George_NJ

My wife and children - 9 & 13 - are finalizing the details of an Easter Week in Costa Rica, our first time in country. I speak functionally-fluent Spanish; we're going, in part, to give my 13-year-old daughter practice.

We've settled on arriving in San Jose, driving a rental car first to Arenal for 3 nites and then to the Tamarindo for 4 nites. We return home from Liberia.

So far so good. Here's where we need help from this board:

The travel agent has recommended we stay in two adjoining standard rooms at the Tabacon Resort and Spa in Arenal. Seems like an expensive setup, but it's Easter week. We'll pay for high-end accomidations @ the spa. I'm not thrilled, but no problem.

The deal-breaker: the agent also proposes we book two separate standard rooms at the Capitan Suizo in Tamarindo. However, the agent cannot promise the rooms will be near each other and claims she cannot find other accomidations.

My wife & I want the family in a suite or some similar set up at the beach. We can see it now, the kids insiting they spend the note along, awaking at sunrise and wandering off alone to the beach .... You get the picture.

Can someone recommend alternative accomidations, particularly for the Tamarindo leg of our journey? Something less high-end at a nice price point? Perhaps there's something north or south of Tamarindo, keeping in mind we'll be driving a rental 4x4 from Arenal and that we plan at some point to take a day trip to Rincon de la Vieja.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

jc

George,
Our family is staying two nights at Tabacon Spa( and 5 nights at the Best Western Vista Villas in Tamarindo. Several friends who have traveled extensively in Costa Rica have recommended these places. Tabacon is a little more $ but you have unlimited access to the Hot Springs. In Tamarindo, we have reserved a three bedroom villa for $214/night for the 6 of us...pool, across the street from the beach. We reserved last summer. I know there are 1&2 bedrooms with pullout couches for less. Good luck with availability.

dineroguru

Just a couple of thoughts-- we are staying at Tabacon in a couple of weeks with our 3 younger children in the same room. I am not sure you would need two rooms if you got a room with to larger beds. I would go direct to Tabacon and skip the agent-- to a web search on tabacon resorts in costa rica for their web address. Are you arriving early in the day to SJ and drivng up the same day or staying over a night in SJ. If you are spending the night in SJ-- you may want to see if the hotel can have the car company deliver it there instead of dealing with the hastle at the airport. That is what we are doing- spending our first and lkast night near SJ and renting/returning the car there. Good luck

SandyD1

Hi George,
If you are looking for something a little less expensive in arenal, check out Los Lagos. It is just down the road from Tabacon. They have nice cabins, some with two bedrooms, and many with views of the volcano (as long as the weather cooperates). Plus they have hot springs fed pools with water slides. The also have a section with local animals (alligators, butterflies, frogs, etc). The kids would probably like these things. They also have a trail from their property up to volcano. We enjoyed our stay there. It wasn't stuffy either. I can't remember the website, but googling los lagos arenal should get you there. Have fun. Sandy

Caroldint

I just helped a couple find what seemed to be the last available rooms in Tamarindo for Easter Week.

So if you have available accomodations I would take them or if you are worried about your kids not being close enough then you might look for a room in Potrero Beach or Conchal Beach.

These are still close but are a little less popular so they might have ajoining options.

Hope that helps and good luck!

Golondrina

When we stayed with our 2 kids at Capitan Suizo last summer, we had a bungalow instead of a standard room. They provided an extra cot so the kids could each have their own bed, and it worked out really well for us -- it's an awesome place to stay as a family, if you can reserve one of the bungalows. Hope it works out for you!