Volcano Lodge

I highly recommend this hotel. It's primely located next to the Arenal volcano with amazing views and beautiful plants. Everything from the comfortable beds to the excellent service.

“Great hotel in amazing location next to Arenal volcano with beautiful views.”

Volcano Lodge

I highly recommend this hotel. It's primely located next to the Arenal volcano with amazing views and beautiful plants. Everything from the comfortable beds to the excellent service.

 

“Good hotel”

Volcano Lodge

Volcano Lodge is a good 3 star hotel. I was there for 2 nights. The grounds were well maintained, everything was very clean, the staff were friendly and helpful. I had a fantastic view of the volcano from my room. A lovely garden, pool w/bar, quiet and relaxed atmosphere.

 

“Good Value”

Volcano Lodge

We really enjoyed our stay at Volcano Lodge and felt we got good value for our money.

 

The room was a little tight for 4 of us but we managed. We could hear the neighbouring room too well. I think this might have had more to do with their volume level than thin walls. The room also had a peculiar smell when we entered but we would soon get used to it. I never did figure out what it was.

 

We enjoyed all the meals we had at the restaurant by the pool - plentiful breakfasts and reasonably priced dinners and drinks.

 

The kids really enjoyed the pool area.

 

The landscaping was beautiful and of course it was nice to be able to see the volcano. even if we never saw any lava .

 

The staff was friendly and helpful.

All in all I was happy with our hotel choice. Thank you to the previous reviewers whose reviews helped me choose this hotel.

Bill

 

“Great find for a great price!”

Volcano Lodge

My boyfriend and I stayed at Volcano Lodge for 2 nights and had a great experience. The included breakfast is very good, the pool is really nice and the hot tub is even nicer! The staff is friendly and will help you with any questions you have. The rooms come with a back porch that has a great view of the volcano and butterflies fly around the entire time.

We only had one full day in Arenal/La Fortuna. We woke up early (which allowed us to see the volcano before the clouds surrounded it), got breakfast, drove to the La Fortuna waterfall and hiked down. The waterfall is beautiful and you can swim all around it but I recommend wearing good shows because the hike is steep. After that, we walked around La Fortuna (not too much to see but it was fun) and had lunch at the Lava Lounge which i HIGHLY recommend. The food was great and the staff was super friendly and helpful! At 3PM, we met a guide at the hotel and did a hike around the volcano. In the end, it was dusk and we watched the volcano spit out lava and it was incredible. From there, we went to the Tabocon hot springs which was also fantastic.

I don't recommend the restaurant by the entrance at the hotel for dinner but I recommend Volcano Lodge for sleeping and breakfast.

 

“An Excellent Hotel”

Volcano Lodge

We spent a few days at Arenal Volcano Lodge the third week of August 2008. We were extremely pleased with this hotel and would not hesitate to return

The hotel is well located just outside ($5 cab ride) the town of La Fortuna and has an awesome view of the volcano. The grounds are beautiful and lush with a wide variety of plants and trees. There are two swimming pools, one heated with a swim-up bar and a very big hot tub. The pools were immaculate as were the grounds. The rooms are clustered 4 per building and all have a “back porch” with two rocking chairs and a table that look directly on the volcano. Inside the rooms are spotlessly clean and well furnished. Ours had two full beds with excellent mattresses, an electronic in-room safe, a large bathroom with a walk in shower, a coffee maker and a color TV. There was also a desk and two chairs and table in the room. The only odd thing about the room was that there was no dresser with drawers – in fact there were no drawers at all. There were open wire shelves by the safe where one would stack clothing if needed. We just pretty much lived out of our bags during the stay and certainly did not find this to be a big negative.

The food was excellent in the two restaurants and the included breakfast was large and more than adequate. One could easily skip lunch after the breakfast. Prices were quite reasonable for food and drink – our average dinner bill, including local beer, never exceeded $24 for two (including tax and tip). There is a happy hour each day from 4 to 6 at the swim-up bar area which has a selection of mixed drinks (but not beer) 2 for 1. Beer was cheap enough as it was at $2 and $3 depending on the brand (local beers and all quite tasty).

We could find nothing to fault with this hotel and would not hesitate to return. Our only regret is that we did not stay for another couple of days to enjoy the hotel and the Arenal area further. We highly recommend this hotel for anyone, families with children, couples or singles. It is a great place.

Oh and a big hint - for the best view of the volcano get out of bed early like 6 am and it is usually crystal clear with no clouds around the summit so some great photo chances. If you snooze you lose since by about 730 or so the clouds build up and hang around all day.

 

“Like staying in a botanic garden”

Volcano Lodge

Honestly, this may be a case of the actual location being more beautiful than the website. From looking at the website, I was expecting a nice place, but was surprised at how lovely it was when we arrived. The grounds are immaculately kept and resemble a botanic garden. The pool was lovely; it was great to sit in the hot tub and watch the volcano erupt. THe food was delicious and the staff was friendly.

My husband and I had massages, which were okay. His was better than mine. However, the oil that they used left us coated and needed to be scrubbed off with soap and a washcloth.

We would definitely go back!

 

“Beautiful Hotel”

Volcano Lodge

Volcano Lodge is a beautiful hotel and I was very happy with everything. The grounds were well maintained, everything was very clean, the staff were very friendly and helpful. I had a fantastic view of the volcano from my room and was so happy that one night I was able to see the tip of the volcano red.

My husband and I had a wonderful time and were sad to leave.

I highly recommend this hotel and plan to come back soon!!!

 

“Beautiful Hotel Gardens, very nice rooms”

Volcano Lodge

Our family of four stayed here for 4 nights. The grounds are really gorgeous, with an amazing variety of tropical flowers everywhere. The included breakfast buffet is great and the open-air poolside restaurant a perfect setting.

The room was nice, pretty standard size for two double beds, which fit the four of us without any problem. Nice bathroom and shower. The housekeeping was nice, and they have the most inventive origami towel folders of anywhere, which was a nice touch.

Nice location, a few miles out of La Fortuna on the way to the volcano. Wonderful volcano views, but not of the lava currently (2008).

Nice pool and hot tub area.

The only complaint was that we heard a lot of noise from the neighboring room when the "loud family" returned to their room each night at 10:30.

But overall we really enjoyed our stay there and would easily recommend it. But keep in mind you will have to go elsewhere to view the hot lava at night.

 

“The Volcano Comes To You”

Volcano Lodge

One of our most favorite if not the favorite destination in Costa Rica would have to be the Arenal Volcano & Lake area; we usually always plan for a few hours at the Hot Spings, tour the Lake & Waterfalls, take the Canopy tours and as many of the other wonderful things this area offers; and oh yes, the last to mention but certainly NOT the least on our itenerary would have to be the gorgeous scenery, climate and dinner at Restarante El Novillo (on the road near & just before Tabacon).

We have stayed several times at the Tabacon Resort & always visit the Hot Springs offered there as part of the pkg, however this Hotel has become so famous that we recently had to book accomadations elsewhere; an internet search came up with The Volcano Lodge. Man this place was incredible! Every room with a view of the Volcano, fantastic pool & grounds and GREAT food all very reasonably priced. The Lodge was what we have come to expect of a quality Costa Rican Hotel, immaculately clean & well run by a very gracious and attentive staff. We will always book this place in the future.

 

“Exceeded our expectations”

Volcano Lodge

The Volcano Lodge was our 3rd choice in the Arenal area, but we're so glad we stayed here.

 

The hotel has 2 pools and 2 restaurants. The restaurant in the front of the hotel seems to cater to large tour groups after their trip to the hot springs. Stick to the Sura restaurant. We enjoyed their ceviche.

 

Breakfast is served in Sura. Start time is 7am, but we found that if you had an early tour, you could show up 5 minutes before and even take things to go. Lots of variety in the buffet.

 

Most people hung out at the pool by Sura. It has the swim up bar and a large jacuzzi off to the side. As other posters have noted, the grounds are beautiful and you will have no problem seeing hummingbirds! We were also lucky to see the volcano for 2 days. If it's visible, you'll see it from the pool and the restaurant.

Our room was very large and comfortable. The downside was that we were in the only grouping that didn't face the volcano! We could see the volcano if we went our our back door and walked 10 feet, but it's not what I was expecting. We didn't complain because they seemed pretty full. Avoid rooms 111-121 if you can! You share one wall with your neighbor and you can hear everything! It might help if both parties closed their bathroom doors. The beds were very comfortable and the shower was large. There was a TV with cable. The towel animals were a nice touch.

The front desk staff was very helpful. The hotel now has a taxi/driver service with their sister hotel, San Bosco. We had 2 excellent drivers at our service throughout our stay. They took us to the volcano for a hike, to Hanging Bridges, to Eco Termales and into town. Their prices were reasonable and they were very enjoyable. Be sure to ask for Josémar and José!

We booked a Caño Negro tour through the hotel. There is a Sunset Tour desk in the reception area. We saw lots of animals and enjoyed the tour.

I enjoyed a massage at the hotel spa (which is basically a room set up with 2 massage tables).

I liked that the rooms here were set back from the road. I saw that the 2 hotels we didn't get into had rooms that were right on the main road. I wouldn't have liked that. Despite the noisy neighbors and the lack of volcano views from our room, we enjoyed our stay here.

 

“A Paradise”

Volcano Lodge

We booked this hotel in advance for our first two nights in Costa Rica and we were'nt disappointed. This is a small piece of paradise right in front of the volcano. Great view of the volcano from the rooms as well as from the pool and jacuzzi. Excellent breakfast and very good restaurant to eat dinner.

The service was very good and a dedicated person in the reception helped us book our tours of the area including the Tabacon hot springs which are very recommended.

 

“Wonderful experience”

Volcano Lodge

Volcano Lodge was wonderful, everything that was advertised. It was clean, quiet, and the staff was friendly. We were able to book some amazing excursions. The covered hot tub was the perfect remedy after a long day. The food was good (if a little expensive) and the atmosphere was fantastic.

 

“Amazing!”

Volcano Lodge

Right under volcano. Beautiful view from the room. Grounds beautiful. Nice pool. Great food.

 

“a little piece of paradise”

Volcano Lodge

I don't want to repeat the previous review too much, they were right on! My husband and I spent 5 nights here and hated leaving. The staff and the hotel and Sur restaurant were magnificent! The view of the volcano from our room was spectacular, even though it was the green season the rain never really got in the way (remember it is a rainforest.) Although there is no visible lava from the hotel you can see the smoke during the day and orange glow at night. You can easily get a taxi driver to drive you to the Mirador (lookout point) to see lava, our guy drove us and waited an hour until the clouds lifted and the lava flowed!

Make sure you make it to Ecotermales (say hi to Orlando!) Don't miss dinner at La Choza de Laurel and a casado lunch at Sur.

PURA VIDA!!!

 

“AMAZING Hotel! We loved it!”

Volcano Lodge

What a gem! We booked this hotel through a Costa Rican website and I have to say, this hotel was a most pleasant surprise! We loved the landscape, the views, the staff. We felt extremely safe the entire time. Their breakfast buffest was delicious, generous and best of all, included in the price of the room.

On day 1, our 8 year old son went exploring behind our hotel room. There is a vegetable garden as well as several fruit trees. My son made friends with a little girl staying next door and one of the gardeners gave them guayabas, limes and sugar cane which he even cut for them to eat on the spot.

My son promptly took his guayabas over to the restaurant by the pool and asked the bartender to make him a drink which he did free of charge. The maids made masterpieces out of our towels each day and it was a pleasure to get back to our room each night.

The only issue we had, which was really just a minor inconvenience, was booking a tour to the hot springs through the on-site agency that the hotel has. The young woman booked us for the wrong date so the shuttle bus showed up the day before. She said that she corrected the mistake but the next day our shuttle bus did not show up at the slotted time. After working with the reception desk to fix the problem (because the on-site agent wasn't there), the shuttle arrived and took us to our destination. All in all, we only lost about 40 minutes, but the hot springs are booked in 4 hour increments. Eco Termales was so serene, and very private and secluded. Another interesting and pleasant touch was that they don't keep tabs of what you drink. When you check out, you tell them what you had and they charge you. And the drink prices were fairly reasonable for the area.

Oh, another small thing was that the phones weren't working for outgoing calls in the hotel rooms so I had to walk to the reception to use their phone. It was a nice little walk. Also, there is no local bus so if you want to go to town, and you should, it will cost around $6 each way.

One word of caution: My husband and son went exploring behind the hotel and encountered a Pit Viper in the river! It was one of the most memorable parts of our trip. Very scary!

The restaurant food was good and fairly reasonable also. There is not a whole lot of variety in town so not really worth it to go into town to eat, but great to go for shopping and just walking around. And of course you must go to the volcano. Otherwise, why go to Arenal?

 

“delightful experience”

Volcano Lodge

Glad we used tripadvisor and picked this hotel !!!

 

Stayed for four nights in late June/early July. Paid $84 per night for 2 people, including taxes and buffet breakfast.

 

Upon arrival, room had a small bottle of Italian Chianti and “animal towel art” decorated with fresh orchids.

 

There are 2 restaurants at Volcano Lodge. The one at the hotel entrance is not part of the hotel. The restaurant named Sura is part of the hotel and is excellent.

 

The breakfast buffet at Sura included omelets to order, scrambled eggs, rice mixed with black beans, some warm meat (tasted like a cross between hot dogs and keilbasa), fried plantains, granola cereal, corn flakes, strawberry yogurt, sweet pineapple slices, papaya chunks, sliced cold ham, some type of cheese, bread/toast, sweet cake, juices, coffee, an assortment of herbal teas, and other stuff I just don’t remember. Buffet food was the same each day.

 

The dinners at Sura were tasty and reasonable priced. A ten ounce filet mignon entrée, served with vegetables and bread, cost about $16, including the 13% tax and 10% service fee. Service was excellent.

 

Taxi between Volcano Lodge and downtown La Fortuna (taxi stand at the park) cost 3200 to 3500 colones (about $7) each way.

 

The travel agent in the reception area works for Sunset Tours. I booked two excursions through this person: (1) Sky Trek/Sky Tram zip lines in Arenal and (2) Selvatura canopy tour/zip lines for our next stop in Monteverde. The prices through Sunset were the same as advertised on the zip line companies' web sites, and included transportation from my hotel. Rates for these two zip line companies are priced differently for adults, students, and children. If your party includes a student too old to fall into the child category, be sure to make a point of letting the agent know you want the student rate (you save about $10 from the adult rate). The Sky Trek and Selvatura web sites indicated that you needed to show a student ID for the student rate, but no one asked or cared upon our arrival at the zip lines.

 

One computer is available in the reception area for free internet access.

 

When at the pools (there are two), the jacuzzi’s (again, there are two) are hidden from view by plants and landscaping. There is also a small kiddie pool beside each pool.

 

Staff has some golf carts and will gladly move you and your luggage between room and reception.

 

Easy to get taxi at the hotel – contact reception, and wait about 10 minutes.

 

Very clean. Large bathroom and large shower. Nice fluffy towels.

 

We were there for four days in the rainy season. Mornings were nice. Light rain some afternoons. Rain some evenings. Heavy rain some nights.

 

All lighting in the room appears to be compact fluorescent bulbs, and is somewhat dim. Only the bathroom lighting was bright. With sunrise at 5:30AM, early risers can sit on the porch and read or watch the clouds dance around the volcano.

 

The only negative aspect of our stay was noise from an adjacent room one night.

 

Hotel’s web site says… “At Volcano Lodge you and your family will have a unique view of the Arenal volcano… at night with unforgettable live colored eruptions worth photographing.” A few years ago, the lava flow moved form the north to the west side of the volcano. Consequently, you won’t see any red lava unless you drive 20 minutes away from the hotel.

 

“Amazing Place to Stay!!!”

Volcano Lodge

I can't express enough how satisfied our stay at the Volcano Lodge was. Great location with great volcano views, freindly service, and the breakfast buffet was spectacular.

The smallest details sometimes are left unsaid. But, during our stay we had excursions planned daily. The Volcano Lodge placed a confirmation of the next days excursion at the door of our room every evening. The Volcano Lodge really goes the extra mile to make your stay worry free.

 

“What a way to start our Costa Rica Experience”

Volcano Lodge

I used Trip advisor heavily before booking our trip and I am so glad I followed the advice of other members and selected the Volcano Lodge

My partner and I along with our two sons age 8 and 14 arrived in San Jose, and we had a van already booked to take us to the Volcano Lodge. It was a 3 hour trip but it went quickly. Our driver stopped a few times and our first meal in CR was at a locals favorite place. It was a long day of travel but I am glad we went right to Arenal area.

 

The Volcano Lodge is heaven. It’s not a 5 star luxury place, but then again we didn’t go to CR to get what we could have had in a hotel in NY. The place and the grounds are open and beautiful. The reception desk was good. They were quick and efficient which we wanted after a long day of travel. The room was big and the bathroom was great, love the walk in shower stall. The little porches you see are really nice.

The volcano is the star in town and we had a great view of it. The weather was hot and dry in the morning and afternoon and around 4 each day it poured for a few hours, then all nice again by morning. We were there for 4 days and we saw the volcano with no clouds at all, full view 60% of the time. It was partial about 20% and hidden the rest of the time. The view from Volcano Lodge is great.

We took a taxi into town once and ate at a local place and saw what the little town had to offer. It is touristy, but then again we are tourists there for the first time so we loved it all.

We went on the lodge recommended volcano hike/hot springs/dinner turn. The hike was nice and we saw a few animals but not as good as the tours we got in other parts of CR. We chose the Eco Termale hot springs. It was outstanding and we had the place almost to ourselves. The is opposed to what we saw when we dropped off others at Baldi. It’s like the difference between going to Chuckee Cheese and an intimate nice French restraint. If you like theme parks go to Baldi, if you like very personal quiet relaxing hot spring experience go to Eco.

The staff at the Volcano Lodge were great, the lower down the rung they are the nicer they are.

We will go back to Arenal and when we do, I couldn’t be convinced to stay anywhere other than Volcano Lodge

 

“Best hotel value for us in Costa Rica!”

Volcano Lodge

By far, this was the best hotel deal for us in Costa Rica, and was our favorite place to stay at.

The grounds are very beautiful, the staff are all excellent, the food was some of the best we had during our 8 day stay in the country. The room was very clean. We enjoyed the generous breakfast buffet every morning.

Overall, you will get great value for your money at the Volcano Lodge.

 

“delightful experience”

Volcano Lodge

Glad we used tripadvisor and picked this hotel !!!

 

Stayed for four nights in late June/early July. Paid $84 per night for 2 people, including taxes and buffet breakfast.

 

Upon arrival, room had a small bottle of Italian Chianti and “animal towel art” decorated with fresh orchids.

 

There are 2 restaurants at Volcano Lodge. The one at the hotel entrance is not part of the hotel. The restaurant named Sura is part of the hotel and is excellent.

 

The breakfast buffet at Sura included omelets to order, scrambled eggs, rice mixed with black beans, some warm meat (tasted like a cross between hot dogs and keilbasa), fried plantains, granola cereal, corn flakes, strawberry yogurt, sweet pineapple slices, papaya chunks, sliced cold ham, some type of cheese, bread/toast, sweet cake, juices, coffee, an assortment of herbal teas, and other stuff I just don’t remember. Buffet food was the same each day.

 

The dinners at Sura were tasty and reasonable priced. A ten ounce filet mignon entrée, served with vegetables and bread, cost about $16, including the 13% tax and 10% service fee. Service was excellent.

 

Taxi between Volcano Lodge and downtown La Fortuna (taxi stand at the park) cost 3200 to 3500 colones (about $7) each way.

 

The travel agent in the reception area works for Sunset Tours. I booked two excursions through this person: (1) Sky Trek/Sky Tram zip lines in Arenal and (2) Selvatura canopy tour/zip lines for our next stop in Monteverde. The prices through Sunset were the same as advertised on the zip line companies' web sites, and included transportation from my hotel. Rates for these two zip line companies are priced differently for adults, students, and children. If your party includes a student too old to fall into the child category, be sure to make a point of letting the agent know you want the student rate (you save about $10 from the adult rate). The Sky Trek and Selvatura web sites indicated that you needed to show a student ID for the student rate, but no one asked or cared upon our arrival at the zip lines.

 

One computer is available in the reception area for free internet access.

 

When at the pools (there are two), the jacuzzi’s (again, there are two) are hidden from view by plants and landscaping. There is also a small kiddie pool beside each pool.

 

Staff has some golf carts and will gladly move you and your luggage between room and reception.

 

Easy to get taxi at the hotel – contact reception, and wait about 10 minutes.

 

Very clean. Large bathroom and large shower. Nice fluffy towels.

 

We were there for four days in the rainy season. Mornings were nice. Light rain some afternoons. Rain some evenings. Heavy rain some nights.

 

All lighting in the room appears to be compact fluorescent bulbs, and is somewhat dim. Only the bathroom lighting was bright. With sunrise at 5:30AM, early risers can sit on the porch and read or watch the clouds dance around the volcano.

 

The only negative aspect of our stay was noise from an adjacent room one night.

 

Hotel’s web site says… “At Volcano Lodge you and your family will have a unique view of the Arenal volcano… at night with unforgettable live colored eruptions worth photographing.” A few years ago, the lava flow moved form the north to the west side of the volcano. Consequently, you won’t see any red lava unless you drive 20 minutes away from the hotel.

 

“Amazing Place to Stay!!!”

Volcano Lodge

I can't express enough how satisfied our stay at the Volcano Lodge was. Great location with great volcano views, freindly service, and the breakfast buffet was spectacular.

 

The smallest details sometimes are left unsaid. But, during our stay we had excursions planned daily. The Volcano Lodge placed a confirmation of the next days excursion at the door of our room every evening. The Volcano Lodge really goes the extra mile to make your stay worry free.

 

“What a way to start our Costa Rica Experience”

Volcano Lodge

I used Trip advisor heavily before booking our trip and I am so glad I followed the advice of other members and selected the Volcano Lodge

 

My partner and I along with our two sons age 8 and 14 arrived in San Jose, and we had a van already booked to take us to the Volcano Lodge. It was a 3 hour trip but it went quickly. Our driver stopped a few times and our first meal in CR was at a locals favorite place. It was a long day of travel but I am glad we went right to Arenal area.

 

The Volcano Lodge is heaven. It’s not a 5 star luxury place, but then again we didn’t go to CR to get what we could have had in a hotel in NY. The place and the grounds are open and beautiful. The reception desk was good. They were quick and efficient which we wanted after a long day of travel. The room was big and the bathroom was great, love the walk in shower stall. The little porches you see are really nice.

 

The volcano is the star in town and we had a great view of it. The weather was hot and dry in the morning and afternoon and around 4 each day it poured for a few hours, then all nice again by morning. We were there for 4 days and we saw the volcano with no clouds at all, full view 60% of the time. It was partial about 20% and hidden the rest of the time. The view from Volcano Lodge is great.

 

We took a taxi into town once and ate at a local place and saw what the little town had to offer. It is touristy, but then again we are tourists there for the first time so we loved it all.

We went on the lodge recommended volcano hike/hot springs/dinner turn. The hike was nice and we saw a few animals but not as good as the tours we got in other parts of CR. We chose the Eco Termale hot springs. It was outstanding and we had the place almost to ourselves. The is opposed to what we saw when we dropped off others at Baldi. It’s like the difference between going to Chuckee Cheese and an intimate nice French restraint. If you like theme parks go to Baldi, if you like very personal quiet relaxing hot spring experience go to Eco.

 

The staff at the Volcano Lodge were great, the lower down the rung they are the nicer they are.

 

We will go back to Arenal and when we do, I couldn’t be convinced to stay anywhere other than Volcano Lodge

 

“Best hotel value for us in Costa Rica!”

Volcano Lodge

By far, this was the best hotel deal for us in Costa Rica, and was our favorite place to stay at.

 

The grounds are very beautiful, the staff are all excellent, the food was some of the best we had during our 8 day stay in the country. The room was very clean. We enjoyed the generous breakfast buffet every morning.

 

Overall, you will get great value for your money at the Volcano Lodge.

 

“Lovely hotel in a great location”

Volcano LodgeThis hotel is a resort by my standards, but priced very reasonably. The rooms are large and very clean, each with its own porch, most looking out at the volcano. Grounds are really beautiful, nice pool.

 

The location is excellent, the only way to do better is to drive down the long bumpy dirt road out to the hotels that overlook both the lake and the volcano and, at least while we were there, are on the side where the lava is flowing so you have a view of that at night. But those hotels are much harder to get to.

 

Breakfast is included and was very good. And the service by the staff was really phenomenal. We left our passports in the safe at the previous hotel and the person at the desk here took care of calling them to arrange to have them delivered, which was no small task since the previous hotel was not very good at customer service and so this required many repeat calls to arrange things.

 

For everything included, this was the best deal of the trip, but we didn't shop around so not sure how it compares to other hotels in the area.

 

“Great Option”

Volcano Lodge

Would def return. Good service, great location, good food, and at pretty good prices.

 

“Very comfortable place to stay”

Volcano Lodge

We stayed at the Volcano Lodge for two nights. The rooms were perhaps slightly lacking in atmosphere but very comfortable and clean. Breakfast was excellent and pool is nice. Gardens are lovely and there's a great view of the volcano. There were humming birds outside our room. The Arenal restaurant which is attached had great food but quite slow service

 

“What a backdrop!”

Volcano Lodge

Volcano Lodge is a little gem. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained with a good variety of flora, birds, butterflies, armadillos etc!

 

All the lodges look out upon the Arenal Volcano which is an impressive back drop to all the activities in the Fortuna area. Keep watching though because the break in the clouds can be few and far between.

 

The accomodation in the lodge is clean & tidy and very comfortable. The resort itself is a bit of a way out from Fortuna Town so its best to have a car if possible. The breakfast buffet was good and the staff were friendly and attentive. The pool complex - though not big - was fine too.

 

There is a lot to do in the immediate vicinity. If you want to see the volcano in action the activity is around the SW side. Take a trip to the Observatory and stay after dark to see the molten rock - cloud permitting. Also some nice walks here. The National Park is also worth a visit. You can walk to a 'recent' lava flow which is close enough to hear rocks being ejected from the cone and rolling down the slope.

 

“Volcano Lodge experience”

Volcano Lodge

We just returned from 3 nights at the Volcano Lodge in La Fortuna Costa Rica. The hotel is in a great location. Close enough to town so as to be reasonable for a taxi ride but far enough to feel you are in a rural setting. The grounds and landscaping are beautiful. The rooms are basic but the patio in the back overlooking the volcano and the flowers and hummingbirds make up for it. The property has two restaurants on site and we tried both. I had a swedish massage at the spa and it was excellent. I would go back in a second.

 

“Volcano Lodge Hotel”

Volcano Lodge

An idylic "surprise" hotel situated well outside of the volcano driven fray of La Fortuna. Great full breakfast buffet, taxes, gratuity included for very spacious rooms with porches and excellent views of Arenal spewing smoke and rocks.

 

The room was SPOTLESS and just painted with comfy king bed facing the mountain. Best breakfast, bath and shower of the trip for just over $100/night. There are both main hotel rooms and 4 room/unit cabanas, the latter facing directly to the volcano and spread out to create privacy between neighboring porches. We had room 321 (cabana) and would ask for this one if returning - kept our curtains open so we could wake looking right at Arenal.

 

Service was genuinely great and our one dinner on premise was also very good, authentic, Costa Rican fare. The only issue was that we only booked two nights here!

 

DO take a ride north on the main road from the main entrance (By day, like most driving in C.R., NOT by night.) and continue well past the lake/dam which opens up into a vast body of water in about 15 miles/20Km. Very Cool Ride!

 

Hanging Bridges is also at the north end of the dam and is a great chance to get a relatively safe, moderate 2 hour +/- hike into the rain forest/jungle for about 20 bucks each. Monkeys found here - when they want to be. Baldi hot springs also near/worthwhile for $26. The Nat'l park hike takes you within a couple Km of Arenal, access is day only @$10 ea.

 

“Great place to stay!”

Volcano Lodge

We loved this place! The rooms were clean and spacious! The view of the volcano was incredible. I had no idea we would be so close! The individual porch with rocking chairs was great to sit and watch the volcano, the birds, the beautiful flowers and flowing river behind the hotel!

 

The pools and hot tubs were great! clean and empty! At times it felt as if we had the place to ourselves! The restaurants (both) were fantastic! The food and service was excellent! The rate was fair, and it includes a buffet breakfast! Dont miss out on this place!

 

“Clean and great views”

Volcano Lodge

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Volcano Lodge for 3 nights. Overall we enjoyed our stay. Unfortunately we arrived very late at night, and there was no reception open or anyone who spoke English, and our Spanish was limited, so I would recommend arriving in the daytime.

 

The room was large and clean, with a great view. I believe every room has a little deck with comfy rocking chairs and views of the volcano. There was cable TV, airconditioning which worked great, and a large bathroom. The beds must have also been very comfortable because we slept like logs all three nights.

 

The property was much larger than I thought, so it was a hike from our room to the front reception where you get picked up for tours. We ate mostly at the further restaurant, which was very good and reasonably priced. The pool area was very nice with enough lounges that we had no problem getting one.

 

We spent very little time at the hotel, preferring to be out all day to explore the area, but we felt we had made a good choice with this hotel.

 

“Beautiful setting!”

Volcano Lodge

I stayed two nights at Volcano Lodge on Feb 4 and 5, 2008 and was completely satisfied. The setting is beautiful, with lovely gardens...my room had a back patio area with two comfy rocking chairs and views towards the Arenal Volcano. The room itself was clean and comfortable, with a large bathroom, a big window, air conditioning, a desk, chairs...there is a computer at the office which one can use to access the internet. I found the staff to be helpful & friendly. Although La Fortuna would be a bit far to walk, it was quite easy to take a taxi into town. As well, the morning breakfast held near the pool was bountiful and delicious. I did eat one evening at one of the restaurants on the property, having fish & mussels. The food was reasonably priced and tasty.

The only thing that bothered me at all during my stay was the people in the room next to me had their TV a little louder than I liked...but overall a very minor incident. I would definitely stay here again!

 

“great time at the volcano lodge!”

Volcano Lodge

We just got back from our trip yesterday and I had such a great time that I had to quickly tell someone about it! The Volcano Lodge was the perfect way to start our trip off in Costa Rica. A very relaxing resort with a laid back attitude. The pool was great and all the rooms have Volcano views. The Volcano is something you cannot miss seeing on a trip to CR. The Tabacon Hot Springs were great also, a little crowded, but a lot of fun. They have a wonderful buffet, swim up bar and hot springs with waterfalls throughout the property. The town of La Fortuna is also great to spend a day or evening in. The highlight of the trip however, was our day spent at the Sky-Tram/Sky-trek where we went zip lining! What a thrilling experience! You will NEVER have such a rush as you zip through the jungle 200 ft. above ground! It was one of the best parts of our whole vacation! Costa Rica was great to visit and so much different from the regular Mexico scene that we have been doing recently. We went from the Volcano to Tamarindo and spent some time on the beach as well. That was also a lot of fun! Don't miss the Volcano!

 

“Fantastic setting”

Volcano Lodge

We stayed in a fantastic room - large, great bathroom, nice area to sit and enjoy the views of the volcano and gardens. The room was very clean, and the service staff were great.

 

Of the two restaurants, we only ate at the smaller - and cheaper - one. The food was lovely, far exceeding our expectations, and really good value - the casados were huge. Breakfast was almost as good too with a great range, eggs cooked fresh and plenty of fresh, high quality fruit.

 

But best about the hotel is its gardens - they are immaculately cared for and home to a vast range of birds and other animals; we saw almost as many species here as we did in a day's walking in the national park. From the hummingbirds that are everywhere during the day, to the armadillo that was wandering around outside our door at night, this was a definite bonus to our stay.

 

The only downside was the tours available - they're a bit pricey and seem to be geared up more for those that want their hands held all the time. If you can sort out trips yourself it's probably best.

 

“Great staff, nice pool area”

Volcano Lodge

The staff at the Volcano Lodge were incredibly helpful during our stay. They provided great recommendations for tours and tour companies, and their suggestions for off-property restaurants were uniformly good. They were also helpful about passing on messages to other members of our party.

 

The room was fine. I liked that we didn't share walls with anyone else. We saw lots of wildlife on the path just from our room to breakfast! The breakfasts were also tasty.

 

I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone going to Arenal.

 

“Lovely hotel”

Volcano Lodge

Stayed at the Volcano Lodge for two nights and we loved it ! So cosy.

The rooms were very clean and nice, also good and big beds. The veranda with two rockinshairs was our favourite, we loved sitting there at the afternoon having coffe and a drink while looking at the volcano and the hummingbirds right in front of us.

While not beeing on tours we relaxed at the small but nice poolarea. The hotelarea is very beautiful whit a big garden with a lot of flowers.

Had a very good dinner at the hotel restaurang. The breakfast was also quit good. Friendly staff.

 

“Excellent choice, everything you need.”

Volcano Lodge

This was a great place to stay for anybody visiting the area. I really think the Volcano Lodge did an excellent selection of their tour companies. I went there on a girls' trip and did the waterfall canyoneering, volcano hike, and Tabocon with dinner there. The drivers were always prompt to pick us up for our excursions and the guides with the companies were polite, friendly, and knowledgable.

 

“It's like a resort”

Volcano Lodge
The photo's on Volcano Lodge's website does not do the place justice. The gounds are beautifully groomed. The rooms were spaced out so that it was private and quiet. The rooms were large and the bathroom was roomy. In addition, there were rocking chairs in the fromt "porch" where you could just relax and watch the humming birds. We stayed there for 4 night during Christmas and it was wonderful. The staff were friendly, very accomodating, mostly bilingual in Spanish & English. They had 2 restaurants on site which were fairly priced. The typical meals were fantastic and the buffet breakfast was amazing and fresh. You could exchange US dollars for Collones at a much better rate than the bank or FX chanages in small quantities. Which was not a problem since most places accept US$ and gave back collones at a fair rate. There was free internet and an excursion desk on site. They even called hotels that were facing the lava flow so that we could tell if it was worth it to pay a cab to take us to the volcano at night to see the balls of lava roll down the hill. The front desk called everynight for us and we finally saw it on out last night there. The staff really took care of us. We definetly would stay there again. We loved La Fortuna and this place was exception value for the price and the food. It's location was nice since it was close to Baldi Hotspring which is fantastic as well!!! My only regret was that we didn't spend more time in La Fortuna it's a very nice town with a lot of adventurous things to do.

 

“Gem in Costa Rica”

Volcano Lodge

I received a word of mouth recommendation of the Volcano Lodge and proceeded to check it out on Trip Advisor and it was great! The grounds are beautiful and well manicured, the rooms were spacious, very clean and comfortable. The breakfast was wonderful, plantains every day, hurray! The pool area was relaxing, and my Pina Colada delicious. The front desk staff was a little flakey but they made up for it in friendliness. We also booked excursion trips through the front desk and those went nicely. I highly recommend visiting Tabacon Hot Springs over the Baldi Hot Springs which are also in the area. Overall, a great experience.

 

“Awesome”

Volcano Lodge

This place was amazing. We booked our room from a Costa Rica travel agency website that had only 1 small photo of the hotel. Turns out the place is like a resort! When we got there, they drove us around the premises in a golf cart pointing out the 2 restaurants, pool, poolside bar, mini spa (really a guest room with 2 massage tables), and an amazing view of the volcano. All for $78/night!! The fresh water lobster was the best meal we had in 1 week in Costa Rica. The lobby has free internet. About the only bad thing we have to say is that the hotel is not w/in walking distance of anything. You are completely dependent on a rental car or a tour service. Then again, I think just about all the hotels in the area are the same way.

 

 

 

“paradise”

Volcano Lodge

This lodge was truly a paradise. The service was excellent, the landscaping was amazing and the view of the volcano was incredible. La Fortuna is a magical place. The people are very friendly and helpful. When you go there, make sure to visit La Fortuna Waterfall. It is an awesome sight. No need to take a tour there. Just grab a cab and go to the waterfall on your own cause it is way cheaper.

If you want to go on a tour, the one that is a must is the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. it is worth it. We are ready to go back to the lodge.

 

“Was Okay”

Volcano Lodge

On the negative side: it rained torrentially at night here and it was quite noisy inside the room during the rains. That made it difficult to sleep. We noticed some buildings had tin roofs and some had the Spanish tile roofs. Our building had a tin roof so surely that had something to do with the noise.

 

Also, we could hear the neighbor snoring one night so that also hampered our sleep. The service seemed indifferent at times so I can't give outstanding marks for that, either.

 

On the positive side: the grounds are beautiful, the rooms themselves are quite nice and the beds were comfortable. The view of the volcano, from what I hear, is quite nice (we had to go to the nat'l park on the other side of the volcano to see any of the volcano itself as the hotel is on the windward side and therefore the clouds never retreated on this side of the mountain during our stay).

 

The location is approximately midway between La Fortuna (the nearest town) and the Arenal National Park. Cabs were a little pricey in this area so if you're cost-conscious, organize trips wisely. If I recall correctly, it was about $7 USD to get to/from La Fortuna and the hotel.

 

“Great place, better view”

Volcano Lodge

This place was as close to the bottom of the volcano as you can get. The rooms were nice, my only complaint wa when it rains, which it did everyday, with the tin roof it was loud. The breakfast was ok, same thing everyday. Look at my profile, I haven't been to as many places as others, but I have been all over the US, Mexico, Central America, and Caribean; I have never been to a place where the staff, and locals were nicer. I couldn't believe how nice they were. Before you go to Arenal, find out which way the lava is flowing, it changes throughout the year. So make sure you stay at a hotel that is on the right side.

 

“Best hotel of the Trip! Even with carlos!”

Volcano Lodge

This place was awesome! the best hotel on our trip. Great price, Good breakfast, huge comfortable bed, big bathroom, very quiet. Well I should say very quiet until 4 am when Carlos, the golden retriever from the cattle ranch next door started barking. We talked to Carlos about his barking and he settled in to guard our back door and was quiet for about 10 minutes. I called the front desk and asked them come get the dog. They said, "oh that's Carlos" and laughed. They never came and my husband ended up walking Carlos to the front desk.

 

Probably not a reason to book somewhere else, just a funny story about the hotel.

 

We didn't see any activity from the volcano but there is a perfect view from the back porch.

 

“Loved It!”

Volcano Lodge

Stayed at the Volcano Lodge for three nights in mid-November. Unfortunately the weather was spotty (rainy, foggy) but expected still for that time of year.

 

Our stay at the Volcano Lodge was surprisingly enjoyable. Definitely not the five star hotel experience, but the service was excellent, room was clean, and the food was better in some respects (lots of variety, "local" food) than the super fancy places we were visiting throughout our trip. The only downside was the fact that you could hear everything in the rooms next to ours, down to conversations people were having to babies screaming, etc. But that was the only negative thing to report.

 

Definitely not a fancy experience, but roomy, clean, with excellent service. What more can one ask for?

 

“Pleasantly surprised~Well maintained”

Volcano Lodge

Our driver recommended this place. The ample grounds are beautiful. You feel like you are in a huge resort and yet the cabin-style rooms are very spread apart. We stayed near the second pool where the nice complimentary breakfast was served. What a great setting and peaceful. A great value for these rooms considering the: beautiful grounds, clean and sizeable rooms, very helpful staff, and great location. Their nice lobby even had free computer access for internet and a game table. Last time we were in Arenal we stayed at Silencio Del Campo and although the rooms over there have more character, the grounds at Volcano Lodge are just so pleasant to experience and to walk around. Don't miss the outdoor spa tub near pool #2 as it is tucked away in a nice private setting. Only negative comment I have (and it was not a big deal) was that the servers at the restaurant near pool #2 are very slow and a bit clueless. We ate there 3 times and was consistent.

 

“Best view of volcano”

Volcano Lodge
The sound of rocks flying down the mountain side at night are amazing. You actually can see fire and lava from your balcony! Freakin' amazing!

 

“Very Nice, Top Notch Service, Clean!!”

Volcano Lodge

We spent 3 nights @ the Volcano Lodge and I must say, the workers are very nice and professional. We stayed in the 300 series rooms which is about a 5-7 minute walk from the lobby but you can ask the front desk to send the golf cart to pick you up if you don't like walking.

 

The rooms are very clean and safe. They have a safe in each room to store passports, money, valuables etc. There's also a porch in the back where you can relax after a long day of tours. We didn't get to see the Volcano cause it was cloudy pretty much all the days we were there.

 

There are 2 restaurants at this hotel, one in the front (by the lobby) and one in the back (by the swim up pool). We had lunch at both and I liked the one in front the best.

 

I would definetely stay at the Volcano Lodge again!!

 

“Great Views, Value and Service”

Volcano Lodge

I stayed at Volcano Lodge and was very happy with my decision to do so. I was impressed with how clean the grounds and rooms were. The staff was excellent and helpful. The rooms were nice and the best part was the patio outside. Great view of the Arenal Volcano! The pool was relaxing and I plan on coming back here with my children. Volcano Lodge and the Arenal area are perfect for a family vacation.

 

“Nice Stay, Great Value, Relaxing Place”

Volcano Lodge

My friend and I stayed at Volcano Lodge in mid-September during the Low/Green/Rainy season for 3 days. This was my 2nd trip to Costa Rica. We picked Volcano Lodge based on the Tripadvisor reviews. Overall, great experience based on value, cleanliness, service.

 

The hotel is located between La Fortuna and the National Park. The units had double bed, was clean, no bugs, a quiet, nice A/C and safe with cable TV. Outside had chair viewing the volcano although it was frequently cloudy but we would stare an the many birds flying on the nice manicured grounds.

 

It came with buffet breakfast which was good. We also ate a couple of dinners at the restaurant there too, and it was solid. We thought Costa Rica food was mediocre overall, so the food at the rest. was no better or worst than other meals.

 

I saw a bunch of reviewers commenting on the rude or indifferent front desk. However, we did not find that to be the case. They booked all our trips, answered questions and gave us late checkout.

 

The hotel is not a 5 star hotel or anything, but for the price, the good, clean rooms, relaxing location, etc., I recommend for the value, and overall comfort of the hotel.

 

 

“A lack of class ruined my perception of the place”

Volcano Lodge

First of, let me say that the place is very well maintained. It is clean and comfortable. I also stayed in #211 and while you can see a gorgeous view of the volcano, it was explained to me by the staff that a few years ago, the volcano changed the direction in which the lava was spewing.

 

 

In order to get the chance to see the lava be prepared to have a car rental so that you can go to the base of the volcano. When we got there, we were surprised to find a ton of people doing the same thing. Many had paid to be part of a tour just to be driven there.

 

 

Back to the hotel...

The people who work in the back restaurant are very sweet as well as the guy that they send if you need anything. They are very professional. I did have a problem with a girl who I think doesn't even work there. I think she's the owner's girlfriend or something. When our room was being cleaned, I saw her come in also. She wasn't doing anything but standing there staring. I didn't think much of it until I went to check out the next day when she made a catty remark to the two guys at the reception desk. She said it loud enough for me to hear but when I turned around was a coward who couldn't look at me in the face. The other two guys just laughed like bafoons. Its just a lack of class.

 

The whole time I had been there, this woman had constantly been watching me. It was at that point that I realized that her coming into the room was just for the purpose of being nosey. I mentioned to my boyfriend what happened and he reminded me of the previous day's visit by her at our room. "She's just jealous", he said. 'I noticed it yesterday". The funny thing is that I hadn't until then. So beware if you have a thin, 18 - 21 year old with a big apple face and a small chin checking you out that this woman has a big inferiority complex. She just sits around and does nothing around the property.

 

“Nice for the price”

Volcano Lodge

My husband and I stayed at the Volcano Lodge for 3 nights in August 2007. This is during their "green" (i.e. rainy season). We found this hotel to be very clean, comfortable and reasonably priced. The staff at the front desk was pleasant, but not overly helpful or cordial. They did speak English very well, which was helpful due to our limited Spanish. This hotel also offered a computer in the lobby with free internet access for customers, which was great.

 

There are 2 restaurants in this hotel, both of which have good food, a good variety, and also priced reasonably. The "international" restaurant down by the pool catches fresh fish out of Lake Arenal and serves it up each night (the tilapia was delicious!) The pool is also very nice and clean. We did not use any of the spa services, but those had a nice offering. The bonuses about the hotel room itself are: very spacious (2 beds), in-room safe (free to use), nice sized porch with two chairs with a perfect view of the volcano (although the lava was not flowing on our side at this time). We also very much appreciated the weather-stripping on the doors as we did not have one single bug in our room. My husband was also a big fan of the TV with English-spoken Sportscenter on nightly! TBS is also shown in English.

 

The biggest complaint about this hotel is that it is not within walking distance of anything. The town of La Fortuna is about a 6-7 minute taxi ride away and there you will find lots of shops, restaurants, an art gallery and a park. Definitely good to pass the time for one afternoon/evening, but not much more. The hotel did offer many tours (volcano/rainforest hike, ziplines, hot springs, hanging bridges, etc.) to make up for the lack of attractions in the area ... but those of course cost $$ per person. We also did not like that there was no gift shop or anything else, as we did not bring ponchos and had to go into La Fortuna to purchase them there. Overall, we liked this hotel and would stay there again. That being said, if we were to say in this area again, we would probably try to find a hotel of the same caliber in La Fortuna, simply because we got bored sitting at the hotel watching TV while it was raining outside and we could not do tours.

 

“Great value, location and view!”

Volcano Lodge

We stayed at the Volcano Lodge for 2 nights. Overall, the hotel was clean and had lovely grounds. The included buffet breakfast was plentiful with fresh fruit, juice, assorted breads and meats and a made-to-order omelet station (don't forget your breakfast tickets when you go!). The view of the volcano from our verandah was breathtaking. The location is good for getting to different areas of LaFortuna -- just a short taxi ride. There was a computer available for Internet access in the front lobby which was useful. Wireless is also available in the lobby free of charge. The room was very clean and the maid made towel animals which our kids liked.

 

We ate at both restaurants while we were there and the food was very tasty and also a good value.

 

The only negative aspect in our stay was that the front desk staff were not very friendly or helpful. It seemed like asking questions of them was a nuisance rather than their job. Also, when we arrived, our luggage was put into a van and we were driven to our room which was literally about 20 steps away from the lobby (6 rooms away). Can you spell T-I-P?

 

We would stay here again if we were ever to visit LaFortuna again.

 

 

 

 

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