My husband and I stayed here for three nights during our honeymoon. We were exhausted upon our arrival, having traveled over 5 hours to get to the hotel, so we were thrilled to be greeted by the most friendly and enthusiastic staff. Throughout our stay, the service continued to be excellent, whether it was at the restaurant, the spa, or even from maintenance.

The grounds were beautiful -- lush and jungly but very carefully landscaped, and the room we stayed in was amazing. The outdoor shower (which I was a little unsure about at first), huge bathroom and terrace with jacuzzi were all beautifully decorated and were cleaned very thouroughly every day. The only downside was the very uncomfortable furniture in the sitting room -- we opted to sit on the bed when watching TV and never really used this space.

The food in the restaurant was good albeit pricey, and the massages we had at the onsite spa were some of the best we've ever had. The staff was also very helpful for us in booking excursions, and we thoroughly enjoyed both of the excursions that the hotel recommended for us.

So why I am giving this hotel four stars instead of five? The main disappointment was that the whole hotel was just a little inauthentic for me. The website describes the hotel as both a resort and a luxury boutique hotel, but it is definitely more resort than boutique hotel. We probably met about 10-15 other couples during our 3 night stay, and they were all also on their honeymoons, which detracted from the experience somehow. Also, I don't really think you get a flavor of the Costa Rican culture from being there because you are so far from town. We would have liked this hotel more if we felt that our experience was a little less cookie cutter and a little more local. Bottom line, it is a fantastic place, just make sure it is the right one for you!

I nearly didn't book at Nayara at all - I sent them an email specifically enquiring if by booking directly with the hotel, they could match the more competitive rates offered on online booking sites - and reservations ("Johnny") merely responded with a curt, standard email reminding me of their standard price and attaching a form to fill in. Strangely, once booked (via ebookers), the hotel switched into helpful mode with thoughtful replies (from "Carlos") to various questions I emailed.

The hotel's own transit from San Jose airport at USD140 is competitive with independent private car transfers and for the 3-4 hour journey is good value. Nice driver in clean, 4WD car.

Itinerary planning:
Two nights was sufficient (with Monteverde to follow). The SkyTram/Sky Trek zip wire is well worth doing. As is the Eco Thermales thermal springs. The hotel-recommended Arenal Volcano Tour that preceded the springs was over-billed - more a walk to a nice view spot. On the way back, everyone in the minibus had to fill out feedback forms in front of the guide who had been repetitive and uninspiring so we had to write nice things even though we were all disappointed.

A few things just to manage expectations:

- You can't walk into town - it's a short drive in if you want other restaurants in the evening.

- The hotel casitas (rooms) are large with balconies directly onto forest. They are mostly delightful. They are quite densely packed together, but the connecting paths are cleverly landscaped and the overall layout is staggered so you can barely see neighbouring balconies - it's not a full 'hideway' resort but this is reflected in the price.

- The casitas are beautifully and simply appointed but would benefit from at least one item of upholstered furniture for comfort. All the seating in the room and balcony is unforgiving bare hardwood.

- The wi-fi in the rooms was broken (at least in the two casitas our party was occupying) - something the hotel management seemed to have a longstanding awareness of, claiming it was difficult to get working properly. Other much more spread out properties have sufficient access points to deliver a wifi signal without the need to go to reception to get a connection so I'm sure this is fixable.

- Unfortunately, the main restaurant is sandwiched between a fairly busy reception pavilion (with slighty manic management) and the main car park (which is visible and audible when eating). This is a shame as it somewhat breaks the calm 'magic spell' of being in the remote foothills of the volcano.

-Food in the main restaurant was mostly good (but not the best hotel food in CR) and predictably pricey for the captive audience. The inclusion of a sushi restaurant seemed an odd novelty. The wine bar (staffed by helpful Jonathan - there are a few Jonathan's there) was more useful, serving a very small range of very large plates of tapas!

So overall, still a lovely place, a recommendation and I would go back. Just be aware of some limitations.

PS the Mystery Of The Third Tap (faucet) - hot, cold and ???? feeding the single outlet shower remains...

Gorgeous setting, perfect service, beautiful private cabanas with deck with private jacuzzi. Amazing gardens, fantastic spa and the whole premises very well maintained. Great sushi restaurant (although somehow overpriced), gorgeous wine bar with outside terrace for fine dining. Pool area with great cocktail bar. Super friendly and helpful staff ( sometimes too much focussing on the US clients and fishing for tips). Almost perfect and absolutely no better place to stay in La Fortuna. And of course, all of this does have a price, but worth it.

This is the summun of luxury from the moment you step up in your transfer van. Staff are super dedicated, the tours are of top level. We recommend Edwin and the canopy tour. The people staying there are lovely, its a very social place. We did find it on the expensive side. But good things are never cheap, just be aware that money goes quickly when you have a great sushi bar, an amazing wine bar and a world class open air spa. Perfect for a honeymoon or if you need to fix your marriage. The laundry did ruin my favorite t shirts which they put in the dryer and the staff is pushing too hard on the tips. For the record, they has 13% tax and 10% tip. You don't need to leave extra. But we loved it there, go on spoil yourself, you are worth it.