Savegre Hotel Natural Reserve & Spa

My family stayed at Savegre in March 2026 and could not have had a better experience. The grounds are gorgeous - like staying in a botanical garden - the rooms are beautifully appointed and so comfortable. We took exciting 4x4s up the mountain and found owls and viewed hummingbirds galore from the jungle viewing platform. Food was delicious and generous. Service was lovely and everyone working there was so nice.

We experienced the beauty of the 7200. high canopy with hiking along the babbling river, birdwatching, old growth forest. the ambience at our hotel and restaurant were exceptional. Everything was five stars.

This was our third visit to Savegre, so my review is long overdue (apologies to the hotel).
Where do I start? I'll split this review in two - the Hotel and the Birding tours.

The Hotel:
Simply superb. Situated in a picturesque mountain valley at ~7000 ft, the grounds are immaculate and loaded with beautiful bird attracting plants. The walks in the forest or along the river are both beautiful and tranquil. The bar area is cosy and welcoming and the food in both bar and restaurant is tasty and good value, with a suprisingly good selection of wines. The breakfasts are good too with the best watermelon, pinapple and coffeee on the planet. I did not visit the Spa but my wife and daughter did and they both enjoyed it. Most of all, it is the staff that make the place, from Danielle on reception to Issac in the bar and Alejandra and Javier in reservations - in fact all of the staff are happy, cheerful and welcoming; so much so that it is a delight to see them all again.

Bird Watching Tours.

As keen bird watchers and photographers this was our primary reason to visit Savegre. The guides are the best we have had in Costa Rica in six visits. We have used Raul and his knowledge of the flora and fauna - especially birds, of the mountain forest and valley is incredible. Moreover his Dad and two brothers are equally expert and guarantee a fantastic experience. In six Quetzal tours we have seen them every time! However the birding at Savegre is about far more than just Quetzals and Raul found us a plethora of beautiful forest birds. What really stands out though is how hard he works to try to find what you are looking for and, as anyone who really loves nature knows, there are no absolute guarantees his efforts have always turned up something special for us. All the tours can be easily booked through the hotel reception or by email before arrival.

His Dad also maintains a lovely bird garden in the hotel grounds called "Feathers" which has tastefully arranged feeders in a natural setting that attract many hummingbirds and other species, it is a delightful tranquil place where you can sit fot hours just observing the birds, all for a nominal entry fee.

In Summary:

Savegre is for you if -

You love Nature
You appreciate honest, good food and drink
You enjoy birdwatching/ bird and landscape photography
You like hiking or walking
You like beautiful unspoilt natural scenery
You like (challenging) Mountain biking
You like to wind up the day with a nice cocktail or bottle of wine before retiring early
You enjoy a bit of pampering at the Spa

Savegre may not be for you if:

You are expecting vibrant nightlife/entertainment.
You are looking for five star luxury experience with all the facilities, swimming pools and speciality restaurants associated with such resorts.
You have significant mobility issues (it is quite hilly and is at altitude).

For us, Savegre is just a wonderful place and we are already looking forward to seeing all our friends again next year for the fourth time. We absolutely love Costa Rica and Savegre is without doubt our favourite place in the country.

Finally I would suggest a 3-4 day stay combined with visits to other locations to make the most of this wonderful, wonderful country.

Simply PURA VIDA!!

This was the first stop on our 15 day Costa Rican Adventure and what a great way to start. Sevegre Hotel Natural Reserve & Spa is initially very unassuming until youcross the beautiful trout stream and enter the grounds which are filled with beautiful flowers, birds,and succulents. There is a greenhouse on the property which grows the most incredible variety of succulents we had ever seen. The staff was very friendly but not overwhelming. This is a birders paradise with multiple trails onsite which can be somewhat strenuous. (There is motorized transportation that can take you up to a lookout) unfortunately we did not find out about that until we came back down. We were in room 146 which opened up to a beautiful lush garden filled with beautiful plants and flowers feeding multiple species of humming birds and other species. There was a bench on our front porch where you could sit and enjoy. The room was nicely appointed with a large bathroom with a shower. There is a small wood burning fireplace in the room which helped cozy p the room at night. The property is located quite high in the mountains so it is cool at night. There was a large deck surrounded by glass allowing a nice view of the jungle with a two person jacuzzi tub where you could have a nice soak after a long day of hiking and nature watching. The breakfast buffet was included in our stay and was very good. The fresh fruit was amazing and the food was hot and fresh. We also had dinner at the onsite restaurant. The food was very good and the ingredients seemed to be very fresh as well. If you have an opportunity to add this resort to your itinerary you will be glad you did

If you are a bird lover, this place is truly special. A single dirt road leads you to this peaceful and remote part of the mountain, where you’re awakened by birdsong and surrounded by hummingbirds throughout the garden. The hotel is nestled in a valley between mountains, creating a serene and immersive nature experience. Exploring the area is best done either by joining guided tours in 4x4 vehicles or by hiking the steep trails for those who enjoy a challenge.

While this hotel wasn’t the ideal choice for us due to our very short stay, we can absolutely see why bird watchers love it. We arrived late in the afternoon and left shortly after breakfast, and with the hotel being about a 30-minute drive from the main road, it’s better suited for travelers who can stay longer and fully enjoy the surroundings. We chose to dine off-site at Alma de Árbol, which was an easy walk.

Breakfast was very nice, offering a good variety of both hot and cold options. It was clear that many guests were passionate bird watchers, equipped with binoculars, telescopes, and guidebooks to record their sightings.

We were on a OAT tour of Costa Rica
Arrived at our hotel on one snaking / turning (but well paved) road, where we will stay for two nights.
The Savegre Lodge has 56 rooms, with prices, based on the number of beds.

Giving this establishment a 4.6 hinge rating (scale of 0-5)
We had included dinner / lunch / breakfast at the lodge’s spotless dining room.
WOW these digs are IMPRESSIVE (the best so far on this trip)! The grounds are immaculate with a small river on the grounds (turns out this the source of the same river we boated on a few days ago).
This property (THE FARM) was developed by a couple back in the early 1950’s, and upon their passing the two sons expanded it into a very appealing eye-catching resort.

Out with the birders on a hike around the property. Their quest was to try and spot the Resplendent Quetzal. On our birder’s “life list,” this legendary bird is among the most coveted species to sight. Happily, for us, we’re in one of the most elusive quetzal nesting areas on the planet (owing in large part to its altitude of 7,000 feet), and we obtain some great pictures of the bird.

As we left the Savegre resort Tom noted the pruned rose bushes he observed yesterday had sprouted leaves overnight, and before we left 2 yellow roses had started to open (Things move fast down here in this green tropical environment)!

Superb location, lovely calm atmosphere, room was very spacious, clean, quiet and comfortable. Amazing service, delicious food, great attention to detail, good amenities and spa

This is a lovely property. I had been there several years ago and loved it, but it's been refreshed and updated since then and is now even better. It's an eco-lodge with relatively plain but delightful, soulful rooms, a great restaurant, and. . utterly surrounded by nature at its best. Not pretentious, but quietly luxurious.

Beautiful grounds and hiking! We added at least 20 birds to our life list (in just 2 hours!) thanks to Raul, who was a fabulous guide and even knew where the naked screech owls roosted . We didn't see the quetzal (we saw them years ago in Monteverde) but it hardly mattered. I had taken pictures of the colorful bird posters framed on the restaurant wall during dinner (wonderful food, great wine selection), and Raul helped us find them the next morning. We hiked for about six hours (not making it to the summit of Cerro de la Muerte but we went back in April 2025 and made it to the top!) in the stunning old-growth oak forest and enjoyed the hot tub and sauna for a relaxing afternoon before dinner. The hummingbirds (tons of species) were abundant in the gorgeous gardens. The cabins/rooms were cozy and nestled in the gardens. The hotel is very environmentally conscious (no plastic bottles anywhere!) and uses composting to make methane to run the dining room infrastructure and heaters. The greenhouse was stunning! It was a wonderful experience all around.

The dinner was delicious!

A long-standing hotel, with sprawling grounds and the lovely Savegre river close by. The rooms were spacious as were the bathrooms. The bed mattresses sagged a bit. There was good heating available. Plug points for charging were inadequate especially to plug in the coffee maker. There was a strange grass/plant outside our rooms (224 and 225) which gave off a very smelly garlicky odor which made sitting outside impossible. The breakfast buffet spread was good. We had dinner two nights. The vegetarian offerings were few but tasty. The service in the restaurant after 8.30 pm was very patchy with our requests often forgotten. The staff greeted my daughter for her birthday with a song. We had taken along a cake which they stored for us.

I visited over the weekend and stayed specifically for bird spotting/photography. I am a local of Costa Rica.

Within the first 30secs of arriving I spotted a quetzal on the tree behind my car, and then two (male and female) the next day on the same spot. Was so busy walking around the property photographing birds that I didn't even have time to go to the trails.

*** Arriving/Leaving the area ***
I drive a small EV hatchback (Video atttached)
The drive from the main road into the area is about 9km to the hotel and there are indeed some very steep curvy roads, however it is entirely manageable with proper technique and car settings (in case of an EV, can't comment for ICE cars).

Once you are past the initial part, the rest of the road is a mix of asphalt and gravel, but there are some spots with pot holes, loose rocks and mud. The majority of the road is also tiny and two cars can barely drive past each other if both are positioned correctly.

The drive back up can be difficult for smaller cars due to the conditions mentioned before, but going slowly and avoiding sudden acceleration should be fine. I would absolutely not drive back up during/after rain with a small car, so make a point to leave early if visiting during rainy season if concerned about that.

You do not need a 4x4 to drive up or down (assuming the road is dry) with the state of the road as of today, but a smaller/lower car needs to drive slowly. The road is probably too narrow for a tow truck so make sure your car is in good working condition before going down.

*** The room ***
As I was traveling solo, I was assigned a single-bed room with a little living room area (two small sofas and a coffee table), a desk and a closet (with an additional blanket that I didn't know was there until I was sweeping the room before checkout). The bathroom has shampoo/conditioner/body wash/hand soap, towels and toilet paper, and also hot water on the sink. The room also has air conditioning/heating. There are a few windows that open/close that might be worth closing at night (I didn't notice they were open for the first night and was freezing even with the heat on).

There are large windows with curtains that you can keep closed for privacy, but it also makes the room dark even with the lights on (I needed my phone's flashlight to be able to see where to plug my charger). Outside there are lights that turn on with movement but don't seem to turn off (I woke up with them on), and also a light that you can manually turn on/off.

*** The restaurant and staff ***
Breakfast was included with my reservation and followed a buffet style with local stuff like gallo pinto, eggs, pancakes, plantain, sausage etc, but also cereals, bread and fruits.

For lunch and dinner, there were a few options including salads, shrimp and fish, chicken, red meat and pasta. My absolute favorite was the San Gerardo chicken (i think that was the name) and the sauce was fantastic. The apple pie is also delicious. I do find the prices a little high for the type of food (speaking as a local) but I guess that's expected from a touristy area.

I spent about $150 in lunch/dinners over the course of about 2.5 days. You can ask for the food to be sent to your room. You have the option to either pay on the spot or charge to the room and pay at check-out (this one can get dangerous fast lmao)

The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu, and after a couple of visits could remember personal preferences/needs. I cannot comment on their languages as I was speaking spanish but I imagine they can also speak english and maybe others.

*** The property ***
The hotel area is pretty big and well organized, although there are a lot of dead ends around the rooms when walking around (the rooms aren't fully connected to each other and you have to walk around some areas, not really a problem but when looking for birds it can get tricky lol)

There's a building for reception, souvenir shop (the coffee is fantastic) and the restaurant. There are little gardens around some of the rooms with a bunch of flowers that attract hummingbirds (they are loud and easy to see), and tall trees that bigger birds (including the quetzal) perch on.

There are several parking areas, some for visitors and others for guests, the roads are accessible to all vehicles but very narrow and with people (sometimes children) walking around so move with caution.

There's also a little area with a hose that some people were washing their cars in, and a L2 EV charger that seems to be working (I didn't use it but saw another car plugged in).

There's an area with a bunch of plants that might have been for sale, but I ended up forgetting to go there so could have been something else.

The apple field is smaller than I expected, and it is closed unless a tour is paid (which makes sense), but easy to see from different areas of the property as the apples attract bunch of birds. I did not do the tour but saw a few pass by, and there seems to be some goodies for the visitors.

I didn't enroll to any tours but there are a few 4x4 cars and tour guides around the property, I got to talk to a few of them and they're all very nice and are willing to share their findings even if you're not on the tour with them. The favour was returned when I spotted something interesting too.

I did not end up going to the trails, but they seem to be huge and the 4x4 trail can also be walked and takes about 30min. The largest trail (Los Robles) is considered to be high difficulty but the others are manageable for most people according to the staff.

*** Overall the experience (except the drive lol) was fantastic and I'd love to come back some other time and stay longer to be able to explore the area fully.

El personal es increíble. Gracias por la dedicación.

We had the most wonderful 2 night stay in this gorgeous hotel in its deeply forested and beautiful valley, learning much about Costa Rica’s bird life. Raul was an exceptional guide (descended from the original founders) and fun to be with during our 5 hour tour. We saw the famous Quetzel several times as well as many stunning hummingbirds in the colourful flowery bird friendly gardens.

The food was exceptionally good and very reasonably priced as were the Happy Hour cocktails. We as a family, with daughters aged 21 and 19, loved the experience of seeing such beautiful and rare birds.

All the hotel staff were utterly delightful. This is such a worthwhile visit- a definite highlight of our holiday!

The drive to get to the hotel (5 miles) is very difficult. Took us 30 min for 5 miles.

Great breakfast and happy hour. Staff are very friendly and even help us look for quetzals in their garden. We are lucky to see this beautiful quetzal twice in their property.

A beautiful hotel with lovely gardens, lots of hummingbirds and on my visit, several Quetzal bird sightings. The restaurant had very good food and there is a comfy lounge to gather with friends for a drink in the evening. The room was comfortable, no TV or air conditioning but neither are needed. There are some trails on the property to explore the surrounding forest and hills as well as a nearby butterfly garden and spa though I didn't visit those. It is a very quiet, serene place. I would certainly stay here again if given the opportunity.

Excelente hotel! Siempre feliz de volver!

This family-owned resort is tucked away high in the mountains and down deep in the valley along the Savegre River. The staff are so kind and set up a quetzal tour for us that could not have been better with family member Raul. I would definitely book my birding trip through the hotel again. The breakfast is great, and you will have never tasted apple juice like theirs! We also went horseback riding through the hotel and got a couples massage, both excellent!

I get that it's a pristine natural reserve. Savegre and the staff are great. It's beautiful there. Self guided hiking is great. However, prices for food and drink are really high for what you get. The beds/pillows and bathrooms were not super, they were ok. If the food/drinks were a little cheaper I'd give it 5 stars because it's an amazing place.

Our guide Marino made the trip for us. My daughter had visited Costa Rica 10 times and never witnessed a quetzals. With Marino as her guide she saw and photographed this elusive beautiful bird. Marino made us feel like family. He is a man steeped in the rich pioneer history of the valley. His English is perfect and his knowledge of the flora, fauna and history of the region is second to none. Mucho Gusto Marino