Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [163]
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Many of the pricier hotels are experimenting with alternative technologies, from solar-heated showers to elaborate gray-water systems. Owners are usually more than happy to offer impromptu tours with full explanations of how these technologies work, and can offer suggestions to those who’d like to implement similar systems back home.
Hotel Heliconia (2645-5109; www.hotelheliconia.com; d standard/junior ste/family ste/master ste incl breakfast US$100/112/137/155; ) In Cerro Plano, this attractive, wooden, family-run hotel consists of the main lodge and several bungalows that are spread out across a mountainside. Standard rooms have breezy views while junior suites are ridiculously luxurious with two double beds, full bathroom and stained-glass windows. The two master suites, which can each accommodate up to six people or be connected for a party of 12, are downright palatial with huge sitting areas, whirlpool tubs and outdoor terraces overlooking the Golfo de Nicoya. Owners arrange all the usual tours, and operate a spa and aesthetic center where you can soak your stresses away in the Jacuzzi, or indulge in an endless list of beauty treatments. The onsite Restaurante Mediterráneo (mains US$8 to US$12; open from 6:30am to 9pm) offers innovative Italian and seafood specialties as well as a smattering of typical Costa Rican dishes.
Monteverde Lodge & Gardens (2257-0766; www.costaricaexpeditions.com; d US$111-190; ) A progressive recycling strategy, a solar-energy system and a huge solar-powered – but nice and hot – Jacuzzi are among this nonsmoking hotel’s noteworthy environmentally sound practices. Large rooms with full bathroom and wraparound picture windows have garden or forest views. The large lobby is graced by a huge fireplace, and there’s an impeccable bar that looks down on the huge Jacuzzi. The grounds are attractively landscaped with a variety of native plants, emphasizing ferns, bromeliads and mosses, and a short trail leads to a bluff with an observation platform at the height of the forest canopy, with good views of the forest and a river ravine. Most people are here on all-inclusive package deals that include three meals, served à la carte and featuring quality international cuisine, as well as guided tours and transportation from San José.
Hotel Poco a Poco (2645-6000; www.hotelpocoapoco.com; s/d/tr incl breakfast US$102/113/124; ) A short walk from Santa Elena will bring you to this funky property, which is adorned with ceramic mushrooms, tree frogs and other Costa Rican critters. Yellow-stuccoed rooms sleep three, and they have some great perks – full bathtub, a heated and covered swimming pool, free wi-fi, big cable TV and a DVD library (rental US$3) to dip into during those rainy nights. The best draw, however, is the excellent restaurant (mains ₡3500 to ₡6000; open from 6:30am to 9am and from 11:30am to 9:30pm), which is also open to the public and specializes in barbecues.
Hotel Belmar (2645-5201; www.hotelbelmar.net; s/d/tr chalet US$90/114/116, standard US$117/130/149, all incl breakfast; ) Despite being a ‘real’ ecoresort (the most unusual attraction is the onsite ‘Biodigestor’ used to create gas for cooking and heating), the Swiss-style Hotel Belmar admirably doesn’t flaunt this in its name. Rooms here are definitely upscale, though even their design scheme is commendable as all the artwork is from Casem. The biggest bonus is right out back: this is the trailhead for Cerro Amigos. Amenities include a Jacuzzi, pool table,