We booked 3 nights at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in March 2013. The lodge is wonderfully rustic with simply amazing trails, wildlife and nature. Unfortunately for us, we had nothing but non-stop rain for our entire time in the Arenal area and we never got to even get a glimpse of the volcano. If the weather had been nice, my... More

The Observatory Lodge was great! We did 10 days in Costa Rica, 5 of them at the Lodge! It's about 25 minutes out of town, but well worth it. We stayed in room 29 and room 30 next to it would be perfect as well! You could lay in bed and see the volcano! It is not active right now,... More

Beautiful property, marvelous people, super-affordable. We ended up staying two extra days. Transportation to and from La Fortuna town, where many activities originate, is prohibitively expensive, so it's better to rent a car - a 4-wheel drive with GPS. The hotel staff was enormously helpful for booking activities, getting directions and advice. (For paid activities, do not miss the Venado... More

The property and rooms are well maintained. The breakfast is included and is a large breakfast buffet. This was our second visit to this hotel. The most impressive part of the hotel is the location, right at the base of the volcano. On our first trip, there was no rain and a clear view of the volcano with flaming rocks... More

I spent 2 weeks in Costa Rica and made my way to the area of Arenal Volcano after spending a week in Montezuma on the Pacific Coast of the Country. Compared to the rocky coastline, sandy beaches and extremely hot weather of the Pacific coast, this area of the country was a refreshing change of pace! The weather was still... More

The setting is stunning, coatis wandering about, beautiful birds, lovely pool. A free guided walk which was good, but perhaps easier done alone as the group can be large. Our room (Smithsonian) was fabulous with amazing views. We were 2 adults, 2 teenage boys. The restaurant was a little disappointing, albeit fine, a bit canteen style. One night when we'd... More

After staying at 6 different places in Costa Rica, this has to be my favorite. The grounds of the "hotel" are spectacular. It's like being in a movie. The staff is wonderful. The rooms were clean. The pool and hot tub were awesome. We took a tour of Volcan Arenal with a guide from the lodge (Eduardo, I think) and... More

A fantastic setting right opposite the imposing Arenal volcano as well as a lake. It is wonderful for bird watchers a they put fruit on a feeder which attracts many birds. The Montezuma's oropedolas are particularly fond of the feeder and give wonderful displays right in front of the viewing platform. There are also coatis which leap up onto the... More

This was our second stay at the Observatory Lodge and we will be back as soon as possible. You cannot beat the location (wildlife incl. birdwatching, hikes, volcano views). We had a Suite the first time and a "Smithsonian" room the second time, and the fact that you get your own terrace and exclusive volcano and lake views is definitely... More