Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
The hotel includes free stay at the thermal resort (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IF YOU ARE STAYING IN LA FORTUNA, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO SOME MAJOR ACTIVITY/TOUR), for which they charge $60/pp to the publi
“Great value for the price”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
The hotel includes free stay at the thermal resort (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IF YOU ARE STAYING IN LA FORTUNA, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO SOME MAJOR ACTIVITY/TOUR), for which they charge $60/pp to the public. And you get to stay at the hot springs for the day that you checked in, to the day that you checked out, until 10pm. If you put that into perspective, that's $120 minimum value that you already have for 2 people for one room. It's the green season, the lowest season for CR, so I got a great deal in the room by itself by walking in. The staff is friendly and courteous, attentive. Our room has a great view of the volcano, although we did not see the peak due to the clouds. The pool area is beautiful, with walk-up bar, and is next to the restaurant. The hotel grounds are immaculate, you will see monkeys, green iguanas, etc. It's all green and wet all the time. Also, make sure you always close your door so that bugs do not come in. It's a rainforest, so keep that in mind. My favorite of the room is the pink bathrobe, and the sitting area next to the windows. The bathroom is lovely, and the local arts inside the room is inspirational. Wherever you turn, you feel that you are in CR/rainforest. This is the reason why I don't stay at the American chain hotels.
“Excellent Hot Springs”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
This hotel was worth every penny we spent to stay there. The rooms are excellent, with lots of space and are very clean with all the amenenities. And you can't beat the location. At the foot of a volcano with natural hot springs (included w/ the room price). My wife and I spent almost all our time at the hot springs or at the swim up bar. The food at the resturants is excellent. If you visit Costa Rica and are looking for a place to relax, Tabacon is a must.
“Gorgeous and excellent service”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
Amazing place to stay - beautiful hotel, outstanding service, A+ all the way
“Love the hotsprings... but not the greatest hotel”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
Tabacon Thermal Spa & Resort was one of four hotels we stayed at during our 8 day visit to Costa Rica while celebrating our first year wedding anniversary. The hotel itself is pretty nice, but it's a bit of a stretch to call it a "leading hotel of the world." It is definitely not five star if you apply international standards, but for Costa Rica, it's pretty good.
Three things that we liked: (a) proximity to the hot springs (which are relaxing and nicely landscaped) and admission into the hot springs included in the hotel price, (b) nice spacious room with 46" flat screen Samsung LCD TV mounted on wall and (c) the tandoori menu at the restaurant at the hot springs. We were pleasantly surprised by how yummy it was (we're both Indian-American). Three things we didn't like: (a) you're on the wrong side of the volcano, there is no lava viewing from this angle (b) the soap & shampoo in the bathrooms are subpar (so make sure you bring your own shampoo, conditioner & soap) and (c) pricey restaurants and no free internet service.
Other advice: you can make it to Tabacon from San Jose in 2.5 hours, so there's no need for an overnight stay in San Jose if you arrive by late afternoon, which gives you enough time to enjoy the hot springs at night since they're open until 10pm.
“Simply Magnificant”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
After reading mixed reviews I was a bit nervous during my ride to Tabacon. What I found was an amazing resort that far exceeded any expectations. The staff were organized, efficient, friendly, and willing to please. The grounds were exceptionally landscaped with the hot springs and spa appearing far better than their photographs - which is generally not the case. The rooms were well equipped, including the essentially and a large flat screen tv. Not sure why anyone would be unhappy with the rooms, although they are not designed to spend your vacation in one (unlike some in Las Vegas) - they encourage to to go out and experience Costa Rica. All of the tours offered through the hotel were incredible - rappelling down waterfalls, the Arenal Volcano Hike, Hanging Bridges, Zip Lines, all a must!
“Magical Resort”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
This resort was highly recommended and I can see why! The service is awesome right from the start. There are great tours and the best spa experience awaits. This is definetely a romantic spot with beautiful views, great food and free access to the hot springs which costs at least $65 to get in. It's a must stay! No compaints!
“Beautiful resort”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
My husband and I were married at Arenal National Park. Our stay at Tabacon was fabulous! When we arrived we were greeted with warm towels and a refreshing drink. Even though we did not contract with Tabacon for the wedding, Yorleny and Melissa still did everything to make sure that our day was perfect. We had a bowl of fresh fruit in our room and were contacted by the wedding coordinators who arranged for my hair and make up to be done. We found the people at Tabacon to be gracious and helpful. We brought a bag full of items to donate to the children at the orphanage that Tabacon assists. The management was kind enough to take our gifts to the children for us. We took several tours through Tabacon and found these to be the best organized tours of our trip. Our wedding night we splurged on the Gala Dinner, which was one of the best culinary experiences of our lives! We had a private dinner in a bungalow which was surrounded by hot springs and our own chef who prepared the meals right at the table. I highly recomend this dinner to anyone looking for a special, romantic evening. And the hot springs...they seemed to go on forever. We spent half of the day just trying out the different springs. I can not wait to return to Tabacon!
Beautiful Springs but Hotel was just OK”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
When I decided for Tabacon, I did it primarily because of the Hot Springs and what I thought was a view of the volcano. Let me start by telling you that there is NO view of the volcano from this hotel. The grounds were very nice but the property at the springs was truly spectacular! The room was also nice but I dont think I would stay here again. It was rather expensive for the standard room and not worth the stay other than the entrance to the springs. In the future, I would stay at a hotel like Arenal Nayara that is right in front of the volcano and at night, I would go to Tabacon and pay for the night pass. This way you get the best of both worlds.
“loved the room, hated the wrist bands”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
We stayed in one of the new deluxe forest rooms and it was perfect. We read reviews, so we knew better than to eat at the restaurant. We went to the hot springs each morning at 8am and they were private and perfect.
The only annoyance was the wrist band they insisted we wear even when away from the hot springs. I cut it off every night and asked for a new one each morning.
Tabacon was also the only hotel that asked us to sign an agreement that said they weren't responsible if our room was robbed, unless we used the safe and then they'd be responsible only up to 5k.
Overall - It was my favorite room we stayed in on our trip (and we stayed at Gaia which was gorgeous) - but I have a feeling they only have a few of these rooms. The building seemed relatively new, with 3 rooms on the first floor and 3 on the 2nd.
“Nice place, especially the hot springs, mediocre OVERPRICED food”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
The Tabacon is a nice place to stay. I would say it is comparable to a Hilton. The aspect that makes it unique are the hot springs which are an amazing experience. Unfortunately our overall experience was tainted by the ridiculously priced food. After a couple of days we discovered that La Fortuna, which is a short 10 minute drive away, has fantastic restaurants. I would recommend if you stay at the Tabacon, take advantage of the food in town. Don Rufino's was excellent (I loved the Tandoori Chicken). We also thought La Choza De Laurel was great. El Vagabundo had fantastic thin crust pizza.
“The hot spring was like being in paradise and amazingly no bug bites!”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
Background about us, my husband and I are early 30's with no kids. We drove from Liberia to Tabacon and it took 4 hours and we made sure to do it in daylight. The roads are bumpy and curvy, so be careful if you are going to do this.
We were served fruit juice when we arrived. Our room was very clean and nice, the bathroom was huge even by American standards. What makes this place nice is that you take their shuttle down the hill to the hot spring, so you just put on your robe from the room. Its best to go there before opening to the public between 8-10am. You will likely have a whole hot spring to yourself.
There are so many hidden hot springs with different temperatures throughout the property its amazing. But they also have a cold water pool by the bar to cool off.
The food is not amazing for the money. Room service was slow, burger and fries were cold, and at the main restaurant its even more expensive for the size. At the hot spring it was about $32 per person for dinner at their buffet. The bar food is even more expensive around $8 for chips & salsa. Though you can catch their happy hour drink specials buy 1 get 1 free at the hidden bar by the volcano view far away from the front entrance.
Overall, I would highly recommend the hot springs at Tabacon. You don't have to stay at the resort to use it but its definately worth the money so you dont walk around with wet clothes the rest of the afternoon.
“really enjoyed our experience”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
I stayed in the Hotel Tabacon for five days in early July, and I really enjoyed the experience. I stayed at the hotel because of the open access to the Hot Springs, which that alone is worth the price of the Hotel. The hot springs are in the middle of beautiful lush gardens/ forest, true some of the pools can be slimy to go into, but that's all part of the experience, if they had made all the pools of ceramic tile, the only thing that would differ it from any other pool in the world would be the temperature!
I have to agree with previous reviewers that the restaurant is overpriced and not that great, I liked the restaurant by the springs better than the one in the hotel, but not the buffet, i liked the menu better. There is a nice Italian restaurant at the entrance to la Fortuna, next to caffe Viena, I would totally recommend it.
The Spa I think was overpriced and overrated, I consider the real spa experience is just spending time in the Hot springs so save your money!
Stay away from the lobby cafe at Tabacon, service was terrible.
Also since the first impression you get from a hotel is the lobby, I think they should definetly improve it, it's very small and seems a bit cramped at time, not what you would usually see at a leading hotel.
Hotel rooms, are nice, good amenities, nice views, flat screen tvs and comfy beds!
“A truly diapponting stay”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
While in Costa Rica, we stayed at 4 different hotels. All were less expensive than Tabacon. However, Tabacon was the only hotel where we experienced theft. We reported the theft to the front desk, to hotel relations,and the hotel manager. All refused to address the issue (a $50 theft). The hotel manager explained that guests come and go but his bosses and employees are here to stay so he answered to them first. For a hotel that charges $500 / night, I woud have thought that the hotel had some responsibility to the guests.
“Absolutely Gorgeous Property!”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
We came from a very rustic lodge in Tortuguero and arrived at our Junior Suite at Tabacon with huge smiles. The property itself is extraordinarily well maintained. All of the employees were able to speak English with us, no problems with the language barrier (which was so appreciated since our Spanish is terrible). The room was just gorgeous. Robes, slippers, Aveda bath products, toothbrush & toothpaste kit, sewing kit, etc all made for quite a first impression. We had a huge flat-screen TV in our room. Our patio was private and faced out to the jungle-covered hills. The resort has a large pool and hot tub over by their main restaurant.
The restaurants are way over-priced, but I have to admit that the food was incredible. Cabs can take you to town for about $9 each way if you want to find more reasonably priced restaurants. One word of caution - only order food and drinks that are on the menu, with a specific price. Don't let them trick you into buying some kind of "special." You'll get sticker-shocked if you do!
As guests of the Tabacon Resort, you automatically get entrance to the hot springs of the same company, which are located just down the street. The hot springs could please even the pickiest traveler - pool after pool, waterfall after waterfall, of hot spring water, all different temperatures. There is also a very large pool with swim-up bar here. Even the locker rooms were impressive. I did not try the spa but it was also located at the hot springs.
Overall, this resort was incredible and I'd most definitely return!
“Worth the money”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
I stayed at this property with my husband and 3 teenage sons in July. We rented two Superior rooms and found them to be fantastic. Arenal volcano was in full action and our view of the volcano was exceptional. Though the resort is pricey, it's worth the money for a few nights. We enjoyed the hot springs very much and just being able to go for an hour or so at the end of each night was very relaxing. The only negative was when we went to check-in, they tried to charge us a higher rate than what we had booked at. Once I produced our confirmation, they adjusted it with no hassles, make sure and double check your rate though.
Pros:
well appointed rooms
customer service
gorgeous view
open access to the hot springs
food was good
Cons:
Close parking is not always easy to be had
Incorrect room rate
“Mixed Thoughts”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
Rooms were average, nothing special. I was a bit bothered that the cleaning lady left the door wide open while she was cleaning. The room would always have a bug or two flying around. Food was also average, a bit overpriced for what it was but that is to be expected since it is a resort.
The hot springs were fantastic. I loved lounging around the various hot spring areas. Even when it starts to rain, I enjoyed being in the hot springs.
I have very mixed views on the spa. My friend and I went to the spa everyday. The spa front desk was quite rude. There was this one girl named May who was rolling her eyes at me AND speaking in Spanish in a very nasty voice about me to her co-workers. I've never had such horrible treatment at a spa before. I was truly disappointed because the spa is supposed to be so wonderful. On the last day, we had already checked out and they wouldn't reserve a time slot for us until we paid, even though we were dripping wet from being in the pool. They made us go to our luggage and get our credit cards. I didn't understand this since we had been to the spa 3 days straight. They had our credit card info in their system and it was no way to treat a hotel guest.
Treatments were really hit or miss, depending on the therapist. The treatments were inconsistent. I feel like I had both one of the best and worst massages in my life. My friend also shared my feelings about the inconsistent massages. The spa has a policy that you can only go to wash up 30 minutes prior to your treatment, which I thought was inconvenient.
I wondered why the Tabacon wasn't the "best" resort in the Arenal area. Now I understand. Although it has great water facilities, the inconsistency left a bad taste in my mouth.
“Tropical paradise”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
The Tabacon Resort is a beautiful place, but after reading some of the other reviews I'm going to have to say that in most places in Costa Rica, it's a lot better if you speak Spanish. Although most people claim that they can speak English fluently, they don't. They usually don't want to speak Spanish to people that speak Spanish either. Any time that I've been to the Tabacon Resort, which is a lot of times, they have been quite rude. The rooms are lovely, but the food is lousy. The hot springs are nice, but really hot and slimey. What keeps people coming back is the natural beauty!
“Stay Here!!!”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
After staying for 2 nights in a more rustic hotel (and not much cheaper...) we were delighted by Tabacon. The whole property even smells good. We had the cheapest priced room, yet it was amazing. We wonder if we were upgraded and didn't know it?? There was even a partial view of the volcano, which we did not expect or pay for. Very clean, very modern amenities. The bathroom had a jacuzzi tub and Aveda toiletries. The bed was SO comfortable, huge flatscreen TV. We recommend ordering room service for breakfast...we only ordered one American breakfast each morning and it was MORE than enough for two. They set out of beautiful spread in your room with a vase of flowers and all!
A nice treat was complimentary turn down service! We were surprised and felt spoiled.
The best part of this stay was the hot springs which are included in the price of the room. They are absolutely GORGEOUS. A MUST SEE!!! I don't recommend them for children though...We thought this was more than worth it. You have access to the hot springs whenever you like. It was nice to soak in the different springs after a day of adventure. One day it rained all day long so we spend the day in the hot springs...what an awesome experience to feel the cool rain coming down while sitting in the hot springs!
This cost of the room was WELL worth it for us, but everything else was expensive but we managed to get around it. We ate in town a couple times, we ordered one breakfast which was more than enough for two. We didn't end up spending any more here than other places we stayed in CR and felt more spoiled than any other.
GREAT GREAT place for couples. We were sad to leave.
“Food poisoning my first night at their Los Tucanas restaurant”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
All I can say is that I was very disappointed. First, I must mention that we got an upgraded room with a jacuzzi bathtub, however, the tub was more like a mini swimming pool and had we wanted to actually use it, it would have taken 2 hours at least to fill it up for one use.
The thing that really ruined my experience there was that our first night we went out and spent about $200 on dinner at their fanciest restaurant ordering fois gras, steak, scallops and a shrimp pasta dish. Shortly after my having eaten there, I became violently ill for the next 24 hours ruining part of my honeymoon. I spent the entire day in bed.
Then the following evening after finally being able to eat again, we had a special romantic couples dinner planned where the chef was to cook for us a personal dinner. First the server spilled wine all over my husband, and then they prepared the wrong meal for me. All in all I would not recommend tabacon the resort.
“Great resort!”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
Tabacon is a great little spot in Costa Rica! My husband and I have been to the country twice now and made sure to have a few days in Tabacon both times. The spa is fabulous, very relaxing treatments in the middle of the rainforest. A perfect day at Tabacon in our opinion is to wake up and have their yummy buffet breakfast, head to the spa for a treatment or two, then spend the remainder of the day relaxing in the many hot spings or by the pool with a fancy little drink tha includes a mini umbrella. The rooms are cozy, not luxurious but comfortable and nice just the same. Tabacon is a great place to unwind for a few days and relax, even the drive to and from either Liberia or San Jose is worth the trip!
“Honeymoon Spa Treatment - When Private isn't Private, When Service isn't Service”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
I was in charge of planning and booking a honeymoon for my new wife and I. I wanted to book something nice for the first three days of our honeymoon in Costa Rica. Tabacon was recommended to me by a co-worker who really loves visiting the Tabacon hot springs. In retrospect, I wish we had only visited the hot springs and the bar while we stayed at Tabacon. Instead, I wanted to treat my wife to a couple's massage at the hotel's spa. I booked the "Idyllic Massage" (105 min.; $180) which is intended for couples and includes a Swedish massage in a private bungalow, face mask made with milk and fruit extract, a volcanic mud foot mask, and 25 minutes in the Jacuzzi with fresh fruit, champagne, and chocolate. It sounded terrific on paper. The rest of this review is a detailed, step-by-step, account of the rest of our experience with the idyllic massage and the actions (rather inaction) taken by the hotel when we attempted to express our displeasure with their service.
On the night of June 9th, we were led to a "private" bungalow on the Tabacon property, which was beautifully adorned. We were instructed to lay down on the massage tables and the treatment began. The massage was so intermittent that it started to become annoying. The two people giving our massage took three breaks in the middle of our massage! Once the massage was completed we were instructed that we would be given 20 minutes of private time in the hot tub to enjoy champagne, chocolates, and fruit. The two masseurs left the bungalow and as we were hanging up our robes another couple dressed in swimwear walked right into our bungalow! They just stood there looking at us! So, on one of our first nights as a married couple another man got to see my wife completely naked in our so-called private bungalow. I told them to leave which they did. We called out to see if our masseurs were anywhere around the bungalow and no one responded. So, we got our robes back on and sat at the side of the jacuzzi tub and ate our plate of food and drank our champagne. About 20 minutes later one of our masseurs showed up and walked us back to the spa. Due to her problems understanding English we had a hard time conveying what had transpired while she was away from the bungalow. We both decided to shower at the spa and my wife's shower backed up on her and she had to evacuate her shower. Once she got outside of her shower she noticed that there was a blood-like substance on the door! It was just a terrible experience for her. I felt really bad about the whole situation since I wanted this to be one of my wedding presents to her. We tried to contact the spa management to let them know about our experience and they were totally inaccessible. We left a message with the spa receptionist and they did not return our call that day. The next day we received a message from one of the front desk employees that they were going to give us a 10% discount on our massage! We were so insulted! We never mentioned money! We just wanted to inform the spa management that their private bungalows were not private, that we were displeased with the treatment we received, and that their bathrooms were not functioning properly the night we visited the spa. In our spa survey and in our hotel survey we conveyed our displeasure with their spa treatment and facilities. We even spoke with the guest services manager and left our contact information with him. They have all of our contact information and they have yet to make an attempt to contact us.
My wife and I visit the Spa at the Ritz Carlton Lodge at Reynold's Plantation on a regular basis and are very familiar with a five star spa treatment. Tabacon, in our opinion, is no where close to a five star spa. We will never stay at this hotel again.
“Fantstic Resort”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
Just got back from Tabacon and had a wonderful time! My husband loved the hot springs...they were a little hot for me but still beautiful. Of course we loved the swim up bar and the water in the pool was about 98-99. We loved it being rainy season...sun then 10 minutes later a downpour. Great fun but forget worrying about the hair...NOT! We were one of the lucky ones to have a room facing the volcano. Rooms 100 -109 all faced the volcano and have a great "backyard" whre we watched four Howler Monkeys having a great time in the trees. They're small and hard to find at first but listen for them (very noisy) and you'll get some great pictures!
Great resturant in Las Fortuna is Nenes...great food...too much in fact and they set everything on fire...great fun...Lagostinos were unreal!
It is a little pricey but thats what 5 star hotels are no matter where you go...it is what it is!
“Beautiful hotel and area, too much price gouging”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
When we got to Tabacon, we were so excited to see our AMAZING room. We splurged and put an extra $30 a night down to have a room with a view of the volcano. We even got our own little garden area! Since it was our honeymoon, the hotel also surprised us with a delicious fruit basket and welcome letter.
The hot springs were wonderful as well. I think we were lucky to go during the low season, since I am wiling to bet that the hot springs get packed during the busy season.
The only thing we really did not like about the area is that it is basically a tourist trap. Everything is WAY overpriced-worse than I have ever seen anywhere! Be prepared to tip everyone and their mother as well!
Also, be aware that you cannot see the volcano spewing lava from the Tabacon. If you want to see that from your hotel at night, call around to other places since they never see lava on the Tabacon side. You can take a drive down an extremely bumpy unpaved road around the backside of the volcano, or go to the Observatory Lodge (also WAY down the bumpy unpaved road) for some amazing views.
Even though it was overpriced, the Tabacon made for a very romantic honeymoon!
“Great Hotel and Restaurant”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
We stayed at the Tabacon for 3 days. My first recommendation would be to book through the Leading Hotels of the World website after having signed up for their Leading Club (free). That way you get upgraded based on availability. We booked a standard room and got a suite with views of the volcano and a jacuzzi on the balcony. The room was huge and clean.
The best part of the hotel however was the restaurant. Food was excellent (not cheap but well worth it) and service very attentive.
Finally the hot springs are great after a day of trekking. According to my girlfriend the spa was very good.
I would definitely stay again at this hotel.
“Tabacon is the Place to Stay in Arenal”
Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort
If you're visiting Arenal in Costa Rica, Tabacon Hot Springs is definitely the place to stay. The staff are all very friendly and professional, and tend to every need you have: taxis, scheduling spa/
massage treatment, recommending restaurants, renting DVDs, etc.
Because you're in the middle of the jungle, don't expect the room to be like the Four Seasons. But the rooms are decent (nothing special) and they do have a nice patio area that is basically connected to the jungle. I regret that we didn't get a room that faced the volcano, as many of the other guests noted that they saw lava coming from the volcano from their room.
But the primary reason you should book with Tabacon is that the guests get unlimited visits to their natural hot springs (remember that the place is built at the foot of a volcano). Usually, entrance to the hot springs is $30 per person per visit. So the room will basically pay for itself if you visit often enough. The hot springs is a great place to just relax. There is also a heated pool in the area with a swim up bar, which you can start a tab with your room if you stay at Tabacon. There is also a spa area, where you can get a nice massage, which I would definitely recommend.
Overall, I think Tabacon is the place to stay if you're going to Arenal.
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