El Hotelito at The Rainforest Experience Farm

The drive up the hill is treacherous and steep. Once you get there you’ll see dogs running around and acting aggressive so we decided not to stay there and the guy who has one eye ( sorry don’t know his name) told me it’s OK. That he’ll make sure I get refunded. Yea right. I can afford to take the loss from that thief but he gave me his word that he would make sure I got a refund. Never got it

Magical! There is no other word that describes this hotel. The area is gorgeous, being immersed in this environment was exactly what we needed! Before our stay at the hotelito we were stressed, exhausted and miserable. We left content, relaxed and invigorated. You cannot imagine a more breathtaking view, and a more considerate and caring host. ||||The host (Jenefer) was incredibly generous. She cooked us delicious food, offered us extremely amusing stories and welcomed us like we were family. ||||The property was bustling with wildlife and overflowing with stunning flowers. Our room was large and open, with a balcony and high ceilings. The pool offered us the perfect refuge from the island heat. The lounge provided us the ideal area to play cards and relax from our busy day. ||||The BEST PART: the puppies. ||If you do indeed have the pleasure in journeying to this hotelito, you will meet the most affectionate and adorable dogs (Max & Negro). If we were able to bring them back to NYC with us, we would have. ||||If you are looking for a cookie cutter hotel- this is not the place for you. This is an immersive (incredible) experience.

I came to Puerto Rico for work and needed an escape from the chaos of my work. El Hotelito was exactly what I needed: great conversation, eco-living and relaxing in nature. If you’re not used to wildlife and the open outdoors this isn’t the place for you. But if you love nature in all its parts, el hotelito gives you that and so much more. There are breathtaking views, great super Boricua hosts and everything I love about the island is magnified here. Rafael made us an amazing dinner of carne guisada. It was wonderful and tasted like love de mi Tierra. Rafael and Jennifer are super special people who have the most interesting stories. The charm of the canine residents coupled with the beautiful surroundings and unequaled hospitality of our hosts, I can think of better place to unwind in the rainforest.

Me and 2 friends spent one night at El Hotelito to do som trekking in El Yunque. El Hotelito and its hostess was magnificent. The view and location is breathtaking, the rooms were clean and the hostess was super friendly and made us breakfast and dinner that we enjoyed with the rest of the guests there as one big family. The road in is a bit rough but also a cool experience, and we had no problems getting up there even with our Kia sedan. Thumbs up for an awesome experience!

My boyfriend and I stayed here over the weekend for one night. The property is absolutely gorgeous. Our room had screens (requested) and a small deck with a table and chairs. We enjoyed sitting on the deck at night and in the morning having coffee- no mosquitoes at all. There are no outlets in room, only in the library on the first floor for all to use. We arrived in a tiny low to the ground Kia without 4 wheel drive and it was fine. A couple spots we just had to go slow because of big pot holes and how low our car was to the ground but it wasn’t a problem. Hotel owner is kind and informative. We will be back next time we are in PR!

Beautiful location surrounded by nature in a rainforest. Eco friendly facilities with amazing views of Vieques. Rooms are large and the building is amazing in its construction, Being a contractor myself, I was impressed with the quality and complexity. I actually stayed here about 10 years ago but felt I needed to give it a review.

When my husband discovered El Hotelito, he knew he had to bring us all to Puerto Rico for the amazing experience of sleeping in a rainforest! My kids and in-laws took 4 large rooms full of fresh air with private balconies and the most amazing views of forest, ocean and islands; a vista that wraps around the horizon seen from El Hotelito. It is the perfect marriage of camping and comfort; not a generic hotel industry venue that separates you from the very place you came to see. The coqui sing you to sleep and beautiful green anoles sun themselves from your windowsill. Intermittent showers cool the air and leave rainbows arching from mountain to mountain. Days are warm and humid... jump in the pool! Evenings are cool and breezy, freely flowing through this open home, perfect for it's climate.||We spent a delicious and thankful Thanksgiving, loving it so much, we extended for an extra day and still wished we didn't have to leave. Rafi and Jennifer made us feel like welcomed friends, giving us as much attention or space as we would like. We really felt like it was a taste of what it could feel like to live in Puerto Rico. What a unique opportunity to disconnect from the buzz and connect with nature and eachother. Our rooms had glorious bouquets of flowers and even in November, the paths are lush with an array of dazzling tropicals. Rafi was like a safari guide, machete in hand, blazing a trail from the verdant forest that constantly reclaims what it can. His gentle dogs went ahead, and actually made us feel safer, having them on patrol in this rather wild place. The dogs are not overwhelming, but will visit you if you show and interest in them. Rafi treats you with the same courtesy and respect that you show him. He is genuine and has had fascinating experiences building and expanding his home and raising his family here. He is sharing his life and land with you. Come prepared to slow down and feel the natural pace. Feel good about being an ecotourist, leaving a smaller footprint in this wonderful land. No, there aren't a lot of paved roads and they follow the topography. This is the correct trend slowly being adopted by some cities. It allows the bountiful rainfall to seep in through catchments and helps prevent landslides, which are a common problem in Puerto Rico when steep land is cleared aggressively. That said, we did have a 4WD vehicle and arrived in clear daytime skies.|| We feel very fortunate to have discovered El Hotelito. It is a unique adventure for people who cherish new experiences and appreciate what nature has to offer rather than fear a touch of the wild. Honestly, how many opportunities are there to stay in a rainforest???

This hotel, at the top of an extremely steep hill in the El Yunque Forest was well built and attractive, the rooms well designed. But the description is totally inaccurate. We planned to relax for a few days exploring the "largest flower farm n the Carribean" advertised, and walking beautiful trails. There was NO flower farm at all, only some old irrigation pipes in the woods that hinted at the possibility that one existed in the past. There was a single trail into the forest, taking all of an hour if we walked slowly. The beautiful waterfalls of El Yunque are actually on the other side of the forest, a day trip away. In addition, service was minimal and often grudging. The owner clearly was interested in our money more than hospitality. We paid an extra 20/night in addition to the $160 for a room for an extra person but found the mattress of the fold-out couch impossibly cheap and uncomfortable. In addition, after dinner the owner left for his own house in town and the guests were entirely alone, with no service or security other than four dogs. The dogs were nice enough, but barked loudly every half hour throughout the night at other animals in the forest. Other guests called him in the middle of the night to complain. Hot water was sketchy and breakfast cheap with a non-working toaster both mornings. The owner just kept putting it back out. When we left after two nights, we paid $90 for a taxi to the airport, but the driver refused to come up the hill. To his credit the owner gave us and our luggage a drive down to meet the taxi, dinner was good and cheap at $13, and he makes a great cocktail which was welcome considering the circumstances.