If any country has proved that luxury guests are willing to pay for hotels that are taking care of their environment, it’s Costa Rica. Monte Azul Boutique Hotel, situated on 125 acres in the foothills of the country’s highest mountain, this is luxe lodging that’s really green. Most furniture found in the rooms is designed and produced on site using salvaged, recycled and certified woods. The organic produce and organic coffee served here are grown on site. With composting, furniture made from salvaged wood, and a reforestation nursery, you can feel confident that you’re staying at a place that works in harmony with its surroundings. If you stay here, you’ll even have a tree planted in your name.

Monte Azul is a big step above most nature lodges though in terms of aesthetics.

Stretching the creative element to new heights and placing the Monte Azul Boutique Hotel in a category of its own is the fact that all spaces are regularly curated with fine art by both national and international artists. Many pieces are produced in Monte Azul’s on-site artist-in-residence program and some travel to the Monte Azul Contemporary Art (MACA) gallery in New York City. Inspired by the natural surroundings and the local community, the artwork adds a new dimension to your experience. In your room, there are halogen lights to illuminate the art and a pricelist with artist biographies.

Because the public and private spaces function as galleries, they are continually changing; you can request that your room be curated with a particular artist, or you may discover new fine art pieces on a return visit.

There are only six casitas and villas in this huge expanse of property intersected by wildlife trails and streams. The top choice is Casa Palo Alto, a 3,300-square-foot home with three bedrooms, a huge upper terrace lining the open and expansive indoor living area, another lower terrace, and a pool area. See our extensive detailed review of Monte Azul Hotel in Costa Rica.

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It sure took a while, but the Caribbean side of Costa Rica now has a real functioning luxury resort hotel. We’ve got a first-person review of it from one of our Panama experts, Beverly Gallagher. See our detailed review of Le Caméléon Boutique Hotel.

Don’t come here looking for lots of florals and wicker. “Playful minimalism” is more the style, with white-on-white rooms playing against the greenery outside and common areas splashed with bright solid colors.

It’s not perfect yet: the beds are a bit small in the lowest category rooms and the staffers are still figuring out how to get past the sleepy Caribbean vibe that usually passes for hotel service with the competition. This is a bold project executed well though and a major step forward for the region. Now heading to “the other coast” doesn’t have to mean taking a big step down in quality.

See our full list of reviews of luxury hotels in Costa Rica.