We visited the Tortugero Lodge on the tail end of our Costa Rica trip.
Costa Rica Expeditions runs the lodge and from what I gather, does several well organized trips / tours involving their hotel / lodges.

Costa Rica Expeditions picked us up at our hotel on time in a clean, newish van. Getting to the lodge involved driving for a few hours, then taking a 2 hour boat ride to the lodge.
Our boa captain “Cola” was a kind local who knew the area well and lived through the transformation of this area. Previously turtle hunting ground, this area is now a tourist area where turtles are no longer in danger of extinction.

The resort was great, the rooms were comfy, very nice pool and great service. The rooms have a high end screened in feel. At the start of our stay we had the entire hotel to ourselves and one other couple. It was awesome. Next day a couple of boatloads of tourists arrived to fill the place up. We did enjoy the lodge more when it was just us, but in reality we had lucked out the first day and night.

The rooms are screened, you cannot close them, so you hear the howler monkeys at 5 am. Part of the jungle thing. The staff were very friendly, there were guitars around the resort. It was a very nice place to stay. There was a reading area, snacks and a decent bar.

Across the canal or river, is the airstrip which took us back to San Jose. Just past the strip is the ferocious Caribbean. Definitely not for swimming. The Ocean is mean and merciless.

I’m glad we went to Tortuga. I can’t say I would go back, though no fault of the resort, simply I feel it is one of those places you visit, enjoy it, then move on with wonderful memories. I would recommend it.

We loved this hotel and the area of Tortuguero with its caribbean feel.

The landscapes of Tortuguero are really different to the rest of Costa Rica with the "manglares". The rides with the boats are great! People say this is a very turistic area and avoid it, but we would really recommend it. In the hotel there was a very tranquil ambiance.

Indeed, there was too many people at the night tour of the nesting turtles, but anyway the experience is worthwhile.

This hotel has a very exquisite ambiance with very good taste!
Wonderful pool, marvellous dinning terrace, wood rooms with fans, kind service, delicious food, tranquility...

TIPS:
- There are two turns to see the turtles every day during nesting period, from 8 to 10 p.m. and from 10 to 12 pm. The first turns is more plenty due to kids and people doesn't want to go to bed late. I would recommend the second turn.
- We left Tortuguero and this hotel for the last days of our trip to Costa Rica, since the hotel is really nice and the pool invites you to relax looking at water of the "manglares".
- Ask for a room at the 1st floor. They are nicer than the ones at the ground floor and also they have more privacy. We stayed at rooms 11 and 12, very close to the swimming pool and bar. We loved them.
- There are two ping-pong tables. Our 11 year old son loved them.
- Even if the hotel is not in a walking area to the town and has no beach, don't worry. The beach is not nice at all and you can take a 5 minutes boat ride to town (they charge you, I don't remember how much, a bit expensive I think).
- you have the chance to have a special dinner prepaired just for you in a nice area of the gardens of lodge with a magic ambiance by the river. If you have to celebrate something special I would recommend it. It's called "the barbecue dinner". It would be a nice surprise! You should reserve it in advance. Nobody offered it to us and it's not in their website. We knew it since, while we were there, there was a family having this special dinner celebration. Ask when you reserve your hotel, before you go.


RELAX AND ENJOY YOUR STAY

I'd wanted to visit Tortuguero in Costa Rica for a while now during the Sea Turtle nesting season and I finally got to do it during the Labor Day holiday. Costa Rica Expeditions, the company that also owns the Lodge, provided an excellent service and arranged all the details of transportation and stay. The guides, drivers, pilots were all great, very knowledgeable and friendly, everything went according to schedule. I loved the Lodge, the rooms were spotless, comfortable and in tune with the surroudings. The best howler monkey watching spot of the whole trip from the balcony on the back of the room where a few monkeys had a lot of fun throwing fruit at us at a very short distance.. ! The tour guides went our of their way to find the best wildlife viewing spots and I had the chance to see ... and photograph up close most of the wildlife in the area ... of course, no manatees or jaguars but it is ok, the nightly turtle viewing tours were worth the whole trip. If you can, also take the dawn tour to see the baby turtles, although at this time of the year not many babies are born yet the chances of seeing (and photographing) a sea turtle going back to sea after just finishing laying her eggs are very good, I saw two and it was really an unforgettable experience.
Finally, I have to mention the food, it was excellent from breakfast to dinner.
I had high expectations about the Lodge after reading the mostly great reviews it gets here but it managed to exceed them!!!

Beautiful Lodge (we stayed in an upgraded room)
No television, no radio.... perfect.
No air conditioning, but it was very comfortable for sleeping (it actually was rather cool on the nights we were there, and this was in June).
Excellent food... more than excellent... some of the best meals I have had anywhere... just remarkably good.
This is a quiet, somewhat remote area, good for kayaking, boating, etc.... but otherwise somewhat limited. Nonetheless, we thought it was absolutely wonderful, and the staff were great... they could not have been more accommodating, friendly, and professional... absolutely excellent.