We went their for our honeymoon in November and it was exactly what we needed. The room was very spacious and delightful. The hospitality was impeccable and the concierge was helpful in booking a FABULOUS white water rafting tour. They also were really great about changing out our money. Since they are a newer hotel, there are still some elements to be worked out. I wish they had a shuttle to town and that their food was better. But, we were really pleased overall and would definitely consider staying here again.

My husband and I stayed here for our honeymoon in Costa Rica. We stayed for three nights but didn't want to leave. It was heaven! The grounds are well landscaped and beautiful. We were able to see the volcano very well-we got lucky. Well worth the price.

The room: All the rooms are very large. Every room has a volcano view and a mountain view. There is safe, comfortable King bed, t.v., mini bar, hot tub, walk in shower with rain head shower, air conditioning, plush robes and towels, nice sized bathroom with granite and a nice sitting area to view the volcano. The windows are floor-to-ceiling in height so the room offers a wonderful unobstructed view of the volcano and grounds. We stayed on the top level of a two level building.

Housekeeping: Is quick, efficient and friendly.

Staff: Very friendly and helpful. Eager to please. And everyone speaks english except for the spa staff, one of the security guards and a few housekeepers.

Security: Very friendly and no one is getting on the property that does not have a room there. They are very good about it.

Restaurant: The buffet breakfast is excellent. The rest of the menu is mediocre. I recommend going into La Fortuna for your lunch and dinner at The Lava Lounge and the Volcano Lodge restaurant at the Hotel Volcano Lodge.

Spa: My husband and I were disappointed with our treatments. Husband had a deep tissue massage which he enjoyed but did not like the mens facial and the coffee scrub was painful. I decided to get the Volcano Mud kiss package with the volcanic mud massage but it felt more like a scrub. It was gritty and was not relaxing as I had hoped. The mud wrap was just a short cut because when they massaged me with the mud they did not wipe it off but just kept it on and then wrapped sheets of celophane to my body and then left me lay for 60 minutes in the room just laying on the massage table. Not worth the extra $100! I was very bored for that long time frame. Then I received a facial which was probably the worst facial I've ever received. So my advice is if you want to enjoy the spa-just get a simple swedish massage but skip the other treatments as they are not up to par with the treatments you can at a resort in the U.S.

Tip: Mini bar is overpriced (Candy bars are $3). Go into the town of La Fortuna to one of their grocery stores and you can get the same items for way less. You also have to request your mini bar to be unlocked for you as they keep it locked otherwise.

Tip: Check out the hot springs at the Tabacon resort at night. Price is cheaper and less crowds. Very romantic!!

Isidro Con Wong's artwork is all over the hotel. He is a Costa Rican painter. Love his artwork!!

Complaint:
The only thing I did not enjoy was that during check-in they sit you down and try to sell you one of their tour packages. After a long drive from Tamarindo, we just wanted to get into our room quickly. And the spa treatments weren't great. Other than that, everything was perfect!!

This has been my favorite hotel I've ever stayed at and I've stayed at several nice places. I will stay at this resort again when I return to Costa Rica. Its beautiful and romantic. Perfect for our honeymoon.

The Arenal Kioro rivals some of the best hotels in the States. The service was impeccable.

When we arrived, we had to check in with security. As we approached reception, someone was already waiting to take our bags and help us park. When we walked into the reception area, we were greeted by name and offered complimentary welcome drinks. The check in went very smooth.

The room was beautiful...just like the pictures. The bathroom was large and the shower was too. We had a phone and TV (which we tried not to use...we were on vacation!). The room slept 5 and the beds faced a huge window wall that opened up to the volcano. There were screen doors to close so you could keep it open all night and listen to the volcano rumble.

The grounds were beautiful. The pool was nice, though we didn't use it, it rained the whole time we were there.

We didn't see the volcano because of clouds, but we could hear it rumble and explode almost constantly. At night, when the clouds would thin out, we got glimpses of lava flows and the crater. Based on what we saw through clouds, it must be breathtaking to see it with none!

I wouldn't change a single thing about our stay at this hotel (except maybe the rain). The hot tub was clean and nice, the place was spotless. The beds were really comfortable. This was the highlight of our trip.

The "included" breakfast offered a buffet style with delicious food. There was always fresh fruit, cereal and oatmeal, and an omlet station where a chef cooked eggs to order. There were several choices of foods including Costa Rican traditional breakfast items, pancakes, pastries, sausage, hashbrowns and even a table of traditional European breakfast fare (sandwich makings). The orange juice was unbelievable and was fresh squeezed each morning! The staff was friendly and attentive.

This place ran like a well oiled machine. If you can afford to splurge and stay here, do it! Its the closest hotel to the Volcano and is just fabulous. It's worth the splurge.

One "downfall" - they do not have their own hotsprings. The website is ambiguous on this. When I asked, we were offered reservations and transportation to two different hot springs in the area at a cost. One of them was the Tabacon. We opted to just go here on our own because we had a car. This would not deter me from staying at the Kioro again though.

La Fortuna is about a 10 minute drive away - they have wonderful affordable restaurants. Try La Choza de Laurel...have the Chicken Casada! Yum!

this hotel is absolutely beautiful. definitely the nicest hotel room i have ever had. 15 foot ceilings, floor to ceiling windows with balcony and all rooms have a tremendous view of the erupting side of the volcano. all rooms have hot tubs too...bathroom and separate shower are were very, very nice too. the rooms aren't exactly desgined for families though as there are really no private areas. hotel is only a year old too. grounds and landscaping are beautiful as well. the restaurant has expansive views of the volcano as well, and the food is good. included breakfast is very good. we were lucky enough to actually see the volcano on the first night, and it was something we will never forget. we ate two nights at a place just 200 meters from the hotel entrance called "el novillo" which actually had no sign that i could see. good food, especially steaks and chicken, and reasonable prices. we also did ziplining at the arenal rainforest reserve and aerial tram. booked it through the hotel. the staff there was very knowledgeable about the wildlife, and it was very well run, clean, and safe. i would recommend you take a short ride from the ziplining place to the snake and butterly museum/display and take the guided tour. it is a small place, but the guides spend an hour with you and you learn a lot. it was surpisingly good. tabacon hot springs resort was also beautiful if a little pricey ($45) for the day. stunning gardens and great hot springs. get the combo package for $60 (3 course lunch) as the snack bar charges $13 just for a burger. the only down-side: if there is ever a full-scale eruption, you are toast (well, actually, you will most likely be vaporized). I would recommend this place to anyone without regret.