This is really a great place, IF you want beauty and serenity. It's sitting on beautiful, well-maintained landscaped grounds, with a sparkling, spotless swimming pool, and the buildings are colorful and charming. When you step out of the car, there are literally CLOUDS of butterflies everywhere! We had never seen such a thing. Romy, the owner, is very accomodating, and you will feel very welcomed. You won't believe the incredible breakfasts that you are served, some of it grown on the property, and all of it handmade. There's even a parrot who sits outside the kitchen window, supervising and keeping an eye on things. Take a taxi into Atenas for dinner and sightseeing. Go!

Very friendly staff and quiet location. Vista del Valle is nearby and also beautiful, but more expensive. I like that the pool is in a separate area. The top room has a large semi-circle window view of the area.

My wife and I have been regular visitors to El Cafetal for 14 years. We use it as our bookend acclimation point for when we arrive and leave Costa Rica. El Cafetal is a rustic hidden gem gem in a beautiful setting with a great view of the surrounding mountains. There is a wonderful meditation walk around the property itself. The owner Romy is charming and helpful. The breakfast of Costa Rican style eggs, beans, fried bananas and mixed tropical fruits is excellent.

If you are expecting a 5 star hotel with someone waiting on you, this is not your place. Seasoned travelers who like to make their own plans and want a quiet restful place to come back to will appreciate this B&B. Romy and his staff will help you set up any side trips and car rentals. We were pleased to find that Romy added wifi this year so I am able to write this review from his beautiful trellised dining area.

El Cafetal is not an easy place to find. If you are coming from the airport, I'd recommend you arrange for your taxi with El Cafetal. If not, be sure to bring their phone number with you and have the taxi driver call for directions.

I was so disappointed with this hotel but I now know why they don't put pictures of their rooms on their website. In our king bedded room there was a king bed...and nothing else. No end tables, no chairs, no luggage rack, and no artwork. The rooms were painted the color of claret with drapes green drapes. One of the two ceiling lights didn't work. When I tried to replace the light, I couldn't because a light bulb was broken in the fixture. The other light in the ceiling fan didn't have a globe on it. The room was exceeding disappointing.
I hoped things would look better in the morning after a shower. And while the room did, the cold shower was a further disappointment.
All in all the only high point was the delicious breakfast in the morning.
Oh - and the directions to get to the hotel are wrong on their website and printed materials.
Also - you must have to ask for a key to lock your door. We never got one or were offered one.
This sadly goes into one of the very few disappointing places I've stayed in Costa Rica.