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Reviews of Hotel Alto Palomo

2.5 out of 5
Hotel Alto Palomo
Route 708 at kilometer 18, Toro Amarillo, Alajuela

Reviews

7.8

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 25 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 20 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 8 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 62 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

6.6/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Mari, Miami

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The owners were very nice. It’s not a 5 star place, but the staff was so nice that it felt like it.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2020

8/10 Good

Donald

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Relaxing Getaway
This was a quiet getaway for us and we were satisfied. Great view and a terrific staff. There isn’t much sound insulation and we had a few maintenance issues that were fixed immediately. WiFi worked best near office (units 1-3) and lesser for ours (7-10). Worst part was waiting for the breakfast at 8am (too late for us). Same meal each day. It is cool there. We enjoyed it overall. We loved exploring the area (waterfalls all over). Helped us book tours too!
On site waterfall and cave
Hike on the property
Relaxing trip
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2020

6/10 Okay

Alex, Raleigh NC

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities
Can’t really decide between 1 star and 5 stars...so weird. On one hand, the room Almost filthy with bugs and roaches in the room (yes I get it- tropicals and open windows means bugs), no coffee machine (
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Called the to cancel they didn't approve. No actual reasons
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

6/10 Okay

Margaret

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
View is amazing
The view is amazing and incomparable. Yes there is a restaurant but it is about half mile from the hotel. The food and service were very good though. We could not get the instant electric hot water shower to work. The drive from Sarchi was very steep and curvy but great views.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from JF on Aug 7, 2019
Muchas gracias por su comentario. JF

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Rooms and restaurant have really great views. Very quiet location...mostly just the hotel and cloud forest.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from J.Fallas on Jul 22, 2019
Muy amable por su comentario, nos alienta y nos permite mejorar.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property, rustic type of setup and friendly people. Great views and cool location.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from JF on Jun 2, 2019
Muchas gracias por su comentario. Estamos para servirle.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel itself was nice, the staff very friendly and helpful, and the views were gorgeous. However, the location on Expedia is a bit off, it's about 2km further south, at 10°09'53.5"N, 84°18'59.8"W. The road where Expedia shows the hotel is actually currently closed. While 2km might not sound like much, it's 2km of mountain road that's not in the best condition (the same road leads to Bajos del Toro). Also, you may see signs that route 708 is closed, but it is not, and much nicer to drive on than the alternative route.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2019
Response from JFK on Jun 12, 2019
Muchas gracias por el comentario, ya hemos arreglado el asunto de la ubicación.

8/10 Good

katherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
A little rustic but beautiful views
The owner was very hospitable. Not so good at English but put a lot of effort into making sure we understood what he was saying. View was gorgeous (somewhat cloudy up high). The room itself was interesting. Floors were thin so the cold air from the wind went thru them..metal roof was also super noisy at night, but maybe just bad weather. No hot water. No wifi in room. Restaurant was great. Our host there spoke much better English and the view there was great as well.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Carlos, Philadelphia, PA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A beautiful place with extremely friendly staff. I wholeheartedly recommend this place. Lovely and cozy
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Jorge Fallas on Sep 10, 2018
Thank you very much for your comment. For the family of Hotel Alto Palomo it is a pleasure to be able to serve our clients. Your satisfaction, is our reward for an effort of years. Thanks a lot and we are waiting for you again.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018
Response from Recepción on Aug 29, 2018
Muchas gracias por su calificación, será un placer poder atenderle nuevamente.

10/10 Excellent

Vincenza, Florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great family stay, volcanos & waterfalls nearby. Our meals at the restaurant were very good & our host was so accommodating in every way!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Response from Recepción on Aug 9, 2018
Thanks.

8/10 Good

Melissa, florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Me, my husband and our two small children visited this hotel for a few days, unfortunally we were there when the weather was really bad, the wind was terrifying during the night and it was very cold. The windows didnt really block out the cold wind, and in the mornings there were no electricity. The staff and everybody at the restaurant are really very friendly, eventough we cant really speak or understand alot of spanish and they dont speak or understand english we found a way to communicate and they were very accommodating
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017
Response from Recepción on Dec 12, 2017
Thank you very much Mrs. Melissa for your comment, I must indicate that for the previous December 9, the country was under the influence of a tropical wave that affected our entire country. There was no way that no water could enter because of the small hole that existed in the rooms, it was a very uncomfortable situation for everyone, not only in our establishment; but also in the country. even so; we take care that all our customers are in the best way. I hope you can accompany us on your next trip.

10/10 Excellent

Jerry

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Away from the noise and hustle bustle
If you want isolation away from the city you find it here. Just off the Divide it is windy and chilly at night. Pack accordingly. Staff is first rate.
Muchas por el comentario, de verdad que disfrutamos mucho tenerles como clientes, les esperamos la proxima vez que visiten el pais.

8/10 Good

C, San Antonio, Texas

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Don't expect high-end luxury, but...
It is well worth the excellent price. Yes, it is a bit rustic. No internet or phones in rooms, that's ok, go to the office. There are high winds every night so expect it to be loud, plus this is a wood structure and like many in Costa Rica it's poorly insulated. It was very cold, bring warm clothes to sleep in, there's no heat, not even a fire place. And it's a metal roof, expect it to be loud with the winds dropping things from trees. The hot water is a bit tricky but they will show you how it works. And there are no shower curtains (and huge windows), but I assure you the birds don't care if you're naked. Eat at the restaurant, like the hotel the staff is very sweet and helpful. And the food is delicious. Plus the view is heavenly. Jorge (at the hotel) is a wonderful man. He made us an itinerary of what to do in the area. And we're so glad we listened to him. He even told us what time to go to church as that's important to us and he gave us a choice of two beautiful churches in two cities. Thankfully we're Catholic so we had many choices. Do not expect to speak English, this is a remote area. Learn Spanish before you go! But do go. It's very peaceful and we thought we'd hate it when we first arrived. We ended up loving it. Stayed 3 nights. It was very well worth the price. I'd not get a place that cheap in the US with that view.

6/10 Okay

Grant, Milton, Ontario, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Beautiful mountain setting.
The nights can be very cold and there is no heat in the rooms. The wind blew through the walls, windows and floor. During the day it was a beautiful spot. On a cold blustery night it was as cold in the room as it was outdoors.
Response from Jorge on Mar 19, 2017
El lugar es frío, tiene toda la razón. Sin embargo, lo compensa el trato cálido y la vistas al valle y la naturaleza

10/10 Excellent

Mark, Boston

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Great Sunrises
Awsome views from private porch,nice big tub with a view...peace and quite...lot's to see close by...excellent resturaunt...great owners and staff

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
The hotel has a stunning view to the Costa Rica’s mountains, where you can enjoy an incredible sunrise. It is far from anywhere, minimum 2 hours ride in mountain roads (in good conditions actually). The cleaning and amenities (only soap) should be much better.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great staff
It was wunderbar. Make sure you only turn the shower on slightly to get the hot water.

10/10 Excellent

Scott, Orlando, FL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel staff! Not good for a Honeymoon.
I have to say when I first arrived I was the only person there, which was nice quiet and so serene. The staff was great and so accommodating seeing I spoke no Español. The staff was amazing! There were only 2 complaints with the hotel. First, is that the Jacuzzi tub didn't work, which would have made the other issue better. Second, is that the windows are pained windows and the roof was aluminum so you hear everything from the wind, things hitting the roof, or your neighbors. This wasn't an issue initially for me while no one was there it became an issue when the weekend came and to put it G rated I could hear EVERYTHING the couple were doing next door. I'm going to further this with I'm gonna assume they were on their honeymoon from all the noises I heard. Again the staff was amazing, overall the place was beautiful, but either way if you have kids or are going there on your honeymoon just know you will hear everything going on in the villa's around you. So if you are shameless or don't mind your kids hearing love making then then you will have no problem. I fortunately was by myself so no harm done, but I would have been upset if my kids were with me. I personally would go back if I am by myself but probably not with my wife or kids.

8/10 Good

quiet retreat , nj

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful scenery
Awesome view, easy check in. Good for people trying to get away from the city life.

8/10 Good

Frantz, New Jersey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very nice place in the mountains.
Very beautiful place for adventurous people, very relaxing , on top of the mountain, the food is excellent, the workers are great very helpful. Rooms are clean. The only thing is that it gets cold at night time on the mountains..so the rooms are pretty cold. But they do offer extra blankets. Excellent place to stay..and please make sure you have a car because everything is a little distant. Car is a must..

4/10 Poor

Thomas, Florida

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
not good
Your description of hotel eas wrong..over 1&1/2 hours to the airport. .no coffee maker...and restaurant was not opened when we got there and also they did not have our reservations. .hotels.com need to do better research on rooms and information

6/10 Okay

Michael P., Ottawa

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
In the clouds !!
Beautiful clean room, comfortable bed, great view. However, was very cold and humid as hotel is locate high up in rainforest (approx 5000 feet above sea level). Room had no heat and hot water lasted 5 min at best. Be prepared ,... Bring warm fleece and rain shell.., windy !!! And misty in evening.

8/10 Good

Jim , Pensacola Beach Florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing view in the middle of nowhere
Great beds, great staff, amazing views. Hot water was touchy, but definitely there. Restaurant was closed for dinner, but they cooked us dinner and delivered it to our room. Amazing view from the restaurant when we had breakfast there. 3 hour hike available on site. A great find at the special rate we had. Bring your own coffee and filter if you want coffee in the room.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Far far away!
This hotel was nice but so far! The service was very accommodating, even though most of the workers only spoke Spanish. We missed breakfast one day but they were still willing to deliver it to our room. They called taxi services for any excursion we wanted. However, it is in the middle of no where. A taxi ride to any store or attractions costs between $20 to $80. My sister and I came to this hotel expecting it to be close to the Poas Volcano but it was an hour and a half away. Even though the restaurant was a nice addition, it was not even open for one of the nights we were there. Overall my sister and I were surprised by how secluded the hotel was and would have wanted fair warning of how far it is from everything.

2/10 Terrible

Marcie, Michigan

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Windows didn't close properly,freezing cold wind
We left without staying. Way too cold in the room. No way to close loitered windows and very cold wind were just blowing in. We just forfeited out money, left and stayed elsewhere. Bad experience. kid who took us to our room didn't speak much English and the older man spoke none so we couldn't even explain the problem in order to get changes.

8/10 Good

Vanessa, Houston

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Hotel Alto Palomo
This is a charming, rustic, family run hotel in the mountains. The hotel is one hour north of the San Jose airport. It is a little hard to find. If you rent a car or have a driver, tell him/her to go to the town of Sarchi Norte and take Calle Sahinal to Route 708 north. The hotel is off of 708. It has breathtaking views of the mountains and valley below. The hotel is on the family farm with walking trails, great views, and a waterfall. You can also visit the animals on the farm. There is a restaurant on the property as well, which also has beautiful views, and good food, but not many vegetarian options. The hotel rooms were lovely, with amazing views. However there was no heating in the room, and rooms were cold. The beds were large, comfortable, and had sufficient covers to keep me warm. Because it was so cold and windy, occasionally the wind would pop the metal roofing on our cabin and wake me up. Overall, we thought the hotel was, beautiful and peaceful. We would stay there again if we are in the San Jose area. Hotels.com has the incorrect phone # for the hotel. Go to the hotel website for the correct #, if you need it. Also, the family was great, but not very good about answering the phone when we tried to contact them. It may be easier to try to call their restaurant if you need to get in touch with them.

4/10 Poor

Schmacca, England

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Don't expect many comforts!
This is more mountain refuge for hikers than hotel. Don’t be fooled by descriptions of jacuzzi baths and spa rewards. Rooms are not heated, many of the windows are made of slats that turn to open but do not actually meet when closed leaving dozens of half centimetre gaps through which drafts and. There was also a missing pane of glass in the bathroom. Running water is ‘heated’ by an electric shower head with exposed cables going into the shower head inches away from the water under which the “heated” water is still cold enough to take your breath away. You may think warm rooms and water are unimportant in the tropics, but you are at 1800 m and the air is a lot cooler, so that sleeping was difficult in Aug. in the draughty unheated rooms, and the air is particularly cool in the morning when you shower under cold water with a missing pane of glass! All four beds had lots of other people’s hair in, and this was the hardest bed I have ever slept in! Rooms were poorly cleaned and even if clean, you wouldn’t want to hang out in them. For positives, views from balconies are great. It’s in a peaceful beautiful area with abundant birdlife visible from the balconies. Staff were friendly (Spanish language only), although upon arrival when we said we couldn’t stay for the second prepaid-night (for the above reasons), the owner offered to meet us in the morning to discuss but never did so and refused to cancel and refund the reservation, offering a free meal only.

10/10 Excellent

Esteban, Costa Rica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Mindaugas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Beautiful location, hard to get to
The hotel located in the mountains which means harder to get. The view from the room is awesome. It was too cold in the room as no heating and also no heating in the shower but we where there in September. The breakfast was full typical, but it was big enough and tasty. The view from the restaurant was excellent.

8/10 Good

Dan and Lia, vail, colorado, usa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Though isolated, great place!
We booked online based on the outstanding reviews and affordable price and proximity to the park. Our shuttle driver had to ask for directions 3 times because while familiar with the area, did not know where this hotel was. It was very much off the beaten path. We arrived fairly irritated because of its isolation from town, food and transportation. The staff went above and beyond to help us feel more comfortable. Our room was not ready yet, but they let us put our things in another room in the meantime. My grandma was with us, she sometimes has a hard time walking up steep inclines. The man who worked there offered to drive her to and from the restaurant, as well as to the volcano later and get all of us to the airport for much less than any other means of transportation. There is a restaurant on the property, that is very good! Although the hotel is fairly isolated, the grounds are beautiful! There are nice hikes and tons of beautiful scenery. It was very relaxing, and the hotel itself was extremely well maintained, all of us wished we could have stayed longer. One of the employees, Steven, whose father owned the hotel was one of most helpful, sweet, accommodating people we met on the entire trip! Thank you so much to everyone at Alto Palomo! We loved it there!

10/10 Excellent

Luis, Austin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Spot
This hotel has great views of the valley, big rooms and the service was really kind and full of hospitality. I really recomend this place.

8/10 Good

HM, North Carolina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Part of a wonderful farm
This was our 1st evening in Costa Rica. The hosts were very friendly and helpful and provided a morning tour of their farm and sustainable practices. A neat (optional) trip throught a cave was an added bonus.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
comfort but not perfect
the hotel is very far from poas national park. the room is very nice, but the hot water were not hot at all, the way to the rooms is very dark and during the night the people at the front desk did not speak english.

10/10 Excellent

Beth G

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A peaceful country side visit
I liked how rustic the cabins were. It reminds me of camping. Nice views, friendly staff. No one speaks any English there, you need to know some Spanish to get by...

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great views
Good service

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
überteuert aber abgelegen und schöne Aussicht
Wunderschöne Aussicht. Ein bisschen überteuert für das was man bekommt. Die Unterkunft ist sehr einfach eingerichtet. Das Konzept der Dusch/Badewanne haben wir nicht verstanden. Beim Duschen kann einem das ganze Tal zugucken und zum Baden braucht man seeehr viel Geduld bis sich die xxl Badewanne auch nur halbwegs mit warmem Wasser gefüllt hat. Die Anfahrt ist relativ schwierig und sollte bei Tageslicht erfolgen. Das Frühstück wird im 300 m entfernten Restaurant serviert. Es gibt einen schönen Wanderweg dorthin. Oder man läuft auf der Hauptstrasse. Insgesamt war die Unterkunft schön, aber mit 85 dollar überteuert.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Merlyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The view was amazing. Rooms have a kitchenette. We had quite a storm for 2 days and it was rather loud in the room due to the metal roof.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2020

4/10 Poor

Silvia Elena

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Demasiado ruido
Hizo un viento muy fuerte, y aparte de la neblina y el frío en el lugar, latas del techo sonaron toda la noche, imposibilitando poder dormir.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

6/10 Okay

Noe, CR

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Tienen que fumigar o poner trampas, encontré una cucaracha. La habitación se ve descuidada, ropa de cama con remiendos, la ducha poco estética. No hay suficientes cobijas ni calefacción y es un lugar muy frío en la madrugada
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019
Response from Jorge Fallas on Nov 21, 2019
Buenos días Doña Noemi. Nosotros llevamos registro de control de plagas y con gusto podría enviar una copia. Si el cliente solicita más frazadas con gusto se las proporcionamos, no podemos tener más de las necesarias en las habitaciones. Fue un gusto tenerle a usted, su madre y su hijo en nuestro establecimiento.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
No hay Internet, la ballera de hidromasaje funciona con agua de la ducha, la cual al caer y permanecer ahí 30 segundos ya está congelada. El tv sólo funciona con canales nacionales, no ofrecen cable. Lo peor, se escuchaba todo lo que hacían o no hacían los inquilinos de la habitación contigua
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from J.Fallas on Jul 22, 2019
Muchas gracias por sus comentarios, ellos nos ayudan a mejorar; sin embargo, para algunos de ellos los pudo observar en "Datos del Establecimiento". En ese apartado explicamos que no tenemos tv satelital, ya que no existe una sola empresa en nuestro país que nos dé el servicio que usted se merece. Agradezco nuevamente, su comentario y estamos para servirle.

10/10 Excellent

Annie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Muy bonito y buena atención
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from JF on Jan 4, 2019
Muy agradecidos por su comentario. Estamos para servirles.

8/10 Good

Emilio

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Ideal para descansar
Para descansar es un lugar ideal. Rodeado de naturaleza y paz. Considerar: Tiene coffee maker sin embargo no cuentan con café (lo venden en la recepción) Las habitaciones no cuentan con wifi
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Jorge Fallas on Oct 26, 2018
Muchas gracias por los comentarios, ellos nos sirven para mejorar.

10/10 Excellent

Audrey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Il ne manquait qu’une eau un peu plus chaude dans la douche pour que tout soit parfait!
Response from Jorge on Apr 5, 2018
Trabajaremos para que su próxima estadía encuentre todo en un 100%. Muchas gracias por su comentario.

2/10 Terrible

Kirstine

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018
Response from Recepcion on Jan 23, 2018
Buenos dias estamos para servirles.

10/10 Excellent

valeria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
El lugar y la atención son excelentes, un buen lugar para pasar un tiempo en contacto con la naturaleza
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

8/10 Good

Rudy, san jose

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excelente hotel de montaña, recomendado
Muy bonito, excelente ubicación y magnifica vista. Muy cercano de San Jose y de la naturaleza de la zona norte.
Response from Jorge on Mar 19, 2017
Muchas gracias Don Rudy por su comentario.