El Silencio Lodge & Spa Costa Rica

We have been to many places around the world, and this place was by far or favorite stay. Rather than a complicated Costa Rica trip, we decided to start at El Solencio the whole 7 days. We were a bit worried we might be bored. That was never a problem, and we could have stayed far longer. Experience: after an extensive uphill drive to the tiny town of Bajos Del Toro, this place impressed from the minute we drive through the gate. In the afternoon, a light mist descends on the jungle (or "cloud forest"), serving as a stunning and dramatic backdrop for the beautiful architecture of the resort buildings. Every staff member is kind and amazingly friendly, and we have never experienced such attention to detail to help guests have a stay that isn't just great, but memorable. Food: there are 2-3 restaurants in the 300-person town, which is a short walk through a not-very-pedestrian friendly road. For the most part though, we ate at the resort restaurant. The chef was really great, with a cuisine that is influenced by his Peruvian background, the Costa Rican setting, and various other world dishes. The breakfast was free, and had every breakfast dish you could think of prepared flawlessly. If this restaurant was in NYC, it might have a Michelin star. The dinner prices aren't cheap but aren't expensive by American standards (entrees average $25-30 USD). The wait staff is patient and friendly, as with all the staff at this resort. The villa was flawless and beautiful. The Staff: The resort's Manager, Pedro, manages to find people that truly try to be the best at their job, taking every customer request as a mission. We try very hard to be easy and courteous guests, but one gets the impression that the staff here can handle anyone with grace. The restaurant supervisor Danny was very helpful and responsive. The front desk is run by the very talented and friendly Fernanda. The driver, Bryam, is very friendly and personable, and we enjoyed hanging out with him on our various rides. The one person that really made our stay though was Jeancarlo - if you can get him as a guide on resort events or excursions, we can't recommend him highly enough. After our week there, we consider him a friend, and we were very impressed by his knowledge of local wildlife. I hope the resort works hard to keep him on staff because he really transformed our stay to a singular experience. Tips: There is a bar! It's great! We didn't really notice it for our first few days but don't sleep on it. Even the mocktails are great. The Arenal volcano tour with hot springs was fun, but it is expensive. There is so much wildlife at the resort, they own a lot of land with hiking trails and waterfalls. But if you want a greater chance of seeing certain animals like toucans, monkeys, or sloths, consider a side tour to the lowlands where those animals are more common (such as La Fortuna area).

We recently stayed here for 6 days and could not have been happier with the overall experience. This is this our second visit to CR and we definitely will be coming back for more. The property is located in the mountains northwest of San Jose airport and the ride takes a good hour or so, depending on the traffic. It is located in a secluded part next to nature preserve. The property is small (only 24 villas) and the grounds are very well maintained. The rooms are very comfortable and twice-daily housekeeping is impeccable. The closets are a bit on a small side, so do not overpack. Villas are well-spaced out throughout the property to ensure privacy. The most amazing part of this resort is not the beautiful surroundings but rather the outstanding quality of service that its staff provide day-in and day-out. Not once during our extended stay did we encounter poor or average service. Each and every employee goes out of their way to ensure that each and every guest is treated like the most important person of the moment. Such level of consistency is really amazing and very commendable. The restaurant provides a high quality menu with the focus on locally sourced and freshest ingredients, and the dishes are not only beautifully presented but also very tasty. The executive chef is of Italian-Peruvian descent and such heritage is clearly evident in the menu. The restaurant has a fairly good wine list, though I wish there was a slightly bigger selection of light reds. The resort offers a good selection of daily activities, both on- and off-site. We participated in a number of those, and truly enjoyed all of them, from zip-lining to bird watching to a trip to Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs. My only suggestion would be a more detailed prep information to the guests as to what to expect and to bring to those longer trips. Spa services were equally outstanding and we certainly indulged in those. Massages and body treatments were of high quality and we had nothing but praise for the therapists. Again, all therapists were equally good and equally consistent each and every time we used spa services. In summary, I would highly recommend this property for anyone who is looking for a relaxing stay in the cloud / rain-forest of Costa Rica (don’t forget to check the forecast, as it is slightly cooler than most of us envision Costa Rica to be and brief rainfall is common). The grounds are beautiful, nature is pristine, villas are comfortable, the staff is amazing and the management goes out of the way to ensure that each and every guest has an enjoyable visit.

Driving into the resort was an experience in itself. We were given a welcome drink on arrival. Our room was not ready but gave us opportunity to look around. Everywhere was so clean. Our villa was amazing. Double bedroom with jacuzzi overlooking the stream. We did the complementary hike around the property with a very knowledgeable guide. I did find the vegetarian/vegan dinner options a little limited, but that said I did find something that I could eat. Breakfast which was included in our package was lovely. It was just a shame that we was only there for two nights