Reviews of Arenal Observatory Lodge

beautiful grounds but not worth the $

Very "touresty" unfriendly staff. We wished we would have stayed in Lafortuna & did a day trip to Arenal. We paid for a smithsonine room but DID NOT look anything like the pictures. The waiters were the friendlyist

Great place to stay!!

Observatory lodge: The place where it all began - with the orignal seismograph still working! Comfortable, unpretentious accomodation - I appreciated the absence of a TV. Friendly and competent guides, interesting tour offered. Great hot tub and pool. Well oriented Rooms , good view of the volcano. Many animals on the ground and in the air round the rooms.

Wonderful View

We were there in late May so we were lucky to see the eruptions. Our room(s) were situated so that they faced the volcano with no view obstructions. We heard howler monkeys in the morning and ate wonderful meals in the restaurant (that also faes the volcano). The front desk was most helpful in getting us back to San Jose with a map and specific directions. We even saw some wild Toucans as we were leaving.

great hotel

We stayed at Observatory Lodge in Jan. Our room was clean, a beautiful view of the lake and quiet. The meals in the restaurant were delicious and the tour and guide the next morning, all we had hoped for. You can view beautiful birds, a coatie near the deck, and the volcano at its best. We could have stayed for a week there is that much to do and see. Jody jackson

Not Rustic - Just Awesome!

We had read that this was a rustic (read: low quality) old science station and we were prepared to rough it for the best Arenal views. The road going there did nothing to assuage our concerns but once we arrived - AWESOME! Nice lobby, great restaurant, hot tub, pool, amazing gardens and trails, wifelife prancing around and the ever-present rumble of a live volcano - very cool! If this is 'roughing it' I'm all in! The view was spectacular as were the accomodations. Rustic? Don't think so, this place was N-I-C-E!

Beautiful place, very nice rooms

We had a great time, the place and staff are great. Too bad we didn't get to see the volcano. The view from the main restaurant is amazing.

Wish there were TVs in the rooms :)

Fantastic Hotel

The lodge is awesome. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the lodge. Was disappointed to have to leave. You cannot get a better view of the volcano. It was wonderful to sit and relax in the jacuzzi and watch the volcano. The grounds around the lodge are beautiful. The morning guided hike is a must and you cannot pick a more beautiful place to go horseback riding. The daily breakfast was fantastic. The restaurant is also wonderful. I would recommend this place to everyone.

Well worth it!!

The accommodaions were very basic and clean. The staff was great. The grounds were well kept and the views of the volcano were fabulous. More work needs to done on the access road in the long term. I would also recommend that a history of this interesting facility be more available. My only complaints were the door hinges that needed to be oiled to reduce the noise and I thnk the beds could be upgraded. We highly recommend the observatory lodge..

Coolest place Ever

If you go to Arenal you really should stay here. Worth every penny.

Nice Place Despite the Rain...

We arrived in the Arenal area in the rain, and we never even saw the volcano until the rain stopped in the late afternoon. But once the views opened up, the lodge was a spectacular place to stay. We could see most of the volcano from our balcony, and there was a nice observation deck where people sat out at night and talked and listened to minor eruptions and rock falls every 15-20 minutes or so. (No glowing lava while we were there, but apparently the lava is more visible from hotels on the other side.) The rooms were very nice also, and the landscaping made the whole place like a jungle paradise. The food in the restaurant was so-so, and there are no other choices since you have to drive several miles on a bumpy dirt road to get there. The people at the desk were very friendly and spoke good English. All in all, it was a great place to stay.

The Observatory Lodge was great, the staff was excelent, and the rooms were perfect. The gentlemen at the front desk were especially helpful with reservations and getting taxi service. The view from the room was tremendous. The trail to the waterfall was also enjoyable and not to far.

My stay at the Arenal Observatory was outstanding. we stayed at two hotels in the area and the Observatory blew them out of the water. YOU can't get any closer to the volcano. What an experience...I will never forget!! The rooms,pool, trails and food were all excellent!! Didn't want to leave!!The voucher system worked great.No problems.

Every thing was great. I would stay at the lodge again and would recommend it to others. I would like to recommend that you put up more signs directing people to the lodge. My party and I arrived at 9:30 pm and it was difficult to find our way in the dark being unfamiliar with the roads and the signs being few and far between and not being lit.

The hotel was wonderful. The staff was so helpful and very nice. This will be my choice of hotels everytime I visit. The experience was priceless.

The canopy tour was great. It was exciting and fun. It was what I had hoped it would be.