After being trapped in San Jose for several days while we had dental work done, Monteverde was a breath of fresh air, quite literally. November is the off-season and we had our pick of rooms at Las Orquideas. The one we chose had lots of windows, although the bed was a bit lumpy. On our final night there were other guests and we realized just how thin the walls are. I say all this in explaining why I took off one "star" in my rating.

Otherwise, the place is delightful. The owner, Nidia, lived in Mississippi for many years and speaks excellent English. She was helpful in finding us things to do and making sure we got to where we needed to be on time. (She also came up with some pills that helped alleviate a bad toothache.) Breakfast every day consisted of tropical fruit plus some kind of eggs, meat and/or pancakes. The walkway and deck overlooking the valley gave us a stunning view. In the morning her little granddaughter fed the capuchin monkeys and coatis (pizotes) right out back. On a more mundane level, there is free wi-fi throughout.

If a helpful, comfortable environment and good value trump the need for luxury, we would highly recommend Las Orquideas. We would definitely stay there again. BTW, right next store is an open air restaurant, El Fogon, that serves up typical Costa Rican dishes in a relaxed atmosphere at good prices. We spent one delightful lunch watching clouds race up the valley and dive-bombing hummingbirds a few feet away from us. And we didn't count it a negative at all that we came away smelling of wood smoke.

Its a cute little bed and breakfast place. Its a family-run house with the rooms opening up to a common TV and dining area. The view from the deck is AWESOME, but the room doesn't open up to the deck (the entrance is from the kitchen). The people barely speak english, but they are pretty helpful and friendly. Elisa, the owner, cooked breakfast to order (scrambled eggs and toast) and served tea and OJ. She also helped us book a tour and allowed us to checkout late since our tour finished in the late afternoon.

We stayed at Las Orquideas this past June and had a lovely stay. The room was rustic, with carved wooden beds and basic accommodations. My husband and I stayed in one room, while our children had an adjoining room with a bunk bed and there was also another twin bed in the room. They preferred the bunk beds, of course. The staff is helpful and friendly, and the owner exemplified this, as well. It seems that there was pride and care taken in making guests feel comfortable and we certainly appreciated this. That said, the breakfast that was the best! Everyday we were treated to a homemade, freshly prepared breakfast (a nice variety that included eggs, omelets, typical Tico rice and beans that were so flavorful, fresh fruit, coffee, hot cocoa, etc.) We enjoyed our stay in Santa Elena and walked to the town everyday while we stayed at in the Monteverde area of Costa Rica. For us, Las Orquideas was a nice place to stay and to begin our Costa Rican adventure.

We stayed here for one night on our way out of San Jose. The rooms were clean and comfortable and the property is beautiful. We enjoyed the pool. This hotel is not close to anything so you're forced to eat at the restaurant. The food was ok, a little over priced. The staff were quite kind and helpful.