Arenal Observatory Lodge

"Great Place to stay" by Reviews by TripAdvisor (February 26, 2010)

The location is pretty amazing...but the drive out to the hotel is AWFUL. It takes 20 minutes to get from La Fortuna to the beginning of the dirt road that goes around the volcano to the lodge. And then it's another 20 minutes of the most horrible dirt road I've ever been on...it is almost unpassable....HUGE potholes down the whole stretch so you are swinging from side to side of the road trying to avoid them so you don't kill your rental car. Going five miles an hour the whole way. It was miserable. And once you get there, you are stuck there because the thought of making that drive again is just too much. But staying there means mediocre over-priced food, and dormitory like rooms with no privacy...there is a foot high strip of screened windows on the top of the walls at both the front and back of the room, so if you are in the bathroom, the people on the sidewalk outside can hear everything. The balcony would have been amazing if the volcano hadn't been covered in fog the whole time we were there! I can see the allure of this place if you are a hiker and want to spend all your time outside. But if you want to visit La Fortuna or the hot springs, it's much better to stay near the town and avoid the horrible road! Date of stay February 2009

"White Hawk Villa was fantastic!" by Reviews by TripAdvisor (February 18, 2010)

We spent 2 nights in the White Hawk Villa and would love to return. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to see the famous lava due to cloud cover. The Arenal Observatory Lodge grounds are beautiful! The food was good at the restaurant, but be prepared that it is the only thing available that isn't a 30+ minute bumpy drive away. There are lots of great hiking trails on the property. It doesn't get any more picturesque than this place! Date of stay January 2010

"Go for the Smithsonian rooms!" by Revirews by TripAdvisor (February 14, 2010)

Location of the hotel is simply stunning, especially if you spend a few dollars more and go for the Smithsonian rooms. These are located in a separate outbuilding with much better views of the volcano. How many hotel rooms in the world offer a spectacle of flowing lava to be seen from your veranda or bed? We were lucky enough to witness this several times and it is truly spectacular. The road to the hotel is one of the worst we've come across in Costa Rica. This wouldn't be a problem if the hotel's restaurant would be any good. But unfortunately the quality of the food is below average and pricey. Lunch at nearby hotel Linda Vista would be a good alternative and the views over the lake Arenal are great. The close-up views of the volcano make more than up for the quality of the road and restaurant as this hotel is the only one on the right side of the volcano. The free morning walk is great too. Date of stay September 2009

"Great Place to stay" by Reviews by TripAdvisor (February 02, 2010)

It was a long trip to Arenal from San Jose but it was all worth it. The staff esp Esteban were very friendly and helpful. Esteban booked us right away to Baldi Hot Springs where we had buffet dinner and experienced a very relaxing soak in the waters of Baldi. Do not miss going to this spot. Esteban made th e reservation for us and even went around the system to have our driver free of charge. Stay at Adenvure Inn for a start in San Jose and ask for Don Gerardo to be your tour guide/driver around Costa Rica. Our unit was facing the Volcano and we had a full view of this majestic volacano.Breakfast is included also in the price.The hotel provided us with to go breakfast since we left early for our next desitnation. The free morning hike with a guide around the property is not to be missed. The hike down the waterfall was a challenge but was relaxing. We took the tram ride and zip back to the base of Arenal Volcano. It was an experience of a lifetim. Jesse and Evelyn Puyallup WA USA Date of stay January 2010

"Mixed feelings: hotels are only as good as the people who work there" by Reviews by TripAdvisor (January 26, 2010)

This is a beautiful, magical place. Gorgeous landscaping and gardens, amazing opportunities to see an active volcano at close range. However, hotels are only as good as the people who work there, and this is where the superlatives end. The desk clerks are helpful only to a point. They work with tourists day in and and day out and this reflects in their attitude. We had a complicated problem with getting back to the airport in time for our flight out, and the staff had little patience with me. My radar can hone in pretty fast on folks who are simply interested in tourists as cash cows, and there were red blips all over the place here for me. At one point, while trying to sort things out, the desk clerk simply stated: you absolutely must be out of the room in a half hour! And since we were staying in the casona building, and had to walk up and down a lenghty hill, you can imagine how I felt. I almost cried in front of the children! A simple gesture of kindness, such as offering me a ride in the luggage cart so I could get the suitcases packed quickly, would have gone a long way... We were in the casona building because there were no more room available in the other parts of the hotel, but I think the casona building was very lovely indeed, and a good value. However, you can hear right through the doors to the common area, and my son and I were chased off the common porch( even though we were being very respectful and whispering) by another guest at 8:30 pm because there is only a screen window between the porch and the next room... The free morning walking tour was nice, if you could keep up with the ex-pat guide and happened to be able to walk right next to him (he was knowlegable, but not much of a people-person, and definitely not kid-friendly). The tico guide with him, however, was fantastic, friendly and found many animals through his scope. Our horseback riding guide was quite wonderful as well...although not an english-speaker. (Don't let folks fool you....it HELPS TO SPEAK SPANISH in Costa Rica!!). All in all, this is a place to come to for a night in order to marvel at the volcano and see some beautiful animals (excellent birding, for example). However, we never linger in these kinds of spots, in spite of the great pool/jacuzzi (cold pool but nice after a day-hike). We did meet some nice folks who were staying there, but the generally cold, affluent clientele and hardened desk clerks took a lot of the magic out of the stay for me