americasdiscover.com

 
I took advantage of a nice night last friday and left at 6pm to Arenal from San Jose, I was a little worry because the road, but as it was my surprise, road is excellent and well signalized, took me only 3 1/2 hours to get there making a stop at San Ramon for dinner. Don’t need a 4×4, small car is great to get there.

As a travel agency, I consider details and service the ones that make the different at the hoteles services, so these are my points of view of each hotel & tour I visited in Arenal: 

Arenal Spring  I could perceived a friendly and personal atmosphere!
 Nice & clean hotel with large ceiling to floor windows overlooking the volcano. It’s located a little far from the main road but that is ok with car rental o transfers. The cabins are side by side, two per building with private open porch. The showers are very nice, there are plants beside the shower. Rooms are spacious – with wall in glass to look out on the volcano. When you wake up in the morning - boom! There it is. Important to say that they offer quiet a/c,ceiling fan, cable TV, telephone, safety box at the rooms and pool and restaurant. In my opinion, due hotel location and for rainy days, hotel should offer kids and adults activities, like ping-pong, pool table or board games, more entertainment!!, also mini bar at the rooms is necessary.

Arenal Paraíso  Very impressed with the wonderful hot springs at the property!!
Hot Springs is not as elaborate as Tabacon, but you can have privacy, and nature.
Hotel offers clean cabins with huge bathrooms and great inside porch with volcano view. The grounds are just breathtaking. Also offer a very lovely and variety breakfast buffet with made-to-order ommelettes in the spacious restaurant.
2 Std and 18dlx cabins, regular pools, and now offering a brand new hot fed pools.

Montana de Fuego  I highly recommend the Suites for honeymooners!! Nice inside and outside.
The standard rooms are very simple since they are the oldest rooms of the hotel, this are more for walkin. Deluxe rooms are very nice with great view of the forest and volcano. The Suites are set on the water lake and offer jacuzzi, living area and excelent view.
A very nice and complete spa, also nice pool area and formal restaurant. All cabins are viewing the Volcano, and are surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Hotel has an indoor hot tub and sauna that are also great.

Arenal Observatory  Excellent for walking & waterfall trails, impressed Arenal Lake view!!
Road to the hotel is in very good condition, I had no problem at all getting there with compact car, the only problem was trying to drive with the beatiful rainbow we had in the way.
Lodge is situated on a ridge, facing the volcano, you enjoy the sound and fury of the Volcano’s constant eruptions from everywhere around the lodge. Lodge used to be the house for scientists and researchers. Rooms are spacious but basic and rustic, simple wood furnished.  The Jr. suites smell much to humidity due the forest, even though rooms are huge and well ventilate. Hotel has handicapped facilities and transportation service to arenal.  Food was good, but would say that menu is restricted considering the location of the lodge. Standard rooms do not have volcano view but have a spectacular lake view, this rooms are located far from main building and restaurant.

 Arenal Lodge , I could notice the hotel neglected in some areas.
Hotel decorated with natural wood and natural ambiance. Hotel has a nice view restaurant, bar, conference room, gift shop, and game room for kids (Play Station, books, games) what I think is important at night due the hotel distance, also offer walking trails and nice gardens. Rooms are spacious, simple and rustic.

Kioro Hotel,  Wooo is all I can say after visit this hotel
I think, they really make honor to its owns words : “We hope every person using our services will feel our characteristic hospitality and the sincere treatment from our personnel”.  Spectacular place full of details and hospitality.
They have complete services: gym,beaty salon, temperate pool,ping-pong, pool, board games, luxury rooms with own jacuzzi and huge spa. Congratulation for this spectacular place that open its doors recently. 

Caño Negro tour, with Aventuras Arenal, excellent transportation and guides !!
The Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge & Rio Frío are biological humid areas, full of different species. An experienced & friendly english-spanish speaking guide picked us up after breakfast to start our full day tour. Our first stop was to see Iguanas, I first though that this was lost of time since we have a long day tour, but once I started walking, I got really surprised : huge and beatiful Iguanas in diferent colors: green, orange and yellow, all resting in trees next to us, like hundred of them.  During our trip we had the oportunity to see three different types of monkes, many birds, small iguanas, caimans (small cocodriles), turtles, bats and many types of trees. Excellent tour for natural lovers !!
Special thanks to Operation Depto, to Henry the boat driver and German our guide.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 2nd, 2006 at 1:19 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.