We were very excited to arrive at the Arenal Observatory Lodge and were expecting it to be one of the highlights of our trip however on arrival we were greeted by a miserable and very rude man on reception who seemed to find checking us in a huge effort which he could barely be bothered to perform.

We didn't have a car at this time and asked about getting to Arenal National Park only to find out that it was a $25 taxi ride each way. I think the taxis had to come from La Fortuna which would explain the cost. Perhaps the hotel might like to think about running a couple of shuttles in the morning and afternoon for people like us who don't have their own transport but I suspect that might be too much effort for them.

The room was clean and comfortable. We stayed in one of the lodges in La Casona. The hotel website is keen for you to know that it is only 500m from the main hotel amenities but doesn't mention that it is 500m up a VERY steep hill. The website also describes the free tour you can do to the Lava fields but be warned the path has been closed by their neighbours and you can only go as far as the river.

We joined the free morning tour of the grounds one morning. The tour guide was so miserbale that we actually found it funny. If anyone asked a question they were given one word grunts in reply and he made no effort to engage the people on the tour. We got chatting to a couple who had been on a paid tour with him and they explained that his behaviour was because he doesn't like guiding big groups. Well I am sorry Mr Tour Guide but it is your job so get on with it and stop sulking.

Final moan on this review is the food. Mediocre is the word and expensive too. I guess they don't have to make much of an effort in this area as they have a captive audience. We asked if we could have a packed lunch one day - a concept which seemed alien to the restaurant staff - and eventually got a couple of dry sandwiches in stale white bread. Yum!

So, on the bright side the grounds are lovely and well kept. The walks to the waterfall and lava flow (as far as it goes) are nice we did see some wonderful wildlife. Sorry, no mention of the spectacular views of the volcano but it was shrouded in cloud for our visit.

Best place we stayed in our 2 weeks in Costa Rica (we were there 4 nights). Fabulous for birders, as the feeders and grounds are as good as advertised. We stayed in room 41 which was the best room in the lower area down the hill from the main lodge area. The room was great! One side facing Arenal lake was all glass - with a large patio door (with working screens!) leading to our own porch. The view was superb - since the volcano is domant now, it's not like you're missing lava flowing from the views in the other rooms - and you do get a great sunset over Arenal lake.

You will want your own car if you stay down below - it's a good hike uphill to get to the lodge and restaurant. The buildings there hold two rooms each, so you share a wall. The walls are quite thin and you'll hear everything since you're so isolated the only competition is the jungle sound. So please be respectful - we lodged next to the LOUD FAMILY for two nights before they left - that really was the worse part of our 2 weeks.

The free breakfast was great - everything you could ask for in a buffet, with juices and fruit, cereal, and always hot food too. These were also the best breakfasts we had all trip.
We ate there for late lunches in lieu of dinners and were happy with the food then too. Try the chicken, rice and beans plate here. Able to get beers from bar to drink on our porch in the evening.

They load the feeders up at least twice a day, bringing in some nice birds. The extensive land also makes for some great birding too. We had a Black-and-white Owl sit under a street light at the entrance to our area every night - really neat.
The dirt road to the lodge takes some getting used to - as all roads in CR do. But can easily be done without 4x4.
I highly recommend this place.

We didn't stay here--it was all booked up months in advance. But went for the day. Fantastic! We hiked all the trails and took a 1-hour guided horseback ride--which was really great and the most inexpensive ride we have ever taken. We saw a couple of coatis, and we enjoyed the beautiful views of the volcano and the gulf of nicoya. We would try again to stay here on our next trip to Costa Rica.

We stayed here for 3 nights in a Smithsonian room. The views from the room were fabulous. Our room was spacious with a nice balcony. Great birding just sitting on our balcony in the morning and evening. We never left the property and hiked around it on both of our full days. Granted, we repeated some of the trails - but it is beautiful! Be sure to take the free guided hike at 8:30 in the morning.

The resturant has views of both the volcano and Lake Arenal. Again, beautiful views. I found the food to be quite tasty and entrees are generally in the $10-$20 range.

About the road in: Arriving in the dry season, we had no problem driving into the lodge with our rental manual transmission car (no 4 wheel drive). Yes it is a dirt road, yes it is a dusty road, and yes there are bumps. But it was completely driveable dirt road, and there were no large potholes etc..

The only 'con' of the hotel, is that mostly' foreign tourists' stay here. So you don't have a local feel or interactions with locals you have when staying at a local, or less touristy hotel.