Hotel Arenal Lodge

It was far away from the town. So need a vehicle and definitely a SUV. I had booked this hotel for the view of Arenal volcano but unfortunately it was very foggy and couldn't a clear view. Otherwise the stay was comfortable. The person at the reception Daniel was very helpful but not the ladies who replaced him for other shifts. It was close to the Tabacon Hot springs.

This place is absolutely beautiful. You woul have no idea it existed because its tucked away so far up in the mountains. 30 minutes from fortuna, you feel like your in the Swiss alps on a ski trip, except of course, your in the jungle. We will definetly go back!

It was beautiful and the food was great but we went during off season and we had the small staff that wasnt on top of their game.

I travel for a living and have been to several foreign countries. This is a very unique hotel. The views are absolutely incredible, especially in the mornings. When you book, be aware this is no five star resort, but it leaves you with such a great experience. You get the feel like you are in a remote area by yourself. There is lots of wildlife, mainly birds, around the hotel. In fact, one morning, my wife and I fed a wild macaw off of our balcony as we overlooked the volcano. Just a few you should knows: It is about 20-25 mins from La Fortuna, It is about 10 mins up a long and steep drive off of the main road, Not all rooms have a/c, Internet is only available in the lobby, Close to Sky Trek and the national park, Food is good and at a reasonable price. My wife and I were on our honeymoon (only spent 2 nights here before moving on), and we absolutely loved it. The first night we were in a 'superior' room, which come to find out does not have a/c and views leave a lot to be desired (one window which is adjacent to the parking area, and the volcano beyond that). The second night we moved to a junior suite, which does have a/c, and amazing views. Overall, we were dissapointed when we first arrived (due to the 'superior' room), but ended up leaving here with a fantastic experience. We spent 8 days in Costa Rica, 2 in the Arenal area before heading to a resort on the Pacific, and this was our favorite part of the trip. We would stay here again!

Arenal Lodge offers free horse-back riding as part of lodging which was an amazing experience overlooking volcano and lake. They also have the best bird-watching experience in their gardens as we saw more species there than in official parks. Our chalet was perfect - one king bed and one queen bed with mini-kitchen - overlooking the sights. It is situated in a remote section of La Fortuna - 16 miles east and up a huge hill-side but it is well-worth the trip. We stayed 3 nights. Restaurant is hit or miss with food at dinner. The Lodge also has a great hiking trail through the forest. We would stay there again with kids as they also had billiards, foosball table, playground, pool and hot tub.

This hotel sits a couple miles off the main road about 15 minutes from Fortuna. It has the most spectacular views of Arenal volcano. Each room faces the volcano which is an amazing view to wake upto. The restaurant and bar are staffed with the most friendly people and again you can enjoy a drink or meal facing the rain forest and volcano. They set out fruit for the birds so every morning you can enjoy your coffee watching them.

Great food and wines. Waiting staff was very attentive. The hotel units were located around the property in a very creative way. The Arenal volcano was distant, but easily viewed. The steep road up to the hotel is exciting and a little scary. We were uncomfortable and annoyed by the lack of hot water and wash cloths in our room over our 3 night visit, although we were assured twice that both would be fixed. Yet, I still would recommend this hotel.

It was a beautiful lodge, if you like secluded hotels then it is definitely for you. Staff was very friendly and views are spectacular from our suites balcony. We paid for 2 regular rooms but it was a slow season so they gave us two junior suites instead. Getting to the hotel is difficult, from the entrance its about 8-10 minute drive up the hill. There was zero vission driving in the dark, fog and rain but we made it. Not to convinient to get in and out. There wasn't any WIfi available in the rooms, only in the lobby. Overall a very unique and cozy lodge to stay in with beautiful views of forest and you can see different kind of animals which was amazing.

It was a good 5 days, we walked the trails, did horseback riding with a very pleasant guide (Miguel?) so as to fully enjoy the views on the volcano. Food and service in the restaurant are great. The hotel gives you the feeling of being at home in Costa Rica. The garden is wonderful, so are the pool and the jacuzis.

Understand that you are traveling to a very remote area in a country that isn't very wealthy. This is by no means a luxury hotel, but you should know that going in. It's in a beautiful natural area surrounded by jungle; it sits on the side of a mountain with perfect views of the volcano (although it was totally rainy and foggy while we were there so we couldn't see it); and it is perfectly located within short driving distances to all of the local adventure activities. The rooms are clean, the food in the restaurant is very good and reasonably priced, and the staff is fantastic - they were very willing to answer all of our questions and they moved us to another room without hesitation when we had trouble with getting hot water in our shower. Don't go there if you're expecting the Four Seasons, but if you're looking for a comfortable place to make as your base of operations for great natural adventures then the Arenal Lodge is perfect.