Arenal Waterfall Lodge

This place was a gem. Beautiful view, property and house. We enjoyed our stay. The only suggestion I would have is that the hiking trails were better marked.

I loved it. The location was beautiful and the room was very nice. The restaurant didn’t serve dinner but breakfast was nice. The staff is very nice, I would totally stay here again.

I have very mixed feelings about this place. The good: the upgraded us to a lodge for free (we booked a standard room) because it was low season. The lodge was a highlight and my son had such a great time choosing between sleeping in the loft inside or the exterior loft (you reach it through outdoor stairs and it has a private entrance). It was a bit far from town, but I actually loved that because it was so beautiful and quiet and we just sat on the deck enjoying a jungle rainstorm. Also, they've recently hired a place called the Geckos to do their breakfasts and it was THE BEST food we had in Costa Rica. So so good. Also, we got a free visit to Misitico Hanging Bridges as a peace offering because they're doing construction right now and it was a bit noisy. I was happy with the trade! The downsides: the cleanliness was questionable. The light switch in the bathroom and the legs on the bathroom vanity were coated with grime and my pillow smelled like sweat. Gag. Also, they didn't refill the soap in one of the bathrooms - good thing we had two. The lodge bathrooms were so nice though. Huge windows and you could shower with them open because no one was nearby - just the jungle. Lastly, I can't decide if this is a con or a pro... a howler monkey lives nearby and kept jumping on the metal roof and dropping stuff on the roof starting at about 4:45am each morning. It was amusing, but also made it a bit hard to sleep. My biggest complaint is that there was NO POOL, even though they advertise this. I booked this lodge specifically so we would have a pool during down time. That was a big disappointment to not have one. Mistico Hanging Bridges just bought this place and, like I mentioned, they're doing construction, so I think there is potential for it to be a really nice lodge in the near future.

Absolutely gorgeous hotel! We stayed in Villa 12. I feel like I can confidently say this was the best one! View of the volcano out the back and the entire valley out the front. So much good animal watching and it was the perfect way to feel secluded in the jungle while being only an 8 minute drive to La Fortuna. We had no idea what we were booking, but it was amazing! At breakfast you get to choose between 3 options, typical Costa Rica breakfast, American breakfast, and pancakes and a parfait. We thought it was plenty of food and good quality, if not your typical American spread. Delicious juices, coffee and tea are also available. The pool and hot tub have a view of the valley as well. The hiking trail access included in your stay is a 2ish hour loop through the lush forest and a few fields. As a pretty avid hiker in the WA cascades, I would NOT say this is an easy hike/stroll, but might feel easier if you're used to the heat! I don't recommend going in the rain, the trail seemed like it would get muddy. We were stunned by what we got for the price, and will be talking about how amazing this was for years!

The private villa specifically, is an absolute gem This is an ideal spot for anyone low maintenance, and can get the private villa, on sale. We stayed in villa 14 which was excellent, but it's definitely not modern or 'sealed' off from nature. There are broken curtain rods, missing pool and bathroom tiles here and there, ants, spiders and numerous other native bugs, but nothing that detracted from the wonderful experiences our family had here. The showers and water, heat were great. The private pool was ideal as the hotel pool is by the main office, and the cabins are a rocky, steep walk away. The included breakfast is also off premises, so you will need to drive there every morning if you're interested. The road in and off premises is also a bit tricky to navigate if there's 2way traffic as it's very narrow.