Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
Hotel Belmar
The Belmar family opened Hotel Belmar in the 1980s and they are still active around the hotel today. They make a great effort to greet guests personally and are right at the heart of the warmth and tradition of the guest experience.
The Belmar family opened Hotel Belmar in the 1980s and they are still active around the hotel today. They make a great effort to greet guests personally and are right at the heart of the warmth and tradition of the guest experience.
The Belmar family opened Hotel Belmar in the 1980s and they are still active around the hotel today. They make a great effort to greet guests personally and are right at the heart of the warmth and tradition of the guest experience.
The Belmar family opened Hotel Belmar in the 1980s and they are still active around the hotel today. They make a great effort to greet guests personally and are right at the heart of the warmth and tradition of the guest experience.
Location
Hotel Belmar sits in its own 9 acres of cloud forest between the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and the Santa Elena Reserve. The closest settlement of Santa Elena is about 4km away.
Accommodation
Inspired by the architecture found in the Tirol of Switzerland, Hotel Belmar is comprised of two buildings, one housing the two categories of standard guest rooms and the other containing the chalet deluxe variety. All rooms are spacious, extensively furnished in in wood which enhances the natural setting. The pick of the options, in our opinion, are the Sunset and Sunrise rooms as they have 270-degree views of the cloud forest, but whatever room you have it will be sumptuous.
The relatively cool temperatures of the cloud forest explains why the hotel has favoured a large jacuzzi ahead of a swimming pool. It’s the perfect place to unwind after a day’s hiking as you look out into the canopy of the surrounding forest. Perhaps you will follow this up with a cool beer from the hotel’s own microbrewery, with its variety of artisa
The relatively cool temperatures of the cloud forest explains why the hotel has favoured a large jacuzzi ahead of a swimming pool. It’s the perfect place to unwind after a day’s hiking as you look out into the canopy of the surrounding forest. Perhaps you will follow this up with a cool beer from the hotel’s own microbrewery, with its variety of artisa
As one of the original eco-hotels in the region, it is not surprising to know that Hotel Belmar has been awarded the highest level certificate in sustainability and environmental protection. The staff are passionate about this, along with the proud tradition of the hotel producing its own organic food for the hotel restaurant. You can have a tour of the farm, the Madre Tierra, and kids can join staff in collecting herbs and fruits in the garden. Along with excellent food, the restaurant has a superb balcony which is a particularly fruitful spot for birdwatchers as the eat their breakfast.
Experiences
- There are guided walks every day, and at night, which can be tailored according to age, fitness level, and interest.
- Rainforest experiences are offered by the Belmar family in their private 17 acre reserve, just 10 minutes from the hotel. Here you will be able to explore the forest at all levels thanks to a hanging bridge and a rope climb to 3 tree platforms.
- There are plenty of activities to engage with on the Belmar farm, from milking cows, to picking coffee beans, to grinding sugar cane, to watching cheese making, to horseback riding.
- Enjoy learning how to mix cocktails, and explore the gardens to pick flowers and herbs for making your own recipe.
- The hotel hosts an artist residency. During their stay, the artist offers an open studio and classes, an exhibition, and also contributes pieces to the hotel’s permanent collection.
Positive Impact
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
Environment
The Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST) is a globally recognised programme sponsored by the Costa Rica Tourism Board. It categorises and certifies tourism companies on a scale of one to five according to the degree to which its operations contribute to a model of sustainability (five being the most sustainable). Originally certified with one leaf in 2002, Hotel Belmar led the way for other hotels in Monteverde and was finally awarded five leaves in 2011. The hotel is currently the only hotel in Monteverde to lay claim to a Level 5 CST certification.
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Community
Hotel Belmar gives frequent financial support as well as donations of staff time, goods and skill shares to a number of local community projects with a focus on health, education, and infrastructure. To name a few, the founding of the Friends School Kindergarten, now a thriving bilingual school in the heart of Monteverde with 125 pupils; an integral role in the founding of the Creative Learning Centre, another bilingual school that forms a key educational pillar of the community; and, more recently, the donation of land for the construction of one of the community’s aqueducts.
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