Very nice hotel, facilities and amazing views, but extremely expensive. They charge drinks and food at nyc prices... To go for a short term is ok, but more than 2-3 days it is not worth the costs..take note, that you will have to land in San Jose and then drive about 3 1/2 hours in very dangerous roads to La Fortuna where all the arenal hotels are.

My husband and I were in Costa Rica visiting family. They booked us all in to this resort for 2 nights and wow, what a fabulous treat that was!! Every room has a super view of Arenal Volcano and we were lucky enough to wake up in the morning and there it was - no clouds in site and we could even see the smoke coming out of the top of it!! The pools were all fabulous - even though it was thundering and lightning when we arrived; we still went in the pools. I know, crazy but we didn't want to miss any of the adventure and the pools were so warm. The hospitality was great - everyone is very friendly. Club Rio was so much fun - we booked in for 2 kayaks and 2 tubes for the river thinking we would switch off for the second run but my sister and I opted to keep the tubes if the guys would keep the kayaks as the river was running quite fast and we were leary of being in the kayaks. We had a blast!! I highly recommend everyone check The Springs Resort and Spa out while in Costa Rica - you will not get this fabulous experience anywhere else in Costa Rica with the volcano right out your window and all the pools that are available.

We've stayed at quite a few properties in the area and the Springs is the best by far. Service is great, facilities are top notch and there are amazing views from all the public spaces and many of the rooms.

Here are a few things that make this property unique:

1. Land: The property is built on a giant land estate and thus has a definite feel of privacy. They've used this land wisely in keeping it forested and creating a great small zoo on the property. The only downside is a long winding gravel approach road - but we like that!

2. View: Every hotel around Arenal has some view - but only the Springs has "The View". This isn't just subjective. From the dam of Lago Arenal, the river winds down a valley towards Fortuna. A majority of hotels are located here including the famous Tabacon. These hotels are near the road and built on the same slope between the peak and the river near the bottom of the valley. So the views are craning your neck up and looking through trees. There are a few properties on the opposite side where the elevation rises on the other side of the river but they are still close to the road. There is only one hotel where one has to cross the river and climb up the opposite hill for a long distance. This gives the Springs close, unobstructed and powerful views. The hotels on the north shore of the Lake also have similar views but they are are 4-5 miles further away.

Please note that the top of the mountain is often cloudy for days - so the view is dependent on weather.

3. Springs: These "Springs" are beautiful. Sure they are artificially placed, but the water is real (pumped from hot springs), the rocks and vegetation have all grown in nicely and the hidden pools, slides, bar make it great for kids during the day and couples at night. The best thing about these Springs are the crowds - there are none. The upper springs are built wonderfully into the hotel - you can hang out with non bathers, get food and drink easily and watch people and the lower springs are in the Jungle. The Springs are the perfect compliment to the much larger (and more crowded) Tabacon. Do them both but definitely stay here.

4. Service: Amazing service. True 5 star service.

5. Rooms: Modern with rain forest decor. Its not over the top cheesy but nicely done. His and her hammocks on the balcony with a view over the Volcano - priceless.

South Asian Tips: Fish is very good. Vegetarian was sufficient but limited. For multi-generation trips, elderly will struggle with long walks to room from lobby/restaurants. Call for a cart which takes you around behind the parking lot to the top lobby.

The Springs is amazing. A lot of couples and families, but also so much fun for a girls trip. 4 of us spent 4 nights. we reserved the 3 bedroom suite. One of the rooms was not connected to the other ones. it actually worked out nicely for us. The staff at the hotel could not have been nicer. anything they could possibly do for us was done and they exceeded any expectation we had.

The food was fantastic. We dined at Ventanas one night and each of us loved our appetizers and meals. The other nights we ate at the main restaurant where a variety of food is offered, including sushi. Perfect for our group!

The hot springs were so nice and there are so many to choose from. Awesome to come back to after a day trip adventure. One had a water slide which we decided is great if we had our kids with us.

We tried to book for massages together at the spa and was told only two were available. Five minutes later, the woman at the desk at the spa, made two more happen for us. As I said, our expectations were totally exceeded. Spa is very nice and massueses were excellent.

CLUB RIO....DO NOT MISS...what an awesome facility. First we went kayaking. So much fun. we had three guides with us and they were so awesome. the river was perfect for us and we enjoyed it immensely. After kayaking the guides took us to a spring behind the cliffs and we had fun putting mud on our faces.

Then we did the rock climbing walls. another great time. They also offer horseback riding, tubing atvs, and there is wildlife tours. we finished club rio with a delicious lunch. There are no lockers offered and your belongings are stored in the "warehouse" next to the horse stables. There are changing rooms with showers.

The concierge was great. he booked our day trips and transportation to and from hotel to airport, making everything easy for us

All in all a great trip. So happy we picked this resort and we will be back!