Hotel Belmar was one of the pioneers in the tourism development of the area. In the early 1980's there were only two Quaker pensions and a small hotel. Hotel Belmar started in 1985 with its first building (the Chalet) as a family style Guest House where its owners lived. The hotel was started by a Costa Rican-Chilean couple who came to Monteverde after living for many years in Europe . The Austrian Chalet architecture came from their memories of time spent in Austria . The second building, the Main Building , was built in 1991 because of the growth and demand of tourism, but always under the same concept of a small, family business in harmony with nature. Nowadays, the hotel is still managed by its owners and their children.

Nestled in the mountains, adjacent to the immense tropical rainforest internationally known as one of the world's premiere wildlife sanctuaries; the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. The average temperature is 17C (62F) and an altitude of approximately 1500 mts / 4500 ft. The hotel is located 168 km/ 105 miles from San Jose .