El Silencio Lodge & Spa

This is so deservedly a two-key hotel from Michelin and a member of Relais & Chateaux. The service is tremendous -- attentive, personal, and warm. Every member of the team we met was a delight, and they made you feel like you were somewhere special. And you are. The suites and villas are fantastic. We were in a two-bedroom suite. Comfortable. Thoughtfully designed. Extremely comfortable beds. Incredible views -- with lots of glass/windows. Large balcony. Superb hot tub. Absolutely no fault in these accommodations, which are luxurious, comfortable, and superb. Rooms extremely clean, with excellent housekeeping and turndown service. The location is remote -- up in the mountains about 90 minutes from SJO airport. Excellent shuttle service from the hotel gets you to and from. No issues there. I wouldn't have felt comfortable driving it myself, but 4WD would be essential if you rent a car. The restaurant and coffee shop on site are excellent -- a wide variety of food and incredible range among the kitchen. They can pull off anything. You won't get bored with the menu at all. Room service was also outstanding and reasonably priced. Breakfast was a highlight each day, particularly the Costa Rican specialities, but they aced the American breakfasts, too. Dinner had a wide selection -- from a tapas menu to a variety of apps and mains that were carefully crafted, artfully plated, and always well-cooked. Each dish balanced flavors, texture, and acidity. We found no weak spots. The coffee shop has great drinks and an excellent small selection of breakfast and lunch dishes and pastries. Complimentary hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies served daily from 3-5. The flat white, in particular, was excellent, and Luis is an outstanding barista. The grounds are spectacular. Great hiking on-site, and the waterfall hike is absolutely worth it. The gardens and grounds are glorious and immaculately kept. You could happily not leave the property. Will go back without hesitation. This is a true paradise in the clouds. An incredible, unique place to unplug. Lots of interesting birds and insects on property, but it's at an altitude a bit high if you're wanting to see a lot of monkeys or sloths, so take note. A glorious resort.

Quick context up front, since I know that's what most people scan reviews for: this was a couples trip (no kids), we booked directly with the lodge, and we visited in shoulder season (July). Short answer — yes, absolutely worth it, and we'd go back. Arrival & Check-In We arrived late at night after a long travel day, and El Silencio still made it feel effortless. We were welcomed in through the front gate, and by the time we reached the check-in area a bellhop already had our bags out of the car and handed us hot towels. Check-in happened right there while we sat with a welcome drink featuring local Costa Rican flavors — no standing at a counter, no forms. Everyone we met from that first moment on was genuinely warm, not just polished. The Room A golf cart took us to our room, which came with a coconut dessert snack waiting as a welcome treat. The base room (built for couples) was nearly 800 sq ft, beautifully done, with a built-in stone jacuzzi on the private deck — flip a switch and it's ready in about 30 minutes, and it got genuinely hot, not lukewarm. I've seen a few reviews mention hot tubs that never warmed up properly or got stuck cold after being adjusted — ours worked exactly as it should, every time. Because we're up in the jungle, the outdoor lights attract bugs at night, so we just kept them off — a couple of small flying insects got in when we left the door open, but honestly it was a total non-issue. If you're someone who worries "cloud forest = bugs everywhere," you can relax on that front. Dining Breakfast and dinner both require reservations since there's one main restaurant (plus a bar with a tapas-style menu available throughout the day). We came to appreciate the reservation system — it seemed to give housekeeping a window to clean and turn down the room every time we were out at a meal, and it came back spotless with fresh towels literally every single time, all three nights. I've seen at least one review mention a room only getting cleaned once during a similar-length stay in their top-tier room — that was not our experience at all. Food quality itself was consistently great — fresh, local, well-prepared. The one honest caveat: the menu is small, and if you're staying more than 3-4 nights it could start to feel repetitive. This was especially true for us because my wife has gluten, soy, and peanut allergies, and while there were things she could eat, a lot of dishes didn't seem easily adjustable. If you don't have dietary restrictions, you'll likely find the menu excellent as-is. Three nights was the right length for us — long enough to fully unwind, short enough that the menu never got old. Spa & Activities We booked the couples relaxation massage package — massage, facial, aromatherapy, finished with sparkling wine and fruit. It was one of the best spa experiences either of us has had. The property also has archery on-site, though we never got to it since we intentionally kept our days light to just soak in the surroundings. We did hike out to the on-property waterfalls, which was gorgeous but genuinely steep and very muddy given how much it rains up there — real hiking boots are a must, and be ready for spiderwebs and general jungle-trail conditions. Umbrellas are provided in the rooms, which we just carried with us the whole stay and were glad to have — it rained during our visit, and honestly it added to the atmosphere rather than detracted from it. Watching clouds roll over the mountains each morning with coffee in hand, hearing the birds and animals, made the whole place feel wonderfully secluded. One note for other travelers: this felt very much geared toward couples and quieter luxury rather than a lively family destination. If you're weighing this for a trip with kids, go in expecting a peaceful, low-key pace rather than a lot of built-in entertainment — wonderful for a couples reset, worth knowing if you're picturing something more active for a family. Getting There (read this before you drive yourself) This is not a knock on the lodge at all, but a genuine heads-up for future guests. We flew into San Jose around 3pm, cleared immigration and picked up our rental quickly, and figured a two-hour drive to El Silencio left plenty of daylight. It did not. El Silencio sits over 5,000 feet up in a very remote stretch of mountains, and the roads get steep fast once you're out of the city. We had an underpowered four-cylinder rental that struggled badly on the incline — at points we were crawling at 2 mph and the car wouldn't even hold first gear properly. By the time we hit the mountain it was close to 6pm, the sun was down, and the clouds had rolled in so thick we could only see 5-10 feet ahead. There are no guardrails, it was raining, and it was fully dark. Doable, but stressful, especially as first-time visitors to the country. My honest advice for anyone driving themselves: Get a car with real power for steep mountain driving, not an economy rental. Drive up in first gear the whole way, and use brakes intermittently on the way down — don't ride them, they will overheat on grades this steep. Plan to arrive well before dark. If you're not stopping elsewhere first, consider overnighting in San Jose and driving up the next morning. Easiest option: just have El Silencio arrange your airport transfer. It removes the entire stressful piece of the trip, and in hindsight, we wish we had done exactly that. Checkout was the opposite experience — completely seamless. One call to the front desk, the bellhop grabbed our bags, our car was pulled around, and we settled our bill on the spot. Bottom Line Three nights was the right amount of time for us — enough to fully relax without the menu or pace feeling repetitive. The service, the room, the spa, and the setting were all outstanding, and we'd return in a heartbeat — just with a plan for the drive, or better yet, let them drive us.

Everything about El Silencia was top notch! The staff were great. Every meal was better than the last. The ziplining and rapelling were so much fun and archery was a fun bonus! We will definitely ba back! It was Pura Vida!

This was a beautiful and restful spot. Perfect for families and couples. There are multiple pools of various temperatures and a very charming farm alongside. It sits in a shadow of an old volcano and is very picturesque.

El Silencio is so magical! Highly recommend staying here... so rejuvenating. It's perfect for couples or families. It's relaxing and adventurous at the same time. Homes are so comfortable and well equipped. The staff is top notch! Location is worth the drive! From the welcome drinks and cookies, to after dinner dessert delivered to our home... the value of this resort is unmatched!