Driving through La Fortuna, I was preparing myself for the worst. Many tired looking motels lined the road near the town, and I wasn't certain that we wouldn't end up in one. The directions we were given were befuddling (rarely a good sign), but we eventually abandoned them and struck out on a bumpy dirt road leading out of town. My spirits rose a little; the cattle pastures and forests of this area outside of town gave it a soothing ambience. About a kilometer and a half down the road and scores of pothole bumps later, we pulled into the Gran Arenal. Loius, the owner, came out to greet us, and he and my dad started speaking in rapid Spanish. My cousin and I got our room key and headed off to find our room, leaving the two to finish their uncomprehensible conversation. (I've been lazy learning Spanish, or not learnign as it may be.)
My cousin and I were immediatley impressed with the place. A bridge from the parking area to the dining area crossed a cool, lush stream, and the entire property was well tended by William, the gardener, who I would meet later. The hotel was set up as a series of small buildings facing the volcano (at the time shrouded in clouds), and it seemed that only the ones in the first two rows actually got a good volcano view. The room was nice enough, with a clean bathroom, comfortable beds, and glorious A/C. Halfway through our stay of three nights our room sprung a small leak while we were out for the day and the management gave us a key to a new one on our arrival. Best of all, we had the entire hotel to ourselves for two nights of our stay, though this probably won't happen for most visitors.
Of all the activities during our days around Arenal, my cousin and my explorations of the gardens and streams around the property were some of the most memorable. Two streams run through the property, tall trees rising from their banks. On the far side of the property (the side with the parking area) there is a medium sized pond which houses a variety of fish, frogs, and most exitingly, a caiman. William has been feeding the crocodile-like creature for the past three years, and got the reptile to actually come out of the water for us on several occasions. My cousin and I went on a night hike around the stream and pond and saw a variety of toads, pond frogs, and even some brightly coloured tree frogs. To top it off, the hotel was infested with many species of birds and hummingbirds, often viewable at the dining area during breakfast, as well as a resident sloth who we saw on a couple occasions.
On that subject, breakfast was simple but good. Rice and beans, scrambled eggs, toast, and fruits were offered alongside cereal for gringos like us (though I became quite accustomed to morning beans and rice during the trip). The coffee was decent, and the pinneaple, which is bought from a local farmer, is the best I've had in my life.
The pool is not heated, but the climate is warm enough that after jumping in you get used to it quite quickly. It has an intersting design, with a sloping ramp into the pool and a mosaic of tiles on the bottom. There's nothing quite like floating in the pool gazing up at Arenal (which did occasionally come out of the clouds to let us look at it).
In summation, the hotel's ammenities and rooms themselves are quite up to par, but what really makes this place stand out are the animals and natural environment.
