I had a terrible night and very bad serivce experience. food was ugly too. The first night was ok, and the view is nice, but the second night there was a lot of noise and they did nothing to stop it. The service was very very bad.
So bad I don't really know where to start. Animal poop all over the beds, mold all over the bathroom and no hot water seems like a good start. The pictures on this site are a terrible representation of the actual hotel. Couldn't pay me any amount of money to stay here ever again. The only redeeming quality is that the staff was nice, except for the manager. Raul Blanco promised us a refund of about 60% of our money and he never followed through. He even had the nerve to complain to a tour company about one of their employees who was helping us translate our unhappiness with the hotel.
To start off, this room is run down and old. Not an issue if the room was clean, but no. The corners on the floors are dirty, there is NO AIR-CONDITION, you can hear everything from outside from talking to bug noises, and last but not least, there are ants, and i repeat ANTS, EVERYWHERE! You cannot walk into your bathroom without six running around, where is the cleanliness people! Absolutely disgusting. I cannot even sleep without fear of a gigantic ant crawling into my mouth. Do not stay here. You are better off staying outside. Literally.
The place is surrounding by nature, great for people who want to have a unique experience. The front desk people are extremely helpful, nice, and welcoming. The restaurant food was delicious, and the breakfast is great, specially the traditional plate. The hotel is old with a lot character, if you want to experience a traditional Costa Rica life this is the place for you. It is a little isolated, but for this reason you can see monkeys and birds everywhere. The only down side is that the Internet just works at the restaurant or reception area. The transportation leaves 3 times a day and take you anywhere you want to go. The shuttle service people are very nice and affordable.
it is very basic, but everything one would need for a short stay, i would not plan on a long stay unless you are comfortable with no A/C and once again very basic accommodations, pool was nice, there is not a store near by so purchase any drinks, food, snacks etc before heading to the hotel, breakfast is traditional but very good
The rooms are beautiful and have very comfortable beds, the price of the nights is very good it, is a hotel with exceptional quality, a beautiful location surrounded by the beauty of the nature reserve, I would return at any time.
I went with 30 students to this hotel. And most of them loved it. A few were upset that the room had geckos in it. Understand that this hotel is about a hour from La Fortuna. The food is local, the staff are sweet, and the rooms are fair. The hotel is a bit older and is on the mend.
Don't visit this Lodge. You can't reach this lodge because there is a river 5 k before the lodge with you can't pass with a normal car. Whatever you try, they just charge you for not showing up even if you call them and trying to solve the issue. Not even open for discussion even after several nice mails and explaining the situation. You are losing your money and they don't care. JUST DONT VISIT its not worth it.
Make no bones about it, the Arenal Vista Lodge is no Four Seasons. There is no concierge, no room service, but what they lack in amenities, they make up for in charm, hospitality and price. The breakfast was delicious and the view of the volcano was stunning. The hotel is quite dated and is very basic. Wi-Fi is available in the lobby and common areas only. The typical Costa Rican breakfast was included - eggs, rice and beans, fried plantains, with toast, coffee and orange juice and was among the best breakfasts we had anywhere in Costa Rica. Being in El Castillo is a wonderful experience - much less touristy than the town of La Fortuna. It's very close to Sky Trek Adventures, the Arenal Observatory Lodge and trails, as well as the Butterfly Conservatory in El Castillo. For our family, that meant a better overall experience. We made choices about where to spend our money and where to economize. Great food options at La Ventanita, Soda La Mesa de Mama and Howlers Bar & Grill, all within a 3-5 minute drive from Arenal Vista Lodge.…
We were here as part of a tour group. The rooms are good sized, clean, but not fancy. The pillows were flat as a pancake, but the view made up for it all. The staff were charming and friendly. If you only do luxury travel this place is not for you. However, if you are trying to get a great feel for the flavor of Costa Rica this is a great stop. Be prepared for what I call the "Costa Rican Booty Workout" which means steps and hills to get where you want to go.
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