El Silencio Lodge & Spa

From the moment you drive into Bajos Del Toro, you know that you are in a special, secluded paradise. While the roads to get to the Lodge are windy and sometimes narrow, it's worth the drive to see the most beautiful waterfalls, blue pools and forests in the area. The only regret I have during my stay at El Silencio Lodge is not staying longer. We booked El Silencio Lodge for one night as my family and I drove from La Fortuna to San Jose airport. It is the perfect midway spot, but definitely warrants way more than a stopover. I could have been at the Lodge 2-3 nights as they are many activities the resort offers. There is horseback riding, many hikes, fishing, spa, etc. all on the property. I did try a massage and body scrub treatment at the spa and it was definitely one of the best treatments I've ever had. Being a Relais & Chateaux property, the meals were also top notch. I especially enjoyed the dinner, and would say it was our best meal during our whole stay in Costa Rica. My family of 4 stayed in a 2 bedroom suite with a great view of the river. The outdoor hot tub was such a great touch when the weather is cooler at the end of the day. I'd definitely love to come back for a longer stay!

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.

There is no question that the location is exceptional, as are the lodges. We loved our room complete with hot tub and incredible vista and did a number of hikes around the property, which we really enjoyed. There is also a great gym for guests to use, with good equipment including weights. However, the service and overall approach by the staff lets the place down. Service at check-in is frosty at best, and there is little to no information provided about possible tour options or what to expect when you book an experience (we did rum tasting, which was just 30 mins for $150 per person, though did include food pairings, which we hadn’t been briefed on). The cost of food and drink is eye watering and way out of line with the quality and experience. For example, the cheapest glass of wine is $30. We were consistently seated at tables where there was food on the floor (across the whole restaurant), and it’s hard to be in the same restaurant with the same menu each day, which doesn’t change - and again for very expensive food, albeit nice in presentation and taste. Overall this is a place worth visiting for the vista, the hikes and the lodge, maybe for two days. But the service needs to do better and does not match a five star resort nor the price points charged. It feels like a cash in and cold in many aspects, when this could be perfect given the grounds they are working with. Massage was also very average and a cold, transactional experience in keeping with the rest of the hotel service.

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

The lodge and grounds are lovely. Unfortunately the billing practices are extremely shady. At the end of our stay they refused to give us an itemized receipt for charges & lied about refunding certain things. I'm still trying to get them to itemize a $1400 bill, which was two days of food and transport. We had no spa or extra tours. If you choose to stay here, I would recommend being very cautious about what you order, keep a journal and let them know in advance you will expect the bill to be clear and itemized on checkout.