Volcano Lodge & Hot Springs

Volcano Lodge was a mixed bag. Family of 9, ranging in age from 11 to 78, was there for 4 nights celebrating the holidays. Over rating was a 7, with some very nice pluses and some negatives. ||The plus side were the grounds and the staff. The property is very attractive grounds with inviting thermal pools and an eager and helpful staff. The negatives were the rooms, very average at best, like a basic motel. The plumbing was suspect, and one of the rooms toilets was leaking and constantly running. When service was requested, at first ignored, but after a second request a maintenance man did come late in the evening and fixed the problem. The most amazing thing was a sign in the rest room, asking guests not to put used toilet paper in the toilet, but in the trash can. This was ignored, but can't imagine a more unsanitary and disgusting request. An out house would have been preferable. ||The dining room provided an excellent and included hot breakfast buffet. The dinner menu was extensive, and on the whole the food was good, probably an 8 rating. However, compared to very nice restaurants elsewhere in the area, the dinner pricing at the hotel was extremely high and not warranted, probably a 2 rating. Thus, if possible, suggest much better values are available outside the hotel.

We stayed here at the recommendation of our daughter. She and her family stayed here two years ago over their spring break. At the time their children were nine and 11 and they had a fantastic time. The weather was perfect and they all enjoyed the hotel and all of the activities in the area. |Our plane landed at San Jose International Airport at 1 PM. We rented a car and then we ate a late lunch in San Jose. We then drove to Volcano Lodge, hotel, and thermal experience. It was a very difficult 3 hour drive. Very narrow and windy roads, heavy fog, and a lot of rain. By the time we arrived at the hotel we were questioning our decision in coming to Costa Rica and our hotel choice. We went to our room and then went to the dining room and had nice meal. We went to bed early that night because we had to meet met our Guide at the Mystic hanging bridge rain forest the next day at 7:30 am. It poured rain for the entire two hour tour and we saw no wildlife. We got back to our hotel and we’re so disappointed and ready to leave. We had paid in advance for three nights. We asked them at the front desk if we could get a refund of one night and leave after two. They would not permit it and said we would be penalized and lose the money. We were upset after that, but after we thought about it, we decided to make the best of the situation. As I write this, I have to say that we have enjoyed our stay. We leave tomorrow morning after three nights and head to Manuel Antonio. I have to say that the hotel has been great. We have eaten all of our meals in the dining room and they have all been wonderful. The wait staff is very polite, attentive, and professional. We enjoyed the hot springs, especially after a long day and before dinner. It is a great way to relax before dinner. It has rained off and on the entire three days that we have been here, but the hotel had nothing to do with the weather. The grounds around the hotel are beautiful and well maintained. It a natural habitat with lots of beautiful plants. Unfortunately, we have seen very little wildlife. I highly recommend Volcano Lodge, hotel and thermal experience and would stay here again if i ever come back to this area of Costa Rico. I do recommend that you bring an umbrella or buy one after you get here. If you visit a rain forest, expect rain.

We stayed here for 16 days in October. The grounds were beautiful, we enjoyed seeing all the different plants carefully cultivated on the property. Theres a fair bit to explore on the grounds themselves as well, we did a self guided night walk around the perimeter of the resort and saw lots of wild life including bugs, frogs, birds, basilisks and an armadillo. There also seems to be flocks of pava that live there full time and we saw toucans and a howler monkey on different occasions. The pools and hotsprings are beautiful and kept very clean. The staff are incredibly hardworking, kind and receptive to the needs of the patrons, we ordered room service a number of times and care was taken to deliver it quickly and with everything protected, even in crazy thunderstorms, they bent over backwards to give us an excellent stay. The food is incredible. The gym is cool too.

The standout feature of our stay was undoubtedly the thermal springs. With a variety of mineral pools—ranging from secluded corners to a lively swim-up bar—it was the ultimate way to decompress after exploring Arenal. The private thermal plunge pool in our room was a particular highlight; soaking under the stars was incredibly romantic.||The property itself is a lush, tropical sanctuary. We spent much of our time admiring the landscaping and spotting local wildlife. While the Arenal Volcano is often shy behind the clouds, waking up at 5:00 AM paid off with a stunning clear view. The staff truly lived up to the "Pura Vida" spirit with their warm hospitality.||There is room for improvement, however: some accommodations feel a bit aged, and the breakfast buffet was underwhelming. Also, keep in mind that the hotel is a bit of a drive from town. Overall, if you are looking for a tranquil, nature-focused retreat with world-class hot springs, this is an excellent choice.

Family trip to Arenal for New Year’s. Very pleased with our stay. Clean rooms. Staff extremely nice and helpful. Restaurant had excellent food with a breakfast that had plenty of options. The springs/pools were relaxing and there were plenty to choose from. Saw plenty of wildlife including sloths on the property itself. Even though weather prevented us from seeing the top of volcano, it was still an excellent stay at this hotel!

We loved our stay, five of us in two rooms. Friendly staff, fabulous hot pools, great breakfast & dinner. Beautiful birds everywhere!||Disappointed they charged something to our room that 100% wasn't ordered by us & a real struggle to get it removed!||Very cool chill out zone for kids young & old. ||A wee way out of town but cheap to get an Uber there. ||Would absolutely stay again.

A warm welcome at the reception! We could park our car just in front of our bungalow. It has a lovely terrace and a comfy bed. Coffee maker in the room. The hotel offers countless amenities and attentive service. Breakfast buffet was delicious and dinner à la carte nice! Service very friendly and free distilled drinking water available all time long. The pool has a very nice view, you can see the volcano. I recommend to do the hotel trial to see the animals in the surroundings. Beautiful area to relax and enjoy the nature. We loved our stay there!

Wonderful hotel with beautiful grounds. The breakfast had lots of options, the thermal hot tub was wonderful (and super hot) My only pet peeve was the reception where they provided all of the details, quickly showed on the map where the room is and sent us on our way (but didnt give the map).. after 7 hour drive, at 11pm driving slowly looking for where you remembered the room to be but not was somewhat frustrating - only sharing in an effort to help improve.. otherwise, a great hotel!