"A truly beautiful setting, incredibly tranquil, there is a lot to love about El Silencio. The rooms are really wonderful -- spacious private cabins in the forest with outdoor jacuzzis on the terrace of each room. Comfortable bed with high-quality linens, and space to spread out. We really enjoyed exploring the property, particularly the forest trails and the hummingbird garden which is absolutely packed with hummingbirds enjoying the flowers (instead of feeders), quite magical. We had spa services which were good but not great, the massage was not a true deep tissue therapy. Spa facilities are nice, but wish they were a bit more extensive with better sauna, steam, and hydrotherapy; it would be a great way to pass a rainy day lounging in a European-style spa. They have unfortunately fallen into the 'resort fee' swindle, which is always disappointing; wouldn't it be lovely to just receive an up-front and honest room rate? We didn't see any mountain bikes, tree planing, or archery, which were apparently included, and the guided walk was disappointing. We did enjoy the hot chocolate and in fact, the extremely knowledgeable barista was a true highlight, even demonstrating the traditional method for preparing filter coffee and explaining various roasting techniques. For the prices they are charging (regularly in the $600-1200/night range), it would certainly be nice if they included the other on-property activities (birdwatching, zip lining, night walks, etc.) in the complimentary activities. I suspect you could arrange the off-site activities yourself for a fraction of the cost, but if you're doing long day trips away from El Silencio, you would probably be better off to stay elsewhere. We enjoyed the restaurant, nothing spectacular, but good meals. Variety starts lacking after a couple of days, and the menu leans toward heavy/rich/cream-based, and could benefit from some variation and lighter options. A couple of service issues, most prominently a plumbing problem that was not fixed after numerous calls and visits from maintenance (who did track mud through our room on one occasion) over several days -- at this level of property for the rates charged, this was a bit shocking. I would describe the service in general as a bit distant, not particularly proactive, but at least folks were pleasant. Overall, I would return for the peace and quiet and the unbelievable beauty of the property itself, but hope the problems wouldn't repeat."

"The accommodation, food, service, location are fabulous. We were spoiled by the quality, choice and the amount of food available. The only tiny criticism we would have was that dining in the evening was very formal, waiters in suits which seemed a bit over the top when everyone is fairly relaxed in outdoor gear etc."

"We stayed at El Silencio Lodge for 3 nights and loved it. The grounds are a beautiful mix of garden and jungle with the mist of the cloud forest creating a magical atmosphere. Our room was so comfortable with double sliding glass doors so we could sit in bed and look directly out to the lush greenery and hear the rush of the river in the background. The cool misty weather made the canopied outdoor hot tub the prefect retreat. We arranged for a private tour of two of the area’s best waterfalls, guided by Angelo whom we loved. He also recommended we hike to the 3 waterfalls at the back of the property, which we did the next day and this should not be missed! Beautiful…deep in the cloud forest all by ourselves. But perhaps the star of the show was the food. We ate all of our meal there for 3 days, trying new dishes every night, one better than the other. Our waiter Fabian was super helpful and particularly good at helping us select the best wine paring with our meals. We went to El Silencio as a special celebration for my 70th birthday and it was all I had hoped for and more."

"We stayed at El Silencio for a four-night mother-daughter retreat into nature. Everything about Ell Silencio was wonderful, especially the staff. Yes it is pricey, but it was worth it. Our villa was beautiful and comfortable with all the amenities we wanted. The balcony looked onto a wooded area and the jacuzzi was so relaxing. We slept very well in the comfy beds. The food was delicious and, when compared to other Relais & Châteaux properties, very reasonably priced. We especially enjoyed eating food that was harvested from the property, such as the trout, eggs and many of the greens. We participated in 4 activities: the mystic hike, magic waterfalls, private bird watching and Arenal Visit. For each, our guides were fantastic, with a special nod to Daniel and Estivan (with apologies if I am not spelling correctly). My daughter and I are fairly serious birders and we would not recommend the birding for first time birders, but for us it was wonderful. We were glad we brought light jackets, as the cloud forest can be quite cool, but this was very refreshing. We liked all the walking we did to get around the property and were so happy to get in "all our steps, and then some" while exploring the most excellent property. We give a shout-out to forest restoration. We were glad we had a guide for the waterfall hike, as without a guide we probably would have gotten quite confused about the paths."