Hotel Los Lagos
Sep 2nd, 2004, 04:27 PM
#2
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Great place to stay! One of our favorite places in CR! Clean rooms and some of the best views of the lava. Plus the have a trail behind the property that has closeup views of arenal. On property they have a hot spring fed pool, but its not as good as Tabacon. The gardens are cool, with several crocodiles, lots of jesus christ lizards and butterflies. I think los lagos is a great deal and underated.
Sep 16th, 2004, 11:04 AM
#3
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I posted similar elsewhere, but This bears repeating on this thread : We stayed at Los Lagos September 5th/6th in one of their newest buildings (several are under construction) at the top of the hill. Room 201 is on the corner of a 6-room building and has an unobstructed view of the volcano from the covered porch with chairs and a table (not from the beds) Two queen-sized beds with trundles. Remote A/C and remote TV, safe, small fridge, hairdryer, phone, good sized tub/shower with low water pressure.
Rooms in the 100-series are smaller, but just as nice, with one Queen-sized bed. From the bed here, you can see the active side of the volcano. At least, I can verify this from room 137.
Views of the sunrise over the valley below to the East, and the volcano above to the West.
Totally recommend it.
The buffet breakfast was nicer than the typical continental breakfast served at larger hotels.
Los Lagos also has something no place else has onsite : There's an XLNT observation point with concrete benches accessible by 4x4 (or foot) on an unpaved road - which gives a person a straight shot view across the small lake to the face of the volcano where boulders tumble down. Orange lava w/sparks at night & white skipping down the mtn during the day.
If you go and are a shutterbug, please consider waking pre-dawn as the sunrise is worth it. Not only for the illumination of the bottom of the clouds over the valley, but also for the warm glow cast upon the face of the volcano mtn. This kind of light doesn't last long - as you may know.
Crocodiles in pens, butterfiles in a net/chain link enclosure, frogs in a glass house, pools with slides, koi pond, ducks, JC lizards, around-the-clock security.
We paid $85/night including tax and breakfast for two. Same rate was offered for any room during the Green Season. Manager is Juan Carlos. We also dealt with Robert(o) and Alejandra. All very nice and speak English.
Los Lagos is not a "hotel" per se, rather a well-arranged set of buildings on terraces upon the hill & likely the closest lodging to the volcano itself.
In the Arenal / Fortuna area, much construction is underway everywhere as new places arise from fields and expansion occurs at existing destinations. Listen : you can hear birds, howler monkeys, rainfall and construction.
Rooms in the 100-series are smaller, but just as nice, with one Queen-sized bed. From the bed here, you can see the active side of the volcano. At least, I can verify this from room 137.
Views of the sunrise over the valley below to the East, and the volcano above to the West.
Totally recommend it.
The buffet breakfast was nicer than the typical continental breakfast served at larger hotels.
Los Lagos also has something no place else has onsite : There's an XLNT observation point with concrete benches accessible by 4x4 (or foot) on an unpaved road - which gives a person a straight shot view across the small lake to the face of the volcano where boulders tumble down. Orange lava w/sparks at night & white skipping down the mtn during the day.
If you go and are a shutterbug, please consider waking pre-dawn as the sunrise is worth it. Not only for the illumination of the bottom of the clouds over the valley, but also for the warm glow cast upon the face of the volcano mtn. This kind of light doesn't last long - as you may know.
Crocodiles in pens, butterfiles in a net/chain link enclosure, frogs in a glass house, pools with slides, koi pond, ducks, JC lizards, around-the-clock security.
We paid $85/night including tax and breakfast for two. Same rate was offered for any room during the Green Season. Manager is Juan Carlos. We also dealt with Robert(o) and Alejandra. All very nice and speak English.
Los Lagos is not a "hotel" per se, rather a well-arranged set of buildings on terraces upon the hill & likely the closest lodging to the volcano itself.
In the Arenal / Fortuna area, much construction is underway everywhere as new places arise from fields and expansion occurs at existing destinations. Listen : you can hear birds, howler monkeys, rainfall and construction.
Sep 20th, 2004, 11:02 AM
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Hi. We stayed at Los Lagos in August, also in the new and very large rooms. We did NOT find them very clean, even though they were spacious. Although we did have a refrigerator, it smelled terribly, and we had to request that it be cleaned several times. We also found that the water pressure was terrible.
I don't know what the older rooms are like. Be sure that, if you stay in the newer rooms, that you have a car. It is quite a strenous, hilly hike from the newer rooms to other parts of the resort.
Although we have no major complaints with Los Lagos (price was reasonable, grounds were beautiful, lots to do, great horseback riding close to the volcano), we found this resort one of the least welcoming of all the places we stayed at during our two week trip. The staff at the reception area was rather cold, something unusual across our stay in other CR hotels .
I don't know what the older rooms are like. Be sure that, if you stay in the newer rooms, that you have a car. It is quite a strenous, hilly hike from the newer rooms to other parts of the resort.
Although we have no major complaints with Los Lagos (price was reasonable, grounds were beautiful, lots to do, great horseback riding close to the volcano), we found this resort one of the least welcoming of all the places we stayed at during our two week trip. The staff at the reception area was rather cold, something unusual across our stay in other CR hotels .
Sep 22nd, 2004, 05:43 PM
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Wow, raphaekg, that's interesting to hear your experience. Perhaps our experience was an aberration? Can't say for certain.
I may get in trouble somewhere for saying this, but, I have never met a Japanese or a Costa Rican I didn't like. I am neither. I'm curious about the frigid reception you received, raphaekg.
I posted this on another thread and I feel it may be worth something here :
Los Lagos - Green Season
$85.00 / night
-30.00 breakfast for two (included in room price)
$55.00 room NET cost
Tabacon - Green Season
$140.00 / night for Standard Room
- 15.00 AAA discount
- 30.00 breakfast for two (included in room price)
- 54.00 admission to hot springs for two (included in room price)
$41.00 room NET cost
Each has something the other does not. Next June, we will stay a night at Arenal Paraiso - drawn by their direct room views of the volcano action. And I plan to get away from the overly-touristy areas in general - - if my wife acquiesces to my wishes.
d8<
I may get in trouble somewhere for saying this, but, I have never met a Japanese or a Costa Rican I didn't like. I am neither. I'm curious about the frigid reception you received, raphaekg.
I posted this on another thread and I feel it may be worth something here :
Los Lagos - Green Season
$85.00 / night
-30.00 breakfast for two (included in room price)
$55.00 room NET cost
Tabacon - Green Season
$140.00 / night for Standard Room
- 15.00 AAA discount
- 30.00 breakfast for two (included in room price)
- 54.00 admission to hot springs for two (included in room price)
$41.00 room NET cost
Each has something the other does not. Next June, we will stay a night at Arenal Paraiso - drawn by their direct room views of the volcano action. And I plan to get away from the overly-touristy areas in general - - if my wife acquiesces to my wishes.
d8<
Sep 25th, 2004, 09:13 AM
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Actually, it WAS such an aberration, compared to people we met everywhere else -- that's why I commented on it. In so many places during our travels this summer, we were struck by how warm and helpful the people in Costa Rica were. Perhaps we just had bad luck -- even Ticos can have a bad day!
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