Everything wonderful. Beautiful views. Lovely pool and spa. Staff was outstanding. So pretty. I loved the welcome drink. The view of the volcano. The wild life. Enjoyed the dinners at the restaurant. The soups were outstanding. So were the steaks. We upgraded to a nice room that had a wonderful volcano view. Hawks, howler monkeys, etc. The staff was so nice, however it was hard to get change to tip. They didn't seem at all concerned by this and were truly friendly and helpful without an expectation of a gratuity. Very clean too.

Its a little out of the way down a very long dirt road but so are most things around here. The hotel is very dated. The rooms are just lacking in any comfort or cozy feel. The pool/jacuzzi looking onto the volcano is great but thats about all it has going for it.

Hubby, adult daughter and I spent three nights at the Hotel Linda Vista del Norte as part of a package from Jet Set Vacations.

Getting there: Try to arrive in Costa Rica early in the day so you have plenty of time to drive to the resort in the daylight (nightfall is between 5:30 and 6 PM year around). The resort is a 3-3.5 hour drive from Liberia airport. As the resort is fairly remote, highly recommend renting a vehicle, preferably a 4-wheel drive. This is the best way to get from the airport, and provides you the opportunity to explore the area on your own (otherwise it is a $30 transportation fee any time you want to go off the property) International driver's license is not required; you need your driver's license from home. Driving is on the right. Most of the roads are paved, but not all, many paved roads unexpectedly become unpaved, and the unpaved ones can be quite rough. The drive around the lake is very twisty and windy, so drive with care. The last about 6 miles are particularly bumpy. . .you will need to drive very slow. Virtually all of the bridges are one lane, many without guard rails. “ceda el paso” means “yield the right of way” in Spanish, and is often the only indication that the road is narrowing to one lane.

Check in: Check in is quick and efficient. Reception/front desk staff are friendly and very helpful. They are able to help you make reservations for excursions.

The grounds: This is a small hotel (There are 11 regular rooms – 5 facing Lake Arenal and 6 facing the volcano, a couple of junior and master suites, and a honeymoon suite which is a separate cottage with a car port – maybe 25 rooms in all) snuggled into a steep hill side overlooking Lake Arenal and Arenal Volcano. The grounds of the resort are well maintained, with many beautiful flowers. There is a small infinity pool and a hot tub with a beautiful view of the mountains and the volcano when it is clear. With the exception of the pool and the hot tub the resort is handicap accessible.

The rooms: these are very nice, clean basic rooms. There are no in-room phones. Junior suites (and better) have remote control flat screen TVs (with about 14 channels, several in English) a small refrigerator, a small table with several chairs, air conditioning, a small coffee maker and sliding glass doors that open onto a terrace with a wonderful view. There isn't a dresser, but there is a closet with a safe (no extra charge for the use of the safe). The bathroom has a good size shower with plenty of hot water (though it is a water saver shower head which some people may find annoying but it is the standard in Costa Rica) and an electric hair dryer. Check the website for the hotel for room pictures, which are quite accurate. We had one minor issue- the safe did not work correctly- which they remedied immediately. The only other issue is that the buttons on the wall mounted air conditioner were rather high and not the most convenient to use. It is advised to bring a power strip if you have computers, camera b attery chargers or other electronic items. The power is 110, but some of the plugs are shaped differently than US outlets so bring a converter.

Restaurant: Our package included breakfast, which is served in the main dining room. This is a very pleasant space, with floor-to-ceiling windows with beautiful views of the lake, mountains and the volcano (when it is clear). For breakfast, there is a buffet of fresh fruit, orange juice, breads for toasting, and cereal. Breakfast choices (which are cooked to order) include an “American choice”(eggs and bacon) or a “typical choice” which consists of rice and beans, a wedge of queso fresco, a tortilla, eggs cooked to your liking and usually plantain. Extra tortillas are available upon request. Good Costa Rican coffee and tea is served by the wait staff. The breakfast was filling and very good, and even more enjoyable in the beautiful setting.

Each evening we choose to eat dinner in the resort dining room. The ambiance is very pleasant with candles lighting each table, and other lighting dimmed. The choices for dinner cover several pages (all in Spanish and English), and include beef, pork,tilapia, and typical Costa Rican dishes of Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice), Shrimp and rice, and a “special typical dinner” consisting of rice and beans, vegetables of the day, a wedge of queso fresco, and your choice of chicken, tilapia or beef. Tilapia is the local fresh water fish, and is featured in many of the dishes. Adult daughter and I ordered several during our stay, and they were all very good. In all we had 9 different menu items during our stay, and each was very good. Sauces were light, and never overpowered the dish. All entrees are served with fresh baked, still warm rolls, a starch (potato or rice) and a side of vegetables. A note: Costa Rican food is not highly spiced, as say Jamaican food. Dishes were perfectly balanced, with no one ingredient dominating the other flavors. While we appreciated the light hand on the spices, others might find the food somewhat bland. For those seeking a more bold taste, simply ask the waiter to have the kitchen increase your spice. Prices vary, but were very reasonable, with main entrees ranging from $8 to $25, the majority in the low to mid teens. The wait staff is very attentive (without being overbearing) and friendly. All speak at least some English.

If you are looking for a luxurious mega-resort with lots of choreographed activities and/or a boisterous night life or if you are a high maintenance traveler who wants to be pampered at every turn, this is NOT the resort for you. If you are looking for a lovely, rustic resort, with very good food, an idyllic setting, and excellent staff you will be very happy at Hotel Linda Vista del Norte.

I stayed with my husband and 10 year old son the week before Thanksgiving. We had a rental car and agree that the road to the resort is quite bumpy and slow. If you don't have a car and are ok w/ just staying at the hotel to enjoy the views and pool, you'll be fine. If you want more than just the hotel experience, you should have a car as I've heard it is quite pricey to get into town via taxi. Just bear that in mind before you book this hotel. We stayed in room #10 facing the volcano. Our room was very simple, no tv, or phone, but that's not why you come to a place such as this. We had a double/queen bed and 2 twin beds. The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. We had a hike at Arenal booked through our tour and we wanted to change the day we went. We just went to the reception area and the staff quickly made the call for us to change our arrangements. Also, we needed to check out very early on our last day and the restaurant wasn't going to be open and we were offered a packed bag breakfast to take with us on our travels. Our tour package included daily breakfast which included your typical Costa Rican fare of rice/beans, plantain and eggs. You could choose a more traditional American breakfast as well. The food was average and the view from the dining room was amazing.