Freddy`s Place B&B

Overall we very much enjoyed our stay in this small hotel. Pressley, the owner's daughter, was very welcoming and helpful (and speaks English, which was useful as we don't speak Spanish). Pros: Again, Pressley was very helpful. For example, she ordered us drivers several times, and accommodated our need for an early breakfast. And the breakfasts were delicious, with nicely presented fruit, excellent coffee or tea, and a choice of egg dishes or pancakes. Other reviews have lauded the breakfasts, and we agree! The hotel itself has a small but charming outdoor area. The beds were reasonably comfortable. The hotel is a short walk from the center of town, though it is uphill so it is a bit strenuous walking from town to the hotel. There are many places to eat within walking distance, and it is easy to obtain transportation (through Pressley) which is inexpensive. Their is no Uber in Monteverde/Santa Elena, but plenty of taxis (or private drivers). Cons: If you are a party of more than 2 people, you will need to email them to let them know that you have more than 2. Even though we booked a family room with 3 beds, we could not book the room for 4 people. So we were charged for our 2 kids upon arrival (which was fine; we had corresponded with the hotel and knew there would be an extra charge for 4 people in the room, but the point is you can't include more than 2 people when you book the room, so you need to let them know how many people you have so you are not surprised by a charge when you arrive). Not necessarily a "con", just an FYI. Another issue, not necessarily a "con" either, is that the hotel does not have air conditioning. It was not hot, but it is a cloud forest after all, so it is humid. And it rained quite a bit during our stay. So, everything may feel slightly damp. To be fair, we met people who were staying in a much more expensive hotel, and they did not have A/C either. Again, because of the elevation it does not get very warm there, so the temp was not an issue. There was a floor fan, which helped for circulation and drying things. The humidity factor is just something to be aware of. Overall this is a nice, welcoming, relatively inexpensive option in a good location near the center of town.

Worst place I stayed in Costa Rica. Eddy was pleasant when I checked in and gave me a nice map with everything in laid out in town. I was booked 4 nights but only stayed 1. First thing I noticed was the Lobby/Dining area didnt look at all like the website. There were no nice chairs but plastic patio chairs. No bar top with 2 stools that was in the pictues. The noise from the road is very loud with dirt bikes, trucks, buses and car and that is all night and starts really early AM.. Plus there was a screaming baby. I got maybe 2-3 hours of sleep and that was it. I decided I wasn't staying. Went to take a shower and the towels looked like were used and folded and put back, so no shower. With how things had gone, I was not going to breakfast. I made new arrangements and politely checked out at 11:00. Eddy asked me why I was leaving early and I explained and he told me refunds are too hard to do. I waited till I got into my new place and messaged him asking for a refund. He left me a lengthy message back calling me a liar and how I discredited his business. He told me I was sleeping the whole time and my excuse isnt real. If he had checked on me he would of seen the window closed because that's what you do to reduce noise and he would of heard me on the phone with family or making new arrangements. But hey you can take the risk.