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The Fonda Vela Hotel is located in beautiful Monteverde, famous for its Resplendent Quetzals,Three-wattled Bellbirds, an abundance of orchids and a gorgeous cloud forest. The climate is refreshing, often referred to as "The Eternal Spring". The views of the Gulf of Nicoya from the hotel’s 1400-meter elevation are spectacular. Monteverde is an ideal destination for relaxing and enjoying the wonders of the tropics. A visit of at least two nights in Monteverde is recommended.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
620 Fonda Vela Road Carretera a Reserva de Monteverde, 60109 Costa Rica
Fondavela Hotel
3.9 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Hotel is more of a 3*. Quite far away from the main strip of restaurants / main town. About $12 cab journey each way. Bathrooms need updating Housekeeping upon request only. We were shocked to come home to find our room door open, unattended, being cleaned, without being requested. Super helpful reception staff and very responsive on WhatsApp. Food at onsite restaurant was okay. Would recommend outside restaurants Breakfast staff were extremely slow and seemed to prio people who spoke spanish.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FONDA VELA, Encargado del hostal at Fondavela Hotel
Responded Jul 18, 2023
We are sorry to hear that your stay with us was not the best, we try every day to improve with your comments.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Our room was beautiful with large windows so we could see the large open space and garden outside the room. From out room we managed to not only see the wild and beautiful birds that are all over the property but we also manage to observe a capybara who came out to eat every afternoon and we saw a coati browsing, and an armadillo wondering around, all this in just the three days were where there. We went into town most days for dinner, and took advantage of the central location to go to the Cloud Forest and took a night walk to observe nocturnal animals. If one is a tennis player, one would love this with many tennis courts to use. Breakfast included fruit and something that one ordered with a limited menu. The most difficult thing about this hotel was the road to get to it, full of car eating pot holes, that one had to wind their way around on roads barely big enough for two cars.
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Date of stay: May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just come from the lovely Arenal Springs so bit disappointed. Trip with Trailfinders as everyone else from the UK is. Very tired, bathroom verging on grotty. Rooms also tired. Really not like in the hotel pictures. Spacious rooms which is good. Quiet, apart from the builders! Setting is ok, I thought I’d have views. It’s 10 mins from town in a taxi We ate lunch here and after that experience chose to eat in town. Breakfast was ok Reception staff nice Beds cosy Room feels a bit damp as you might expect on a mountain where they have no room heating or ac
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The location of the hotel is lovely - up the hill from the main town (a taxi ride away), and just downhill from the Cloud Forest (within half an hour walk up hill). The grounds are very well kept with beautiful flowers and lots of wildlife. However, the hotel pool was closed for renovation during our stay, which also meant that there were no sun loungers to relax on. I understand that the pool roof caved in a few months ago (if it was properly maintained, this probably wouldn't have happened), and workmen were constantly working on repairing the roof when we were there. This caused a lot of noise, not just around the pool area, but this could also be heard in the rooms. Some friends of ours asked to be moved rooms, only to be told that there were no available rooms (even though we could see plenty of empty rooms in the newer block). I asked reception if there were any sun loungers available that we could place outside our room, but the answer I received was that I could go into town and buy myself a sun lounger... ok.... Anyway, after a busy day doing activities, there was basically no outside space to relax in, which is a shame as the hotel grounds are beautiful and should be enjoyed. Maybe place some sun loungers outside the occupied rooms? There is a walk in the hotel grounds which takes you into a jungle area. Dependant on the time of day, you can spot some interesting wildlife, including playful monkeys.
Our room was spacious, with two large beds, and we had a newer, refitted bathroom. Unfortunately, the fixtures were partly hanging off the wall, so some attention is needed there. The view from our room was spectacular, although we had some of the pool workmen staying in a room adjacent to our room, and they had a birds eye view of our bedroom - it felt like we were in a fish bowl... The hotel building has the feel of a mountain ski lodge, which is quite charming. With a bit of work, this could be a really cool hotel to stay in. Hopefully some renovations will continue to take place to make it into the hotel that I'm sure it must have been back in the 1980's.
The choice of food at breakfast and for evening meals is limited if you have special dietary requirements. A vegan offering would be an asset. The restaurant staff are pleasant, as are the bar staff, and there is a decent happy hour each day.
For food, we walked down the road and on the left hand side of the road, there is a coffee place, selling local coffee, and a great Co-Operative that sells items made by local people. If you walk through the shop, there is a fantastic restaurant at the back which serves traditional food at a fraction of the cost of the hotels.
In summary, this could be a great hotel when renovated.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â The pool is currently being renovated (June 2023), and there are no alternative areas to relax in...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FONDA VELA, Encargado del hostal at Fondavela Hotel
Responded Aug 15, 2023
We appreciate your comments, they will help us improve for a better stay for our customers
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We had the best few days staying at this hotel. We visited as part of a multi- location visit to Costa Rica. On arrival, the hotel staff were so accommodating as it was our honeymoon. We stayed in one of the brand new rooms, which was immaculate and had beautiful views across the gardens and trees. We are at both the restaurant and the bar - both menus were very reasonably priced with a great selection of food. We also loved the bar menu and cocktails on offer. We used the spa during our stay - the staff didn’t speak much English but the massages we had were brilliant and priced comparably to what you’d pay in a U.K. spa. Highly recommend for a quiet hotel off the beaten track, that encourages you to enjoy each others company!
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â It is quite far from town (probably a 15 min drive) but there is a bus or taxi service if you do...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FONDA VELA, Encargado del hostal at Fondavela Hotel
Responded Jul 18, 2023
We appreciate being considered for such special occasions.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This was our first stop in Costa Rica after landing at Liberia Airport and it was amazing!! The front desk responded to my many emails and questions ahead of time and was so helpful and kind. We emailed the hotel for a shuttle recommendation before leaving and after providing our flight info and our name, they set up the best shuttle for us to get to Fondavela from the airport. Roy met us at the airport entrance with a sign and a smile once we walked outside. He made our initial experience in Costa Rica just perfect. He had cold bottles of water for the four of us and lots of information to share about the people and animals of Costa Rica that we were passing by. He lives in Monteverde and knows the roads like the back of his hand, so he made the winding adventure up to the hotel and cloud forest seem easy. We were so glad we didn’t try to rent a car and navigate to Fondavela ourselves. Upon checking in, the front desk worker took us on a golf cart to the room as it was dark and rainy. It was a beautiful room as promised in the pictures. We also highly recommend the dinner at the hotel restaurant and the amazing breakfast the next day! In the morning before going to the biological reserve, we hiked the trail behind the hotel and it was beautiful. We saw many animals. Our only regret was that we couldn’t stay in this hotel longer. We wanted a whole week here at the beautiful Fondavela. Next the hotel booked a taxi for us to go to the biological reserve and also booked the driver Roy to shuttle us next to San Jose. It was a perfect stay and we hope to do it again soon!
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Have the hotel help book all of your transportation needs. They partner with safe drivers and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FONDA VELA, Encargado del hostal at Fondavela Hotel
Responded Jul 18, 2024
Hello Chuck, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are very glad to read your stay was very pleasant and that we exceeded your expectations. We were more than pleased to help you arranging the transportation. All of our staff is always willing to help in all our guests needs. We look forward to welcoming you again in the near future and continue to exceed your expectations. It will be a pleasure to have your family back at the Hotel.
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I would not recommend this Hotel whilst building works are taking place throughout and avoid room 29 at all costs, as it is attached to the staff room, with metal lockers directly behind your bed, with paper thin walls and the staff shout whilst talking. There s no pool available, no loungers, no relaxing place to sit, no peace and quiet between approximately 5.20am and midnight. Once all the building work is complete, it maybe a different story!
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Date of stay: May 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FONDA VELA, Encargado del hostal at Fondavela Hotel
Responded Jul 18, 2023
We are sorry to hear your comment. We always try to solve our guests' inconveniences. In this case we tried to relocate them to a better part of our stay, but there was no positive response from the guest, to make the upgrade to a better room.
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Great hotel with everyone working their with I can help you attitude which is a plus for hotel industry. Even though it seems like there are not much tenant staying here, but all staff are still very helpful and assist the possible best they can, we had front desk brought us 2 umbrellas due to rain, within 5 minutes, a gentleman from the front desk walked to our room with two umbrellas, restaurant was empty, just us in the restaurant, but again, server was very helpful. We wanted to go to town center, but it will require local taxi which charges around 5 times more than uber, problem is, there is no uber in monteverde. We then went to the hotel bar to grab a drink and landed in happy hour. Bar tender helping us was so kind, a couple of hours later, we went back to have dinner at the bar after our happy hour. Very charming place that has its own trail if you want to walk. Very updated room and bathroom, clean and quiet.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Bring some snack prior to arrival at the hotel.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FONDA VELA, Encargado del hostal at Fondavela Hotel
Responded Jun 22, 2024
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us! Our team always strives to provide our guests with an unforgettable experience and it gives us great satisfaction to know that we met your expectations. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the near future and continuing to create memorable memories.
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My wife and I stayed at this hotel for two nights as part of a Cox and Kings holiday to Costa Rica. The hotel is up in the mountains, and close to cloud forests, and the rooms are in a number of buildings spread around the extensive grounds. We occupied Room 4, along with three other rooms in the same building, and this was a large, standard room decorated with wood paneling and having twin queen size beds. There was a separate seating area as well as a balcony (with a two seater sofa). Room facilities included a free security safe, flat screen TV, fridge, a cupboard for hanging clothes with 4 clothes hangers, two clothes drawers, four pillows per bed, bedside phone and coffee making facilities. There was no mini-bar, no air-conditioning but a dehumidifier instead (we had to empty this on a number of occasions), the WiFi was very poor in the room but there were plenty of plugs for charging a mobile phone, iPad, etc. The room had large windows so the view could be enjoyed. The bathroom had a huge walk in shower, toilet, and a small basin (with no plug so remember to take a travelling plug!). The hotel facilities were situated around the large restaurant (which was a 10 minutes walk on a dusty track from the room), there being a Harmony Spa, covered swimming pool, and a bar. The breakfast selection was very good, with eggs cooked to order. The grounds were extensive, with a walking trail and plenty of flora and fauna, including the Blue-crowned Motmot! We were also able to enjoy some fantastic sunsets during our stay. During bad weather, the trek to the restaurant could be interesting, but there is a golf type buggie that can be ordered from reception to get you around the site. We enjoyed our stay at this 'exclusive mountain hideaway'!
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Date of stay: March 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were very happy with our choice of Hotel Fonda Vela for our 4 night stay at Monteverde in November. The hotel is everything it says it is and more. The staff were outstanding in their customer service, consistently caring, kind and competent in taking care of all our needs. The grounds are beautiful, and include a lovely trail through the cloud forest, where we saw our first examples of local fauna (motmots, agoutis, coatis and more!). We didn’t have a car, and I was a bit concerned about getting around, due to it being a fair ways out of town. This was no problem, as there is reliable bus service and many taxis available in minutes. Also, some attractions (such as Curi Cancha Reserve) are walking distance. The restaurant is open for all meals and is very good, as is the Sports Bar on site. Special shoutouts to our fun restaurant waiters Freddy and David, and Medardo and Gerlin at reception, who really took good care of us! One final note on weather: it rained a lot (above average) during our visit. So make sure you’ve packed rain gear if you go in the “Green Season”!
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Hot tub can get busy in the afternoons.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from FONDA VELA, Encargado del hostal at Fondavela Hotel
Responded Dec 4, 2024
Hello Delta, We are blissful to read your comment, and we appreciate the time you took to describe your experience with us. We are glad to read that you enjoyed the stay, the service, the food, our facilities, and the surrounding nature. Our priority will always be our guests, and we are glad to know we fulfilled your needs. We will be pleased to welcome you again in the near future and continue to exceed your expectations.Â
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I am not sure what is meant by customer service. The place is not a 5 Star facility...most places in Monteverde tend to keep staff fairly lean because tourism is only 6-8 months per year. That said, we did not experience any issues, in fact quite the opposite. We had what we needed and were really happy with our stay, and would return. Perhaps it depends on one’s expectations?
Inverness, United Kingdom125 contributions17 helpful votes
It was one of my daughter's favourite places to stay, lovely rooms, good food and helpful front desk staff. It was close to where we saw our first Quetzal :)
Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica7 contributions
Our hotel as any Hotel in the area, doesn´t provide any air conditioning A/C, this due mostly of the year Monteverde keep a fresh weather. Also, our room structures are build to keep high spaces to let the air flow and keep it fresh.
There are more places to choose from in the Monteverde area.
PRICE RANGE
$261 - $366 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
fonda vela hotel, fonda vela monteverde
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of PuntarenasMonteverde
NUMBER OF ROOMS
38
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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