The staff receives amazing reviews in the guest book, and it is worth mentioning how well they treat their guests. Recently a Costa Rican cell phone company overcharged an American client. This guest wrote an email to the hotel and one of the waiters from the restaurant traveled to the phone company's headquarters in San Jose to resolve the situation. The waiter was happy to go out of his way to ensure that the family had only the best of memories of Las Orquideas, and said "Many people save up for a year just to take the family here for a week". More amazingly, the guest book seems to be full of stories like similar to this, every guest receiving exceptional treatment!

   You may come to fall in love with Hotel Las Orquideas, as did Richard Bridges, the hotel's most famous resident. Richard Bridges was a pilot for a major airline in the United States. He had traveled the entire world and maintained that his favorite bar was that of Las Orquideas, The Marilyn Monroe bar, which you can read more about further below. He visited often for the first ten years the hotel was open and became friendly with the staff. He would stay for weeks at a time and he could always be found in the bar, in his usual seat in the corner. On his last visit to the hotel he had become quite ill, and was told by doctors he didn't have long to live. One night at the bar he asked if he could stay in the bar forever when he died. The next night he did pass away, and when his son came to bring him home he was told of his fathers' final request. Richard was cremated and his ashes are kept on a mantle in the Marilyn Monroe Bar to this day. 

   Another one of the many interesting and unique features of the hotel is a partnership with a tropical bird rehabilitation program. The hotel has volunteered property onsite for the workings of this program; therefore it is common to find injured parrots and toucans living by the pool! An onsite veterinarian cares for these magnificent birds that are not able to survive on their own. In addition, these birds are all in breeding pairs and every year their babies are released into the wild. Some visitors have reported seeing incredible and surprising bird diversity on property. A great bird watching trail is a pleasant hike through a former banana plantation leading to a stream. One group of birders claimed they saw more wild birds here than on the rest of their trip to Costa Rica combined! 

   The hotel property is very large considering its proximity to San Jose and the Airport. The hotel was founded in 1988 and began as a small, seven-room pension. From these humble beginnings the hotel has grown to include twenty-six rooms in three buildings.

Pools, Lands & Gardens

   After passing though reception, a bright and colorful stucco building leads you to a courtyard swimming pool and hot tub with a sweeping view of the nearby Volcan Irazu. The colorful poolside bar has been decorated exclusively with memorabilia of Marilyn Monroe; her posters, records, photos, and other collectibles adorn nearly every surface of the room. The bar feels tropical and the open walls allow a cooling breeze to blow off the pool. 

Restaurant & Bar

   Upstairs from the bar is the large restaurant, which has been reported to have excellent food. This brightly colored space has open windows looking out over the pool to the view of the mountains beyond. 

   A great deal of thought has also been put into each room. The decorations, furniture and lighting have been chosen to give each room a character of its own. It is interesting to note that none of the rooms have phones. This is partly to create a relaxing atmosphere and partly due to the difficult regulations of the phone company. Phone service is available in the main office.

   The Mountain View Suite has couches and tables in the living room area, walk in closets and a stone balcony with a beautiful view of nearby Volcano Irazu. This suite also has a heart shaped Jacuzzi with a large picture window. The king sized bed and air conditioning ensure a comfortable stay.

   If you are staying for an extended time period, the Bougainvillea Apartment has a kitchenette, living room with two couches and satellite television. This apartment has one king bed and private bathroom with hot water.

   The Geodesic Dome is a design of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Designed in the 1950's as a futuristic idea for modern living, this unique style of home design has rarely been put into practice. The Hotel Las Orquideas invited a company from the United States to come build one here on the property. Besides being the most unique room at the hotel, the Geodesic Dome is also one of the most beautiful. This two-bedroom suite has a big living room, octagon shaped skylights and a tiled sunken bathtub in the bathroom. It also has satellite television and hair dryer.

   The two Pool Suites at the waters edge have a living room with overstuffed couches and satellite television. The bedroom has two big queen beds and the bathroom has a large bathtub. These suites are some of the hotels most beautiful.

   The newest rooms are the Superior Rooms which all have a king sized bed, air conditioning and bath tub. All have wicker chairs with fluffy cushions or full sized couches. The hotel hired an artist to decorate the rooms and all have funky headboards designed to look like grass blowing in the breeze. These rooms also have mirrors made from recycled window frames. These hundred-year-old window panels have beautiful weathered paint, remnants of decades old Costa Rican houses. 

   Decorated in a similar style to the Superior rooms are the Deluxe Mountain View Rooms that have two full beds instead of one King. These rooms all have air conditioning and bathtubs.

   The Standard Roadside / Standard Garden view rooms are very comfortable with one double bed and one single, satellite television and fans. These rooms are closest to the road but have been built with double paned windows and heavy curtains so the sound of the streets will not be a bother.

   The hotel also has a conference room that can accommodate up to thirty people. This room can be rented out for weddings, baby showers and birthdays as well as meetings.

  That makes for a number of different types of rooms - Feel free to write us if you have any questions.