La Colina Lodge is a very, very special place.

My friend and I stayed for one night & drove away wishing we could have stayed for a week. We were greeted by the owner, Nanci, who was so incredibly sweet and accommodating. She greeted us with offers of fresh coffee (there was a torrential downpour outside), helped us call our Zipline Tour company, offered to do our laundry(!), and asked if we'd like to join her and the other guests for dinner that night... her daughter had just baked some fresh bread and she was cooking up some organic lentil soup.

ALSO, there happened to be a yoga teacher training (shout out to the amazing Ashley Ludman!) at the lodge while we were there, so we were able to jump in on their morning class the next day!

In a word, this place was HEAVEN. The room was small, clean, and exactly what we needed... we're low-maintenance travelers, so if you prefer the extra muss & fuss that normally come along with hotels, then this is not the place for you. La Colina feels less like a hotel and more like you're just staying at Nanci's place for the night!

Also, prepare to be greeted by 2 cats and about 8 (+/-) dogs when you arrive - all of whom are very friendly. Turns out Nanci has a heart for the animals and will take them in, get them fixed, and try to adopt them out once they've been nursed to health. Don't be surprised to find a cuddly cat or an eager dog in your lap the minute you sit down!

Can't wait to go back and spend more time in the magical Monteverde. Highlight of our trip.

People who wrote a bad review of this place clearly have not stayed in many budget hotels in Costa Rica! Our room in La Colina was VERY clean, and the furnishings were adequate and eclectic. We spent over a month in Costa Rica, and this was the best, actual HOT water shower we found in any hotel in this category in the entire country! The owner, Nanci, is not only pleasant and funny, but she is an artist as well, and there is amazing and unique tile work everywhere. It is not convenient to "town", but it does not need to be.. it is within a short walk to the Quaker meeting, the Cheese Factory, the fascinating Bat Museum, one of the reserves and a lovely little village with galleries (including artist´s co-op) and good restaurants. One needs to take transport for anything else anyway, so why not stay in a lovely place where you can see hummingbirds and other wildlife right outside your window? The road outside will be dusty in the dry season, and muddy in the wet season, but this is rural Costa Rica, and we, at least, felt that this is what we were here to see, not a town developed for the single purpose of housing tourists (St. Elena). And the breakfast was good... the best breakfast potatoes I ever ate. And the dogs and cats were well mannered.

We stayed here two nights and had a excellent second floor room. The balcony has seating and tables to sit out with a beer or wine. Owners are in contact with all local tour operators so can help with planning activities.
Good value and great staff. Only gripe I had was the shower which ran either hot or cold at it's own whim....you had to take advantage of brief periods of transition from one to the other.

My wife and I stayed at La Colina in March 2012. Our room was small and had two beds headboard to headboard crammed into it. We believe one of the beds was taken from the room next door which was being worked on. There is no wifi on the premises. The description said that a chef was on staff and that breakfast, lunch, and dinner were offered. There was no chef, no meals except breakfast, and breakfast was eggs, toast, and fruit. The ceiling paint was peeling badly, and there wasn't even a chair in the room. The lighting was poor. It wasn't a room that you would want to spend any time in. Downstairs in the dining area, there were several cats and dogs roaming about freely, even on the tables. If you're allergic to animals, stay away! The hot water in the shower was nice!

The location is pretty far from town and walking was difficult at night. It was close to the cheese factory, the Quaker school, a cafe, and a few other things.

Nanci, the owner, was friendly. She lives in another area on the premises and was generally unavailable. One night, a door somewhere nearby was banging open and shut loadly every 15 seconds or so on a windy night. I had to get up in the middle of the night to figure out where this door was and find a way to secure it.

We asked Nanci about whether it was safe to keep an ipad in the room. She said that she was "pretty sure" that the cleaning lady wouldn't steal from us. She offered to hide our valuables for us. This is not very reassuring.

We were not expecting an elaborate room for the price of our room at La Colina. However, we expected something that we would be somewhat comfortable in. We weren't. It is among the worst rooms that we have ever stayed in. We would not recommend it to others.