El Silencio Lodge & Spa

Resort Location & Amenities

The location is in the cloud forest and optimal for exploring being between two national parks, Poas Volcano National Parks and Juan Castro Blanco. It's also only an hour from the SJO airport and they can provide airport transfers for a fee. They offer a plethora of activities on site, plenty of them being complimentary and then options for paid tours. Paid tours can be touring a coffee plantation or a visit to Arenal Volcano amongst many other things. We took part in most of the complimentary activities which included yoga classes, sound healing, archery classes, nature trails with waterfalls and a guided mystic hike. We got massage treatments at their spa as well, which were all exceptional. They have a focus on wellness and serenity here, so I did not see any children running around though children are welcome at the resort. The restaurant welcomes outside guests for lunch but is reserved for hotel guests only for dinner. To get to the resort, you have to drive up a small, bumpy, windy road, so I would imagine they don't get too many day visitors. To get around, the staff is always willing to take guests around in a golf cart. You can also drive around but parking is mainly at your villa or the entrance lot. They currently have construction going on to build a new reception and wellness building that will include a gym, sauna, jacuzzi, coffee shop and bakery. They will soon have a swimming pool for hotel guests once they expand across the river. After that, the rest of their 500 private acres is protected so there will be no more expansion.

Rooms

We stayed in the Three Bedroom Villa, which is the largest option they have. It was very private and had beautiful views of the mountains, which was well enjoyed from the hot tub on the back deck. The weather can be cool at night because of the elevation so the heat lamps over the rocking chairs on the porch were much appreciated. There was also a wood burning fireplace in the living room with wood at the ready. The rooms in this villa were spacious, two with King beds and one with two Queen beds, along with three full bathrooms, a large living room, dining room and kitchen.

The other room types include: Two Bedroom Villas, Two Bedroom Riverside Villas (same price as the 3bdr villa), Two Bedroom Suites, Deluxe Suites and one Honeymoon Suite with a river view and includes decoration amenity.  

I got to see the Two Bedroom Riverside Villa which had two jacuzzis on either side of the villa and an outdoor shower. It was well set up for a family to have a couple in the room with a king bed and their own jacuzzi, while the other room had two double beds on the other side of the villa, providing some privacy and then a dining deck to come together for family dinner. The villas provide TVs for the sake of children, but generally they don't like TVs so the Deluxe Suites do not have any.

Deluxe Suites are studio rooms with sofa bed option next to the King bed and outside jacuzzi with deck and rocking chairs. These are stand alone rooms, but are not the most secluded since the other suites are all around each other. The jacuzzis have bamboo walls around them for privacy.

The resort aims to have only two people per bathroom, so the two bedroom suite has a four person capacity because there are only two bathrooms. Six people max in the three bedroom. 

Suites nine and seven are handicap accessible.

Service

The service was the most exceptional part of the stay. On Valentine's Day, it was those extra touches that really moved me. The roses at dinner, the heart shaped macaroons to our room and the handwritten note. Also, how the hotel was able to accommodate my father's gluten-free dietary restrictions was perfect. He usually has a lot of issues with this, so it was lovely to not think about it for the few days of our stay.

I highly recommend staying at El Silencio Lodge & Spa!

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Costa Rica. In need of further inspiration? Check out Jen Barnes’s guide, A Family-Friendly Adventure to Costa Rica.