wanatrvl

I've searched for info on this place but have only been able to find a little. Basically, people seem to love the grounds and peacefulness of the place. I would love more info on the pool and hot tub as well as the restaurant. We will have our 3 kids with us so this info will really be appreciated. Feel free to share whatever experience you have had with this hotel. Thanks.

rickandpat

I'm interested in the response too. But my big question is how far from everything this place is. Though we love isolation, I doubt we'll have a car if we want to leave the grounds, and wonder if taxis go up there.

Pat

Molly2

The pool is attracive, in an uncrowded, woodsy area, but no waterslides, waterfalls or anything. The hottub is near the pool and a small bar area.

The restaurant is designed for optimal wildlife and volcano viewing. We thought that the food was very good and reasonable, and the service excellent and friendly. We saw a number of children there; it seems quite child-friendly.

The front desk management was another story. I wrote up a detailed report of my trip including Observatory Lodge months ago - you may be able to retrieve it by searching under my name. To sum up: they were curt, messed up two tours so badly it was comical, forgot to pick us up as promised on our day of departure, and were the least friendly and helpful of all the places we'd stayed that trip.

rickandpat, the place is pretty isolated, but taxis and tours do leave from there. It's pricey though, given the distance the taxis have to travel.

Despite the negative experiences my husband and I had at the lodge, it is a beautiful spot, with much to recommend it.

poss

What Molly2 says is "right on." We enjoyed OL very much (despite the fact that the weather was terrible and that we never saw the volcano at all). The place is much larger than the other places in the area-- lots and ltos of trails for hiking. The views-- even in not good weather-- are great, including views of Lake Arenal. Food is fine and plentiful; breakfast, particularly, is great-- and the views from the dining room are excellent. If you want to be near the pool, ask for the Smithsonian rooms. Try to do the Hanging Bridges tour in the area. It's about half an hour away-- kids should love it (unless they're very little).

wanatrvl

Thanks Moll2 and Poss! I had actually found both of your reports and they are what peaked my curiosity to find out more. You both made it sound very appealing. Thanks for the added info about the pool area and restaurant! Has anyone been recently and found better customer service? I'm also concerned about how far away it is w/o a car and how that increases the cost of doing tours. Any more info anyone...

kazsi

I really think where you'd like to go is to Los Lagos. The rooms include a nice breakfast, there is a jacuzzi and waterslides in the pool, a crocodile farm on the grounds and it's right at the base of the volcano. We stayed there over Thanksgiving but weren't fortunate to see Arenal because of the weather conditions but the kids loved the pools and the grounds. Do a google search on them and you can see photos of the grounds and the different room choices. The rooms are basic, but nice. The food was very good. I think you'll be quite happy with this choice.

TripleSecDelay

As long as we're discussing Los Lagos, click on my name to find details posted from our trip in '04.

Bullet points :
They honor AAA discount of 10%.
We stayed in a just-completed room.
More rooms were being built.
Butterfly and frog "farm"s also onsite.
Located between Arenal Observation and town of La Fortuna.
Los Lagos has an observation "deck" one might drive or hike to. We were there at night for unparalleled views of the lava. (depending on the current direction of the flow...)
Buffet breakfast is included.
24-hour security onsite.

Sunny612

Mid June we will be at Arenal Observatory for two days, then at Orchideas Inn the remainder as our home base, will post a report after we get back.

poss

Another note abt Arenal Observatory Lodge: There's a whole variety of accommodations there-- quite different from each other in terms of view, quiet, privacy, size, etc. All of the rooms and bathrooms will be "basic," i.e. sort of motel-like. Knowing that, we reserved top-of-the-line and were very glad we did. The room was absolutely enormous-- about quardruple the size of a motel/hotel room (tho still like them in most ways)-- had a mini-fridge, a very large sitting area, lots of couches, a private deck, wonderful views (both Arenal Lake and the mountain),etc.
Wanatrvl: definitely true abt being isolated. It takes a good half hour or so from the main road down the dirt road (not a bad road) to get to the Lodge. In the 3 days we were there, we went out and back once (to the bridges-- had a driver); rest of the time we were happy to explore the grounds. There are several hikes they lead-- included in the price-- right on the grounds, some quite long.
And I know what one of the other posters meant abt the surliness of a few of the desk folks. that was so curious-- only time we encountered lack of cordiality on our whole trip-- but it didn't really affect our experience. Most of the employees there were fine-- restaurant people all great for instance. Hopefully the jerks have moved on.....

wanatrvl

Okay.......guess what...after all this I have just heard back from Arenal Observatory Lodge that they only have room for us on 1 of the 3 days I wanted. I guess they have filled up quickly due to the fact that they are currently the only place to get a view of the volcano erupting. So I will start over checking into the places recommended. I didn't think I had to worry about accomodations already since we are going during the slow/green season (August) but this is a wake-up call for me to finalize my plans. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Molly2

wanatrvl, the good news is that you can still enjoy all that the Observatory Lodge has to offer for a very nominal fee; a couple of dollars or so will gain you access to the grounds, trails, restaurant, the small observation building/museum, etc. I agree with Poss's assessment of the staff - all but the desk people were most amiable and helpful. If you visit just for the day, you can avoid dealing with them! Of course, if you're without a car, as we were, this information will not help you!

As kazsi pointed out, there are other area accommodations that come very highly recommended, so don't despair! And the tours will be lots cheaper {I think the taxi added about $30 to the tour price}.

wanatrvl

Thanks Molly2. I've adjusted my plans and hope to stay at Arenal Paraiso. I made my res but haven't heard back. Yikes! We just might take a drive up to Observatory Lodge if we have the time. I just can't get the idea out of my mind that we travel all the way to Costa Rica and don't even try to see the volcano erupt. But, for all I know it could be cloudy the whole time we are there. I'm sure we'll have a good time no matter what we end up doing though.

Skedaddle

We're staying at the Tabacon Hotel in just a little over a week. We won't have a car. Is it reasonable to get a taxi to the Observatory Lodge for dinner and to see the volcano (if it is clear), or is this too far/too difficult of a drive in the dark/not worth it, better to see it from the road? I'm sure this is obvious to everybody who's already visited, but this will be our first time in CR.
Thanks!

TripleSecDelay

Skedaddle - Yes, it is doable by taxi. The ride is adventurous at night! If the lava is flowing, it could be seen from the road, best with binoculars or a camera's zoom. Some nights, it is a bit like fishing, you never know what glimpse you might catch. For this reason, a comfortable viewing spot is best.

At Tabacon, the tables at the end of L-shaped floor of the buffet restaurant; and, the area just outside the 2-for-1 bar at the edge of the hot springs compound worked best for us.