This hotel is owned by Costa Rica Expeditions. We stayed there because we booked our trip through CRE, a company which I would highly recommend if you are a first time visitor to Costa Rica. The hotel is directly across from the Tortuguero airstrip so it is very convenient to reach. On our arrival we were greeted by the entire staff and offered fruit juice cocktails which were very refreshing. The enthusiasm the staff showed on our arrival proved to be the leitmotif of our stay in this hotel throughout the two days we were there. I just can't say enough good things about the excellent staff of this hotel. The rooms are in two story bungalows with about 8 rooms per bungalow, 4 on the lower floor and 4 on the top floor. Be sure to specify a room on the top floor since there is a lack of privacy in the first floor rooms. Also the second floor rooms have higher ceilings and probably have better ventilation. Corner rooms are best for the same reason. The rooms are a bit dark and give the impression of being a bit small. There is a wide veranda around the second story and a hammock is available in front of your room. The bungalows have a nice view of the wide waterway flowing past the hotel. There is a nice swimming pool at the hotel and it is not used very much so be sure to bring your swim suit if you come. Although the grounds of the hotel are relatively free of mosquitoes the extensive walking trails behind the hotel are not so blessed. I started to do a walk on one of these trails but I was so aggressively attacked by bugs that I gave it up right away. To be fair to the trails, I had neglected to cover myself with DEET before my walk, so it might be possible to have taken one of these walks with proper attention to insect repellant. In any case, I was not tempted to return. The main thing to do here is to take boat rides through the swamp. We saw a great variety of wildlife on these boat rides and, so long as we were on the water, we were not bothered by mosquitoes. This hotel has good food but you eat whatever is on the menu for the day. On our first night we were treated to dinner beneath a pavilion set up at the confluence of the river in front of our hotel with a tributary running along the edge of the property. We had a beef tenderloin with a ginger-tamarind sauce. Dessert was a chocolate genoise with an orange-honey topping. Delicious. The second night we had sauteed fish filets and, for dessert, a slice of baked apple atop on thin slice of puff pastry and a scoop of ice cream. Yum-yum. In any case, I hope you get the idea that the food here is quite good. You won't go wrong staying here.

We spent three nights at Tortuga Lodge and found an extremely friendly group of people waiting to assist and help in a myriad of different ways. The guys who worked in the "Employees Only" section next to our room were great as they were always on the lookout for animals and came and told our children when they found iguanas, monkeys or sloths. In fact we got closer views of a sloth, iguana and Spider monkey from the lodge than we did from our tours up the river. The welcome drinks after each excursion were most appreciated, especially by the children and the welcome and farewell parties which consisted of a whole range of staff were a nice touch and made a lasting impression. The trip to the township was a lot of fun and the place had a great energy. We were very fortunate with the weather as it was mostly fine but we did get to experience a torrential, tropical downpour which was great watching. The trips up the canals are just beautiful and so peaceful. A lovely place to spend time with the family.

We felt this was an outstanding place to visit. The staff , from people behind the desk to waiters etc. are very nice and helpful if you have questions or need information. This is a great place to relax and enjoy the environment. Great birds and various animals to observe around the lodge and on the lakes and canals.

My boyfriend and I stayed here for 3 days, we didnt book through a service we just found the hotel and booked the nights on our own. We landed in Tortuguero at 645 am after a flight with Nature Air (which was very nice). We were met at the airport (airstrip) by the boat that would take us across to the lodge the airstrip is right across the river but it is not loud. We were greeted at the pier by our concierge who took us straight to breakfast made to order. The food here is FANTASTIC, breakfast is the only meal where you have a choice in what you eat, but all of the other food was great too. Make sure you do the river tour, Angelo, our guide was great! we saw all sorts of wildlife. They are extremely accomodating and nice. However this is a place for families and older people. Other than younger children we were the youngest people here by about 30 years. I would definitely recommend it though!