This is one of the neatest, most beautiful places i've ever been to. The staff is super helpful. They will come out and personally show you plants and animals native to their region. They have a free nature walk everyday, and you get a free horseback ride. The restaurant is delicious, and accomodations are exquisite. This is not a 5 star facility if you are looking for pampering, but if you want an adventure mixed with relaxation you get it here. It is about 20ish minutes away from town, but after exploring whatever it is you do during the day all you can think about is driving up that mile or so twisty road that takes you up the mountain to the lodge. Fall asleep to frogs, and wake up to Stephania the macaw. That's all i'm saying because I don't want it over crowded next time I go, and I will be back.

My husband and I stayed at Arenal Lodge on 12/29/11 - 12/31/11, at the beginning of our trip to Costa Rica. We enjoyed our stay and would recommend the Lodge. Pros were being out in the countryside and away from the crowds at the bigger resorts or La Fortuna, beautiful grounds, plenty of birds, and great breakfasts. Cons were that our standard room was very basic and close to the lobby, so while that made it convenient for meals, it was also a bit noisy as we could hear dishes rattling in the restaurant and people nearby. We felt it was a good value for the price. Another plus was that you couldn’t miss the entrance from the main road going around the lake as they have good signs and a guard house at the turn-off from the main road.

It rained the whole time we were at Hotel Arenal but I could tell the view would have been great if it cleared up. We enjoyed the jacuzzi and the staff let us borrow nice robes to use. I thought it strange that you have to walk through the bar to get to the pool and Jacuzzi.
There was a very tame macaw that visited the property. The free breakfast was nice.
The room was just okay...we had reserved 2 rooms but our travel partner was injured before leaving the states and could not go with us. The staff didn't offer any upgrades based on the fact that due to the cancellation policy, we lost the money for the second room. The lodge was mostly empty but we got a queen size bed and walking past other rooms saw that there were king size beds available. The mattress was quite thin too. We didn't have a problem with bugs or mildew but the air conditioner didn't work properly.

This place is amazing. The rooms are huge and they have a wonderful deck that overlooks the jacuzzis and eternity pool as well as a magnificent view of Arenal volcano. The stay included a delicious breakfast and horseback riding. The staff were all very nice and helpful. The only problem I had was the internet was extremely slow, but you are pretty far up. They have a blue and gold Macaw that hangs around the Lodge and will eat out of your hand. We did a walking tour of the jungle and butterfly house on the property and it was beautiful. There is a lot of wildlife to see but I suggest going with a guide as they are better at spotting smaller things. Overall it was a great experience.