Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel & Retreat

To start with the positive: the staff is incredibly friendly, helpful and well-trained but the hotel itself needs serious work. It rained and misted without interruption (it’s after all a CLOUD hotel) making everything damp. We stayed in the Presidential Suite which has been newly and well-renovated. Spacious, anttractiv and well-equipped- which it should be for $400-600 a night. The fireplace is- great if only the wood were dry. We had no hot water for 2 days because, even after asking someone to come fix it, no one told us that you have to adjust the shower “just so”. That was the management’s fault, probably not the staff. The facilities are pretty run down. The dining room is dark and anything but inviting. The food is simple and starchy and pretty heavy. All in all more a backpacker try hotel than a Villa.

Magical place. Great reception and staff very helpful. Food good. Walks around grounds are incredible for bird spotting and a group of coati wandering about. OK.. the road here is pretty bumpy, and it can be misty and a bit cool...but it's a cloud forest!

We were so disappointed with this accommodation on what was otherwise a fabulous trip to Costa Rica. This was by far the worst place we stayed. It’s 8km down a very potholed and bumpy track and the place was shrouded by cloud for our entire stay (thankfully only two nights!). I know we were in a cloud forest but the accommodation felt very dank and dreary and the rooms are very run down and in need of some major work. We had no outside furniture. There was a space where there obviously used to be a fridge but no more, and an incredibly noisy dehumidifier that we had to empty three times during our two night stay! Everything felt damp including the bedding, despite the dehumidifier but the bed was comfortable. Both sets of blinds were dirty and broken. The main building feels like an old hunting lodge and although there were two open fires they kept the doors open all of the time so it never felt warm. The staff were not particularly welcoming and we were very disappointed in the food offerings in the restaurant (one of us is gluten free and both our tour operator and ourselves had pre warned this hotel before our stay.) There was very little on an incredibly expensive menu that my husband was able to eat. The restaurant was inflexible with regards to accommodating a special diet. There was a complimentary tea/coffee station available in the lounge but when I asked if it was possible to have a decaffeinated coffee I was told I would have to pay €5! This place is literally in the middle of nowhere so there are no other food options available. Breakfast was ok but a bit basic compared to other hotels we stayed in and the waiting staff just seemed unfriendly. All in all we felt unwelcome and have reported our concerns to our tour company. The positives: we saw some incredible wildlife on a night/day tour with very knowledgeable local guides.

Villa blanca is at the end of a 8km unmade pot holed track. The accommodation is of small huts ,some would call them traditional ,I call them basic. No TV, no central heating ,no fridge , no air con. The internal decoration is white washed concrete. I have stayed in better backpacker lodges. When we climbed into bed sheets were damp. Our meal in restaurant was 75% fat for me 60% fat for my wife we complained about meat and were told if we wanted more meat we would have to pay more . I didn't pay for our meal. Cloud forest well worth visiting but avoid villa blanca.

Although this hotel is in a unique setting in the Cloud Forest surrounded by wildlife, with interesting activities on offer to guests,there are areas where it could improve. The service level in the restaurant is not good. At dinner, my husband’s main meal was plonked on the table whilst he was only half way through his starter.Obviously this meant that his main meal was getting cold whilst he was finishing his starter off.The dirty starter plate stayed on the table until we had finished our meal which I thought was poor. Also, the wine measures seemed very haphazard.I and several others in our group experienced really small measures- approx 100/120ml of wine sometimes and when I did ask the waitress if that was a standard measure she said it was.At 8 or 10 dollars a glass (local beer was 8 dollars a bottle) I would have expected a consistent 175ml glass. At breakfast, the tables were very slow to be cleared and reset.Food seemed to be running out quickly and several times patrons had to ask for replenishment.On both days there seemed a dearth of saucers and everybody had a cup placed directly on the tables.I’m not sure if there were staff shortages whilst we were there but guest experience could be enhanced by more proficient service.

Villa Blanca is a lovely retreat deep in the Costa Rican countryside. There are a number of trails to explore, although be aware that if you join an organized morning or night walk, you may cover the same ground. The apartments have a rustic charm, complete with an open fire if it gets too chilly. The restaurant food is tasty, the staff are friendly and helpful, and there’s a bar food option after 5 pm if you prefer less formal dining. There were complimentary activities during our stay, including yoga in a studio at the top of the main building with panoramic views. You are at the mercy of the weather, and it rained a lot during our visit, but bring a good book and enjoy the peace and tranquility.