Frequently asked questions

Savegre Mountain Hotel is located in San Gerardo de Dota, in the Savegre river valley, county of Dota, province of San José, Costa Rica. It sits in the cloud forest of the Talamanca mountain range, next to Los Quetzales National Park, about 87 km (54 miles) southeast of San José city.

The drive takes 2 to 3 hours from San José city, and 3 to 4 hours from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). It is about 87 km (54 miles) along the Pan-American Highway south, plus a 9 km descent into the valley. The final stretch is steep and winding, so allow extra time and avoid driving it after dark.

No, a 4x4 is not needed. The road down into the valley is almost entirely paved and any vehicle can make it. It is steep with tight curves, so take it slowly in a low gear, and avoid driving it after dark on your first visit.

Yes. We offer private transfers to and from anywhere in the country. Please request them at least two days in advance. There is no minimum or maximum capacity: the vehicle is matched to the size of your group. Write to ventas@savegre.com or call (506) 2740-1028 and we will confirm the transfer and its price.

Yes. The MUSOC bus company runs the San José – Pérez Zeledón route in both directions; ask the driver to drop you at the San Gerardo de Dota turn-off. From there we pick you up, with at least two days' notice and confirmation of your bus departure time. Write to ventas@savegre.com and we will arrange it.

The hotel sits at about 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) above sea level, in the San Gerardo de Dota valley. It is one of the highest inhabited areas in Costa Rica, which is why the climate stays cool year-round.

Daytime temperatures typically range from 18 to 24 °C (64–75 °F), dropping to between 5 and 12 °C (41–54 °F) at night. It is cold every night of the year, even in the dry season. Rooms have electric heating.

Pack layers: long sleeves, a sweater or fleece, a waterproof jacket, and closed shoes with good grip. A warm hat and thick socks are welcome at night.

Savegre is worth visiting year-round: the cloud forest has no bad season. December to April brings clearer days and drier trails. May to November is wetter, mostly in the afternoons, and the forest is greener and in fuller bloom. For quetzals, the best window is January to June.

Most people adjust without difficulty, but at this elevation it is normal to feel short of breath walking uphill during the first day or two. Drink water, take the first few hours gently, and do not push hard on your first hike.

Yes. San Gerardo de Dota is one of the best places in the world to see the resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) in the wild, and the hotel sits within its habitat, next to Los Quetzales National Park. Sightings are never guaranteed with a wild bird, but the odds here are among the highest anywhere.

January to June, peaking in March and April, when quetzals are nesting and are most active and visible. They can be seen the rest of the year, but less often. The best time of day is early morning, shortly after sunrise.

More than 250 species have been recorded in the reserve. The fifteen the guides point out first are the Resplendent Quetzal, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, White-throated Mountain-gem, Volcano Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird, Ruddy Treerunner, Silvery-throated Jay, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Flame-throated Warbler, Collared Redstart, Wrenthrush, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Sooty-capped Chlorospingus and Golden-browed Chlorophonia. At night you may hear or see the Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Bare-shanked Screech-Owl, Mottled Owl, Dusky Nightjar and Unspotted Saw-whet Owl. The full list, with Spanish and scientific names, is in the birdwatching article.

Yes, with local guides. The quetzal tour leaves at 5:15 a.m. and lasts 2 hours; there are also half-day (4 h) and full-day (6 h) options, and a night tour at 5:00 p.m. Birding tours are charged per booking, for groups of 1 to 4 people, not per person. The maximum group is about 10 people and booking ahead is advisable. Binoculars are not included, but you can rent them at the hotel. Prices are confirmed at ventas@savegre.com.

Enjoy Hotel Savegre's Private Reserve, a natural oasis of flora and fauna spanning more than 500 hectares, where you can venture in and take in a wide variety of birds, trees, plants, epiphytes, heliconias, orchids, lichens, fungi, insects and streams, and even recharge your energy by hugging a thousand-year-old oak.

We have a trail network of more than 25 kilometers, for every taste and level of intensity.

No: entry is included for hotel guests. The trails are open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you are not staying with us, write to ventas@savegre.com or call (506) 2740-1028 and we will confirm entry.

There are five, of very different difficulty. Los Pioneros is 0.4 km of dirt with gentle slopes, 10 to 15 minutes. Canto de las Aves, 0.9 km with ups and downs, 20 to 30 minutes. La Quebrada, 1.6 km with slopes and sections that can be wet, 30 to 45 minutes. Camino 4x4 is 1.8 km of dirt and gravel, wide and firm, 30 to 45 minutes. Los Robles is 6.2 km of natural, uneven terrain reaching about 2,600 metres, 2 to 3 hours. Of the five, only Los Pioneros is suitable for visitors with reduced mobility, and even then it is best to check with us first depending on your situation.

Savegre has three categories. The Master Suite is a standalone cabin with a King bed, private jacuzzi, fireplace, and lounge area. The Junior Suite is a standalone cabin with one or two Queen beds, a lounge area, and a bathroom with a bathtub. The Standard Room has two double beds sleeping up to four, a desk and a sitting area, in a pavilion layout; a fifth guest can be added with an extra single bed on request. All three include Wi-Fi, electric heating, a safe, and a private bathroom. In total there are 20 Standard rooms, 26 Junior Suites and 4 Master Suites. The Standard rooms look onto the garden and the mountains and share a wall to form a pavilion, which makes them convenient for families; the Junior Suite and the Master Suite are standalone cabins with no shared walls. All three have parking close to the room.

The hotel has two rooms adapted for wheelchair users in each of the three categories, plus two rooms formally fitted out under Costa Rica's Law 7600. From those rooms there is access to the restaurant, the bar and reception. The spa is not wheelchair accessible. Our rooms do not all share the same dimensions, so if you or someone in your party needs specific conditions, write to us before booking at ventas@savegre.com or call (506) 2740-1028 and we will assign the room that suits you best.

Yes, it is included in every rate. It is served from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and, depending on how full the hotel is, it is served à la carte or as a buffet.

The hotel gate opens at 5:00 a.m. and closes at 9:00 p.m. If you expect to arrive later, let us know in advance at ventas@savegre.com or (506) 2740-1028 so we can arrange it.

Check-in is from 3:00 p.m. and check-out is at 12:00 noon. You are welcome to arrive earlier and use the trails and the restaurant in the meantime, and if your room is ready sooner we hand it over at no extra charge. After check-out you are also welcome to stay on the property. Early check-in and late check-out are arranged at reception.

Write to ventas@savegre.com or call us at (506) 2740-1028 or (506) 2740-1029 and we will confirm based on your dates.

Cancellation is free up to 7 calendar days before your arrival date. For stays between 24 and 31 December, the notice period is 30 days. With less notice no refund applies, and there is no refund for no-shows, early departures, or booked services left unused. Full payment is taken at the time of booking. Cancellations must be sent in writing to ventas@savegre.com and take effect when the hotel receives the notice. The conditions are the same for every rate: only the notice period changes according to the dates of your stay.

Full payment is taken at the time of booking, and by requesting a reservation you authorise the hotel to charge the full amount to your credit card. If the charge does not go through, the booking is not confirmed until a different card is provided. Rates already include all taxes and charges applicable under Costa Rican law.

Rates vary by date, room category and season, so the exact price is checked against your dates. All rates include taxes, breakfast and unlimited access to the reserve's trails. To see the rate for your dates, use the search box on the site or write to us at ventas@savegre.com.

You can book online on the website, by phone at (506) 2740-1028, or by email at info@savegre.com. Online bookings go through the hotel's reservation engine, with immediate confirmation.

The hotel does not accept pets. Assistance animals are not pets: Costa Rican Law 7600 recognises them as a separate category. If you travel with one, write to us at ventas@savegre.com before booking so we can arrange your arrival.

Yes. There is no minimum age, and the children's rate applies from age 6. We have cots and playpens. There are no restricted areas: children are welcome everywhere on the property.

There is free 100 Mbps Wi-Fi in the rooms and common areas; in bad weather the speed can drop. Mobile coverage is another matter: in the valley only Kolbi works. If you arrive with another carrier, expect to have no signal and to depend on the Wi-Fi.

Yes. Las Bromelias restaurant serves mountain cuisine with local produce and vegetables from the hotel's own garden, and Los Robles Bar & Lounge offers cocktails and fireside evenings. Breakfast is served from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., lunch from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. and dinner from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; happy hour runs from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the bar is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Table reservations are required, and we also welcome visitors who are not staying at the hotel.

We offer vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. It is best to let us know at least a day in advance, at reception or when you order. Our kitchen is not a fully gluten-free facility, but we take every precaution available to us to avoid cross-contamination.

Del Río Spa offers massages, facials, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, a jacuzzi, and couples' packages. It is an additional service, not included in the room rate, and we also welcome visitors who are not staying at the hotel. Hydrotherapy — sauna and jacuzzi, an hour and a half — is free with any treatment. Bookings are made at ventas@savegre.com or by calling (506) 2740-1028.

Write to ventas@savegre.com or call us at (506) 2740-1028 or (506) 2740-1029 and we will confirm based on your dates.

The hotel offers birdwatching, guided cloud forest hikes, horseback riding, night walks, nature photography, trail running, and seasonal tours. The private reserve has its own trail network and the Siwö lookout. Birding tours leave at 5:15 a.m. and last from 2 to 6 hours depending on the option; the night tour leaves at 5:00 p.m. and lasts 3 hours; the páramo tour leaves at 8:30 a.m. and lasts 5 hours; horseback rides are arranged and last 1 to 2 hours. Birding tours are charged per booking, for groups of 1 to 4 people, and horseback rides per person; prices vary by season and group size, so they are confirmed at ventas@savegre.com.

Yes. Los Quetzales National Park is 25–30 km from the hotel by road: you head out to the Pan-American Highway south towards San José, and the entrance is at Ojo de Agua de Dota, on that same road. Tickets are bought online through the SINAC system. The hotel does not arrange this visit.

Two or three nights let you enjoy the place without rushing: early-morning birdwatching, the reserve's trails, an unhurried meal at Las Bromelias, a treatment at the spa, and switching off from city noise. A single night leaves little time: the round trip takes up much of two days.