Hi Everyone,
I have been doing a lot of research on this site and it has helped me tremendously to plan my costa rica trip. But now I am stuck choosing a hotel in Arenal for 3 nights (We are a family of 4) The lost Iguana looks amazing and I would have been sold except for 2 points. I know my husband will want to go to town to eat dinner instead of staying at the hotel at night and I am a little concerned that even though we will probably have a car it is not so convenient to town. I am also a little concerned that the grounds are a bit steep. A friend of mine just recommended the Arenal Kioro and I was wondering if it is more convenient to town. They are both priced about the same for us and they both look amazing. maybe my only concern about the Kioro is that it might be a little dull for my kids ages 15 and 16.
Any input to help me decide would be greatly appreciated!!!
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!

We've stayed at the LI several times and love it; it's about 20 minutes into town - the road is in very good shape, really only one road to and from town, pretty easy. It's set out by the lake with great grounds, lots of trails and a river running through it, right next to the Hanging Bridges. Also has the advantage of being on the lava side of the volcano. Great balconies with wonderful views. I've been on the grounds of Kioro, but not inside. We met people on our rafting trip staying there and they didn't love it. It looked like a nice property to me, but they didn't love their room. Said it looked like something out of drug rehab, which was a strange description. Have you checked out Los Lagos or Silencio del Campo? They get great reviews from families with kids.

www.lostiguanaresort.com better grounds

LAVA view most important little farther out

toward the lake but easy to drive to town

also nice restaurants like El Novillo closer

lots better than Kioro NO lava view older mixed

reviews on tripadvisor.com

Oct 2009 review on Kioro

Our overall 2 night stay was average/good. When we first arrived, we were greeted with complimentary drinks are were told to sit down and relax (the drinks were a nice touch as we just traveled from Manuel Antonio -Si Como No). The staff member (Rob) was welcoming and he showed us our room and then returned with a complimentary bottle of wine, for our honeymoon. The room was spacious, clean, had a jacuzzi, and had a good view of Arenal Volcano even though it is not the lava side of the volcano. After settling into our room we had dinner at Arenal Kioro's restaurant. The food was not that good and was approx. $100 (no alcohol). The next morning we went on the skytram/skytrek tour offered by the hotel and had a great time. We attempted to get additional information of other tours in the area and the staff was not helpful at all. The staff showed us an outdated video with a 30 second to 1 minute description of the excursions offered and were not able to provide additional information. The times the trips were offered were not consistent with the brochure provided. We asked about going to Tabcon Hot Springs and staff replied "why would you go there, we have our own Hot Springs." We also inquired about going to the Arenal Observatory Lodge for dinner with the hope of seeing an eruption so we asked how far it was and how much a cab would cost and staff replied "its just like any other hotel and restaurant....why go there" The response from the staff about the cost of the cab ride was $30 each way. This was the rate for the hotels driver.... not a local cab. At this point we felt trapped at the Kioro. Prior to going to Costa Rica we did a lot of research but did not book excursions in advance thinking the hotels would offer a variety of tours and vendors. The tours offered by the Kioro were limited and the staff was not helpful with using other vendors or transportation. We recommend booking tours in advance for this area of Costa Rica. If you are looking to relax and stay on the resort this could be the place for you. The rooms were nice, the Hot Springs on the resort were nice, and the grounds and view of the volcano were great.

I don't know when you are visiting but we are going the first week in May (start of green season) and Lost Iguana has a special 1 nt free if you stay 3 nts. It comes out to $123US/nt with a buffet breakfast included.

Yes, LI runs some great specials; they have a link on their website or you can ask when you book.

Thank you all so much...you all really did help me decide. LI it is!!! We are going Easter week so there are no promotions, although I will double check anyway when i call to make the reservation. But since it is only 3 nights it seems worth the splurge.
THANKS AGAIN!!!

Some of the rooms have jacuzzi tubs on the balconies, which is really nice. Request a second floor room for more privacy and a lower number room will be less of a hike if you're worried about it being steep. They do have golf carts that will take you to and from your room if you want them to.

Thanks for the tip, volcanogirl. I called LI and the only suite they have is on the ground floor or I can take 2 standard non adjoining rooms which would work also. I am finding it difficult to decide.

For Lava viewing definitely LI. Also, since you'll have a car, the drive is short 15 minutes on a good road to town.

We tried to arrange our daily schedule to minimize the # of trips into town. For example, a couple of days we did a morning activity, had lunch in Fortuna and then did another activity (e.g. Fortuna waterfall), then had dinner somewhere in town or on the way to LI. Also, almost every night on the way back to LI we turned off on the road for AOL and parked at the bridge where everyone hangs out to watch the lava. We had infinitely better lava views there versus LI. Bumpy ride, but definitely worth it.

I believe most of the ground floor rooms also have an outdoor shower, but double check me. I just like the second floor rooms because people aren't walking by, and I'm less worried about critters wandering in if we leave the doors open. I love their balconies with the rocking chairs on them. One hint: run your ac when you get there; it will whisk some of the dampness out of the room - that area can be humid, and even though you don't need ac for the temp, it's nice to use it to get the moisture out. Once you get down the LI driveway, it's an easy shot to town. You'll also get to see the lake which is really pretty.