We will only be able to stay one night at the Peace Lodge due to a short overall stay in CR. We wanted to go there because of all the positive vibe about it...but what are the real reasons why everyone seems to rave about it so much? It is certainly not inexpensive!

Finally, what about Cano Negro, should we day trip over there if possible from Arenal Lodge?

Thanks for any responses, and to Fodors for such a great service.

Even though it's very different from places I usually stay, I really enjoyed it. Why? Many reasons, the "over-the-top" part being part of it. The area of course is lovely, and sitting on your balcony watches the fog roll in, then going inside to instantly turn on your fireplace was fun. Not to mention the falls, aviary, trails, snakes, frogs etc that are included in the price. Definitely not cheap, but I spent 2 nights there and didn't regret a cent of it.

I second everything that Tully has said. Once you arrive and check in, you'll not have a regret one. And the property is such a delight. If you deduct the $29 price of admission per person, you can figure almost $60 off your total! Okay, okay, that doesn't help much, I know! The views from the balcony are truly beautiful, though.

The thing that bothers me a bit about Peace Lodge is the price of the meals on top of the very expensive lodging. I wish they had an all-inclusive plan, but I guess if they can charge that much and get away with it, then power to them! Breakfast is very good--and filling. We took cheese, fruit, drinks, bread with us and fixed our own meager lunch out of those things. For dinner both nights, we went down the road to Colbert's (French restaurant about 5 km away), where you can have a fabulous meal for about $50 a couple, including wine.

dano, I third tully and shillmac - we loved the Peace Lodge. We LOVED the waterfall hike; there are 5 beautiful waterfalls that you can hike to. Our pictures are gorgeous. Also loved the night frog tour - you get to hold the little frogs - so colorful and amazing even if they do leap into your hair! And seeing all the hummingbirds on the property will make your jaw drop. On top of all that, the rooms are completely over the top. Since CR usually involves an element of "roughing it," having your own jacuzzi, waterfall shower, aromatherapy, fireplace, big cozy bed, gorgeous view, etc. just seems like one big fantasy come true. We only stayed one night, but our flight got delayed and we really had to rush around and see everything. I wish we had had two nights there.

To save on money, we ate at the Trout Bar they had on the property - it was pretty reasonable and the food was good casados and homemade guac and chips with a couple of Imperials. We loved it.

About Cano Negro, it holds a special place in our our heart because it's the first spot we saw monkeys. We hadn't seen much wildlife in Arenal, but we went there and saw howlers, capuchins, sloths, caimans, birds, etc. - it was amazing because it was our first experience with CR wildlife.

Thanks to all for the responses...the money issue does not really bother me, it sounds like a very unique experience. You do have to factor in the $60ish fee for the waterfalls, as there are 3 of us, so that makes it go down a little easier.

Sounds like Cano Negro is a must do, so that will happen also.

Thanks again,
dano

Even though you said the money doesn't bother you, I did want to let you know I thought the food at The Trout Bar was excellent. At least what we had was very fresh and tasty. We were there 2 nights and had lunch twice and dinner once. Another night we ordered room service ala carte, which was fun dining in by the fireplace and was less expensive as well. It's really a place to chill and visit the waterfalls, with top knotch service and amenities. I would never recommend going to CR and staying in this type of accomodation the entire time because you'd miss out on what CR is all about. But, as you've already read, having wildlife right on the grounds that's so easy to enjoy is really a wonderful experience. Plus, all the unique and over the top features of the rooms. I've certainly never experienced anything like it!

I also second the Cano Negro tour. Excellent!

Sorry, The Trout Bar is the open air restaurant/bar area by the outdoor pool and trout pond.

The breakfast is very good also. A lot of choices and cooked to order things. Oh yeah, we were going to have dinner at Colbert's one night, the French restaurant everyone raves about. But, our new friends stood us up! So that was another night we ate in. I think it's a $40 cab ride or something like that to get there.

I agree with everyone else! There is something very special about Peace Lodge. It has an almost mystical feel to it. The people that work there were very nice, the rooms were awesome and the grounds were just amazing! However, it was a place where just a couple of days would be enough because there is just so much else to see in the country. And as everyone else mentioned, you do get the price of the admission and breakfast included in the room rate. Also, we didn't really feel that the dinner was overpriced as compared to US dinners - for what you got. The dinners were very good and you got a really good meal. We too had our lunches at the Trout bar and I would agree that the food was very well priced and very good!

We'll be going back there next year with our kids - they will love it!