El Establo Mountain Hotel

Great hotel with amazing views from the room! Our room was spacious with an area to put away all our gear. The view from the porch was spectacular and the pool is warm! We had a lot of fun at the hotel pool - we didn't use it but they have a bar and happy hour at the pool. Breakfast was great and the buffet made it fast when we wanted to get going in the morning. Really nice shower and the kids loved the bathtub. One thing to consider is that it is a mile from reception to the top of the resort, uphill. We had a vehicle so it was easy for us to just drive up and down the resort. They had a shuttle but at busy times it may take awhile, especially if you are in the 800s or 900s. We only ate breakfast at the hotel as you had to make reservations for dinner and we were more go with the flow of the day. We may have stopped for dinner if we didn't need reservations.||My only complaint is that they have about 2.5 miles of trails but you had to pay per a person to use them. We didn't go on the trails because you had to go back down to reception to pay and get a bracelet to go on them. I think the trails should be included and if they want to make sure it's for overnight guests only then give you bracelets or tell you to make sure you have your room key on you. We would have done a short 60 min walk/hike with the kids if it had been included but we didn't think it was worth the cost and having to go get bracelets.

The experience at this hotel does not fully match the price paid. **Highlights:** - The natural surroundings are stunning, with internal trails perfect for daytime walks. - The staff is friendly and helpful. - The buffet-style breakfast is excellent in flavor and variety, although it lacks sustainable practices. **Expensive aspects:** - The stay is considerably pricey. - Food is also expensive, without the quality or taste to fully justify the cost (it's average). - The tours offered by the hotel are costly compared to other options in the area. **Criticisms:** - The bed sheets contain polyester, which may be uncomfortable for those who prefer cooler, natural fabrics. - The mattresses use traditional spring technology, similar to those from decades ago. They lack modern features like memory foam or hybrid systems, which affects sleep quality. **Worth noting:** - The facilities, including the pool, are spacious and pleasant. However, they do not use modern water treatment systems, and the presence of traditional chlorine can cause discomfort such as skin or eye irritation, or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

When booking hotels for our CR itinerary I had struggled to find somewhere in Monteverde and El Establo came up on my search.||It is a MASSIVE hotel and the complex is really big - as outlined before 1km top to bottom. Our rooms were near reception and breakfast so we were fine but if you are further away you need to use your car or the shuttle service to get around. ||Breakfast buffet was really good.||The rooms are massive too and we had fabulous views over the cloud forest and over to the Pacific. ||On registering you give your phone number and you can use WhatsApp to book everything with a message - dinner reservations, laundry etc. Our toilet blocked so I put a message on there - I got an immediate response outlining an engineer was on the way and he turned up within 5 minutes with a plunger and was all done in less than 5 minutes.||The pool area is pleasant with decent views and the views from the look out are amazing with hummingbirds and warthogs up there. ||The hotel is not really somewhere I would choose to stay again as is soulless but I couldn’t fault it - clean, functional and efficiently run.||You can do night walks and trails on site so if you wanted you could come to Costa Rica and do lots of activities whilst staying here.

This was one of the most uncomfortable hotel stays I’ve ever experienced. There’s no AC, no heater, and absolutely no bathroom ventilation. The building’s design makes everything worse — the hallway acts like an echo chamber, and the bathroom window literally faces the hallway, so you can hear every single person walking by. Even with the bathroom door closed, the wind howled through and rattled the door all night. Both windows — one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom — are placed very high up, and although they’re small, there’s no practical way to close them. And even if you could, the lack of ventilation would make the room stuffy and uncomfortable. The bedroom window also lets in constant noise from outside — animals, wind, and more — making sleep nearly impossible. To top it off, the bed creaks loudly with even the slightest movement. Every time I got up to use the restroom at night, the noise woke up my sister who was sleeping next to me. Also, skip the breakfast — it’s extremely overpriced at $25 per person and absolutely not worth it. You’re better off eating elsewhere. Overall, it felt more like luxury camping than a restful hotel experience. I didn’t get a decent night’s sleep due to all the disturbances. If you’re looking for peace, quiet, and comfort, I strongly recommend avoiding this place.

A great location near downtown while staying in the middle of nature. The property is full of wildlife and all of the staff is super helpful. Breakfast is delicious and definitely recommend the banana bread! Austin the bartender is great, we visited him for a few happy hours. While you’re there check out the spa and excellent way to recover from zip lining! The property was larger than expected so we were thankful for the shuttle to get us around. One flag is that there was no AC in the hotel rooms but at night it cooled off.

El Establo is simply gorgeous with so many amenities. The rooms are really spacious with great outdoor space to enjoy the surroundings. The staff is very friendly. We loved the hiking trail, zip line, pool area and the beautiful restaurant overlooking the lake.

We absolutely loved our stay at El Establo Mountain Hotel. Our room was beautiful, set in a peaceful location with amazing views of the surrounding landscape. Yes, the hotel is on a hillside, but we didn’t mind the walk up the steep paths—it was a great way to get some exercise after all the delicious food and drink! For those who prefer not to walk, there’s a handy shuttle service available throughout the hotel grounds.||The town of Monteverde is walkable from the hotel, though be prepared for another hill on the return. Again, we were happy to make the walk.||One dining highlight we’d definitely recommend is Thomas and Tiago, a fantastic restaurant just a short walk from the hotel.||We really enjoyed the covered swimming pool—open-air yet sheltered, with a great atmosphere. The food served there was excellent, though a bit pricey (around $18 per meal).||Breakfast at the hotel was also a highlight—plenty of choice and very tasty. The staff were all friendly and helpful, making our stay even more enjoyable.||Make sure to go all the way to the top of the property—we saw lots of hummingbirds and even a herd of peccaries up there, which was a special treat!||Overall, a memorable and comfortable stay in a beautiful mountain setting. Highly recommended!

Beautiful property. On an hillside with no sidewalks to walk down to the street. Also steep walk into town with intermittent sidewalks, so steep we took a taxi back. They offer a shuttle for internal use. The scenic view at the top has a nice zip line.|Room was nice but both blinds were broken. Pool very nice, chairs and loungers with a scenic view. Again a downhill walk to it. Hot tub electronics not working.