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Las Cruces Biological Station

3.0 star property
Hotel in San Vito with free breakfast and a coffee shop

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Photo gallery for Las Cruces Biological Station

Standard Double or Twin Room, Garden View | Balcony
Standard Double or Twin Room, Garden View | Garden view
Interior entrance
View from room
Desk, free WiFi, bed sheets

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast included
  • Laundry
  • Housekeeping
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Business services

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 1 of 1 room

View all photos for Standard Double or Twin Room, Garden View

Standard Double or Twin Room, Garden View | Desk, free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Double or Twin Room, Garden View

Highlights

Balcony
Ceiling fan
Private bathroom
Wardrobe or closet
Desk
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed OR 1 Twin Bed

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About the neighborhood

Map
San Vito de Coto Brus, San Vito, 676-2050

What's nearby

  • Dante Alighieri Cultural Center - 9 min drive - 3.8 miles
  • San Vito Park - 9 min drive - 3.8 miles
  • Wilson Botanical Garden - 9 min drive - 3.8 miles
  • Paradise Tropical Garden - 32 min drive - 13.8 miles
  • Las Cavernas de Corredores - 35 min drive - 13.6 miles

Getting around

  • Golfito (GLF) - 106 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Restaurante y bar La Rancha - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Las Huacas - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Las Cascatas - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪Pollo Riviera - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Soda Mireya - ‬9 min drive

About this property

Las Cruces Biological Station

Property highlights
A free breakfast buffet, a terrace, and a coffee shop/cafe are just a few of the amenities provided at Las Cruces Biological Station. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition to a garden and a library, guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
You'll also find perks like:
  • A roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge), 1 meeting room, and a banquet hall
  • A front-desk safe, smoke-free premises, and concierge services
  • A gift shop and tour/ticket assistance
Room features
All 65 rooms offer amenities such as free WiFi.
More amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with showers
  • Balconies, ceiling fans, and daily housekeeping

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • No onsite parking available
  • 24-hour roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge)

Food and drink

  • Free buffet breakfast available daily 6:30 AM to 8:00 AM
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Library

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Business services

  • Meeting room

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • No elevator

More

  • Banquet hall
  • Mosquito nets
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

More

  • Ceiling fan
  • Desk

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:30 AM

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 7:00 AM - 5 PM
The check-in location differs from the property location; go to: [Caseta de Seguridad despues de las 5:00 pm]
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 72 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Airport shuttle fee: USD 350.00 per vehicle (one way)

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

Property is also known as

Las Cruces Biological Station Hotel San Vito
Las Cruces Biological Station Hotel
Las Cruces Biological Station San Vito
Las Cruces Biological Station
Las Cruces Biological Station Costa Rica/San Vito
Las Cruces Biological Vito
Las Cruces Biological Station Hotel
Las Cruces Biological Station San Vito
Las Cruces Biological Station Hotel San Vito

Frequently asked questions

Is Las Cruces Biological Station pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Las Cruces Biological Station?

This property doesn't offer parking.

What time is check-in at Las Cruces Biological Station?

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime.

What time is check-out at Las Cruces Biological Station?

Check-out is at 11:30 AM.

Does Las Cruces Biological Station provide a shuttle to the airport?

Yes, there's an airport shuttle. A fee of USD 350.00 per vehicle applies.

Where is Las Cruces Biological Station located?

Situated in San Vito, this hotel is within 6 mi (10 km) of San Vito Park, Dante Alighieri Cultural Center, and Wilson Botanical Garden. Las Cavernas de Corredores and Paradise Tropical Garden are also within 20 mi (32 km).

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Las Cruces Biological Station Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 17 out of 24 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 24 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 24 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 24 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 24 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

9.6/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10

Fantastic staff at a spectacular location.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10

We had an amazing time. The property was beautiful and well maintained. Thoroughly enjoyed our time with Jason. Definitely would come back.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10

We enjoyed our cabin with an amazing view and deck. The food was good and the grounds were wonderful for walking for birdwatching which is what we were there for. We also had an excellent guide (Jeisson) for an early morning bird walk.

10/10

Las Cruces is a beautiful botanical garden and the accommodation is lovely, with a nice terrace and views. The guide was wonderful and its a great garden for bird watching. Food was good and tea and coffee was always available. The walking outside of the botanical garden was a little less extensive than I had hoped but there is some and the garden itself is magical.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

10/10

The food was simple, tasty, and consistent, prepared and served by lovely kitchen staff in a very clean, beautiful dining area open to the breeze and overlooking the Wilson Botanical Garden. Rooms were clean, spacious, simple. In addition to the gardens, there are good trails into the adjacent rain forest. This property is in the mountains of southern Costa Rica - not so hot as elsewhere and a very interesting place to stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025

10/10

The tour of the gardens was fascinating.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

8/10

It may be important to know there is no bar or alcohol available at the biological station. Bring your own booze, or there’s a good bar/restaurant about a quarter of a mile away on the road back towards San Vito.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10

Get an appreciation for a special climate and animals of Costa Rica. The guide service was informative. We even did some extra trips after hours. Food service is simple, convenient, and more than sufficient.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

10/10

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

10/10

The free tour was worth every minute of it through the greens. I also enjoyed the free breakfast and the view from my balcony. It was a very nice and peaceful place to be
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2020

10/10

excellent place, it felt good our money contributed to some meaningful eco work. The shop was closed so no chance to contribute more by buying the gardens souvenirs. solar-power water heater, plenty of very hot, high pressure water despite cloudy/rainy day.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2020

4/10

We were given a private cabin in the forest which we thought would be better than the villas across from the dining hall. The photos of the rooms on hotels.com, however, are of the villa rooms, which appear to be better, but I can't vouch for that as I did not see them in person. Our cabin was dirty, run down and in need of a major remodeling. There was no hot water, the mattresses were in poor condition, and the shower was so gross, neither my husband or I used it. There was mold on the ceiling above the beds and various insects crawling about the cabin as well. The breakfast was skimpy-- undrinkable coffee, two small pieces of papaya, a couple scoops of rice and eggs and musty-tasting toast that had the crusts sliced off. We only stayed one night to go birding in the Wilson Botanical Garden and were glad to check out in the morning. We stayed the following night at Casa Botania a mile down the road, which was absolutely wonderful.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

8/10

Very simple accommodations, very simple meal plan, grounds of Wilson Botanical fantastic to see and wander about. Staff very helpful and tour guide Jason very pleasant and a book of knowledge about Flores and fauna.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018

8/10

This is a field station of the Organization for Tropical Studies, where scientists, students and volunteers conduct biological research. They offer available rooms to guests, along with full board. Rooms are small but comfortable for their basic purpose. Bathroom very small but adequate; plenty of hot water for showers. Food was plentiful and very good, plenty of salad, vegetables, and vegetarian options. No alcohol. Anyone looking into lodgings here is presumably interested in the birds and/or plants, as many species of both are found here. The station is located in Wilson Botanical Garden, so you need only walk out your door to find what you came for. A guided walk is included with your stay. and is very informative. If you want to stay here during the high season, you would be wise to inquire at least 6 months in advance. I inquired in September about availability of 3 nights in February or March, and at that time they had only two such slots still available. This is not the least expensive lodging available in the area, but with all meals included it is good value for the money, and you can feel good about your dollars going to support OTS' good work.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018

10/10

We really liked the Las Cruces Biological Station and the hotel. Lots of trails to hike on that were well marked with numerous plants identified. Many birds to look at, take photos or just enjoy them. Guided tour was excellent and enjoyed by all. Hotel was very close to everything. Meals were excellent. Don't miss it.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

10/10

We did both a night tour and an included morning tour with guide Jason. He was excellent. Wonderful palm and bromeliad collections. Terrific birding. At night--frogs, spiders, sleeping birds, toads, snakes. The bird feeding station had a wonder variety of tanagers.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

10/10

Very well managed place with accommodations for overseas researches as well as tourists. Fantastic birding of Colorful birds at the feeders. The garden grounds is huge and full of hummingbirds.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10

absolutely beautiful!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10

The biological station Las Cruces is integrated in the Wilson Botanical Garden, which is one of the most important and largest botanical collections in the tropics. We took the public bus from Ciudad Neilly and let us be dropped directly in front of the Las Cruces station (6 km south of San Vito). We spent 2 nights in the station: The rooms were very comfortable with a great view to the garden. At night, it can get cold, so it is a good idea to bring warmer clothes. The garden itself is very nice, botanically very interesting and an excellent location for birdwatching. Also, the adjacent tracks (many kilometers) into the primary and secondary rain forest are definitely worth a walk and one can easily spend several days exploring the station and area around (bring closed shoes!). The guided tour through the garden with Jeisson was excellent, he is really an expert,, was able to define and imitate nearly all birds and could answer all of our questions. The food was really excellent and the kitchen women were amazing and very helpful. As there were only few tourists, we were eating together with the researchers. All in all, the stay was great and we would absolutely recommend it, if you don't expect luxury, if you are interested in nature and want a familiar atmosphere.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10

Excellent staff, hotel, garden and forest. The plants and birds that you can see are amazing.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10

Geweldige natuurlijke locatie, prachtige plek om te verblijven, vriendelijke medewerkers en ultieme rust
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

8/10

If you stay here you should know that this is a working academic research site not a traditional hotel. Food is very good given the family style. Rooms are modem clean and have nice private balconies. Great value!
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

8/10

The Bungalows at Las Cruces/Wilson Botanical Gardens are as close to luxury as one could expect at one of the most pristine active research biological facilities in Costa Rica. The rooms are nicely kept and the views are to die for. Meals are prepared for the guests, students and faculty of the facility by dedicated staff. A stay at the facility includes a guided tour of the Wilson Botanical Gardens, a birdwatcher's and gardener's paradise, and continued access to the gardens and surrounding nature trails and preserves. Highly recommended for travelers who want to commune with nature, right up to the doorstep.
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

2/10

Disappointed never reviewed bill as asked over bill Never received receipt took friends very disappointed would appreciate you sending us a justified bill.