Arenal
1) Arenal Paraiso v. Montana Del Fuego v.
Lost Iguana (worth the xtra $??)

Monteverde
2) El Sapo Dorado v. Arco Iris Lodge v.
Fonda Vela

Manuel Antonio
3) Villas Nicolas v. Mango Moon (worth the
xtra $??) v. Costa Verde (I just read a
bad review here)

Alajueja
4) Buena Vista v. Orquideas

Which are the best room choices for my various options?

THANKS!

We had a very comfortable stay at the hotel Montana in Monteverde. The #1 suite was only $80US and had a jaccuzi & small balcony. The hotel has hiking trail on property. Tho Fonda Vela is too far out of town for ease of transportation.
We would definitely recommend the hotel Buena Vista in Alajueja. Wilson the manager was super and went to extreme lengths to meet any needs we had. I would suggest asking for rooms in the back overlooking the hills.

I stayed at Fonda Vela and loved it. It's very close to the reserve, so you can walk to it, and they also have their own little bit of forest on the property. I walked all through the town of Monteverde from there, but I drove to St. Elena. Monteverde was extremely peaceful and St. Elena was a little busier and actually bustling at night. I found some of the lowest prices ever on those famous wooden crafts in a store in St. Elena. Can't remember the name, but it's at the bottom of the hill where a lot of shops are and it's connected to a grocery store.

Sandy

Sandy

which room did you stay at in Fonda Vela?

I was in one of the Jr. Suites -- room #32. It was huge. The waiters were very friendly and the food was good, but there was a pizza place in town that was delicious. There are two next to each other: one is Johnny's but I ate at the other one that started with a T. Really good pizza!

Sandy

We stayed at Montana Del Fuego in Arenal about two months ago. The best part is the view of the volcano from nearly anywhere on the grounds. The staff was also very helpful and the hotel is located in a conveniant area. Otherwise I thought everything else was pretty standard - room decor, grounds, restaurant, etc.