I just got back from my second trip to Costa Rica (and Arenal) this year and spent two nights at Arenal Springs Resort. I previously had a 5 star stay at Leaves and Lizards. Overall, the experience at Arenal Springs was fine, and the following is a brief summary of what I liked and what the resort needs to improve.

PROS
Extremely well maintained and pretty grounds. Generally quiet and seems to cater to larger, older group tours. This would be a very good location for large families and kids as there is a lot of room to explore and play.

Very nice pool and hot springs.

*GREAT* New Years Eve fireworks...I wish they had promoted it more.


MIXED BAG
The service at Arenal Springs is professional albeit a little detached. Nothing wrong, but everything seems to be done strictly by the book and you don't get the impression that anyone would remember you after you left.

The food that was served at Arenal Springs was OK. I am a bit surprised at all of the positive comments regarding the food here. If you live in an area where you have access to a lot of good food (SF Bay Area, NY, etc.) you will not be overly impressed. It was fine, although we thought it was generally expensive for what we received.

The room, as others have noted, was clean and quiet and fine for our purposes.

CONS
As others have also noted, and this cannot be understated, the beds were really hard and not particularly relaxing, particularly after days of rafting on the Pacuare and ziplining and hiking at Hanging Bridges. It would not take much expense or time refitting the beds with some thin memory foam and, given the number of complaints that you will see here, it would behoove management to do this. If you like firm beds, then this would not be a problem.

Overall, this is a safe bet and not a bad place to spend a few days in Arenal.

The resort is located about 8 km away from La Fortuna so it is away from all the noise but close enough for a cheap cab ride. Every room in the resort faces the volcano and its a great view when you look at your window during the day.

ROOM / STAFF / AMENITIES
The staff were very helpful and they all can speak English. The resort is very well kept and the landscape is beautiful. Rooms were spotless and smells great. You could sort of smell the sulfur when you run the hot water. TV, AC, ceiling fan were all working. Complimentary beer and soda in the fridge (1 for each person). Hot springs were fantastic and I had a hard time getting off of it. Outdoor yoga studio was awesome as you have a view of the volcano and it has a very "zen" feel to it.

FOOD
Breakfast buffet was excellent. Didn't try their lunch and dinner menu because it was pricy and there were lots of good options in la fortuna. The sushi bar was decent but a bit on the pricier side for the quality. The tempura ice cream is a must have!!

Overall a great place to stay. Very quiet and it seems like people that go there only stay for a day or two and move on to some place else. Great for couples going on their honeymoon and for those who want to just relax.

Great experience staying for two nights in this resort. Our unit is adjoining another unit which was not a problem because hard to hear any noise unless the other occupant was yelling. Bed was comfortable; with TV, airconditioning, extra chair, big bathroom; shower had plants on the side, with safe, closet. Clean, no smell. Our unit was facing the volcano but it was cloudy when we were there late December. Enjoyed the manicured grounds. Saw toucans and other birds. Enjoyed the hot springs pools - had several levels (with the highest one the hottest, and temperature gradually decreased per level). Lowest level had a bar where sushi was served too. Beauiful flowers all over the area. Breakfast and dinner were buffet - lots of choices. Good service from staff (from check-in to check-out). Golf carts available to assist handicapped guests. We were part of Caravan.com tour with about 40 tourists. They were able to provide good service for all. Highly recommended resort.

We stayed for 3 nights at the end of December. Our family had 5 had two rooms in the same small building. The only bad thing was that you had to go outside & down the path to get to the other room, but my kids are teens, so it wasn't too bad. The beds were pretty hard, but that seems typical in most Latin America places we've been.

The rooms are nicely done. The plants in the shower was a little strange. I knew about it coming in, but the plants were so huge they hung over the wall and could touch you while showering. It freaked out my kids, so we took the string to hang clothes on to hold the plants back. They also had white mold growing on them, so I really didn't want that touching my clean body either.

The hot spring pools were wonderful. It was a wonderful way to relax in the evening after touring. We had cool, rainy days so the hot water was amazing. We were busy in the day with tours, but the hotel and pool never seemed crowded. We ate in the restaurant one night and the food was fine. Not great, but not bad either. Prices seemed about the same as the restaurants in town we ate at. We wanted to try new things, so went into La Fortuna two nights. All in all a great stay!