Arenal Observatory Lodge

We just stayed here for part of our CR trip (2 nights) and enjoyed it. They welcomed us with a refreshing wet towel with lemongrass and juice, a nice touch that we got the days before at Tabacon. They also gave a bottle of wine to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. So kind! The welcome desk was great, and we did the hour long tour along the grounds to learn more about the creatures and grounds at AOL. We had dinner that night at the on site restaurant and food was good, the service could have been quite a bit better. But that’s not a deal breaker. Breakfast service was great as was the food but beware they don’t open until 6:30 (along with coffee outside of what they give you in room) so we had 10 minutes to get it to go and run down to town for the 7am tour, which is what most guides offer. As for the grounds, gorgeous. We heard howler monkeys each morning and saw a great thunderstorm both nights. We didn’t use the pool or hot tub but they looked great too. We did, however, go up the 95 foot tall Nest for the aerial view. Scary, but worth it. If you’re looking for a nice calm and gorgeous stay about 30 minutes out of the town, this is a great option.

Loved this hotel and the grounds. Our room was the perfect size and had an amazing view of the volcano! The food was good at the restaurant and we enjoyed the night tour and natural history walk. We saw a lot of animals on-site and our kids became skilled at spotting them. All the staff was fried and very helpful. A few tips: There is no AC but a small battery operated fan was great to help dry things (without everything stays a bit damp - they have laundry service). Bring binoculars and a flashlight for spotting animals. There is a lot to do in the area but leave at least a day to explore the grounds at AOL - the waterfall is beautiful. Slow down when visiting.

Our group of 8 (ages 5-78) had a blast at this hotel. It is the only hotel in the national park, and you are up front and personal with so many birds, insects and animals. We had a family of spider monkeys in the trees right outside our rooms that entertained us every afternoon. The guided nature hikes taught us so much about the flora and fauna in the area. I recommend the guided hike to the Danta waterfall, led by Christian who is very knowledgeable and fun! The observation deck is a great place to sit, bird watch and even catch sight of the Arenal Volcano. The frog pond had the elusive red-eyed frogs that we all wanted to see. ||The pool and hot tub were very inviting. They could be reached by crossing a hanging bridge between the lodge and pool area.||Breakfast was included and delicious. Enough to give us energy to explore the surrounding area. We also enjoyed the Happy Hour each afternoon with the lovely female bartender Paola. Not only does she pour a great drink, she also gave us several restaurant recommendations for our next stop, La Fortuna.||All in all, we highly recommend this fabulous place. So beautiful, so tranquil (until the monkeys start fighting, that is!) You'll love it!

This place is absolutely beautiful. They're very accommodating. Extremely nice. Lots of things to do and around the grounds. The rooms are very clean. The beds are not as comfortable as we like but everything was really impeccably clean and very friendly. I would highly recommend. The night hike is amazing and saw so much wildlife.

We had a wonderful three night stay at Arenal Observatory Lodge. The views are spectacular and the service at the restaurant is amazing. Ezequiel, Howard, and Pula in the restaurant were always so warm and welcoming with us and our 2 young kids. We loved being able to hike all the trails right from our doorstep and got to experience the waterfall all to ourselves. The spa is small, but it has an incredible view of the jungle making you feel like you’re fully immersed in the forest. The rooms are a bit dated but very clean and the beds were comfortable. No TV in the room but we appreciated that! We also enjoyed the pool and hot tub after hiking and adventures each day. We drove into La Fortuna for a chocolate tour and were glad to be staying outside the city to enjoy the beauty of Arenal. I’ll be recommending this place to friends and family!

We loved staying at Arenal Observatory Lodge and Trails! Our room was the perfect size with space to put everything away during our stay. Amazing view of the volcano, we saw the top several times. We also saw birds, monkeys, and coatis from our porch! The restaurant was nice and convenient to have breakfast every morning at. We also ate dinner there every night. The deck is fantastic, be there at sunset for a spectacular view over lake and to see the birds at the feeder.||The grounds are great! I recommend making sure you have at least one day to just hike their trails and explore the property - and some other half days. We did the night tour and the natural history walk - both were so fantastic and Christian (sp?) was fantastic with the kids. We learned so much and the kids loved seeing the frogs, snakes, birds, scorpion, bunnies, monkeys, and other insects/bugs. Afterwards, our kids were able to find a lot of the animals on their own and would point out a frog or find the monkeys. I highly recommend doing the tours to see the animals. It's nice on property because there are less people. The pool is really nice and we had so much fun swimming in the afternoon while looking at the volcano. The heated pool was covered so even if it rains, you don't get cold.

We had an amazing time here and don’t want to leave! The view of the volcano from our room is amazing. In the morning we did some birdwatching from our balcony and saw toucans, parrots, and hummingbirds. We took 2 nature hikes with the hotel guides and saw so many animals and birds. I recommend the night hike. The hikes with the guides are a must. This is a great location to explore the area. The food is great and all of the staff make you feel at home. The views from the dinning room and the deck are also amazing. Only come here if you like stunning views, amazing flora and fauna and helpful staff.

We loved it here! Can’t recommend this magical place enough. We stayed in the Smithsonian rooms with the view of the volcano - incredible! The service was amazing - from Joseph’s warm positivity at the reception everyday to Ezekiel and Luis’s friendly service at the restaurant - we were very impressed and made to feel welcome and treated so well. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. The hot tub was rather luke-warm but the trails were amazing. We stayed 4 nights and were very glad we did as there are so many things to do in the area. You don’t even need to leave the property as there a many beautiful trails and even some guided tours included. Don’t be put off by the crazy drive up the mountain (it is very rough with lots of tight turns - so glad to have the SUV!) - it is worth the climb! Definitely stay here!