Aunty Arenal Lodge

8.0

Excellent

188 Guest reviews

8.0

Excellent

188 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness8.4/10

Service8.6/10

Comfort8.4/10

Condition7.8/10

Neighborhood9.4/10

Amenities7.6/10

Very friendly and helpful staff, felt welcome and well cared for. Thank you!

Gorgeous setting and perfect location for Arenal and the waterfall

Lovely grounds and view but very dated rooms

Overall the stay was ok, but not the best of my trip in Costa Rica, here’s my full rundown: The good: the hotel grounds are beautiful, the swimming pool is set in a nice area, breakfast was nice and right by the pool was lovely, the bed was big and comfy, the staff were helpful and friendly, there is a lovely view of the volcano from the property. The not so good: the rooms are pretty dated and in need of a full refresh, the property is further out of the main town than I realised (my fault for not properly checking), despite being friendly and helpful I reported a flashing light in the bathroom twice but was never fixed (felt like brushing my teeth in a disco!), despite staying for 4 nights my room was never made up once (I really was expecting at least once or twice), there is no safe in the room. On balance I did really like the hotel grounds, but if I were in La Fortuna again I’d look for something a bit less dated and closer to town

We enjoyed this property with a view of the Arenal volcano. It was quite a long bwalk to the centre of La Fortuna but there were also restaurants wothin 15i mnutes. This was essental as no food available at the hotel, apart from breakfast.

Nice , not more

The small apartment was not good maintained. Not enough hot waters or towels. The pool is nice, but you cannot sit next to it, just play in the water.

Not really worth the price. The place feels like it was built a long time ago and not maintained too well. The pools are much smaller in reality vs the photos

Pool is beautiful. Room clean. Daily service nice.

Little outdated but ok for overnight stay

Cold Pools Nice people

A comfortable bed and good sized room. Friendly service and suitable breakfast. Disappointed that the pools were cold as in too cold to even go in. We knew they were not thermal pools but they are basically un useable

The property photos show as if its like a luxury lodge. It doesn't even have fully running hot water even after repeated ask to fix it. The rooms are ok. Kitchen is very old and small. Utensils are old and dirty. Highly pricey for the amount they charge.

The property is on very beautiful grounds. At the end of a dirt road. Secluded and felt safe. We stayed in upstairs room with a comfortable king sized bed. Breakfast was included and cooked fresh.

It was great i extend my stay for two more nights. This was the 2nd time i have stayed here. A little out of the way but great value.

Friendly host but basic amenities

Welcoming host but basic amenities. The kitchen was old, small and uncomfortable to cook in. Plates and glasses are mismatched, and stored high in a cupboard with a ledge, very impractical. Pots and pans are stored in the oven. Drawers are broken. There is nothing in the kitchen: no salt/pepper/oil, and not even coffee filters. The pools are not heated, and as we came in November they were cold. Very disappointing. The jungle animal noises are loud, which can be good or bad - you decide. I did not like that someone came in to make our beds without my knowledge. Otherwise, Fernando was very friendly and gave us promptly what we needed (extra chair, oven dish, sewing needle). Good location in La Fortuna.

Aunty Arenal Lodge was wonderful! It was secluded but only a few minutes away from town. I booked after reading reviews about cats on the property. They have a small dog, a sweet cat, & a handful of chickens. The property was dark at night and didn't have a lot of signage, but the gentleman working pointed where to go. Parking was very convenient & they had umbrellas ready. My room had 2 decks with chairs. The front deck was connected to the stairwell that went straight to the path to the office and lot, while the back deck was private and shared with the room next door. Both had cameras, which made me feel secure. The shower was clean & had hot water. The blackout curtains were useful. The lady working there made a fresh traditional breakfast of eggs, meat, rice, beans, toast with fruit jam, coffee & fruit juice. It was all delicious & served right by the two pools, surrounded by beautiful foliage. They turned on the pools after breakfast and moved a chair over for me. The observation deck had comfortable looking hammocks & a great view of the Arenal Volcano. The entire experience was a joy. I loved sitting on the deck listening to the rain & petting the sweet little cat at night. He was absolutely lovely and made it peaceful trip and helped soothe my soul.

Secluded but Easy Access to La Fortuna Town

Property is conveniently located off from the main road so it is quiet. 10 minute walk to the main road or easy drive. We went into town for breakfast and dinner, but also used kitchen to cook. 2 bedrooms and full kitchen with dining table gave adequate space to relax. Pool was nice added feature and clean. We would have enjoyed added amenities like complementary coffee to use in the coffee maker. A few instances of needed repairs such as faucet in washroom very loose and shower head spraying everywhere. Staff were friedly and welcoming. They responded to request to fix shower head that day and let us use hotel umbrellas which were needed often. Lots of stray animals around that our kids enjoyed. We stayed in the rainy season, so the first two nights, we were the only people there.

Decent for budget stay

Hotel needs updating. Lights in one room didn’t work, there was a bit of a smell and because windows open there were little bugs. Not much to do at hotel, but it did have a washer (no dryer, but clothesline in laundry). We booked a 3 night stay, but only stayed one night and switched to a hot springs resort. It was quiet and we all slept well. We had 5 adults, 2 rooms and 4 beds, so it suited what we were looking for space-wise.

Laura and Fernado super host. Quiet and everything in short distance. Great kind customer service. Gracias Fernando y Laura. Pura Vida!!

This was a great base to explore the Arenal area, close to the hot springs and waterfall, and several great dining options nearby. The units are basic but clean and well kept.

Such a wonderful stay! Nice amenities, kind staff, cute breakfast and pool. Also amazing cats hanging around

All the essentials. AC, fridge, pool, bathroom, free parking and a GREAT breakfast!

Not worth the cost

Spacious place. Location good But access to the place by long difficult dirt roadOld outdated. Also no hot water despite multiple requests and the manager says that’s how it is

Friendly staff. The room is a bit dark. Strong cleaning agent smell. Furnishing is sparse.

Not well maintained at all, very bad breakfast, soap, shampoo toilet paper and hand soap super super bad quality , the only good thing is the location we would never go back to this place again

The hotel has seen better days. Room furnishings were shabby, like from a garage sale. Front desk staff did nothing to fix lights or a broken lock. Kitchen staff were very kind, but imagine a complimentary breakfast in CR with no fruit!! Garden was nice, pool and hot tub were nice. A/C worked. Not great value for the cost.

The hotel is approximately half an hour walk from downtown la Fortuna It was an easy safe walk even at night. The hotel was accommodating and the service great Patti, the maid, and breakfast. Jeff is such a nice beautiful person, I enjoyed chatting with her. The rest of the team there are very nice, but I didn’t get a whole lot of time to talk with them If ever in La Fortuna, I would use them again by

parking is easy

Chose this place because of an abundance of good reviews.Room we got doesn’t look like any of the pictures posted on Expedia.Side lamps are seen in photos of the rooms yet there were no side lamps in our room. There is also not enough natural light so you are stuck using the bright main lights which was more of an inconvenience than one would assume.One bed was comfortable and the other had a hard mattress that you can feel every spring through. No shelves in bathroom or place in shower to put toiletries. Cheapest 1 ply toilet paper on the planet, unlike the other hotels we’ve stayed at in Costa Rica. Noticed security guard just staring at me as I walked around the grounds which didn’t make me feel very welcome.Security guard came and told me to turn off my outside light. Why is that their business? I’m paying to stay here.Staff suggested we turn off the air conditioning when we are not in the room-again we are paying to stay here and are on vacation.It’s mentioned in the booking info, but it’s bizarre that the more you pay, the less you get. For instance breakfast being charged to a room with a full kitchen because you have the ability to cook. The pools are nice but they turn off the artificial waterfalls during the day for some reason. No jacuzzi as mentioned. Says no pets allowed but every time we opened our door the owner’s animals (two cats and a dog) were there begging for food. Cat would pull screen door open and run under the beds and we had to get him out each time.

Beautiful property well maintained Wonderful friendly staff Love this property

Great location close to everything in La fortuna!

The property is in close proximity to the volcano, which is the only positive. The AC kept leaking throughout the night, onto the bed and the night stand. The bed itself is the worst I have ever slept on, it caved in and creaked and rattled like an ancient cot, leaving me with a terrible back ache. There is no blanket on the bed and the one they had on the shelf was old and dusty. There’s a fan but it doesn’t work. The bloody curtains are see through. Who in their right minds would install a freaking see through curtain in a hotel room?! AVOID this place at all costs. Go somewhere else. This place is a joke.

Excelente estadía

Un lugar tranquilo y apto para descansar, cercanía al centro de la Fortuna pero sin bullicio. Persomal muy amable y presto a ayudar.

Good property far enough away from the downtown to be quiet but close enough for a quick drive to the amenities Would recommend

We had a lovely stay! The property is right in the forest with a beautiful garden where we saw tree frogs, hummingbirds and other wildlife. The owner has cats who are very friendly. The walls are thin so you can sometimes hear your neighbours but it didn’t bother us much. Thank you for having us!

Simple and affordable accommodation. Staff is very nice.

Nice property, clean rooms and good location.

Kind of a mixed bag on this one. The location was good. Close to La Fortuna and the waterfall. It was quiet and the plants were beautiful. The two things I didn't like were the smell in our room and the most expensive rooms do not include breakfast. Our room reeked of cigarette smoke upon arrival. I did not immediately alert the front desk, but opened the place up and went out for a while. We got back after dark and went to bed. It smelled in there in the morning so we went and complained. The lady at the front desk was initially not accommodating to our complaint. Just blamed the last guests that stayed there. We complained about not receiving breakfast, having paid for the expensive room. The response was "your room has a full kitchen, so it doesn't include breakfast." The guests in the other rooms had breakfast included. I didn't want to go shopping for eggs, rice, beans, fruit, coffee grounds, milk, butter, sugar, paper towels and have to make all that in the little kitchen. I'm trying to relax. We just wanted to eat and get on with our day, just like most people on vacation. We were originally not offered anything in return for our stinky ash tray of a room. We left mad and did not pay the $7 a piece for their breakfast. When we returned from the waterfall a few hours larer, they had changed the sheets and used pine sol to clean the room. It was better and she also offered a free breakfast the following day, which we appreciated. It could have been handled better.

Quiet eco friendly

Its a very quiet place with basic amenities. The environment is very peaceful with sound of birds in the morning. Fernanado who serves the guests is very nice. He always tends to your requests.

The lodge is conviniently located to literally all attractions in la fortuna. We had a very comfortable stay. The only issue was that when power went out, there was no backup power, which made us to stay without power for 2 hours. There wer minor issues like shower not working , fridge was making big noise, which they fixed promptly. The property is bit on expensise side , but they have a small hot spring and private garage parking, which makes it very convinient. The staff were very friendly

Friendly and Helpful

Great location for stopping off at La Fortuna. Friendly owner who spoke a little English but spoke more English than I did Costa Rican so that was very helpful. There’s a lovely swimming pool which unfortunately we didn’t use. The breakfast was as expected…. Wonderful. Thanks for a great stay 😃😃

Great value. The property was beautiful. Our room was basic and worked for us. No problem with tours picking us up. Fernando was terrific and Laura was very helpful. Highly recommend.

Beautiful property and pool. Beds are rock hard

This property was close to supermarket but the property itself if 2 star. Linen very old and rooms smelled. The screen is broken hence mosquitos inside the room. Flush of the Toilet did not work. Beds were Old Spring and not comfortable

We had a pleasant stay with our family of 5 (ages: 9, 10, 13). We had a car so it was nice to have covered parking right in front of our place especially since it rains sporadically and it is very close driving to grocery stores, restaurants, and attractions. It was very private and we were able to enjoy the pool and spa with waterfalls and beautiful rain forest views! The accommodations were good with AC in the bedrooms. I gave it a 4/5 on cleanliness only because some of the things like the ice tray and dish rack could have been cleaner.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit at Aunty Arenal Lodge. Staff was very nice. Property was beautiful. Pool and spa were great. Animals roaming around was nice to see.

We stayed 2 nights with our 13 & 17 yrs old in the Superior Villa, 2 bedrooms. Each room had a twin- and full-size bed. Only one night stand. Arrived almost at night; therefore, we did not see how the area in the facility looked. The villa itself was nice, it came with all kinds of appliances (Fridge, stove, microwave, air fryer, rice cooker, etc, etc, etc), Fridge was not hooked up, had to do it myself, which took a while for it to start cooling (we had food that needed to be cold). The Villa was clean, but it had an old house smell (I attributed it to not having AC on). Ah! it also had a washer, but to dry clothes you have to hang them up or pay. Beds were clean, cover was thin. The young man that greeted us was very nice throughout our stay. My biggest disliked about the Villa was the cockroaches. 1st night, we found 2 (too many- I hate roaches). If we had money to spare, we would have left that same night. I barely slept. Husband turned the AC super cold to keep bugs away from room (you have to close bedroom door to keep air in). Due to already seeing the bugs, I had no urge to use any appliances to cook (besides the fridge and washer). Next day we left for our activities (0730 am-8pm), we found more roaches in the rooms (3 in the kids' room and one in ours), hubby got rid of them. But my stress level was high. On our last morning, we walked that property grounds, it was very nice and clean. Lots of beautiful trees & Pool looked amazing.

The property was very quiet and peaceful. The staff were very helpful and friendly. The dining and pool area is very beautiful. Lovely yard animals aswell. Great Experience! Great

Great find, would stay again.

We enjoyed this lodge. Close to town and all activities, yet secluded but safe. Property has nice landscaping and 2 fun pools with waterfalls. We would stay here again. Thank you!

Great little property in the culture of Costa Rica. Felt very welcomed.

We had a comfortable stay at Anty Arenal. Check in was easy. The gal who checked us in was the only staff member fluent in English and we only saw her at check in/ check out, however we managed fine. The room was simply furnished but very clean with great air conditioning. Had difficulty with getting wifi though. Highlights were the serene pool area and hammocks on the upper deck as well as the beautiful foliage on the property. Breakfast was mediocre ( coffee mate for coffee and no fresh fruit) and the kitchen staff were not very friendly. The groundskeeper was the most helpful and attentive to anything we needed but seemed like a bit of an odd set up with non English speaking staff attending to the guests. Would recommend staying in the private bungalow rooms versus paper thin walls of the second storey rooms. Excellent location and very adequate for short stays.

DETAILED REVIEW - 3 night couple stay

DETAILED REVIEW Check in- the hosts were easy to contact, and check in was very easy. The small road leading to this hotel was right near the main part of La Fortuna, and it was easy to get to. The small road is not paved though, and the signage was easy to miss. The hosts- the people that work here are amazing. My partner and I have legit never stayed anywhere where we experienced this level of kindness. Everyone here went out of their way to help us with clothes that got soaked on a trip, shoes that got muddy, food requests, and helping us contact an excursion company when they were late. The room- we stayed in a simple room with a double and a twin bed. We used the twin to keep our luggage off the floor, and slept in the double. The room was comfy, with AC and a fan, but there were a couple issues. One, the bathroom remains insanely humid, and nothing in there dries. They have cords outside you can hang things on to dry, but we didn’t take advantage of that. Two, the curtain was see through, and anyone walking by the room can see right in even with it drawn. Three - the door was a bit old and had space under it. We did not get any bugs though thankfully. The bed tho was very comfy and we slept like rocks here. Property - beautiful, very nice pool, with a smaller one they’ll heat up for you if you ask. They have breakfast between 7-9, and it’s fresh, real Costa Rican breakfast. Checkout - very easy. All in all would stay here again! Highly recommend.

The beds were not as advertised, only one bed of four was usable. My son had to sleep on the couch it was so bad. No hot water for showers. Couldn't connect to the internet for more that a few minutes at a time. We booked for three nights left after two. Who wants a cold shower when you are on vacation and a bad bed.

Budget local property close to town with several restaurants , shops and grocery store nearby. Spend your evenings in the pool or warm/hot tub and watching tv. There really is not much to do in this town, except rest up from your adventurous day or go to the thermal pools which are close by.

It works, but not what we expected

Its a room with pool and free breakfast. The property and rooms were on the rustic side. Everything was fine, but maybe not quite what you would expect from the pictures. If you need a place to sleep, its perfect, but maybe not where you spend a lot a time.

The flora around the property and specifically is just beautiful Good chance of seeing hummingbirds and butterflies

Lovely little hotel off the beaten path, no traffic worries. Front desk lady, Laura, was very friendly, helpful and accommodating. Jorge was also so very helpful, and tried hard to understand if you did not speak much Spanish. Full breakfast included, you need to go out a ways for dinner.

Great location on quiet street but very close to town. Room was basic, but very clean and functional. Our kids loved the cats that were around the property. Staff was super friendly and available when you needed them. Delicious Costa Rican breakfast every morning was a bonus. Can’t go wrong in La Fortuna with this lodge - would recommend to anyone!

If you like peace and quiet this is the place for you. Great starting point for day trips

Hidden Gem For Sure!

Book this hidden gem! After leaving our swanky beach resort, our hearts led us back to La Fortuna. We only needed accommodations for one night and the price was right so we booked here. We were so happy with the level of eagerness the staff shown to make us have the best experience. In the morning they prepared a breakfast for us next to their two adorable pools with waterfalls. The landscape is absolutely gorgeous. Our only complaint was that we did not discover this place sooner!

Not Wifi

The staff is very friendly and helpful. The facilities are very clean, modern and comfortable. Each casita is private and spacious and the entire property is very secure and safe. I brought my wife and three little children and we were all very comfortable in our casita. We love the pool and hot tub.

Clean and spacious. Staff are super friendly.

This place is amazing!!!!

This little hidden gem was surprisingly very nice and accommodating. It was very clean and inexpensive compared to other places nearby. The staff was helpful when needed and very quiet because it was off the main road. It was now to far from all the activities, restaurants, and convenience stores. If i had the opportunity to stay in La fortuna in the future i would stay here again. The pool and relaxation area was impressive too.

Nature with the volcano closely, the pool 😊

Very lovely reception and Fernando was always available to help. Very clean fabulous pools and gardens surrounded

No hot water

We had a lovely 4-night stay at Aunty’s - in one of the hotel rooms. Laura and the staff there were really welcoming and helpful and the location is beautiful, tucked away at the foot of the volcano, in lush gardens, but within a 10-15min walk from La Fortuna. Uber is well established in the area now and we found that a really easy way to get about. The pools were great and the mini waterfall was great for a warm neck massage! Our ownly criticism was that we had a couple of nights disturbed for an hour or two by dog barking - its not the fault of the property but the surrounding neighbourhood…not an easy one to fix but we had ear plugs so it was fine really. Overall we were very pleased with the stay and would recommend and stay again.

everything over all was nice jus a couple of broken things in the shower like the towel dryer and the foset for the shower aswell

Delightful place to stay, the property is small but tastefully done, beautiful landscaping, pool and swim spa. The individual rms have a king size very comfortable bed, small frig, very spacious. Laura is outstanding, she will arrange any excursions, shuttles, and taxi's. Laura speaks great English!

Had a wonderful stay at Aunty Arenal for our family of 5. Close enough to town/shopping (I'd walk about 1k each morning to the bakery) but far enough to be quiet and away from the throngs. You are a short walk to a coffee tour nearby, and a short drive to the waterfall as well as to the hot springs, activities, and the bustling part of town. From the unit, there is a great view of Arenal when the clouds have moved, the unit is spacious, clean, and sufficient. On site, laundry room, enough comfortable beds, and useful kitchen. The pool was great to cool off in while waiting for the room to be ready, and lots of comfortable hammocks throughout the property. A couple of small wrinkles, not a big deal - our refrigerator was not cold, and the freezer was more of a fridge temperature. There is a shared hot water system so if your shower is cold, give it some time and it will come back. Finally, like much of Costa Rica, be prepared for some rough (dirt) roads and drive carefully. Overall, loved our stay. Already looking forward to the next time!

Loved the value of the place. We had a two bedroom villa with kitchen and laundry room for less than it cost to stay at the thermal spa hotels. There was also hot water in the shower (although we only got it for one day and then the other two there was none—we didn’t know if we’d just gotten lucky the first night, but when we checked out the manager told us that we should have told him the hot water wasn’t working and he would have fixed it). Nice to have a/c in the bedrooms although they only blew at cold temperatures-we had to turn it off halfway through the night). Beds were comfy. No breakfast included but that was ok since we had a kitchen and the grocery store was 5 minutes down the street. Very well located, only a few minutes from restaurants, grocery store and thermal spas. Loved being able to wash our clothes and enjoyed being able to have separate rooms from our boys. We would definitely stay here again!

Aunty Arenal’s Lodge is a unique and beautiful spot just off the main strip connecting La Fortuna and the Arenal/hot springs areas. The property was beautiful and very secure, but unfortunately it was not a good fit for us. The beds were difficult for us to sleep on (my husband and I ended up sleeping in different beds all 4 nights as a result), breakfast included in our daily rate wasn’t served past 8:30am, and the somewhat sporadic heating of the warm pool made it hard to enjoy. We could hear everything outside and inside our room throughout our time spent there- we regularly heard conversations and activities of our neighbors (for better and for worse). Plainly, I think we came into this with higher expectations of a more comfortable stay but we felt more like it was something we had to get through. I imagine those staying in villas may not experience all of these same issues. Again the property itself was lovely- great views of the volcano from the hammock area for example, but it was not a good fit for us.

DON’T TRUST THEM

The food is awful and service is bad. We asked for help from reception from a girl name Laura, she give us a name of a taxi driver the she probably know. We needed to arrive the airport at 10:30 Am and she told us we haft to leave La fortuna at 4 Am. But a 4 Am the price is double instead of at 5 Am that price is regular. The reason she told us to leave the hotel at 4 Am it’s because she said the way to San Jose airport is 3 hours away. We get the airport after 2 hours driving and 4 and a half hour before our flight and paid the taxi driver (Laura’s friend) expensive price because she told us we must leave at 4 Am. SAVE YOUR MONEY, THEY ARE LIARS AND THIEFS !

Horrible stay , full of roaches and mattress that where peed on and the smell penetrated out cloths.

This place is a hidden gem. The villa we stayed in was well equipped and the property was well maintained. Due to the small size of the property, it is inot stafed 24/7, but they were available via cell phone and they were very friendly and responsive.