Tabacon or Lost Iguana or other?
 

Going during peak season December and must make decision now. Please help.

Have read so many varied reviews. RE: Tacky Rooms at Tabacon OR bad service, hot water problems, and windows that don't close at Lost Iguana.

I know I want to enjoy the gardens, pools, and surrounds of expensive Tabacon, so will be paying the price one way or another.

This is a first trip to Costa Rica and/or rainforest.
The beginning of 9 days:
Arrive Thurs afternoon San Jose
Fri am pickup for Paquare Lodge river raft
Sat afternoon return to San Jose
Sat and Sun nights Arenal
Monday drive to Manuel Antonio
Tuesday Tortuga Island Day
Wed Manuel Antonio and Beach
Thurs fly to Tamarindo
Fri Tamarindo
Saturday am flight to san jose, pm flight to US

any comments?

The Arenal Kioro hotel is new and is next to the Tabacon resort. I just booked a room there for Jan. It's pricy, but the rooms are supposed to have great volcano views.

ive heard good things about The Arenal Kioro hotel, Tabacon is overpriced IMHO!

http://costa-rica.typepad.com/la_for...ome/index.html

You wrote, "Going during peak season December and must make decision now"

Do you mean to tell us that you have not booked your hotel yet and you are going THIS COMING peak season? If so, I cannot believe that ANY of the hotels mentions has even a broom closet available.

tabacon is probably booked, but no great loss in my opinion!
theyve added 400 rooms this year in la fortuna and there are 75,000 less visitors to CR this year.
dont believe the <b>hype</b>
but,u do need to book soon!!!!!!

We adored our luxury suite at Lost Iguana. See the trip report I just posted at TA for a full review: http://tinyurl.com/ylxlvu

You will probably have to pay a lot more for a comparable room at Tabacon, but it might be worth it since they have really jacked up the price of the hot springs for non hotel guests. When we were there in May, the lava was visible down the left side of the volcano from Lost Iguana. The view from the Tabacon side was more straight on. I highly recommend having dinner at El Novillo, which is not far from Tabacon. We enjoyed the $8 steaks and wonderful view of the lava flow.