Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel & Retreat

This place is Paradise and the state exceeded all expectations. Everyone was wonderful and so helpful. They took care of everything and made me feel very welcome. The accommodations were exceptional. Love the cozy room and sleeping in the quiet comfort of the forest. The tours were first rate was very knowledgeable, friendly and professional guides. This is a place you will hate to leave and can’t wait to return. Thank you for such a wonderful stay

There is a lot to like about the Villa Blanca; a relief from the 30+ temperatures of the 'lowlands', the local wildlife, the Froghouse (a night time visit is a must!), the nature trails through the cloud forest and the stunning views from the 'lookout point' The 'chalets' are well laid out, spacious and with a certain rustic charm. There is even an open fireplace with seasoned hard wood should you get that cold. We didn't! I cannot comment on the Superior rooms, which apparently include a hot tub, Why! The room however does need a Dehumidifier, most rooms have them, ours did not, but a quick call to reception and one was provided. The staff were professional, and always keen to assist the guests. However there were several occasions when, 'the left hand seemed not to know what the right hand was doing' and this impacted on the 'Front of House' services, particularly during the very busy evening meal times. There just did not seem the enough staff, for Reception, the Bar & in particular the Restaurant. On both nights you wanted to put your coffee down and give them a hand!! Unless things have changed since our recent visit, book an early evening meal time. Having said that the food was good, but again there often seemed to be a lack of communication between 'service' and the kitchen. Moan over! The spa is good and both myself and Mrs Rouleur enjoyed excellent massage's. The only other small issue, is that there is very little to do during the day, once you have done the early morning tours. So take a good book, or take advantage of the farm visit, the old greenhouse nature area or the spa. We did an optional Quetzal spotting tour (saw a male and a female in full breeding plumage, Wow!) Organised by our by our tour operator, so the above did not bother us that much. I cannot finish without mentioning the final 10km 'Farm track' which leads to & from the hotel, be prepared!! It takes about 45 minutes. I enjoyed my stay at the Villa Blanca, and I can see why it is a sought after venue for Production companies specialising in the Natural World. It was just spoilt by the issues mentioned above. Recommended.

I visited the villa while on a trip with my cousin. A travel agency added 3 days here to our Costa Rican vacation. The Villa is surrounded by exquisite nature. The individual cabins are lovely, clean, & quiet. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. We were first greeted by Erica at the front desk & Louis took our belonging to our rooms. Everyone gets to know the guests & try to make them happy & comfortable. The restaurant is great & the staff is exceptional. They are so friendly & make every effort to accommodate each guest individually. We had an educational hike in the forest & Villa grounds led by our guide, Warner, who is an amazing environmentalist. It was an awesome, peaceful experience.

Nice hotel in the cloud forest. Room was as expected, a little damp and rustic. Breakfast was very good, but the evening meal was a shambles, which was a real shame as the food quality was good. We enjoyed our time at this resort, especially the morning and evening walks. The guides are extremely knowledge and as such, they make the whole experience interesting.

The hotel was amazing and so beautiful. It truly is in the clouds! They let us check in early which was so nice after our red eye!! The staff was so sweet. Axel, our server at breakfast every morning was AMAZING!!! He was so helpful and so kind. The food was great. The spa was amazing and the trails are really pretty too. Seriously recommend ◡̈

We loved staying here! The resort is amazing! It’s so cool to be literally staying in the clouds. The massage was one of the best ones I’ve ever had! Axel was our server multiple times and he was the sweetest most attentive young man. He was a great server and super personable! He also taught us a lot about Costa Rica and the food here. The road to get here is super bumpy and takes a long time to navigate but the views are worth it once you make it to the resort!

We loved our stay at Villa Blanca! It was a beautiful and peaceful spot to unwind (I can see why it’s so popular for honeymoons!). We spent 3 nights, and even though it was cool and rainy, it was such a great retreat. The property is beautiful and well maintained, and there are so many trails and nooks to roam around. We loved going to the frog house to check out its daily inhabitants, and we had a great time helping milk the cows one morning as well. We took a night tour and enjoyed spotting all sorts of frogs and birds sleeping in trees. The restaurant was also great. The menu had a good selection and everything we ordered was great. We did find it slightly pricey, but the portions were reasonable, if not large. In addition to the great accommodation, restaurant and facilities, we found the staff to be a total highlight. They were kind and friendly and always keen to accommodate. Whether it was extra towels or firewood for our room, borrowing a yoga mat or a carafe of hot water to take back to our room, they were more than happy to help us out. Can’t recommend highly enough.

We stayed a couple of nights here at the end our 3 week trek through Costa Rica and loved the place! The guides were so helpful and knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area. Our guide, Alejandro, spent a couple of hours with my husband and I doing a private tour of the trails and not only told us what were seeing, but also gave a great history lesson on the wonderful protected area. Our first evening there, the hotel had a complimentary water coloring activity that included wine! I of course joined in and loved it! This was only the second class I ever took in painting and enjoyed the depth that our class leader, Christian, went into about the benefits of just painting and letting go and how it personally helped him. And he was right! I just painted the misty view of the forest that I saw and impressed myself. I didn't think about what I was painted....I just painted! The only regret I have is we didn't stay longer!

The five stars go to Joss who led the forest bathing walk, her energy and peacefulness is addictive, she is a true beautiful soul. Because of her this review is five stars. Also a mention to Christian who served us at dinner, his energy is akin to Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, his friendliness and attention even when busy was second to non. Zak who is the proprietor and spent time talking with us despite being very busy. And last but not least, Jose who guided us on a night-time walk, he is like Dr Doolittle, he has a real affinity with nature. Overall this place is an oddity, I think its a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. Coming from the UK, and being in the clouds (in the UK we call this fog) is not great, it reminded me of Dartmoor and I expected a group of 'Duke of Edinburgh' kids to pass by with their rucksacks. It is cold, it is damp, our room had a de-humidifier which needed emptying every 5 hours, and there were no tea/coffee facilities in the room. There is an open fire in the room and also the main area - not that great if you have respiratory issues (asthma) - however if you have come from a tropical or desert region I can imagine why you would love this place and would find it cosy. Coming from the UK in winter however it just looks too much like home. The tours are dependent on the guide, we had one guide who told us he could not see so well - he wasn't joking, we ended up on a 12 person walk in single file though a damp forest (can do this any day in the UK!). Meanwhile Jose spotted every spider and frog in the area and fully explained the flora/fauna, When large groups turn up service can become a bit haphazard, but without large groups this can be a really special place. It could be a really a peaceful retreat (if you don't mind fog). Beware prices on the menu are not what you are finally charged, there are extra add on's that I couldn't quite fathom. There are also dishes available not on the menu (such as potato wedges). Breakfast for vegetarians is limited (white bread, rice, plantain, scrambled egg, homemade cheese and fruit), but you can ask for fried eggs instead of scrambled. The sun came out for us one afternoon and completely transformed this place and its energy. If you are there when the clouds break then it is a real treat! Its worth a visit and is a good break from the heat of Costa Rica, if you are British be prepared to feel as though it is a trip to Dartmoor. If you get the chance to do the forest bathing walk then do it and immerse yourself in it (assuming a small group). This was our utmost highlight. Thank you Joss.