I meant to write this review a year and a half ago when my best bud and I stayed here in April of 09. I came across it planning my trip back and thought I would get in my two cents. Hotel Vagabondo was one of our favorites in all of Costa Rica. It is a beautiful, quiet get-a-way just down the road from town. The service was fantastic and the rooms were very clean and cozy. The free breakfast was by far the best we had in Costa Rica. The hotel staff helped us get around town and made sure we got the best prices on every adventure we did. We were able to walk to town and even to Baldi (the hot springs). We are looking forward to visiting again in a few months and have recommended this hotel to many :) Enjoy your visit!

Pros
-nice, spacious room
-nice grounds with plants and flowers
-accomodating staff
-good restaurant on-site

Cons
-the room we were promised was not available when we got there, were sent to a different room which didn't have a fan, and then a third which smelled like smoke. finally, settled in a room which was fine
-no hot water in one of the rooms (the one we were in!)
-lots of bugs around the pool area

We were in search of a not too expensive hotel room with A/C in La Fortuna. A room with A/C at Vagabondo costs $48. The room had ensuite Hot shower bathroom. Very spacious and stylish decoration. Room was spotless and the furniture in good condition.There is a swimming pool and breakfast and WiFi is included. The WiFi connection in our room was excellent although we were at the back of the hotel next to the swimming pool. You can see the volcano from the restaurant, where breakfast is served. By the way, the pizzas are excellent. On a clear day, you can take good pictures of the Arenal Volcano from acroos the street. The stuff are extremely frriendly and most of them speak English. They helped us book some tours of the area as well. We extended our 2 nights stay to 4 and were close to staying another night. When in the area, we would definitely go back again,

We loved our stay at this hotel! I cannot recommend it highly enough!

I chose La Fortuna as a place to relax for a week while we took various adventure tours. I did extensive research on hotels at every price level, and Vagabondo seemed to offer the best service at the best value. Despite the video on the very informative website, I was worried that the price ($40!) was too good to be true, and that we might be staying in a dump.

I contacted the hotel, and not only did they give me a discount for staying for a a whole week, but they also offered to arrange all of our tours and get us the best prices. The prices that they got us were not much lower than the prices we could've gotten on our own, but they took care of everything - calls, reservations, and confirmations. All at no extra charge, in fact they consistently thanked me for trusting them with my plans.

The person I was in contact with most was Errol. He was incredibly helpful and polite via email, and he was even more helpful and polite in person. He greeted us warmly upon arrival, and gave us a plethora of helpful tips and advice throughout our trip. He was so sweet that he even took my husband and I to a free thermal hot spring - on his day off! Errol was one of the best parts of our trip, and I hope the owners of Vagabondo realize how important/valuable he is!

To be fair, I have to list the biggest con of the hotel: they don't have hot water. The water isn't freezing, but we weren't able to get it any warmer than tepid. Major bummer. This is probably not a big deal in the warmer months, but in December it would have been nice. Another smaller con is that you may hear other guests and/or loud motorcylces and trucks every once in a while, because the hotel is kind of close to the main road. For the most part, our room was very quiet (although our bed was kind of squeaky).

As for the pros: the customer service can't be beat, it's a small enough hotel so that they know you (and how you like your pina coladas made) right away, more of an international crowd if you like to stay away from loud, obnoxious crowds, yummy restaurant, close to town but far enough away (town is a little bit depressing), and ADORABLE towel sculptures on your bed whenever your room is cleaned (daily). Beautiful hardwood throughout, interesting local art in every room, and free breakfast every day.

Can you find this anywhere else for $40 a night? I know hostels that charge more. Because we saved so much money for accommodation, we were able to take all of the tours we wanted to take. The one unexpected expense was the high price of food in Costa Rica. Of course, we were eating a tourist-y places, so that can only be expected, but the prices were often higher than some places in New York! ($40 for dinner and $25 for lunch was about average for Costa Rica, and only one of us drinks!) We know we could've saved money by going to sodas, but we didn't feel very welcome when we tried to eat there.

I highly recommend Hotel Vagabondo unless hot water is a non-negotiable for you. Otherwise, it's a fantastic opportunity to stay somewhere inexpensive but not at all generic. Good luck with your search!