Monteverde Country Lodge, Monteverde
Simple, retro-style cloud forest lodge with extensive gardens and an on-site Costa Rican restaurant
Overview
Monteverde Country Lodge offers a simple, relaxed stay within easy reach of Santa Elena and the cloud forests of Monteverde. The lodge's rustic, two-story buildings are dotted throughout beautifully-maintained grounds planted with endemic plants and trees, and rooms are basic but comfortable, with plenty of space for families. Guests can book a table at the popular on-site restaurant for traditional Costa Rican fare, or make use of the spa and pool at the lodge's sister property, a 5-minute drive away.
Kimkim's Take

Pros
- The lodge's location just outside Santa Elena puts you within walking distance of the local Butterly Gardens and Ecological Reserve and a 15-minute drive from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.
- Rooms are basic but comfortable, with free WiFi and views of the surrounding gardens and grounds.
- The on-site restaurant serves simple but tasty Costa Rican comfort food, and a complimentary buffet breakfast is included in the rate.
- Extensive grounds are planted with 75% endemic plants and trees and attract colorful birdlife like motmots and toucans.
- The rooms aren't air-conditioned, which isn't unusual in Monteverde due to the cooler climate.
- Standard rooms can feel dark and dated; opt for the newer Superior options for more space and updated decor.
- There's no pool or spa on-site, but guests have access to those at the sister property, a 5-minute drive away.
Authenticity
Monteverde Country Lodge dates back to the 1980s, but a renovation in 2014 brought older rooms and interiors up to a comfortable standard. Today, there's still some dated-feeling 1980s decor, but the overall look is classic rustic Costa Rica, from hardwood paneling to red tile floors and open-air walkways to each room. A big draw here are the grounds—planted with native species and frequented by colorful birdlife—and the handy on-site restaurant, which is known for its hearty traditional fare and live music nights. Staff are renowned for their friendliness, and overall there's a relaxed, family feel to the whole property.Location
The lodge sits just outside the small town of Santa Elena, and you'll be within walking distance of a few restaurants and cafés. The Monteverde Butterfly Gardens and an Ecological Sanctuary with hiking options are a 2-minute drive (or a 10-minute stroll) down the street, and area highlights like the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve and Sky Adventures Park are within 15 minutes by car. If you'd like to use the pool or spa at the Hotel & Spa Poco a Poco, it's a 5-minute drive.Rooms & Bathrooms
The 60+ rooms are simple but comfortable, spread across two-story cabin-style buildings linked by porch-style walkways and surrounded by greenery and gardens. All rooms feature tiled floors, local hardwood accents, and some pops of color in the form of Costa Rican-inspired art. The Classic options are the most basic, with wood paneling that can get a bit dark and dated; opt for the renovated Superior rooms for more space and decor that feels more intentionally retro. Bathrooms are basic but clean, and most rooms open out onto small terraces or porches with seating areas.Amenities
This is a simple spot that doesn't offer much in the way of amenities, but guests have access to the pool and spa at the hotel's sister property, a 5-minute drive away. The lodge's on-site restaurant is a casual, popular spot for lunch and dinner, serving tasty traditional Costa Rican dishes and some international classics, but it can get busy, so book ahead to make sure you have a table waiting. A complimentary buffet breakfast is also served here each morning, complete with excellent local coffee, and there are occasional live music performances put on by the talented staff.Family-Friendliness
Families are welcome at the lodge, though if a pool is a priority, you should look elsewhere. Most rooms sleep four, and extra rollaway cots and cribs are available upon request. Little ones will also find a dedicated kids' playground and plenty of room to explore nature in the lodge's gardens.Wildlife
The property's gardens and grounds are frequented by colorful birdlife, including toucans, toucanets, motmots, and blue-grey tanagers. You're also just a 10-minute stroll from the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens and the resident sloths, capuchin monkeys, and armadillos of the local Ecological Reserve.Sustainability
Monteverde Country Lodge aims to promote environmentally conscious and sustainable practices throughout its property. The gardens are planted with 75% endemic plants and watered via a state-of-the-art wastewater purification irrigation system, and the restaurant sources a portion of its produce, meat, and dairy from local producers. Solar panels help minimize electricity use, all cleaning products are fully biodegradable, and single-use items and disposable packaging are avoided wherever possible.Like what you see?
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Traveler Reviews
13 total ratings, 10 with reviews
3.8
Feature ratings
Authenticity & Character
4.4
4.4
Location
4.1
4.1
Staff
4.3
4.3
Cleanliness & Comfort
4.0
4.0

Ceinwen P.
Seattle, WA
| Reviewed on Mar 11, 2025
Good breakfast and nice touch to have welcome beverages. Cleaning staff were a little pushy. Clean and comfortable. Missing outlets near the bed. Portable air conditioner required regular emptying (roughly every 8hr) to be used.
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C
Colin R.
Ashburn, VA
| Reviewed on Dec 28, 2024
This lodge is absolutely beautiful. The grounds are picturesque and the birds that we saw (toucans, toucanets, motmots, bluegrey tanagers) were fantastic. Staff was fantastic, food was delicious. We were truly welcomed and made to feel at home and cared for.
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Konrad H.
Ashburn, VA
| Reviewed on Jul 11, 2024
Great staff, clean, quiet and comfortable. Great location. Everything was walkable.
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Ruth L.
Newark, NJ
| Reviewed on Feb 28, 2024
Very nice clean hotel. The property was pretty. The hotel does not have air conditioning. They have a designated area for smokers.
We were given a room on the second floor walk up. We asked if we could change the room, and they were able to accommodate us. They tried very hard to make us happy. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are all served in the same room. The rooms are spread out over the property which is fine if you are fit. The breakfast selection was varied, most guests seemed to like...
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Emelyn J.
Fullerton, CA
| Reviewed on Jun 29, 2023
Love the location and environmentally beautiful place, land scaping, and great breakfast every morning. Very accommodating and friendly staff. The housekeeping people were great!
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L
Lorenzo C.
Franklin, MA
| Reviewed on Feb 03, 2023
Good accommodations. Its on a hill so walking to stores and restaurants is very tough. Can take taxi
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L
Luciano C.
San Diego, CA
| Reviewed on Jan 27, 2023
This is definitely a "last resort" hotel. It wasn't terrible, but it did fall short in several ways.
No AC (not awful since it's pretty cool in Monte Verde)
No heater (can be a problem)
Very thin walls (people talking outside might as well be in the room)
Awkward layout (the bed light switches are behind the pillows of one of the beds. No power outlets near the nightstand)
Restaurant is too small to accomodate the included breakfast (food was good, but several people were allowed to serve... Read more
No heater (can be a problem)
Very thin walls (people talking outside might as well be in the room)
Awkward layout (the bed light switches are behind the pillows of one of the beds. No power outlets near the nightstand)
Restaurant is too small to accomodate the included breakfast (food was good, but several people were allowed to serve... Read more
N
Nathalie B.
the United Arab Emirates
| Reviewed on Dec 06, 2022
This hotel feels like a mountain cabin.
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Sonya P.
Austin, TX
| Reviewed on Jul 17, 2022
This lodge is charming. It isn’t close to town so it’s a hilly walk into the downtown area. Rooms lack air conditioning and it was quite stuffy and warm at night. We left the windows open but there wasn’t a cross breeze. I think ceiling fans would be a great addition. There’s no pool onsite, but we got to use the pool a Poco a Poco, which is very nice! I highly recommend going there to use their facilities. The room we were in was very small, but our kids were in a larger room. We were...
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R
Roger D.
Sunland Park, NM
| Reviewed on May 31, 2022
Very nice little hotel! Excellent dinner.
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