There are many, many hotels in and around the area of La Fortuna, Costa Rica and the Arenal Volcano, and you won't have any trouble finding anything from a cheap youth hostel to a luxurious resort. I almost hesitate to recommend this place because part of what made it so wonderful was the fact that it was very quiet and wonderfully under-occupied, as well as reasonably priced (about $150 per night, double occupancy). It's conveniently located close to the town of La Fortuna, but it's not right in the middle of everything. Plus the view in the picture is pretty much the view from every room in the place. The actual rooms are large and open, with lots of sliding glass doors and hardwood floors. They all have private outdoor showers and giant indoor showers, comfy bedding, and a patio with a jacuzzi tub and chairs for watching the volcano. There was also a great selection of DVDs in the lobby that you could check out for free and every room had a flat-screen TV.
We were greeted with delicious tropical drinks during check in and were driven to our room in a golf-cart. The lobby is very open and inviting and had plenty of places to sit and relax, plus a couple of laptops with internet access available for guests.
The only downside was honestly that they didn't have a pool. There was a large jacuzzi (that looked like a pool!) with lounge chairs and a swim-up bar, but nothing to cool off in besides your own shower and tub. I do believe that at the time (March 2008) they were adding some facilities, perhaps a pool, but if you don't mind that that's missing, this was a wonderful hotel. The staff was also so incredibly friendly, and we got to know them well even though we were only there for a night or two because the hotel is rather small and the attention you receive is very very good. Overall, a relaxing and wonderful retreat, highly recommended.
www.arenalnayara.com
