Coffee Lodge Cristal Glamping & Spa

The Mindo Coffee Lodge and Spa is a hidden gem. Guests stay in individual bungalows with clean, updated bathrooms and balconies. There is a pool surrounded by beautiful flowers with hummingbirds and butterflies. Breakfast is served in their upstairs dining area which includes a porch overlooking the gorgeous scenery. The staff is friendly and welcoming and the breakfast (included in our reservation) was several courses with fresh fruit and bread, juices, and eggs made to order. The staff is very knowledgeable and recommended wonderful excursions in the area including horseback riding, the Mariposas Del Mindo Butterfly garden, zip-lining through the cloud forest at the Mindo Canopy Adventure, water-tubing, and great restaurant recommendations such as Serenity Restaurant. I highly recommend the Mindo Coffee Lodge and Spa and we are looking forward to our next stay.

It is always annoying to be wrongly directed by Google maps. We were the other side of a field away. Not too far but easily corrected by the hotel to move their pinned placement slightly. Or send a brief instruction prior to arrival "head up the road to Mariposas de Mindo, the very good Butterfly Garden and Mindo Canopy Ziplines, our sign Hosteria Coffee Lodge will be on the left". The entrance was also signed Crystal Glamping adding slightly to the confusion. While the buildings themselves, the pool, the presentation of breakfast, all live up to the aspiration of a top hotel its little things like directions, or effective WiFi that are slight failings. Apart from that our room, a bungalow, was large, super king bed, immaculately clean with a nice patio area and cloud forest view. Breakfast was fruit plate, breads, eggs cooked to choice, fried plantain with cheese, fruit juice and tea or coffee all well presented. Dinner was available, significantly more expensive than local restaurants, some might consider worth it as the food was always presented. For us too quiet and the open sided restaurant perhaps not the most conducive to eating on cold evenings. Not an issue as we had a car to visit local restaurants but otherwise a cheap taxi ride or a 20 minute walk along a gravel road. The small pool was surprisingly warm and fun for a quick dip after a day's sightseeing.

Our stay could not have been better! The room, facilities, staff, and location were all top notch! The bungalow (#8) was clean and comfortable with an amazing view. Being on the outskirts of town meant it was quiet for a peaceful sleep. If you are carrying bags I would recommend taking a taxi from the town centre when you arrive. Without bags, it is a short 5 minute walk back to the town centre - we did this multiple times and enjoyed the walk. We enjoyed the pool - basic but a great temperature and we had it to ourselves all three days. There is a games room (chess and other board games available) behind the pool and a small hut for massages. The onsite restaurant is open air with great views. Breakfast is included (fruit plate, coffee/tea, fresh juice, eggs, fresh bread with butter and jams) and was the best we had in all of Ecuador. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner - we splurged and got the 7 course taster menu. It was amazing and I would definitely recommend it. We were so full we struggled to finish the last 3 courses. The coffee is grown by the games room and is available for purchase to take some home with you. Lastly, the staff were amazing! Very friendly and helpful. They recommended a few things to do/see around town, and called taxis for us. We were also able to check-in early and they let us check-out late. They also arranged a taxi to take us from the hotel to the airport, rather than taking a taxi-bus-taxi to the airport as our flight was at night. I highly recommend staying here if you are looking for a friendly and peaceful place. I will be staying here if/when I return to Ecuador with my family.

We had the most amazing stay at the Mindo Coffee Lodge/Spa! They provided transportation to and from the airport in Quito, making arrival and departure so easy! We were late in arrival due to traffic, but Washington at the front desk made sure we were able to eat dinner in their lovely restaurant. When we got to our rooms they were just as advertised and BEAUTIFUL! We stayed in Room 1 (two room cabana) and Room 9 (one of the glass walled rooms), and both accommodations were outstanding. The view from Room 9 is incredible and it has air conditioning, plus other beautiful amenities (we called it the glass palace). The breakfast is included and was delicious…coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fresh juice, fruit plate, freshly baked bread, granola with yogurt, eggs to order, and pancakes. We ate dinner twice in the restaurant, and had great experiences both times. The food is delicious and the service friendly! The reception staff (especially Washington) was helpful and attentive. They helped us book a night tour and cabs as needed. My daughter and I got massages on site (which we never do on vacation but so glad we did), and the experience was as relaxing as we had hoped. The grounds are beautiful, the pool is well maintained and the location is central to the canopy activities and to the town of Mindo. The only drawback for us was that we are early risers but there was no in-room coffee and breakfast isn’t served until 8:30. As much as we love our early morning coffee, that didn’t take away from the amazing time we had staying at the Coffee Lodge and Spa! If we ever find ourselves in Mindo again, we would absolutely stay here again!

We spent four nights at Mindo Coffe Lodge recently and loved it! Our cabana (#8.. . ask for it) overlooked a beautiful pond with forest-covered mountains trailing off into the distance. We could watch an endless array of beautiful birds including tanagers and toucans from our patio - a dream location for the birder! You need not even venture off site and see fifty plus species of birds in a few days. The staff was extremely attentive, the food was excellent and everything was kept very clean.

We arrived in Mindo from the mountains of Ecuador - and were instantly impressed by the beauty and diversity of the region’s cloud forest. Our 4 nights at Mindo Coffee Lodge & Spa were perfect! Our room was well appointed and in great condition. From our outdoor patio - we heard the rushing Mindo River while enjoying local birds and the rolling mist over the mountains. The staff arranged both a knowledgeable Guide for a birding adventure as well as a delicious and delightful cooking lesson - at the Hosteria. Overall we totally enjoyed our stay - even as the weather was not so great!