Heliconia — Hotel in Monteverde

Friends, be warned! What I am recounting here is nothing but the truth and nothing has been distorted/exaggerated. My extremely poor opinion of this hotel is not based off one event, but a series of experiences around this place. Immediately upon arrival, we noticed that neither the Wifi nor the phone was working. There was no way to contact the front reception! The reception was a steep climb from the room, and I undertook at least 3 painful walks up and down to ask for a medley of different things that are standard to any half-decent accommodation, but were missing (coffee pods, then condiments, towels etc.).

When we tried to shower, the glass door came unhinged, and we were scared that the entire glass pane may fall out and smash inside, hurting the occupant. We gingerly managed to shower, but then noticed that the water would not drain. There was an inch of stagnant soap water by the time we all finished. Gross! We complained about everything, they sent someone to fix the drainage, but did not do it right, and the same problem persisted for the following day. They said Wifi cannot be fixed since the technician is not around, so it would only be the following morning. Since we were completely cut off from the world (and the kids needed Wifi for their entertainment), we had to turn on our mobile roaming, incurring $12 per person, per day.

We went out for our adventure activities the following day, and when we returned, once again, they left us just 2 small coffee pods and no condiments. There were also only 3 towels when they knew we were 4 occupants in the room. They supposedly called in the Wifi technician, and said they fixed it, but it didn’t work. We called the front line manager to our room and he acknowledged that there was no Wifi. They did fix the drainage, but left the bathroom completely dirty and unusable for that day (the guy came in from the outside, with his soiled boots and messed the entire bathroom up).

The following morning, when we went in for breakfast, there was no bread. They had also not labelled the food properly. I'm a vegetarian, and I ended up eating a piece of sausage because the guy said it’s all "Plantains". By this time my anger had grown into resentment, and affected my overall disposition towards our vacation. When I asked the front desk about what they can do to set all this right, they said "nothing"….the standard "sorry for the inconvenience, we know it is frustrating.." excuse.

Folks, Costa Rica is an BEAUTIFUL Country with an AMAZING biodiversity in the cloud forest, and very friendly, welcoming and warm locals. Do NOT let this hopeless place rob you of the Pure Joys of vacationing there. By the time we finished I was seething in anger, and it had completely ruined the purpose of why I had gone there in the first place - to experience the pure wilderness, adventures of ziplining/white water rafting, etc. Please do yourselves a favor, save your vacation, avoid this place like the plague! Do NOT get shortchanged for your money. It will feel like you just paid for Marriott, but stayed in a Motel 8.

Hotel Heliconia - SHAME ON YOU. Please DO NOT bother responding to this feedback with your standard cookie-cutter lame apologies that anyway mean nothing. You are a disgrace and an exact opposite to what Costa Rican hospitality stands for: The beautiful phrase "PURA VIDA!" that everyone greets you with. You were a let-down ALL THE WAY.

I will never come back to your premises, and I would NEVER recommend you to my friends...

A lot can be said about this place so apologies if I forget something. I’ll try to keep it concise but thorough.

Location: the hotel sites atop the mountain overlooking monteverde. Access-wise, the steep road leading there from Santa Elena, the nearest village, is quite demanding. You can walk, for sure, but be prepared to have sore thighs the next day. You’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous view, though.

Facilities: the hotel is rustic. Don’t expect 4-star quality with the latest amenities. I’d say the hotel is comparable to the Appalachian Mountain huts you can find in New Hampshire. Except the hotel has running water and toilets. And is overall pretty clean. The beds are just firm enough.

Staff: the staff is incredible and will go to great lengths to make your stay enjoyable. No one in our party speaks Spanish, and the lady at the reception took care of our reservations (excursions, taxi, etc…) for us.

Breakfast: breakfast was above average and the selection rotates daily. They offer fresh fruits, eggs, cheese and of course, gallo pinto.

Overall: the Heliconia hotel is a little gem tucked in the middle of paradise. The view is breathtaking, and you may even hear wolves howling in the distance in the wee hours of the morning. I’m not sure we’ll ever return to Costa Rica (the cost of living is pretty high, and the world is a vast place), but if we do, we’ll make sure to book...

This was a very nice hotel, and I enjoyed the stay there--however it was not worth anywhere near what I paid. I paid 'luxury hotel' prices for what is a good, tourist class hotel. Not a luxury hotel. ||Our room had a gorgeous view, and was in a rustic, wood-framed cabin building. But there was no heating nor airconditioning. The only ventilation was to open a window or door. Furnishings were very basic, as was the decor. ||Service was not impressive at all. When we arrived, the man at the front desk was only interested in charging my credit card and trying to sell us tickets to Selvatura Park. He didn't care a whit to help us with luggage or answer our questions about other local attractions. As the room buildings are spread out along the slope of the hill, they will send a golf cart to bring you to the main building, but in reality they often were not running or very slow in coming.||The grounds of the hotel are beautiful, carefully manicured and have agoutis wandering around. There is also a private hiking trail around the complex. So it looks like luxury on the outside, but don't be fooled. It is very basic accommodation with...