Located only an hour outside of the hustle and bustle of San Jose, Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel and Nature Spa feels like it’s an enchanting world away. As the clouds of the Los Angeles Cloud Forest settle around the hotel, the peacefulness settles in as well, creating a relaxing, natural, and serene getaway.
The unique features of this hotel are its location (the only Cloud Forest other than Monteverde, and much closer to Arenal and San Jose than Monteverde), private casitas (3 types available, including Honeymoon Casitas which are the largest), and its focus on sustainable tourism using the Green Hotels Concept as well as a number of internal programs to promote environmental protection and awareness.
The hotel is rated 4-star and also boasts the 5 “green leaf” rating from ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Board). They are members of the Certification in Sustainable Tourism, a conservation program created by the ICT, for a qualified group of Costa Rican hotels. The goal is to diminsh the environmental impact of hotel operations, protect the natural resources surrounding the hotel, and promote the local culture including local employment. This hotel is truly committed to that goal, evident in many of its guest publications and signage in hotel rooms.
Another neat way that the hotel promotes the “green concept” is through another unique feature - it’s air-conditioned cinema! Each night there are 2 shows - the first is a selected portion of the documentary Planet Earth, and the second is a selected feature film (the night I was there it was DieHard 4). The cinema is excellent entertainment for guests, both couples and families alike, and a wonderful educational tool.
If you choose to be more active than the cinema, don’t worry as there are plenty of activities available through the hotel tour desk. Located nearby is a zipline tour, horseback riding, San Ramon historical & cultural tour, Cloud Forest hikes (daytime and nocturnal), plus day trips to Arenal Volcano & Tabacon Hot Springs, Carara Biological Reserve, or a combo tour of Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and the artisan town of Sarchi. Plenty to choose from! (Although I secretly preferred to sit in the cozy hotel lobby or wrap-around patio and read my book!)
The casitas at the hotel should not go unmentioned… they are so charming and inviting. My favorite part of the room was the wood-burning fireplace. Because it was wood-burning, it really set itself apart from the gas fireplaces I have seen at hotels like Peace Lodge and El Silencio. A fireplace is great no matter what, but a wood-burning one adds authenticity to the experience! The Queen size bed was extremely comfortable, and each casita has a small outside patio with amazing views of the surrounding landscape and farmland. (On clear days, you can even see Arenal Volcano from the Reception area and Gameroom - oh, I forgot to mention, they have a Gameroom with pool table, board games, and 2 TVs!)
My one-night getaway to Villa Blanca was refreshing, peaceful, and extremely enjoyable. It’s close enough to San Jose to avoid long hours on the road, yet you feel miles and miles away from the city. The staff, rooms, food, and ambience were fantastic, and I would easily visit this hotel again for all of those reasons plus more.
P.S. This hotel is great for those clients that don’t want to spend a night in San Jose, yet their flight arrives too late to travel all the way to Arenal. It’s perfectly situated 1/2-way between San Jose and Arenal, so an excellent logistical option.)
