Tifakara Boutique Hotel & Birding Oasis

9.4

Exceptional

507 Guest reviews

9.4

Exceptional

507 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness9.4/10

Service9.6/10

Comfort9.0/10

Condition9.2/10

location8.6/10

Neighborhood9.0/10

Amenities9.4/10

Absolutely beautiful! The staff was amazing!❤️

This hotel is situated in a jungle! There are toucans, chachalacas, curassows, hummingbirds, thrushes, wrens …. The staff is amazing: everyone is so friendly and accommodating! The chefs prepare delicious foods. Can’t say enough good things about it!

This was such a beautiful location and the staff here were amazing

Great place to stay.

The staff were very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. The rooms were spacious, a/c worked well, every thing about the rooms were fantastic. The pool was small. However the frog tour and bird watching (even if you’re not an enthusiast) is amazing. Lucy was a great tour guide.

Breakfast selections amazing. Servers ChiChi and Steven were superb and so charming. Front desk Anna, Lucy and Kevin very helpful and ready to assist anyway they could. Overall awesome room, restaurant and pool area.

Beautiful property. Everything is so well done. :)

Spectacular

Spectacular property. We had a beautiful room that was all the way in the back so it was super private. Each staff we met were fantastic. Easy access to town through Uber, and a beautiful pool to spend the day relaxing if you choose. We had to leave before breakfast was served and they made us lunchboxes to pick up on our way out - we were super grateful. They even printed out a picture of us at the Falls. We would stay here again in a heartbeat.

Great location, great people, lovely grounds. The tropical rainforest bungalow room we had was very small, it was well appointed and very clean, it had a lovely small balcony and the jungle tight at your doorstep

The welcome drinks were delicious, the room was absolutely gorgeous with plenty of room for the four of us. The complimentary breakfast was delicious and the fresh fruit was so sweet. The pool was nice and the night walk was awesome. We saw several frogs, lizard and a snake. If I came back to Costa Rica I would definitely stay here again. 10/10

Amazing experience

I had an incredible stay at this hotel! From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel welcome and cared for. Camila at the front desk stood out for her exceptional service—she was incredibly helpful, offering great advice on local activities and ensuring everything was perfect for our visit. Ana at reception was also very kind and attentive, adding to the overall positive experience. The service throughout our stay was excellent. The restaurant deserves special praise—everything we tried was delicious, especially the pumpkin cream. The live music added a wonderful touch to the evenings, and breakfast was simply amazing. The Eggs Benedict, fresh fruit, and coffee were the perfect start to the day. A big thanks to Joseph, Jay, and the dinner servers, Eric and Melany, who were all so kind and attentive. We also treated ourselves to the tropical massage package, which was exceptional. Rachel was outstanding—the facial and overall service were thorough and relaxing. The Jacuzzi added a nice touch to our spa day. Overall, the experience was unforgettable. I highly recommend tifakara hotel for its fantastic staff, great food, and relaxing amenities.

Nice Boutique Hotel at La Fortuna

Very interesting hotel boutique with a little grog Sanctuary we learn a lot

Great Boutique Hotel

Ti-fakara hotel was fantastic. The service at the hotel was outstanding. Our air conditioner stopped working in the middle of the night and a repair man was sent immediately to fix it! Breakfast was wonderful with hot options, fresh fruit and juice, and buffet style continental options. Dinner at Bosque was the best meal we had in La Fortuna. The hotel is near the falls an oOn a clear day you can see Arenal from the restaurant and pool area. The only downfall was that the rooms are quite small. If you need space, I would recommend booking a room with two queens even if you dont need both beds. Overall we had a great stay!!

This boutique hotel is a hidden gem! Away from the town buzz, yet close enough to main square or whatever you might need to look for. Our room was lovely, with fresh fruit, bottled water, bistro coffee maker, outdoor patio, and outdoor shower. Breakfast was included and it was superb. We went on the Night walk the 2nd night (the first night was cancelled due to torrential rain) We saw soma my lovely little frogs and even a snake. Kevin was our guide. He had also given us a small private showing after dinner our first night after the rain subsided, showing us up close viewing of many frogs. Dinners were also excellent. The outdoor jaquzzi was a treat after our raft trip. Now let me get to the staff.... OUTSTANDING! Camilla was so efficient when we checked in and full of information. Jay and Charlie Melanny were excellent and super friendly and FUN waiters. Kevin was top notch with all he helped us out...ideas, Night walk, birding, anything we had questions for. We will come back to Costa Rica, and definitely La Fortuna and this will be our stay!

Fun in the jungle

Fantastic hotel in an amazing location. Staff is very attentive and super helpful. If you're looking for some seclusion with views and the sounds of nature this is it. I would definitely return.

Property is new feeling and very clean. All the staff went above and beyond. Lots of frogs on property to see and they do night tours. I didn’t like that the pool was right in front of the restaurant and check in area. Besides the restaurant and frogs, there’s not much to do at this property. But overall great place and amazing staff

The entire staff, the food and the experience was over the top awesome. I will say the barking dogs next door was a little annoying

Beautiful property in beautiful location with great wildlife on the premises

Amazing greenery and setup!

Very small and intimate setting for a hotel but the gorgeous greenery surrounding and amazing service at Tifakara was met with high approval of our stay. My only complaint would be the open top showers which was initially cool to look out into the beautiful sky /night drop, but easy for the bugs and mosquitoes to swarm in and eventually invade the bedroom. We had to strategically shower with all the lights turned off in order to keep the bugs away. That worked! (I would recommend covering the top maybe with a clear meshed net) Overall, our experience was magical and “Pura Vida”!

Mixed Experience

Hotel left me conflicted. On the one hand, it had a great frog tour on the property , fantastic service, and a location which is walking distance to the waterfall. On the other hand, the room was too small and offered to little privacy for a ~$300 price point. Noise was an issue (my partner and I were woken up to the sound of a pressure washer) and the food was just ok. If you need a place for a day or two which is within walking distance to the waterfall, this is one of the few options available and I'd still consider it for that. For anything else, I'd struggle to recommend this hotel given the plethora of excellent options available in La Fortuna.

Great facility and staff!!! Outside amazing and great view of nature and mountain. Front street entrance hard to locate.

All staffs are so nice and kind. I am regretting not give enough tip. They are so worthy to get it. No bugs at all. They are always make us feel welcome.

Love the view of volcano and plants around grounds are nice

This hotel is wonderful! Surrounded by jungle with great views of the Arenal volcano. The rooms are very nice and clean, comfortable. The staff is absolutely wonderful, very kind and genuine. Joshua and Randel was very helpful. Their restaurant offers great breakfast and dinner menu. Food was delicious! You must join the night tour of their frog sanctuary. This place was a highlight of our trip!

Beautiful facility wish I could have stayed longer!!

Unique nature setting, friendly staff and great views.

It was beautiful

Ti-kafara is a beautiful property nestled into the mountains by Arenal volcano. The flora and fauna were amazing. There were tropical flowers everywhere we looked and the birds were plentiful. We had a fun night time frog walk led by Kevin which we enjoyed a lot. The breakfasts were great with fresh fruit and a great assortment of meals offered. We also ate at the on site restaurant several times and it was delicious. We had a semi-outdoor shower which was amazing. We loved our stay here!

I cannot rave enough about Ti-Fakara. Honestly the best service, the warmest hospitality, and some of the best hotel food I’ve ever had. I’ll get the room description out of the way. We had a larger room, two full/queen beds. The hotel is set up as 18 rooms surrounding the reception/restaurant/pool area. There’s a refrigerator and an AC unit. The bathroom is very humid due to the outside shower. Now… if you want to be one with nature (and all of her bugs and lizards) this is quite nice. We did not! Our fault, we thought we picked a room with an enclosed shower. Due to this, our room had frequent bugs and gecko visitors. The staff are so wonderful. They installed a tarp over our shower and removed some friendly critters for us, too. Everyone is truly just so warm, welcoming and friendly. The gardeners caught me walking back to my room and asked if I wanted to see a frog he just spotted. They offer nature walks throughout their two hotels (Noah and Tifakara). The breakfast, which is included, is cooked to order. Freshly baked goods, fruit juices, fantastic coffee, and even your own personal coconut to drink out of! The restaurant on site, La Bosque, has really delicious meals for dinner. It’s nice to have this option since it’s very difficult to get around La Fortuna without a vehicle. There’s so many personal touches throughout that would make this review toooo long so I’ll just say, if you’re wanting to stay in La Fortuna, please make it a point to stay here.

One of the best hotels I have ever stayed at. Superb staff.

I’d Return in a Heartbeat

I highly and sincerely recommend this hotel for the staff’s solicitude, the beauty of the grounds, the comfort of the room, the delightful frog garden, the excellent breakfasts and the hotel’s exceptional restaurant. I am a world traveler with decades of hotel experiences. I would return to this one in a heartbeat.

A beautiful spot on this earth

This was a family trip with my daughter's family. The 2 young granddaughters were with us. The hotel was great. They set up 2 tours, sloth and coffee which worked great with the kids. Additionally they offered a frog tour on the property which they loved! Ericka was especially nice helping with the kids. She ensure a special birthday gift for the 5 year old. Every night they had music and the kids loved dancing. All the staff was great. Beautiful spot on this earth.

This hotel is excellent, I especially liked the breakfast menu and the espresso machines which are free for use to all guests

Sensacional

Hotel muito acolhedor, exatamente como demonstrado nas fotos. Super indico

Hidden gem staff are very helpful. Especially this girl named Esther was very helpful. Very close to the fortuna waterfalls. Everything eco friendly places nice view. Breakfast was great and again staff don't miss a beat.

Loved the friendliness of staff. The location of the property was stunning. On our free night walk tour we saw red eyed green tree frogs as well as other creatures-amazing! Highly recommend for those who want to be away from the hustle and bustle of the town and want walkable access to the Fortuna Waterfall.

a gorgeous property! The hospitality is beyond amazing. The free breakfast is a major plus! The environment of the hotel is so green and the sound of nature 24/7 is so peaceful. Definitely a hidden gem. It’s also in the center of all the popular activities & all the tours we did pick us up at the hotel. The privacy you get in each bungalow is spectacular! Esther who is the main receptionist is super helpful, so responsive & so kind. Definitely will be rebooking & recommending!

Great experience at this lovely hotel

Our family of 4 (two teens) had a great time here. The setting is incredible and the service was top notch. It felt very luxurious to us, even though it’s not a super fancy place. The staff was so lovely and helped us book really fun excursions. I highly recommend the night walk on the grounds of the hotel. We saw some very cool frogs and snakes!

The property is beautiful. The service was excellent. The moment we arrived Randall was showing us birds through his monocular. The night frog tour given by Josue was wonderful- we took great pictures of the critters. Steven and the rest of the restaurant staff gave great service. The food was tasty and of high-quality. Do not hesitate to stay at this beautiful retreat!

The view of the volcano was extraordinary. Did NOT enjoy the noise of the leaf blower all afternoon!

Loved this property, nestled in the hills of La Fortuna. Staff is amazing, atmosphere is just what we were looking for…. Would definitely return.

The night tour was fantastic!!! It is free and a must see! The staff was very welcome and the feeling of being in the jungle was amazing!

This place is beautiful and the staff is amazing, i will be back! We saw tucans day one and a kinkajou around day 5.

Staff was really great and knowledgeable. The hotel was nice felt luxurious. Pool area was nice, breakfast options were great. Bed was comfy. The shower was outdoor which was cool but being open allowed bugs in.

It’s pretty and amazing.

Amazing place in the jungle. Literally

Just perfect

Exceptionally friendly, informative, and thoughtful staff.

The property was beautiful. The free night frog tour excellent. The location hard to beat with a view of Arenal volcano.

Smaller hotel with rooms that felt secluded in the natural habitat. Exceptional service from all we encountered at the property, from check in with a specialty cocktail (Anna), to help with booking a tour and answering any questions we had (Mary), restaurant service , and the in-house guide for the hotel's night tour of their frog sanctuary(Josue). A la Carte breakfast was included daily - excellent selection, taste, quality, and of course service. Property is a short walk from La Fortuna Waterfall. Loved the extra touches that made our stay memorable. We would stay here again. We only booked 2 nights in the Fortuna area but definitely needed at least one more full day.

The staff were very friendly and did their best give us a great experience at the hotel. The food was delicious and the property was well maintained. Jay, the waiter was great and he did he provided excellent customer service. He should get a promotion or bonus 😉

Favorite stay in Fortuna

Anna at the front desk was especially helpful in making arrangements for our offsite excursions. We made a number of arrangements only till later canceled them but she was not phased. Her attitude stayed five star all the way. Steven was fun but service minded determined to make our stay and visit to his country worth returning.

It’s absolutely gorgeous!!

Toucans and great curassow from the property!

Our room was very private and had beautiful views of the rainforest. The food was phenomenal - the breakfast options were extensive and so delicious. The staff was friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this hotel if you're looking for a unique and private rainforest experience.

Overall excellent

Beautiful place, love how they incorporate the animals with the hotels. Everyone was super nice from beginning to end and always eager to please the guests. Love 💕 my stay.

Great wildlife

This is an amazing place. Looks in person better than on pictures! Rooms are like tree houses, surrounded by jungle, quiet, clean, very tastefully appointed. It has Pool and Jacuzzis, great restaurant (and I mean great, food was delicious!). It is far from the noise of the town, but still very short drive, there is also a waterfall 300 meters from the property (although it requires going down 500 stairs). Staff was really lovely, they gave us a free frog tour, and they helped us with other arrangements (white water river rafting- amazing). Highly recommend!

My beautiful stay at Tifikari!

Amazing! The staff is wonderful, the service was top tier, the property is beautiful, the food was excellent, the room was perfect, very attentive to the details that made the stay perfect. The only thing I would change is to keep the jacuzzis warmer. I know the rain plays a big part, however they were too cold for me to enjoy. I would have been disappointed had I not been able to go to the Tabacon Hot Springs

Hotel experience, not just a place to sleep

The so-so/bad: There was only one person at the check-in desk so while he was trying to help other clients, I had to wait for quite a while before I could check in. The first night we were there the wifi was out for a while. It was storming so that probably the cause. It did return later that night. After the first night, housekeeping locked us out of our bathroom. After informing the front desk, they sent someone to unlock it. The good: The complimentary breakfast is very well done. You can leave your luggage at the front desk and have it tagged. The resort will put your luggage in your room for you. The resort is beautiful and the villas/bungalows are impressive. The birds wandering the property are something you won't find at every hotel, so a unique experience to look out your window and see wild birds casually roaming. Would stay again.

Amazing experience here and will definitely be back with my wife on our next trip! I’ve never written a review but our experience at Tifakara already holds a very special place in our hearts!

Josue was at the check in and he couldnt be more friendly and helpful. Check in was super easy and the property exceeded my expectations!

Staff is amazing. Beautiful property. Make sure you do the night hike in the frog sanctuary, you will see some awesome wildlife.

Property is situated to simulate a jungle. The rooms are large styled cabanas with a patio with nature surrounding them. We stayed in room 1 (which was really big) and it was right in front of the frog sanctuary so we got to see the colorful frogs (non-poisonous) on the outside of the windows or by the door. The food was delicious and breakfast was free. The capuchino machine was available 24 hours. They have a pool and hot tub available. The service staff from the front desk to waiters, cooks etc.. everyone was super friendly and attentive. Would definitely come back again.

We loved our room view and spacious balcony facing Arenal volcano, and overlooking the pool.

Stay here! The hotel is beautiful, the food delicious, the location is walking distance to the waterfall and an easy drive to other activities, and most of all, the staff is INCREDIBLE. Allan helped us plan our entire itinerary, John provided a super engaging night walk, where we saw incredible wildlife on the property, William and Criselda provided the best meals of our entire trip, and Steve was the friendly and patient server for breakfast. I’m sorry I don’t remember everyone’s names, because they all deserve special recognition. Thank you for a life changing experience!

The staff were all lovely. The evening rainforest walk was very interesting and our guide was so knowledgeable! The food was great and the all day access to coffee and espresso was fabulous. Our room was spacious with a large veranda overlooking the rain forest. The only slight negative was the bathroom in our room was very small just enough room for one person.

Hôtel restaurant is excellent, in the breakfast included in the reservation there were several menu options that were outstanding. And at the dinner the food is also great, if you ask for a pasta dish the sauce is done from scratch. Fruits and vegetables are fresh from the country. View from our room and from the pool/jacuzzi area is a dream. Hotel is located walking distance from La Fortuna waterfall, a don’t miss attraction. Hotel staff is always running the extra mile.

This is an amazing boutique hotel! We totally enjoyed our stay and will come back for sure. Anna, Steven, Jose, and Allen, Gracias por todo!!! Pura Vida!!

Wonderful staff, wonderful view, wonderful wildlife, wonderful food.

This is a small, but beautiful property. Its stylish and warm. The staff were excellent, just extremely kind, friendly, and very helpful. They assisted us with every thing we needed from recommendations to transportation. There is only one resturant, but the food is amazing, 10/10. Aaaaand its a 10 min walk to the famous La Fortuna waterfall. When i return to La Fortuna I will be staying here again.

Our stay was wonderful! The hotel is beautiful! it’s a quiet hotel where there’s not an over whelming amount of guests. It’s near by town, for food and activities but the restaurant inside the hotel is very good as well, and the waiter and staff are very friendly! The staff at this hotel specifically Josue and Jhon were amazing and so professional! Jhon helped us plan and book all of our excursions and he was a pleasure to work with! Josue made this trip very memorable, he was so inviting and knowledgeable. The hotel has a nighttime tour to see wildlife (I highly recommend it!) Josue did our tour and he taught us so many new exciting things about the beauty of Wildlife! Overall it was an amazing trip and beautiful stay. Highly recommend staying here!!

Muy linda propiedad. El staff súper amigable y el desayuno muy rico

A beautiful space in La Fortuna

I loved this venue. The staff is so kind and accommodating (they Whatsapp'ed me right away when I booked!) and the space is exactly as pictured. I even got to see a sloth momma and baby! The food is good, they set up great experiences for me and the property is beautiful. My only small issue was with the construction directly next to my room (that was pretty noisy and started early - before 8:30am). They did let me know about it when I checked in and promised that it would stop daily by 4:30pm which was true. Just ask if there is construction in your area when you make your reservation or when they Whatsapp you after you book. Other than that, I highly recommend!

Fantastic frog viewing during complimentary night walk offered on the grounds. The kids loved it!

Absolute gem!!

Couldn’t recommend this place enough! Our room (#6) was extremely spacious and had a balcony view of the pool and volcano. Breakfast included a great variety of choices, staff was incredibly kind and the pool area was perfect. The night walk was great and the town is a quick taxi ride away. Would definitely stay again if we come back to La Fortuna!

Great staff and property!!!

Amazing property and amazing staff nothing bad to say. Highly recommend

The place itself provides a relaxing, serene environment. Coupled with a professional attentive staff, made my stay even better. Thank you!

It is actually IN the rainforest. Their grounds are walkable and you can see birds, insects etc right on their grounds. Our room had an amazing deck that looked over a tree full of hummingbirds.

A hotel that blens in nature

The hotel is perfect. Amazing location near the waterfall. The hotel sits in the jungle, surrounded by nature, designed in a way that blends in beautifully. Large rooms, open shower, comfortable beds. The service is great - the hotel does everything to make you feel good, fruit juice at the check in, free coffee and cookies, a travel advisory service available all day, good breakfast, and a night tour where you see many types of frogs. We enjoyed every moment!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

A little run down particularly the rooms. Very dirty shower - gross even. Excellent food though! Staff was great. Chef is very good. Frog tour was nice - free and saw great frogs. Pool looked run down. I think they could cut down old, rotten landscaping and neaten things up. A lot of things need repainting. The food was really great. Honestly, I’d stay there again bc of the food. Excellent breakfast! The best I had in all of CR and we stayed at 4 places. Better breakfast than fancier hotels. It’s remarkable too - there’s only 1 to 2 people in the kitchen. That chef is great!

Lovely, unique, quiet, a little out of the way.

An eco friendly quiet hotel with sounds only from the rainforest. Only five minutes away from the noise of the main town. Breakfast and dinner were excellent. We were able to spot a lot of birds and wildlife including two sepcies of toucans, sloth, coati and aguti.

Incredible staff in a lovely setting. Rainforest views and nightly frog walks for guests. Sitting in the hot tub looking a Toucans was a highlight of my trip to CR. Breakfast was incredible and the best during our 3 week trip.

We enjoyed our 3 day visit, rooms were clean and quiet and they provided a good breakfast

Absolutely gorgeous property with so much wildlife around. Very friendly staff

Wished we could’ve stayed longer! Exactly what we wanted, in lush green tropical forest environment near volcano. Loved art community nearby, waterfalls, river. We definitely will be back!

Absolutely loved our stay here. We had 2 nights in a bungalow. Frog tour is a must! Close to so many activities. Every employee was super helpful and knowledgeable.

Excellent hotel, great place to see birds. It is about 2 km from the town (the taxis were about $8.00 each way) and it is 300 m from the La Fortuna waterfall. Great staff (Daniela was great and she helped us coordinating 1-2 activities a day) and the rooms are very clean.

Too many spiders and hard to reach the room for my sister of 50yrs old with bad knees

Staff were nice and friendly, property was cute and lush, pool area was beautiful and always had space.

We stayed there for 4 days. We love EVERYTHING at the hotel. The staffs are so welcoming and friendly. The frog tour is amazing I will recommend you to join the tour every night. David and Josué are so informative they know every frogs in the property. They also have good humor. We saw tons of frogs, snake, and different types of birds. I would definitely recommend this place to my friends! 10/10

It’s a smaller resort, so it’s never crowded. All the rooms are private, so there are no big hotel type buildings. It’s very secluded feeling. The whole feel is very posh.

The Hotel is very clean and the people are accommodating. It's a smaller resort with one pool, but we were so busy with the different things to do that we never used it. We had an anteater sighting (or at least we think) and lots of bird and frogs. The place is very central to all the tours and is a few mins walking distance to the famous waterfall. The outdoor show was really fun. My husband had a bird hang out with him for some of his shower. Very clean and the breakfast is pretty tasty! Would definitely recommend this spot.

Beautiful hotel, excellent service, delicious food and drinks, fun setting with pools and lots of wildlife. Highly recommend!

Beyond expectations ❤️ Helpful Staff ❤️ Nutritious Food Options ❤️ Lovely Accommodations ❤️ Wildlife Throughout Property

I liked that you felt like you were in the middle of the jungle and staying in your own private bungalow. Very private. Never felt crowded. Not a typical hotel. Very clean. Staff was excellent

Superb place to observe waterfall and nature. Overall amazing experience ever I had . I visit with my mom and wife , beautiful place with professional staff . Especially , Daniela ( manager) gave us amazing experience, which make us unforgettable. Thanks a lot for such great time !!!!!!!!! Greg , NYC

Very nice and well located hotel. Comfortable rooms although a bit oldish (especially the bathroom). Very friendly staff, they also offer a nice frog tour (≈45min) on the property.

I can’t say enough about the property, location and staff of this hotel.. my stay was perfect.. its everything I wanted. Peaceful, surrounded by CR’s most beautiful rainforest.. i had at least 5 Toucans come by for a visit every night…