places for the same or even better. Of course, the Tarcolès area is expensive I think, and I cannot compare with other hotels nearby. But they should maybe offer lower prices for the green season, since it is not the high season.
- Not really a negative side, but the road is bad to arrive at Cerro Lodge and we missed it the first time (the sign indicating you should turn right comes too late), so the drive to arrive at Cerro Lodge is a bit tiring, but this is often the case in Costa Rica, so you sould be aware of it !

But we enjoyed our stay overall.

Don't let their remote location scare you away; this place is amazing. We saw many many Scarlet Macaws during our three-day stay there. It was enchanting.

The rooms were simple, rustic, clean and ample.

Thought we did not get one, they have rooms with private bathrooms that have little outdoor gardens in them. The owner showed us a few of those rooms and... Incredible! One of the most unique hotel features I have ever seen.

The staff is wonderful and friendly. The owner was very kind and offered to pick us up (for a fee) from the location our bus dropped us off near Tarcoles. He sent his employee, but then on the way to the hotel, he called to say hello and sorry that he could not pick us up himself. Very nice and thoughtful gesture.  A great first experience with the lodge.

There was a nice outdoor roofed restaurant with picnic tables for the guests. The swimming pool surrounded all this breathtaking beauty.

Cerro Lodge is the kind of place that cannot accurately be described with words. No way. You will forget all you have read and heard about it when you get there and see it for yourself.

Suggestions for the owner:
Have an outdoor place with comfortable chairs and hammocks where guests can lounge around and chill out all day. Your location is perfect for it.

We only had a few days left in Costa Rica, and our original plan of going to Corcovado National Park was not going to happen. Still in pursuit of the scarlet macaw, we checked out our alternatives. It turned out that Carara National Park was a great place to see them.

As far as lodging, we wanted to avoid Jaco, and there didn't seem to be many options in Tarcoles. Then I came across Cerro Lodge. I emailed the owner, Federico, who promptly responded to my email. We booked a standard room for three nights.

We didn't have a car, and getting to the lodge seemed a bit tricky, but it actually worked out just fine. The shared shuttle services (Interbus, Greyline, etc.), will not drop you off at Cerro Lodge. We took the shuttle to another hotel, gave Federico our approximate time of arrival, and Marcos from Cerro Lodge was waiting to pick us up when the shuttle dropped us off!

Rosie had dinner ready for us within 30 minutes of our arrival. She was super friendly and accommodated all of our requests. After dinner we retreated to our room, which was clean and had an electric showers that worked well.

Since we arrived after dark, we didn't discover the true magic of this place until the next morning. We woke up at 5 in the morning to go on a walk (turn right out of the property for a picturesque stroll) and discovered how beautiful the lodge was. We must have seen around 50 scarlet macaws over the course of our three days here. Guess how many we saw at Carara National Park? Zero!

I highly recommend this lodge for a couple days of relaxation and bird-watching. We just spent our days walking around, swimming (the pool is cleaned a few times a day, and I recommend going right after since obviously there are going to be bugs), and chilling in the dining area (which has wifi).

My mother and I spent four wonderful nights here in December 2011. Federico picked us up at the airport as arranged and it was an easy drive to the coast. If you want a fancy, overpriced tourist hotel with air conditioning and lots of organized activity and swarming with guests, this is not the place. If your idea of heaven is a small quiet lodge with tropical birds everywhere you turn, easy transportation to Carara National Park or a mangrove birding trip, friendly and helpful staff, and simple but tasty food, then book a stay at Cerro Lodge. I loved the open air bathrooms with hummingbirds watching as you brushed your teeth. I thought the ceiling fans were more than adequate to keep me cool and comfortable at night. There were black-and-white owls in the trees at night, paraques on the walkway, aracaris on the feeders, and scarlet macaws sailing up and down the valley as we ate our meals. We identified eight species of hummingbirds without leaving the property. Much of the food comes from the farm that shares the site, including milk fresh from the cow for your morning cereal. What's not to love? I will return, and return again!