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Added by Jopie, at 22 July 2015
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15 Reviews
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08 April 2018
Kitchen staff needs some work, food was reasonable but pricy server never asked if I wanted another drink. Very nice hotel rooms but go for dinner somewhere else.
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23 March 2018
Not only is the hotel only 2 km from the Cloud Forest National Park, but the rooms are amazingly roomy and the service very friendly. The restaurant provides amazing food for reasonable prices.
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15 February 2018
Very peaceful and great view for sunset. Lovely food at restaurant and friendly staff.
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30 December 2017
We stayed at Fonda Vela for two nights during our stay in Monteverde for our honeymoon. The reception desk was very helpful with booking a horseback riding tour and helping with dinner reservations. We stayed in one of the bigger rooms of the hotel and it was nicely furnished yet dated. Only problems we encountered was the sink not draining properly and the Doberman on the property who was tied up outside that was barking nonstop throughout the night (which made for a poor night's rest after hiking all day). If you want to walk to the cloud forest from the hotel prepare for a small hike to the entrance. The welcome drink they provide is wonderful however we would not suggest staying on the property for dinner. This hotel is not walking distance to the downtown area of Santa Elena.
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30 December 2017
If you want to spend time in Monteverde (which you should-Santa Elena and cerro Plano don’t have much worthwhile past a full day of activities) then this is the place for you. It’s 2km walk to the park entrance. The hotel was fine, a bit old but it did the job. 3 stars for the WiFi and just ok food at breakfast. We skipped the restaurant for dinner based on the breakfast vibes. Go to Sofia’s in Cerro Plano for dinner instead. Staff was very helpful and even checked in on us to make sure we got back to the room ok after dinner, she even remember talking to my wife on the phone 4 months prior.(5 stars for the staff)
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25 December 2017
The staff of this hotel are truly beautiful and accommodating, much like Costa Rica itself. I wasn’t very satisfied with wifi as it didn’t work in either room I stayed in (the first room isn’t displayed in the pictures). I wasn’t happy after the first two nights in my first room as it smelled weird and it was very cold but the manager was quick to rectify my disappointment and upgraded me to a much better room. I wouldn’t stay here again.
Restaurant food quality: 3/5
Hotel: 3/5
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25 December 2017
It has very large rooms with nice views of the forest. No WiFi in most areas including rooms restaurant is ok. No espresso coffee. Service is great.
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01 September 2017
e were in a junior suite. We came in on a rainy evening,on horrible roads. Drove out to room- had to walk in rain up ramp to room which was steep and slick. Opened door to room and was hit by a very heavy musty and moldy smell. Opened windows as there is no air conditioning or fans. Room was dark, half the lights did not work. No Wi-Fi, phones or cable because of the storm. Turned on water in bathroom sink and shower which ran brown and stunk for several minutes. Was told at front desk they have no wash cloths. Dead flies all over room. All linens were worn and damp because of the lack of climate control in room. Black mold on inside of windows. Went to make coffee and creamer in pouch was so old it was like carmel. Front desk did give us more coffee, hand towels to use as wash cloths, and told us the building had been closed up for awhile to just run the water. When we told the desk about the horrible smell in the room she didn't even respond. We were supposed to stay 3 nights but checked out the next morning. Being told they will not refund us for the two nights we did not use.
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27 July 2017
Rustic hotel with beautiful grounds and excellent views. There's an on-site restaurant which serves good food though prices are on the higher end, about $25 for a main during dinner. Breakfast is included and quite good. There's an omelette station. Path from reception to rooms requires a little walking and the part of it is usually muddy.
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09 May 2017
The rooms are dated, and pass on staying in room #26. The showers only have cold water and the bathroom needs to be repaired, lighting updated, to dark. Tile in the bathroom needs repaired fixed, only cold water and the bathroom sink doesn't drain. When complained about the sink not draining the following day it was worse, and no hot water, either day. They said they would send someone to fix it. Next day still no hot water and the shower barley had any pressure from the nozzle. Paying $191.71, in May 2017, for a Junior suite with no hot water, tile that needs to be fixed/repaired a bathroom sink that doesn't drain, and the local ant problem in the room, and no WIFI. Not worth the drive up.
Also, we found an open container of chips next to the bed, left by the cleaning crew or the handy man who came in to fix the bathroom. Not sure which person left the chips. Upon arrival a man carried luggage to the room dropped it off and left. Didn't even say hello. The doors locked from the inside and and if you haven't used it before it can be difficult to open. We had to go back to the reception and ask for help. Not a friendly non-Spanish speaking environment. Oh, and no WIFI. Or at least we were told, that due to the last storm, the only area with WIFI was the Reception area. No one, working out by the pool at night from 7:00pm - 9:30, for drinks or assistance. They have showers at the pool area/ but don't work and no hot water, towels with lockers. We had a slip and fall with a broken arm. Make sure to purchase travel insurance. It's worth it. We spent the day at the hospital and called around 8:30 to let the hotel we would be back for the last night we reserved. We were told that a security guard would be available to give us a key to get back to the room. He never showed, and we got lucky and were able to stay at the HISTORIAS LODGE, at the last minute. They did refund us $191.70 for the night no one was there to allow us back to the room, and drove over to our new location.
The grounds are beautiful, the restaurant and food are pricey but excellent. The staff in the restaurant were very helpful and friendly. Go for food and hiking only. Given a choice I would head over to Historias Loge for $50.00 dollars a night and you get an awesome breakfast, excellent hospitality, clean room, hot water, and WIFI. It's within walking distance to shops and restaurants, and some exhibits.response / report this review -
20 January 2017
Great location. Bad road. Need some upgrades.
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04 January 2017
We were at the hotel for a couple of days and enjoyed our stay there. Our rooms were spacious, clean, and had large windows facing the garden and forest. You will hear birds chirping throughout the day and at night other noises - frog, insects, etc - replace bird's chirp.
The complementary breakfast was buffet style with various food items that will likely satisfy most guests. We ate dinner in the restaurant once but was bit disappointed they don't have authentic local cuisine. That said the Italian dishes we had were delicious but bit pricey and we waited more than thirty minutes for our meal and our appetizer came after the meal. We recommend trying local food in town that is delicious but much cheaper.
The hotel is only about twenty minutes walking distance from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. And it took us about thirty minutes to walk to the town and may be forty minutes to walk back. Walking is fairly safe and an enjoyable experience. Taxi is about seven dollars to the town.response / report this review -
31 August 2016
This hotel is a mixed bag. The furniture in the room was old which was nice but the bedding was equally old which was not great. The views were great (watching the sunset on the hill behind the office was truly a sight to behold) but the dragging your luggage to and from your room across the gravel was not. The formal dining was nice and the food was good but the service was so so. They had just reopened the hotel when I got there and perhaps has not ironed out all the bugs. It is also the furthest hotel from town which made the star gazing great but walking to town not really an option.
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05 April 2016
Very welcoming place. Very peaceful. Highly recommended for someone wanting to connect with nature.
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29 July 2015
Good but the room we were in was a bit buggy. Great breakfast buffet and overall nice food.
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