We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly.
We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

Hotel Gran Arenal: Traveler Reviews

1.3 Km North of National Bank, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
Hotel amenities
Hotel Gran Arenal
Which La Fortuna de San Carlos hotels are on sale?
Enter dates 1 night 2 nights
See hotels
Write a Review

39 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveler rating
    28
    10
    1
    0
    0
Date Rating
Haifa, Israel
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
24 hotel reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
“a little bit overrated”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed September 15, 2011

after reading the reviews here (especially the last ones) i was a bit disapointed. this is a nice hotel but defenetly not the best. (i can't compare to other places in la fortuna but in comparison to other hotels we've been to in our trip)

first i must say - luis the owner is the best! he is the most helpfull and nice person we've met in this trip!

if you don't have a car location can be a bit of a problam - walkig to town takes about 20 minutes and most of the time it's extremely hot outside. other option is taking a taxi which costs around 2$

rooms are big and comfortable but no TV and decoration can use a little improvment

  • Stayed August 2011, traveled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask Yaarag about Hotel Gran Arenal
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Portland, Oregon
Top Contributor
58 reviews 58 reviews
23 hotel reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
34 helpful votes 34 helpful votes
“One of the best-kept secrets of La Fortuna!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed July 12, 2011

I highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting La Fortuna. It is tucked a way off of the main road, about 5 minutes outside of La Fortuna. It backs up to the owner's private farm, and has a breathtaking view of the Arenal Volcano from all areas of the property (when the clouds are not surrounding it). We were so impressed with the attentiveness of all staff members working on the property, and with the beautiful rooms each private bungalow offered. The rooms are air conditioned, there is free WiFi in the "lobby" cabana, delicious breakfast that you take with views of the Arenal volcano and surrounding region, hot showers and very clean bathrooms.

The rooms are very reasonably priced for similar establishments in La Fortuna; however, you can't beat the privacy and personality of the Hotel Gran Arenal. It feels exactly like rooms in Costa Rica should feel, and we will definitely be back!!!

Room Tip: Every room is exactly the same.
See more room tips
  • Stayed July 2011, traveled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask mlove17 about Hotel Gran Arenal
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Atlanta Ga
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“By far the Best Hotel and Value in Arenal”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed July 10, 2011

I have stayed in many hotels in Arenal including many 4 star hotels and the Gran Arenal is clearly my favorite. The view of the Volcano is perfect. The location seems peaceful and serene like you are 20 km away from town when you are really within walking distance. The cabinas are only like 2 years old and are all very nice and clean. There is more wildlife hear then anywhere else we visited. We say toucans, sloths and iguanas galore. The free breakfast is cooked to order and great. Luis will attend to your every need. And the rates cannot be beat. THIS IS DEFINITELY my go to hotel next time in Arenal. We were a family of 5 and had a tremendous amount of room.

  • Stayed July 2011, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask Srockrae about Hotel Gran Arenal
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Oakley, California
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
13 hotel reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“The best hotel we had the pleasure of staying in while in Costa Rica”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 4, 2011

La Fortuna is a great place overall and this hotel was amazing. The grounds were immaculate. Grounds keepers work on them all day and into the evening hours as they carefully work around the bunny rabbits! The bungalows have clean tiled floors, a rustic stone shower and clean comfortable beds. You have flowers and long hot showers. (Hey that rhymes!) The restaurant has a great menu, wonderful food and turned out to be one of the best values in the three weeks we were in Costa Rica! It had a buffet for breakfast with tons of great food which was included in our price. Dinner offered menu service which ended up being about $10 per person for dinner. A group of tourists in a big tour appeared to be eating even better!! (Costa Rica is fairly pricey for a Central American country which surprised us...don't be fooled into thinking it's a cheap place to visit!!) The pool was sparkling clean with romantic lighting, a small waterfall effect, a swim-up bar AND views of the smoking volcano! It had the OMG effect. You will love it.
Oh and even the gift shop had some nice values. I'm glad we purchased some things there and didn't wait for the rest of our trip (this was our second night in Costa Rica). The lady working there was as gracious as the ground keepers, the restaurant waiter, the breakfast server and the concierge! As you drive around La Fortuna, you will see many new, fancy hotels on large estates. Many of them may be very nice as well, but this place was excellant for a very reasonable price. We didn't get a chance to visit the Gran Tabacon Spa Resort and I wish we had, but all in all this place was just amazing!!!!!

  • Stayed June 2010, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask WellHeeledTravelor about Hotel Gran Arenal
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Davis, California
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“GREAT place to stay!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 24, 2011

A 10-minute walk from downtown La Fortuna, this was a great place to stay! We stayed in a private villa for 5, which was very reasonably priced. The room was large, clean, and we had an all-around comfortable sleeping experience.

The grounds were neatly kept, and the pool was great. Breakfast served in a really awesome group dining area. Every place on the grounds had a view of the volcano.

The man at the front desk spoke immaculate English, and was exceptionally helpful, providing us with a map, restaurant and activity recommendations, and transportation arrangements.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

  • Stayed February 2011, traveled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask shootahh about Hotel Gran Arenal
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens
Great value on a similar hotel
La Fortuna de San Carlos, Arenal Volcano National Park
5 of 5 stars 1,411 Reviews
Check Rates
Still looking for a hotel?
Highly rated hotels in La Fortuna de San Carlos
Trendy
The Springs Resort and Spa at Arenal
The Springs Resort and Spa at Ar... 4.5 of 5 stars 835 reviews
Family-friendly
Hotel El Silencio del Campo
Hotel El Silencio del Campo 4.5 of 5 stars 925 reviews
Romantic
Arenal Springs Resort and Spa
Arenal Springs Resort and Spa 4.5 of 5 stars 818 reviews
Luxury
Arenal Kioro
Arenal Kioro 4.5 of 5 stars 357 reviews
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1198441?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d626270?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d591334?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d585323?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Style_Xsell
Travelers also viewed these La Fortuna de San Carlos hotels
Hotel Las Colinas 4.0 of 5 stars 213 reviews Hotel Arenal Montechiari 4.0 of 5 stars 48 reviews Hotel San Bosco 4.0 of 5 stars 233 reviews Hotel Lavas del Arenal 4.5 of 5 stars 144 reviews
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d310169?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d609755?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d309062?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
Show Prices ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1199668?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed_Hero
View all 62 hotels in La Fortuna de San Carlos, ranked by popularity

Been to Hotel Gran Arenal? Share your experiences!

Write a Review Add Photos Add Videos

Additional Information about Hotel Gran Arenal

Also Known As:
Gran Arenal Hotel
Hotel Gran Arenal Costa Rica/Arenal Volcano National Park
Address: 1.3 Km North of National Bank, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
Region: Costa Rica > Province of Alajuela > Arenal Volcano National Park > La Fortuna de San Carlos
Amenities:
Free Breakfast Free Parking Swimming Pool Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#18 Romantic Hotels in La Fortuna de San Carlos

Owners: What's your side of the story?

If you own or manage Hotel Gran Arenal, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.

  • Manage your listing