The three of us (family with a teen) chose this small beautifully located hotel as our last stop of our round trip in Costa Rica and were well advised with it.

We very much enjoyed our two day stay at Gaia and would it recommend for travelers not seeking beach holidays as it is not on the beach but set atop a hill with its own reserve with a rich wild and plant life. 

There is a shuttle providing transport to the beaches and also to the town and Manuel Antonio National Park but for people longing for direct beach access it isn’t the first choice. However, there is a very nice although small pool on different levels with a wet bar which is by the way open 24 hours a day, pity that there wasn’t a “normal” bar by the pool as well … 



The hotel is geared to make sure that its guests feel well served and relaxed. One of the owners (Thomas) welcomed us upon arrival and talked to us for some time, nice. Then we were shown around the property including all the public spaces and the spa, drinks and snacks were offered at the same time. After that we were accompanied to our room, a Deluxe Suite with a private roof terrace just by the pool. The suite had a large, contemporarily furnished living room with a balcony, a bedroom with a comfortable king bed and a spacious bathroom with a jacuzzi bath. We were very satisfied with the suite, the only complaints were that you had to pass the bedroom in order to reach the bathroom and that there were some problems with the light switches (light flickered long after turned off).



There was a restaurant on the top floor of the main building serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. As far as breakfast is concerned, it was really delicious. You could help yourself from a tray with fruits and from one with pastries brought by a server and order a main course from a menu, also fresh fruit juices were available, a treat! We didn’t have lunch, but once we ordered some tapas and drinks during happy hour (I think as from 4.00 p.m.), which we enjoyed. On both evenings, we had dinner at Gaia’s restaurant, which features international and local cuisine, and we were happy with the ordered food. The dishes were inventively prepared, nicely presented and tasty, although both fish dishes that I ordered as main courses were a little bit dry, but this is the only complaint I have. 

With regard to service, all the employees we met were friendly and helpful, however sometimes we had wished they would have been more efficient, e.g. when we wanted to attend the Gaia reserve’s tour we were told that the regular tour was already complete but that there would be another one an hour later. When we arrived on time, there was no guide and the people at the front desk let us know that the first group hadn’t returned yet. When we asked again 15 minutes later, they tried to reach the guide and were told that the first group hadn’t shown up for the tour and ushered us to the reserve’s entrance where the guide already had been waiting for us for some time. Regarding other tours, we also made the guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park which was expertly ran and offered interesting insights. 

As far as others facilities apart from spa and pool are concerned, there is also a gym on-site which our son used once and was satisfied with the equipment. Overall, I would recommend Gaia when you appreciate a stay in an intimate, well-appointed hotel in quiet, lush surroundings with friendly staff and fine cuisine.

Date of stay: April 2012

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Our family (my husband, our teenage son and I) had a 3 day stay at this wonderfully located hotel, nestled on a Pacific coast hillside at the end of Peninsula Papagayo.You have to be aware of the fact that the resort is most remote i.e. you are about 45 minutes away from shopping and dining facilities. Having said that, it feels good to be almost alone on these vast grounds meaning of course not at the pool or beach but e.g. when going on a hike around the property which is absolutely recommendable yet quite strenuous with the heat in the dry season.



As far as rooms are concerned, you can choose from standard rooms, which are at two multi-story buildings next to the three pools and the two beaches, or from canopy suites. The latter are scattered around the property and partly quite far away from the main buildings. We had a room in one of the two multi-story buildings on the fourth floor and were very satisfied with our choice. It was generously sized, well-appointed and had a large screened balcony (no bugs or bird droppings) from which you had a nice view of the Pacific.



The area around the pools (one of them only for adults) and the beaches is immaculately maintained.

There are three restaurants on-site from which we only tried “Di Mare” and were very content with the Italian food (excellent pasta). There are two more dining facilities which are further away. One is “Caracol” (by the golf course) where we celebrated my husband’s birthday, ate superb steaks and were offered a free dessert to celebrate the event, nice touch (try to be seated outside, it’s much nicer than inside). The other is the one at Prieta Beach Club where we had lunch once and liked it a lot. By the way, this club is destined – as far as I understood – for home owners but is open for FS guests as well for the time being and is also recommended for a day at the pool or beach (more quiet than at the resort). Overall, the food is of a high standard but certainly doesn’t level with Michelin starred establishments. And prices for F&B are steep as this is also the case with all the other FS hotels we have stayed so far. In my opinion, you either have to accept these prices at FS hotels as they are (although they are much too high) or you go to some other place where prices are more reasonable. But I’m almost sure – if you are a fan of FS – you will most probably miss the high service level of FS then because it is normally close to perfect! 



One more word to the facilities, my son and I had a fitness studio tour, made by a helpful and courteous employee. It is well-equipped but you have to pay for fitness classes which I chose not to do. There is also a golf course but as we don’t play it, I can’t comment on this. There are additional resort activities as well, but as we only stayed for three nights, we didn’t do any of them.

One last remark: As an employee let me know, the guest structure is homogenous, 97 % are Americans, we were quite an exception as Swiss. But we didn’t mind because we usually do like the American way. Overall, this FS resort is the perfect hotel for beach holidays but make sure that you also get at least a glimpse of the rest of this beautiful country, it’s really worth it.

Date of stay: April 2012

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My husband, our teenage son and I spent two nights at this magnificent property which is nestled outside of town within the cloud forest canopy.



Amongst the 4 treehouse chalets and three rooms in the main house we chose the Eden Treehouse Chalet which has a living room with kitchen facilities, a half bath and a balcony upstairs and a bedroom with a king size bed and a “fantasy” bathroom featuring a private jacuzzi in some kind of winter garden and a stone waterfall shower downstairs. We were quite impressed by the well-appointed accommodation amidst the cloud forest. The negative points were only the high humidity (there is a dehumidifier in the bedroom) and the beds. The pull-out bed in the living room was much too soft (our son slept the second night on the sofa) and the adults’ bed was comfortable, but the mattress had a synthetic cover which didn’t contribute to a good sleep quality. Anyway, these were the only drawbacks I can think of when judging this beautiful boutique hotel.



There are well-kept gardens and a trail around the vast property where you are accompanied by the owner’s dogs when making the tour. In the main house there is a guest lounge with large windows where you have sweeping views of the Gulf of Nicoya. There a delicious teatime or better a happy hour takes place, fantastic sangria or other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are offered and delicious savoury and sweet snacks are served, a nice touch. Also the breakfast is served there. Jenn, the host (and owner), gives her best to satisfy their customers’ needs, be it reservations for restaurants and arrangements for tours in the Monteverde area.

By the way, the guided walk with Koki in the Curi-Cancha reserve shouldn’t be missed as this very knowledgeable guide is able to communicate with birds, amazing! Monteverde area doesn’t seem to have many luxurious hotels, so therefore the Hidden Canopy Treehouse Hotel is certainly the right choice for demanding travelers.

Date of stay: April 2012

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The three of us (family with a teen) spent two days in this beautifully located hotel in the midst of the cloud forest. It is the perfect place for nature lovers looking for an eco luxury accommodation meaning you get very much in touch with nature (an eco-concierge is in charge for the courtesy mystic hike and other activities) and at the same time you live in one of the 16 scattered cottage suites which are luxurious although built in harmony with the environment. 



Apropos accommodation, I cannot leave it with this short description, the suites are really lovely. They convey the impression of a subdued luxury i.e. puristic and somewhat minimalist. There is a very comfortable king size bed from which you have a wonderful view to the surrounding nature and furthermore there are two sofas that can be used as two additional beds. The bathroom is huge, has two sinks, a large shower and also an (outdoor) jacuzzi which should once be used when it is dark because so you may experience a huge number of lightning bugs, what a sight! There is also a porch where you can enjoy the courtesy hot chocolate and cookies in the afternoon. A heater is also at your disposal which may be very handy as it can be quite cool once the sun has disappeared and when you return from dinner you will find a hot-water bottle in the bed, what a treat! 



When you stay at El Silencio Lodge, you are on full board and this is really something to rave of, the food is incredible! It can’t be said that it is a fancy gourmet cuisine but I best would describe it as authentic, healthy and prepared with ingredients either grown on-site or coming from local suppliers. Apart from vegetarian options there is only a choice among poultry, tilapia or trout but it doesn’t become boring because the preparation of these non-vegetarian options varies daily. I can’t point out appropriately enough how we estimated this kind of culinary experience and I would like to compliment the cook (Marcella) highly.

A stay at this hotel gives you the possibility to enjoy nature thoroughly as the property covers 500 acres of private cloud forest with several hiking paths. In addition, there is a yoga deck in the middle of the tropical forest. Moreover, there is also a spa at which we had a look but didn’t make use of it.

In sum, I would recommend this hotel for nature lovers who also appreciate fine accommodations and food. If you want to experience peacefulness and serenity, this is the place for you. I think that a stay of two or three days is sufficient and I wouldn’t go there if you are looking for a base from which to explore the near or farther environment as El Silencio Lodge is rather remotely situated and the roads to reach this place are very bad.

Date of stay: April 2012

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My family (two adults and a teen) chose this hotel as first stop in Costa Rica after our flight over the Atlantic Ocean and it is ideally located for this purpose, only 5 minutes by car from the airport and in a quiet although rather strange setting for a hotel (industrial zone).

Nevertheless, it was quite a nice experience to arrive there because the building and the grounds are beautiful (hacienda style). Employees at the front desk are friendly and helpful but we had to wait quite a long time when checking in and out.

We had booked two rooms of the cheapest category as we only stayed for one night. They were just like all the other rooms you usually find in a Marriott hotel meaning rather basic. This is the case most notably for the bathrooms, as one of the previous reviewers mentioned to the point, there are simple shower/bathtub combos.

We had dinner at the tapas restaurant and were pleased with the offered food. As we were very tired we went to bed quite early (about 10 p.m.) which turned out to be not a very good idea as there was quite a hustle and bustle in the hallways (we were on the first floor to the front). I would recommend a room on an upper floor and maybe going to the rear (pool). We had breakfast on the porch which was pleasant and the buffet is worthwhile ordering. 

Overall, a good stop when flying in or off (the hacienda styled building is gorgeous), but I wouldn’t recommend it for a longer stay.

Date of stay: April 2012

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