Quelitales

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Adrianus

One of the best places to stay for birders. Super friendly staff, knowledgeable guide, good food, and great room.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2026

Andrew

Clean room, beautiful grounds and friendly staff

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2025

Christine

The best! An exceptional place.

An incredibly beautiful place with gorgeous rooms, amazing birds, magnificent flora and delightful people. The restaurant was open 8 to 8 and the food was amazing.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2025

Rafal

Birding paradise

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Apr 2024

Romelia

The staff is spectacular! Very helpful! Beautiful place.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2024

David

What a delight to be met by the owner José Alvarez, and then taken with our luggage up the steep hill to our cabin by his 4 wheel drive vehicle. The cabin was isolated and had a fabulous view of the forest and waterfall.
The service was excellent and the food was fabulous at the restaurant. Josè is an amazing chef.
Minor improvement to the room, there was nowhere to put our suitcases other than on the floor. We would have liked clothes hooks, suitcase stands and a small desk for writing. That said, the room was isolated, beautiful, and serene.
The covered wildlife/waterfall viewing area and the hummingbird feeder area with a bathroom made bird watching very comfortable. What a delight to spot a basilisk lizard next to the waterfall viewing area. We saw it run across the surface of pond to catch a dragonfly! The water features on the property have been organized to maximize being attractive to wildlife.
Easy to get to from San José, but we recommend hiring a driver. Traffic and roads are a bit crazy. Mid elevation rain forest bordering on farmland, this was good both for birds and for moths at night.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2024

Joel

Jose and staff treat you like family. The best birding location and excellent restaurant. They go WAY above and beyond for their guests. We had an amazing stay.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

10 Feb 2024

patrick

We checked in this property and after seeing our accommodations immediately began searching for a more suitable place to stay .
The decor is very outdated . The furniture in the lobby is 1970s couch etc .
The walk to our cabin was not lit . We used our cell phone to find our way . It’s extremely unsafe as it a rocky area with many steps .
Our room was dirty and not well maintained. The bedding did look clean but the rest of the room did not . The bathroom is very old and stained . The shelving under the sink looked as if it had never been wiped . The paint is peeling .
The windows do not open at all . There is no screen on the door to allow for any kind of air flow . No ceiling fan . It was very warm and smelled stagnant . We asked for a fan . They could not accommodate our request .
Ate dinner in the restaurant before leaving for our next hotel . We figured pasta was a safe choice . It was absolutely horrible. I guess it could just be a matter of taste but neither myself or my husband ate more than the first bite we took . The sauce tasted burnt and extremely sweet . We paid our bill and left . We did have a very kind waiter .
The place looks MUCH better in the photos .
In reality it has a summer camp feeling . One that is way past its prime .

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jan 2023

Farron

Nature at its best!

Beautiful location tucked away on a mountain side with all the privacy and jungle serenity you could possibly imagine. Jose and his staff went above and beyond to make sure you were totally taken care of. Food was always amazing. The sound from the waterfall really made the experience even better and relaxing.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Apr 2022

Patti

The food here is amazing! Probably the best meals we have had in a long time! Breakfast cooked to order and lunch/dinners superb. We had the tropical chicken, tenderloin and trout during our stay. The property grounds are lovely for birding and Jose Alvarez (owner) has created a blind to view birds difficult to see. Hummingbirds abound. I hate to add any criticism as the place is so unique and lovely but our room could have had a bit more attention to detail (missing tiles, broken fridge) to make our stay perfect. We would come back!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2022

Gretchen

The grounds/rooms are gorgeous, very accommodating staff and fabulous birding! The meals were outstanding.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2021

Sasa

A must stay

Absolutely stunning. Well worth the drive. Secluded and relaxing, super friendly staff and service. Food was excellent, would definitely stay here again!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2021

Charly

Yeti XXL

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2021

farron

Fourth time here and gotta say each visit is better than before. Continuous improvements.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

The room was very clean and the room was very clean. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

The breakfast was excellent, the only thing that was missing was the “natilla”.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Apr 2021

Verified traveler

Go here. Stay here. The property is one of the prettiest we’ve seen in all of Costa Rica. The owner and staff bent over backwards to accommodate our schedule and our preferences. Wish we had more time here. Love this place.

Leisure Friends

2/10

Poor

01 Apr 2021

Verified traveler

Es un bello lugar, se debe revisar algunos detalles de camas.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jan 2021

Mike

The natural wonders are incredible, and the staff were excellent - above and beyond excellent service!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Dec 2020

Marc

Great views of the valley. Very private cabin rooms. Nice hiking trail (45 minutes, steep, but good excecise).

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2019

Tania

A wonderful hotel which is ‘ off the beaten track ‘

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2019

don

Adventure with nature

If you’re looking for a remote rainforest experience in the mountains of Costa Rica with comfortable, private, and romantic accommodations, with amazing gourmet food, look no further. The road there is off the beaten path, trust waze ap for directions.
Bungalows are private, simple, but very clean and comfortable with plenty of windows to make you feel like you are part of the rainforest. We laid in bed each morning listening to and watching the colorful birds outside our windows. The outdoor shower was a unique experience to make you feel at one with nature.
Our only recommendation is to please add the names of the cabins on your website to more easily select our cabin of choice. We stayed in the Mariquitas, but the names are not on the website.
José has done an incredible job building and developing this property to make his guests feel like a part of the rainforest. You feel the peace and relaxation of this tranquil sanctuary.
Steps from our front door led us to a beautiful waterfall and private trail into the rainforest which we hiked and took in the breathtaking views.
An important part of this unforgettable experience was the amazing food. José creates an experience with every dish that he serves. He is a very talented chef that combines the perfect ingredients in every dish including his love for cooking.
Didier, a key member of his staff provided us excellent table service and we also got to enjoy his cooking talents on our final evening at Quelitales.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Jan 2019

James Arthur

Really nice retreat

Beautiful back to nature location. Beautiful setting. Spacious room, very comfortable. Very private. Strange novel 'outdoor' shower. Very good food. Friendly staff. Love to go back one day

Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2018

Daniel

It is a nice quiet place in the middle of the mountains, perfect for a weekend escape away from the noisy city. Highly recommend it

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2018

Sandra

Beautiful location

We could not have had a better experience. The staff is wonderful and the attention to detail is unparalleled. We only wish we could have stayed longer. 5 stars without question .

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2018

Judith

Relaxing hotel for wild life spotting

This is a great place to stay if you enjoy tranquility, scenery and wildlife. Not great if you prefer a lively night scene. We ate at the restaurant every night because the food was so good but also because the drive back down the valley to the village was rather daunting in the dark. Jose, the chef/owner serves up fresh water fish, locally caught in a variety of imaginative ways but he also serves meat and vegetarian options (he is also a very good photographer and enjoys sharing his photos of humming birds with you). We recommend the guided bird walk. We identified over 50 species of birds in the 3 hours we spent with Luis. The Tapanti-Macizo Cerro de la Muerte National Park is worth visiting but needs a whole day or more to do it justice.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2018

Audrey

Hidden gem, worth the drive!

Loved this hotel, amazing views, nice walk to a waterfall, great hospitality, wonderful breakfast and amazing dinner! We are so glad we stayed here!

10/10

Exceptional

27 Feb 2018

Mina

Lovely, healing retreat

My husband and I had a wonderful 2 nights at Hotel Quelitales and Casa Jose Restaurante. I arrived with a head cold that I didn't want to disturb the restaurant with, and Jose and the staff were kind enough to deliver a meal to our casita- not a usual service they offer. After the kindness of that act and a great sleep in the most comfortable king bed ever, I awoke feeling so much better. I'm convinced that the love that everyone puts into their work at Quelitales (plus the healing air and water in Cachi) had a healing effect! The food is outstanding and prepared \"from the heart\" as Jose told us and we could certainly tell. At home, my husband's favorite breakfast is his steak from the night before, and the kitchen obliged us with that request, too (hubby's filet was huge and delicious)! Overall one of the most beautiful and welcoming experiences we have ever had. Don't forget to bring the lovely handmade soap and luxury natural hair products outside to the dreamy outdoor shower!

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2018

Harriett

Great property with plenty of birds

Had a lovely stay. Went to see birds and we saw plenty. The staff was wonderful.The waterfall was sweet, too. Walking to the casitas was a bit precarious.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2018

Erin

Amazing experience in the mountains!

We loved our 2 nights at Hotel Quelitales. The area was stunning, even when it was a little foggy on the first day. The nearby lush green mountains surround the hotel, and there are beautiful ponds and a waterfall on site. The rooms are somewhat basic but clean and really soft, comfortable beds. The food onsite was fabulous. Because the hotel is further out, we ate dinner there both nights and had the best meals we've eaten in Costa Rica. Don't miss the trout which is fished daily from the pond just below the restaurant. Every morning, they put out bananas for the birds so you can see fun local birds while enjoying your breakfast. Tip: if you are driving, note that a small rental car will get you to the hotel but the last 2km are up a bumpy gravel road. Such a great stay!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2018

Glenda

Remote Location

Small, genuine rainforest hotel, owner/chef is wonderful, some of the best creative meals in Costa Rica come from this tiny kitchen! Come if you want the chance to experience local culture - this is not an all-inclusive resort!

8/10

Excellent

29 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

A special place

Horel Quelitales is a lovely oasis of peacefulness in nature. Perched high on a mountain above Lake Cachi, it has beautiful, natural grounds (including a waterfall!) to explore and very friendly and gentile service from owner/chef, Jose and his staff. The only drawback is that the area seems to have its own rainy microclimate, and there is no heating in the cabins to help counteract the effects of this damp cold at night. Jose does try, very graciously, to compensate by providing cozy hot water bottles for under your covers at bedtime. His creative cuisine at breakfast and dinners is delicious, and the bird and fish-watching and other natural entertainments at breakfast contribute to the contemplative nature of this very calming, special place.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 May 2017

BJ

Wow, paradise at the end of the road.

After traveling through Cartago, the road starts to become a little rough and when you feel like there isn't anymore road, paradise awaits. I would suggest traveling in a SUV to get here. But upon arrival, you immediately start to relax. We were greeted by Jose and felt like we were with family. Check in was quick and within 5 minutes we were off to our bungalow with a warm welcome and homemade soap! The bungalow was nicely decorated and the outdoor shower with heated water made it more special. The view of the waterfall and the greenery of the mountainside made you forget there wasn't a TV anywhere or any agenda to keep. When you felt it was time to have breakfast, lunch or dinner, it was a short walk to the restaurant where a gourmet meal was prepared. The staff was attentive and made sure we were happy with our experience. When we asked Jose about the waterfall, he stated the water would make us stronger, so we stood underneath the waterfall. He was correct, we came out stronger! The entire stay we felt like we were the only people there. If there were others, we wouldn't have known as each bungalow is isolated with no view from one bungalow to the other. I will return if for no other reason, to visit Jose and the staff. Pura Vida!!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2017

Charles

All too brief since we only stayed one night passing through en route to our destination. Relatively small as a hotel, it was quiet, personal.and somewhat away from everything in it's own grounds and pleasant countryside. A few separate cabins so that you are separate from other guests. Glorious large outdoor shower with a lot of character. Very conscious of being part of and kind to the environment.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2017

Amber

Wonderful Charming Hotel

I loved everything about my one night stay at this charming hotel! The staff was very friendly and helpful, the hotel grounds were beautiful, the room was comfortable and quiet and the hotel restaurant served up delicious food! And all for such a reasonable price!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2017

Shariann

Welcoming, personal, very kind. Great place!

We stayed here instead of spending the night in San Jose, both on arrival and before leaving. Except for some difficulty finding the place the first time (we ended up using two GPS systems, highly recommend!) we were very happy with the super warm, friendly, personal service. Because we did get badly lost, we were very late to arrive and called. They stayed *and kept the restaurant open* until we arrived at 9pm, even though they normally closed at 8! We had an excellent meal. The room is enormous, the rainforest shower glorious, and we were given a hot water bottle to counter the night cold at altitude. Everything and everyone was warm, welcoming and personal. We would totally stay again!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2015

Paul

Great out-of-the-way secluded location

The food is amazing, cooked by the proprietor, Jose - a master chef. Very beautiful grounds in cloud forest. It might be a good idea to use a vehicle with a bit more ground clearance than the Toyota Yaris we had.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2015

Ashley

Don't miss this place!

I had a wonderful night here, it truly exceeded my expectations. The hotel is up a long dirt road but there are signs along the way. A 4x4 vehicle would probably be ideal. Chef/owner Jose is a wonderful host and even made a special vegetarian dish for me. The grounds are amazing, lush and green, and there's even a waterfall on the property. The rooms are large, the beds are very comfortable, and the outdoor shower is a really nice touch. My only regret is that I didn't stay longer than one night. Don't miss this amazing little hotel!

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2015

Verified traveler

Just terrific. Venue splendid, staff wonderful, hike magnificent.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Nov 2025

Adrian

Todo excelente muy bueno

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2025

Nataly

Hermoso!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2024

FREDERIC

Endroit reposant

Une nuit avec repas. Endroit immergé dans la nature au calme.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Apr 2023

Jorge

Rodeado de gran naturaleza y muchas aves cerca para escuchar y observar.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

07 Aug 2022

Laura

tiene muy cerca una catarata muy hermosa

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2022

Walter

Excelente en general

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2021

Sandra

Es un lugar magico en plena naturaleza,por la noche se observan luciernagas como si fueran estrellitas fugaces.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2021

Verified traveler

El lugar es bello para hacer caminatas , compartir con l naturaleza , ver aves . Al ingreso nos dieron café y unos jabones que ellos hacen . Lo recomiendo . La comida muy rica también .

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2020

JJUAN CARLOS

Concierto en el bosque.

Llegamos muy tarde por las presas de los viernes, sin embargo nos recibieron de forma muy getil, la habitación confortable retirada de de todo, los jardines planeados cuidadosamente, la cascada impresionante duraqnte la noche iluminada. La mano del chef , definitivamente le pone amor a cada platillo, muy contentos de conocer este hotel y esperamos volver una vez habilitaqdo el puente de Cachi.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

Paisaje increible con abundancia de flora y fauna- muchas aves- todo increible

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Aug 2019

Israel

Excelente hotel para convivir con la naturaleza.

Extraordinaria opción para convivir con la naturaleza, relajarse y estar alejado del día a día.
Las habitaciones excelentes, acogedoras y retiradas una de otra.
La comida gourmet sin igual y mientras comes en el restaurante puedes ver varias especies de aves que llegan a alimentarse con frutas que ellos les colocan.
Todo el personal se esmera en hacerlo sentir a uno de la mejor manera.
Tienen senderos para disfrutar aun más de la naturaleza y una cascada muy bonita.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Apr 2017

Verified traveler

Una faticaccia arrivarci ma il posto è assai piacevole e ben tenuto quindi ne valeva la pena. Bella la valle.