Arenal hotel question
 

This group has been invaluable to me in planning our summer trip to CR (thank you Shillmac for the Mot Mot referral in M.A., we've booked 5 nights on the upper level :-)
We have two kids ages 7 and 12. Arriving in SJO about 2pm our first day and I'd rather not try to get all the way to Arenal that day. Anyone have experience with Villa del Valles as a first night stay? We like more authentic places vs Mariott's etc when we travel. On the second day we're going to Arenal for 3 nights. I'm now trying to decide between Arenal Observatory Lodge and Lost Iguana. The Lodge sound wonderful but honestly with no TV it worries me since it'll be the rainy season (last week in June) and the kids could get antsy. So I'm leaning toward Lost Iguana which has more amenities but maybe not the viewing that AOL has? Also, these seem to be two of the only hotels that face the lava flow, I realize the flow direction could change but all we can do is go off what we have now.
Thanks for any comments, I really appreciate it!
Laura

Oops I meant Vista Del Valle as the hotel I'm wondering about, its 20 min from the SJO airport on a coffee plantation - ?

We stayed at VdV. The grounds and pool were beautiful, but we didn't like our room. Other people have had better luck. I'd go over to tripadvisor.com and look at pics to see what you think.

We love the Lost Iguana. It has great volcano views and lava views with nice balconies, rocking chairs, jacuzzi tubs, etc. AOL is closer to the volcano though. It's off a very rough road. Keep in mind that you may not see the volcano at all though because it's often surrounded by fog and mist. The t.v. at the Lost Iguana had limited channels when we were there. It only got a handful of channels - one was sports and one was the Hallmark Channel which struck me as funny! There's so much to do in Arenal that I wouldn't think the kids would need a t.v. - volcano, hiking, swimming, etc. We never watched it when we were there. If you want a little more rustic and to be right on top of the volcano, go with AOL. If you want a little posher, go LI.

Thank you Volcanogirl! Do you remember which room you stayed in at VdV?

Yes, we stayed in the Mona Lisa room. Some people love it, but we thought it was overpriced for what we got. It was very dark and seemed like it needed updating. It had dim lighting - you know those yellow bug lights? That was the light for our bathroom. Also had dark faux painted stones on the walls, dark green sink, dark green toilet, dark bedding, etc. It's one of the closest to the gorge, so we got some huge spiders in our room. I'm used to bugs in CR, but there were about as big as my hand. Also no window coverings - the cabin is sort of isolated, but it still struck us as a little funky. The grounds have pretty landscaping, and we had the pool all to ourselves. The restaurant was pretty good, but they only served one thing for dinner, so not a lot of choices. We walked in and they said, "We're serving shrimp." Luckily we like shrimp! I think I just didn't really know what to expect. I've seen pics of other rooms, and they seemed newer and nicer. I read one review on tripadvisor that said, "If you like camping, stay here" but other people raved, so I'd check it out for yourself and see what you think.

You could also look into Xandari, has grounds to explore and a restaurant and would be on your way to Arenal. Travelocity was showing some good deals for them recently, couldn't hurt to check.

We really liked AOL and we had LOTS of rain. We just caught up on our reading in the evening.

MY

Honestly, if you're going with kids and worried about them getting antsy you should check out Los Lagos in Arenal. It may not be as luxe as Lost Iguana, but wonderful for those nights after it gets dark or for swimming in the hot pools if it rains.

Hotel Buena Vista is a nice hotel and perfect for a first day. The pool is ok but not heated. There isn't too much to do for younger children but the view is very nice. My family stayed there for our wedding 3 weeks ago and we stayed our last night. Xandari is a much nicer place with amazing views but is pricer. And if I am recalling correctly neither has a TV in room. Although we didn't stay at either Lost Iguana or AOL I do know about the road to AOL and it is an adventure in its self. Hope your have better luck than we did at seeing the volcano. We had one great day but nothing on the other two. Either way it was well worth the trip.

I second the recommendation for Los Lagos with kids. Three waterslides (one that goes into a pool sized hot tub), lots of smaller mineral pools, and a butterfly farm, crocodiles, and really cool leaf cutting ant exhibit. And also tvs in the room. You also get a good view of the volcano, and it's on the safe side (AOL on the other hand is right in the hot zone).

Yep, Los Lagos always gets rave reviews from families with children. I think your kids would love it.

It all depends on what the kids like to do--if they like hiking and seeing wild animals, the AOL is fantastico--we saw dozens of coati, a kinkajou, an amazing number of birds, and even a jaguarundi. Other people reported seeing an anteater, and there have been reports of ocelots on the grounds too. There's also a pool and hot tub.

If they're more into traditional kids activities, somewhere else might be better.

We loved Vista del Valle. You will relax as soon as you get there. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous, there is a nice pool and hot tub and a little poolside bar. It is in a rural area, though, and there isn't much nearby. The Mona Lisa room Volcanogirl is talking about is for couples, so you don't want that one. The Mango Manor is nice for families, or the Exotic Woods Suites are nice. They have a view to die for, and your kids would have a separate room with a kitchenette between the two rooms. They have a much more zen vibe than the Mona Lisa. The restaurant has expanded. They have a regular menu with organic food, but still have the daily specials. You can actually order anything you want--even from the lunch menu, which might save you money if your kids aren't big eaters.
Hey Volcanogirl, we liked the windows with no curtains. :-)

We absolutely loved AOL. The grounds are beautiful, and the volcano view is outstanding. The only downsides are the bumpy road (and that's an understatement) and the overpriced and mediocre restaurant. We coordinated our daily activities so that we weren't stuck eating at the hotel.

We enjoyed not having a TV, but we also weren't traveling with kids! I'm not sure what you could do at AOL when it's raining besides being confined to the room or going to the pool/hot tub. We were there in January and luckily only had a couple of early morning showers.

We had a funny moment with the no curtains thing. I was strolling outside taking pics and turned around and saw my husband sitting on the toilet. No coverings on the bathroom glass door either! I kept thinking what if housekeeping strolled by - they would get an eyeful. I think we don't have enough exhibitionist in us!

sessa, how long did it take to get to AOL from town?

Thanks for all the info, I appreciate reading the different viewpoints.
Xandari looks really nice, but is it ok for kids? I'd love to spend a night there.
Anyone had experience with Arenal Nayara, that also looks very nice.

Xandari is on our radar too; we're thinking of staying there on our next trip if we end up going to Tortuguero or rafting the Pacuare.

Xandari is very nice and has a really nice spa which we loved. I think your kids might be a little bored there. There is no central pool area, just 2 small lap pools.

We have stayed at Xandari three times with kids, no problems. The first time my daughter was only 18 months old, then when they were five and two, then when they were seven and five. When they get older you can shove them off to the tv room after dinner and linger over coffee and drinks, which is pretty nice.