At first glance, Ocotea Boutique Hotel appears to be a quiet Monteverde retreat—and it is, with 21 boutique rooms tucked into a peaceful corner near Santa Elena. But step inside, and it becomes clear: this is more than a Monteverde boutique hotel. It’s a living example of what happens when sustainability is paramount and community and hospitality are woven into every detail.
From our foundations to our future plans, Ocotea Boutique Hotel was designed with one core principle: to build a Monteverde sustainable hotel in the truest sense – a sanctuary where environmental and social values are inseparable from the guest experience.
When our founders and owners, Karen and Valeria Fallas, decided to build Ocotea Boutique Hotel, they weren’t just opening a much-needed boutique lodging option in Monteverde; they were deepening their commitment to the people and place that raised them.
Construction began with a team of 25 workers – 20 of them hired locally from within an hour’s drive. Transparent, ethical employment practices were non-negotiable: every team member was insured, and even previously undocumented workers were respectfully assisted in obtaining coverage before continuing.
These same values guided our post-construction choices. Instead of importing furniture, we partnered with local artisans: Beds, headboards, and soft furnishings were sourced from local craftspeople and certified suppliers – prioritizing community respect and support over cost savings. For Karen and Valeria, investing in the Monteverde community means investing in our quality of life, now and for generations to come.
As Valeria says, “When you invest in the people who work for you and with you, whether that is financially, through trust and opportunity, or simply through respect, you build a better business and a better community.”
At Ocotea Boutique Hotel, sustainability is built into our very infrastructure, not included as an afterthought. Solar panels power the property. Underground wiring protects native wildlife. The hotel holds 10,000 liters of reserve water and a robust generator, making us not just self-sufficient, but also supporting both our guests’ comfort and municipal resilience.
Behind the scenes, innovative systems keep our environmental footprint low. Biological septic tanks – custom-built for our Monteverde boutique hotel’s needs – process waste with microorganisms instead of trucks. Composting turns food scraps into garden soil. At full capacity, our hotel produces just one standard garbage bag per week. Could you imagine the average 21-bedroom home doing that?
Our guests often notice the small touches, too: refillable amenities, only eco-friendly and biodegradable cleaning products, no single-use plastics. These details are part of a much larger effort – one rooted in Monteverde’s culture of stewardship and carried out with quiet precision.
Despite its modern feel, Ocotea Boutique Hotel doesn’t stand apart from its surroundings – we blend in.
Our hotel design carefully balances rustic textures and clean lines, using certified timber and eco-conscious materials. Large windows frame the misty cloud forest; earth tones echo the natural palette outside. The result is understated elegance that honors the land.
Every choice was deliberate – from eliminating overhead wires to curating locally made furnishings – and always with one question in mind: How do we create luxury that doesn’t cost the planet?
That meant making upfront investments in premium solutions: custom biological septic systems, select underground cabling (when possible) to preserve habitat corridors, and sustainably sourced finishes – even when those decisions came at a higher financial outlay.
It also meant placing trust in local suppliers – especially women-owned startups and neighborhood purveyors – who could deliver high-quality products aligned with our values, even if their offerings cost more than conventional options. That trust, in turn, supports long-term local economic sustainability.
Sustainability isn’t static. This philosophy guides our growth, as we continue to evolve.
New spaces, like a planned exercise studio and communal areas, are being developed under the same guiding values – built with local labor, sustainable materials, and community input. That trust, in turn, supports long-term local economic sustainability.
Our team also made a conscious decision not to rush into formal sustainability certifications. As Karen explains, “Sometimes, when you go for these certifications, you have to stop in place and formalize your processes – and we don’t want to compromise our daily improvement just for certification.”
Instead, Ocotea measures success by impact – on the environment, the staff, and the local economy.
Ocotea’s efforts don’t end at its property line. Karen and Valeria are deeply involved in Monteverde’s broader ecosystem of cooperation.
From the CASEM women’s artisan cooperative to the Monteverde Community Fund, the region thrives because individuals and organizations work together. It’s common for guests to find produce delivered by neighbors, tours arranged through local Monteverde guides, and handmade crafts sold on-site from community artists.
Our Monteverde sustainable hotel also partners with education-focused nonprofits like the Monteverde Institute and the Monteverde Friends School, investing in the future of local youth and helping sustain cultural knowledge.
Ocotea’s dining experience, at Nectandra, continues this ethos: our food is locally sourced, sustainably prepared, and served with intention. We’ve planted an organic garden, cultivated solely to supply Ocotea Boutique Hotel and Nectandra – you’ll often find our harvest on your plate! Ingredients that don’t get used become compost. Waste is minimal. And every meal supports regional farmers and purveyors.
For guests, all of this may be invisible. What you’ll notice is a warm welcome, a restful stay, and a seamless connection to the cloud forest. But the care behind it is what sets Ocotea Boutique Hotel apart.
We want to show what’s possible. You can deliver comfort, quality, and beauty – and still do right by your community and your environment.
In Monteverde, sustainability isn’t a buzzword – it’s a way of life, passed down through generations, reinforced in schools, and lived out in businesses like Ocotea Boutique Hotel. And here, at our small Monteverde boutique hotel, you can experience this legacy in every detail.