Puerto Viejo was our last stop before leaving Costa Rica. We didn't know where we want to stay thats why we asked at a local bar. They recommended us the Miraflores lodge with its lovely owner, Pamela. As we arrive everything was prepared and Pamela gave us a warm welcome.

We stayed in the hole upper house as we were 6 people. The house has no windows and while showering, you can enjoy the green of the jungle. It was the most unique experience of Costa Rica. Like luxurious camping. The rooms have big qeen- and kingsize beds and are all covered with a mosquito net. The "windows" have shutters which are possible to close. The common area is perfect for sitting together, and enjoying the sounds of the forest. The kitchen is small but you anyway don't need to cook, as Pamelas fish tacos and the various restaurants nearby are very good.

First we just wanted to stay for two nights, we ended up with staying 5 nights. The breakfast was amazing, (everyday something different) and Pamela always made sure we had everything we needed.

Pamela the owner is a very interesting and openminded women. She knows everything about the area and is involved in different projects like one with the indigenous population "Siri".
She does everything with passion and is always thinking about new projects and how to optimize her little paradise.

We had the best time there with lovely Pamela, her friendly stuff and the three funny dogs. Thanks for the banana cake recipe, already tried it!

This hotel is a complete dump. The Ministry of Salud closed them down due to the place needing major repairs and cleaning. Worse than a hostel and the price for such a place was crazy. You can go down the road and get a hotel for cheaper and it be nice. The amenities offered are no longer there due to selling of some the lodges land. This eco-lodge is in shambles and NOT A TRUE ECO-LODGE. In Costa Rica anyone can put this on their sign. The pictures on the website are from many many years ago. I don't think the beds or linens have been changed for at least ten years. The curtains had mold in them, the beds smelled horrible, the faucets had most the knobs missing and when I turned on the shower to check for hot water there was none and the shower broke. Other random parts missing through out the place. The fridges are rusted and have roaches in them. The termites are so bad the dirt in the place is a constant. The mosquito nets had so many spiders in them. Some of the doors had been kicked in. The roof had plastic bags instead of proper replacement plastic. The massage room was soooo disgusting. I have traveled for 14 years in Costa Rica and Central America...I understand the jungle and its environment but this place is unacceptable. The Tourism Police also told us that they would NEVER recommend this hotel due to having problems with the owner, having problems with theft to the customers, and that they thought the place was about to fall down.

Also, Right now it is more safe to stay in town than outside of town due to some recent bad events that have happened on the road between from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo.

I hope you do not make this choice and have a bad experience in such a wonderful country.

I feel torn about this review because there are a lot of things to like about Miraflores. The owner, Pamela, is very nice and very knowledgeable about the area. She made sure that she didn't accept a party crowd during the very busy Holy Week, which meant we got a room at the last minute. I had called at least 25 other hotels/houses in the area and none had availability. We had Garden Suite #3, which had a king bed in one room with a mosquito net and the sink area. Sliding doors opened to another room with 2 twin beds and the shower area. Outside the front door was a small kitchenette that we used to keep breakfast supplies. This is an open-air place, although the windows all had mesh to keep the bugs out. It is a beautiful, lush setting and we saw monkeys and a sloth, with a baby, on the property.

The reasons I am giving a low review are because it was simply not a comfortable place to sleep. The twin beds both had ants in/on them. One of the beds did not have a pillow or a top sheet, although we did get a pillow for it the first day we were there. The ceiling in that room would rain down tiny clumps of dirt and dead bugs on the beds. My husband and I ended up sleeping on those beds and let the 2 kids (ages 7 & 10) share the king. After the first night, I joined them on the king. The curtains in that room did not fully close, and it was the closest room to the parking lot and restaurant so I was always worried that people could see in as we were changing. There were also ants in the shower, which we would have to clean out before my daughter would get in there.

We were provided with 3 towels and we asked for 1 more. We never received it, even though we asked 3 times in the 3 nights we stayed. Our room was also never cleaned, including emptying the trash in the toilet area (where you put all your used TP). It smelled pretty bad by the time we left because of all the used TP in that little room. Pamela asked us each morning if our room needed anything, and we would mention the towel we wanted and she would say that the girl would bring it and empty the TP, but it never happened.

The website stated that breakfast was included, but it wasn't. It cost $22 for our family of 4 to each have 2 Swedish pancakes, scrambled eggs, plus a cup of coffee and a cup of tea for myself and husband. The food was delicious, but we got cereal at the store for our next two mornings. Pamela let me have a cup of coffee for free the next 2 days. Every place in the country increases prices during Holy Week, so it is not surprising that breakfast would not be included, but double-check that before you book.

Playa Cocles, a short walk away, was a nice beach and we visited twice. It has lots of coral to explore, plus plenty of places to play in the water.

If we go back to the area, we will look for a place that is more comfortable to sleep. It will not be an open-air concept, which is nice in some ways, but very loud all night long if it is raining because you hear all the drips outside.