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#1 of 5 hotels in San Gerardo de Dota
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Located in the mystic Valley of San Gerardo de Dota, surrounded by a collage of green and blue colored mountains, multi-shaded flowers and impressive oak trees, Trogon Lodge is the ideal spot to enjoy the heart of nature, in a peaceful environment, quiet and magical. The Lodge features 24 standard rooms and one standard superior room, surrounded by beautiful gardens, the Savegre River and the mountains. The Lodge offers restaurant, bar, trout ponds, and free WIFI access in public areas. Activities include nature trails for guided and selfguided walks, birdwatching tours, guided hikes and in the area you can find horseback riding tours.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mountain View
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
near Cerro de la Muerte, San Gerardo de Dota 10980 Costa Rica
My wife and I stayed for two nights at this lodge hotel, specifically to see the Respendent Quetzal bird as part of a holiday with Cox and Kings. We were not disappointed as you will find out if you read on! It was a three hour road journey from San Jose Airport, and we arrived at the hotel in the dark and after the restaurant had closed. On duty in reception was Greivin Gonzalez, who turned out to our guide when it came to finding the quetzal. The hotel consists of 25 lodges (most of them in pairs), located in a valley and the buildings were spread out on the side of the valley. We occupied Lodge 19 which we walked up to in the dark along steep, illuminated paths. The lodge was a twin room, with a bathroom and balcony to sit out on. It had wooden paneling, with rustic wooden floors and ceiling. There was an oil radiator, but there was no safe, no TV, no coffee/tea making facilities, no fridge, no mini bar, no air-conditioning, no cupboard for hanging clothes, no drawers for clothes, no wi-fi in the room, and no phone. Instead there were come pegs for hanging clothes and shelves on which to stack clothes. The beds had four pillows each, plus cushions and a bolster. Hot water bottles were put in the beds each evening. We only counted three charging points for mobile phones, iPads, etc and these required American style adapters if you come from the UK. The bathroom had a shower only, with a toilet and large basin, but no plug (luckily we remembered to pack our universal basin plug!). Shampoo and liquid soap dispensers were supplied, along with a box of tissues. The room has a balcony with a double sofa bench which is shared with the adjoining lodge. Humming birds visited a shrub right outside the lodge, and it was delightful to sit and watch these marvelous little birds. The hotel facilities consisted of a bar, restaurant ($64 for two people for dinner), an excellent breakfast selection with a cooked breakfast and local dishes. There was plenty of fresh coffee, but no fruit juices or fresh fruit. There was no leisure centre or swimming pool, but there was a gift shop. The hotel is about 8 kilometers from the main road, and is down a single, twisty road that is not tarmacked in places. However, this is one of the nicest hotels my wife and I have ever stayed in, as it is so quiet and the location is stunning. We booked two guided walks with the resident guide and quetzal expert Greivin Gonzales, one at 8.30am and the other the next day at 5am. We were not disappointed, as we saw the resplendent quetzal on numerous occasions and it was his knowledge that made this happen. You cannot go to Costa Rica and not see the quetzal, one of the most colourful birds we have ever seen!! And this hotel is in the right area with a superb resident guide to see the quetzal.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
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Room Tip:Lodges with low numbers are closer to the bar and restaurant.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited Costa Rica in January and stayed in several locations, but this hotel was my personal favourite. It's quite a journey from San Jose up into the mountains and down a bumpy road into the valley but this adds to the adventure and you definitely get a feeling of seclusion. The grounds are the most beautiful of any hotel I've ever stayed in, with lots of staff tending to the many beautiful plants and maintaining the pathways around the ponds. There are lots of hideaway spaces to read a book and relax. The grounds also encourage stunning birds, which are everywhere (hummingbirds even love the bushes in the car park!) and we ticked lots of species off our list in the hotel grounds and trail alone. However, we also participated in a quetzal tour where we saw several of the birds and which I can highly recommend due to the passion and knowledge of the hotel guide. We stayed in lodge 15, which was on the edge of the hotel boundary, near the trail, so it was very quiet with peaceful sounds of the Savegre river. It appears most lodges have 2 accommodations directly next to each other, sharing a porch, so you will catch glimpses of your neighbours. As the hotel is based in a valley, some of the lodges can be up fairly steep pathways, but I didn't find this too much and I'm not the fittest of people! The lodges are quaint and whilst they may not be the height of luxury, they offer stunning views, comfort and are full of rustic charm. We loved snuggling up at night with our hot water bottle and with the heater on, which the staff arranged whilst at dinner. Food at the hotel is of a good standard but it can serve very big portions - it may be nice to add a 'light bites' section to the menu. The lunch and dinner menus are the same but you can get delicious snacks at the bar (I recommend the Spanish omelette of the day) and we also had some lovely complimentary welcome drinks at the bar. You add food and drinks to a tab which you pay at the end of your stay which is convenient. Customer service at the hotel is outstanding. Everyone you meet is welcoming, hard working and attentive - thank you to the whole team! This hotel is not for those addicted to modern life, as there are no TVs in your room and wifi is limited to public areas. However, if you are looking to escape the noise and chaos of the outside world, Trogon Lodge is the perfect haven.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Recently stayed here as a nice getaway from the beachtown where we reside. Wonderful hotel just footsteps from the savegre river with its relaxing sound lulling me to sleep all night in a cozy villa. No internet or wifi in the rooms, and no phones or TV, but the bathroom is equipped with a hairdryer. The other amenities weren’t missed at all and would have only distracted from the tranquil river and enchanting bird sounds enveloping this beautiful property. We woke for the quetzal tour at 5 am and it was amazing as we saw so many of these special, majestic creatures. Our guide was from the hotel and very skilled at sighting them for 2 hours with so much knowledge on local foliage and wildlife. The tour was followed by a wonderful breakfast that was included in the night’s stay. We dined at the cozy bar and restaurant last night and the trout cannot be surpassed. This is a beauful, rustic, quaint hotel that we are looking forward to returning to.
The covid restrictions made us feel very safe with our temperatures read upon entering the facility, with also hand washing stations located throughout, and a professional staff that met our every need who wore masks and cleaned constantly. Only thing I would have liked was a spa, but really didn’t miss it and loved exploring the pathways lined with succulents, blooming hudreageas, and plants with leaves bigger than our car. What a magical place. I hope it never changes.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dreamy! Beautiful hideaway snuggled in San Gerardo de Dota. We went with the entire family to enjoy the weekend. The lodge is surround by stunning gardens with gorgeous flowers and succulents. It’s perfect if you just want to sit and watch nature and/or if you are more adventurous and like hiking and birdwatching. There are lakes with trouts, gazebos on and around the lakes giving you lots of options to sit and contemplate the cloud forest. The staff was very attentive and helpful at all times. The food was very appetizing and the presentation very creative. Portions are large.
I went with my older parents. They have trouble walking. It’s best to reserve the rooms near the restaurant so they don’t have to walk so much. Some rooms are farther away ( they are more private). Our room had a heater which was great because it gets chilly at night. Amenities could be improved in the bathroom. Bed was cozy and warm. It rains a lot in the cloud forest. Luckily there are umbrellas everywhere in the hotel.
There is wifi in the restaurant and bar. Rooms don’t have wifi. It’s actually a blessing to be able to disconnect from the world!
We took morning hikes into the forest and they were wonderful and clearly marked. There are guides to take you quetzal and bird watching.
Covid protocols were enforced and we felt safe. There are washbasins at the entrance of all shared buildings like the lobby, bar and restaurant.
Tips: don’t forget your rain jacket. If you have older guests then ask for rooms that are between the reception and restaurant. Bring body lotion and conditioner (bathroom amenities only include soap and shampoo). Download movies before you get to Trogón.
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Eugenia Jurado, Marketing at Trogon Lodge
Responded Nov 30, 2020
Dear ticaeye, Thank you so much for your detailed, unbiased and wonderful review of your stay. I believe there is not much else I can add! Regarding your remark about your parents, I totally agree that it is important the anyone making a reservation at Trogon Lodge, lets us know in advance if there are any walking conditions, or situations we should know about before hand, that way we can assign rooms closer to the common area instead of those located amidst the gardens upper in the forest. Although these are wonderful, some require more walking to be reached. At our altitude, 22000 meters above sea level, it is always important to carry a nice windbreaker/jacket. Thank you so much for visiting us.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is beautiful property set in lovely gardens with secluded nooks and innumerable hummingbirds. They have extensive grounds with a couple of nature trails overlooking the Savegre river, which were lovely. The quetzals hang out very close to the hotel so the 5 am start to search for them is not too difficult. One was on an avocado tree close to the bar on our last day. It gets quite cold but the rooms have heaters and hot water bottles are provided. A special mention for the restaurant, which was great with some excellent trout dishes and a delicious tres leches pudding - the chef had to bring it back on the menu one evening to avoid disappointed diners!
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We very much enjoyed our 2 night stay at Trogan Lodge, San Gerardo del Dota. The environment is stunning, and a birdwatcher and photographer’s paradise! Even though we are neither, we very much enjoyed seeing the resplendent Quetzal (both times from the roadside) and walking through the stunning gardens and along the hotel trails. It was cold in the evenings and at night, as it is at altitude, so do bring warm clothes, but the hot water bottles put in our beds every evening were a lovely touch! Be prepared to walk uphill on pathways through the gardens to most rooms (ours was at the top) or ask for easily accessible rooms as the whole property is on a hill. The bar is very cozy and “chalet style” like the bedrooms. The restaurant is excellent with the best buffet breakfast we had during our holiday ... and, as always in Costa Rica, everyone was very welcoming and at reception they were particularly helpful in getting us to our next destination. Thank you very much for a lovely stay!
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trogon Londge has lovingly manicured gardens and beautiful views all around. The bungalows themselves are more like hiking cabins, very small, with no wind insulation and no central heating. A heater was provided for the room (but hardly made any difference for warming up the place), and nothing was provided for the bathroom which remained cold at all times. The shower barely had water pressure. It would have been suitable for staying in the lodge with a sleeping bag, but our expectations were different and hence the disappointment. No help was offered with the luggage, which also adds to the impression that this was more of hiking sleepover than a real mid-end lodge, which we expected to see. The restaurant was even colder - imagine comping for breakfast and dinner wearing six layers and gloves and still being cold. The restaurant is large and has a small fireplace that did not heat up even the table immediately in front of it. There are other really nice places to eat, so don’t allowed yourself to be pushed into eating at Trogon (which they do) and don’t be afraid to drive for a few minutes. The road is not good, but sounds worse than it really is for a 5 minute drive to nice places to eat. You also don’t need to pay 36 dollars for going to see quetzals at 5am. If you drive 500 meters up the road at 5:30am, you will see cars parked on the road and lots of people standing with their cameras. Apparently this is where quetzals like to hang out in the mornings. We saw two and paid nothing for it, same birds and same place where other people went to with guides - a nice tip from a restaurant in Dota, if you need another reason to eat out!
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Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The road to this location is very steep, narrow and winding. Once you get here you stay here until your visit is over. Even the workers stay on the grounds during their work week. The grounds are gorgeous. Lots of birds, especially humming birds. This is a good place for bird watchers. There are ponds stocked with fish and waterfalls all around the property. They use the trout in the pond to make dinner. They are known for their trout dishes and they are delicious. The cabin is fine, ours has a double and a single bed in it. They bring hot water bottles to warm your bed at night, nice touch. Our room had a space heater fireplace. I was grateful to have that at night when it cooled down. The bathroom is equipped with a blow dryer and liquid hand soap. The shower is pretty large and includes liquid soap and shampoo. Bring your own hair conditioner. There is a power socket between the beds for charging your mobile devices or whatever. There’s storage and a safe behind the door. There is no Wi-Fi in the rooms, only in common areas. There are a few walking trails within the property.
Note: there are a lot of steps to get around this property and to your
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Driving to it is quite challenging, go slow. There are quite a few steps to get to your room so...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The location is stunning - beautiful gardens tucked in the heart of the Cloud Forest. The rooms are very basic and the tiny heater struggles to make it warm. The hot water bottle in the bed at night time is very welcome, however an electric blanket would have much more effective. The Food is delicious but very pricey. There was no lunch menu - we were given the Dinner menu again. This made us feel we were being held to ransom as there were no other restaurants within comfortable walking distance and we had no car. Eventually I persuaded the waitress to allow us to share a pizza for lunch - an item on the Dinner menu but not available at lunchtime!! My 12 year old son had been looking forward to a game of billiards with his Dad since we arrived and he saw some teenagers playing. When we asked to use the table the next day, we were told only adults could use it despite the fact he would be playing with his father. It rather ruined the day for him. The tours offered are provided by independent guides (who are excellent). The hotel has not thought through the guest experience: The tour starts before the restaurant is open but there are not any hot drinks available before departure on the 5.15am birdwatchers tour.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were not looking forward to staying here after our poor experience at the sister hotel Mawamba Lodge, a few days earlier. However, whilst the rooms look similar the overall experience was very different.
We were able to check in fairly early and then drive up to reception for the staff to carry our bags to our room - almost the furthest we could be from reception, with views over the river and gardens. The rooms are dark wood as at Mawamba but in far better condition plus the furniture actually matches! In November we were happy to have the heater and hot water bottles, although we didn't feel cold in the night.
The hotel and its setting is gorgeous, the planting is designed to encourage the birdlife and there's an amazing amount of birds just around the lodge. There are seating areas for one to watch the birds, and we did this several times. The river runs though the grounds, and was very full when we stayed. There are hikes around the area from the lodge, but they were quite slippery after the recent rains when we were there. Also there was less wildlife there than in the gardens, but the waterfalls were worth a visit.
There are several trout ponds using the water from the river, I assume to supply the restaurant (and elsewhere?), we didn't really ask about them.
It is fairly remote and a car I would say is essential. We were able to get out to explore the valley further during the day. We thought that the roads were too bad for tourists to drive out at night, so ate in the hotel. The food was of varying quality, and surprisingly the most expensive we saw in Costa Rica. Service was generally good, although the presence of small tour groups delayed things at times.
We did the quetzal tour with Grievin, not around the lodge but close by, we only saw one but we spent ages watching it, and saw other birds as well. He also showed us a hummingbird nest in one of the lodge's gazebos, fabulous to see them going in and out.
Very glad we went as the cloud forest was very different to our other destinations in Costa Rica.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hampshire, United Kingdom153 contributions95 helpful votes
There are a lot of trout in the pond right in the middle of the hotel grounds, but I didn't get the feeling that they are fished - or that they would be a lot of fun to fish. The river running down the side of the property is a mountain stream and while it may have some fish in it, there was no sign of anyone fishing. There may be other places to fish, though, and I would ask the hotel staff, who are incredibly helpful.
We didn't have a 4WD; the road is steep, but we managed OK in a minibus.
It's a lovely place, but it was bitterly cold there when we visited.
San Jose, Costa Rica1,036 contribution27 helpful votes
The Lodge can arrange private transfers for you in case you don't want
To drive. Nearest beaches include Dominical and Manuel Antonio, but these don't offer all inclusive r sorts which are mainly in the Guanacaste area and a bit too far to drive there from Trogon. Manuel Antonio offers escellent
full lodging options but none all inclusive.
There are more places to choose from in the San Gerardo de Dota area.
PRICE RANGE
C$235 - C$261 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
trogon lodge san gerardo de dota hotel san gerardo de dota
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of San JoseSan Gerardo de Dota
NUMBER OF ROOMS
25
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