Lavas del Arenal - Arenal Volcano Region

It was 4 of us, young guys, looking for adventure and fun in Costa Rica! We were not looking for 5 star resort, so this hotel for the price and description was the best match and we did not get disappointed. Hotel located in a small quite place, away from the city center(but 5 minutes by car), has nice backyard with bbq aria, pool and little river coming […] running from the mountains, very peaceful! all you need after long day full of attractions. And sure this hotel would not much different from the others, if not the owner!!! Thank You a lot!! He made our stay amazing. He speaks good English, he recommended the best attraction to go, helped us to get discount prices, gave us the ride around the town just for little fuel charge, brought us to fresh market, so we could get the meet and veggies for BBQ, helped to rent a car, etc. If you are the first time visitor - I definitely will recommend this hotel for everyone. If I ever go to La Fortuna again, I'll stay there. Once again, if you are looking for the nice, warm atmosphere and not for 5star resort with 50'' flat screen TV - this is the place to go! Thank You, Mario! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

They are far from all the main hotels and La Fortuna... Dirt road to get to the hotel. It is under construction and in need of repair. Holes in the walls and ceiling. Bad plumbing smell and showers so plugged that 80 percent of the jets don't work.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The most important thing to know is that a car is a virtual necessity since the hotel is a few miles outside town and not all the tour operators will pick up clients there. This family-run hotel is basic, but the price is fair for the accommodations. You won't feel that you got a bargain, but neither will you feel cheated. The A/C unit was a little […] undersized for the room, so it never quite cooled completely down. The one big negative for our room (#2) was a faint odor of sewage from the bathroom. Finally, a room safe would have been appreciated. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We absolutely loved our stay at Lavas de Arenal!! Mario the owner is a truley wonderful host! Accomadations were great and Being fed a daily breakfast was awesome; fresh fruit, juice, and the rice and beans w/eggs was to die for! Mario and his people do their utmost to insure your comfort not just at the hotel, but for you ventures out and about in […] Fortuna. He is very knowledgeable and can get some great deals on area attractions. This was our first Trip to Costa Rica and of all the places we visited during our 14 days we enjoyed this place the most!! My wife and I are already planning our next trip to CR and we will stay here again, we feel not only comfortable here but also feel as though we made a dear friend in a matter of days. Thanks Mario!! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Friendly people. A little out of the way, but it is affordable.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Nice small hotel, with swimming pool. Outside dinning area, that is open to the surroundings on 2 sides. New rooms under constrution, but they weren't noisy while doing it. The owner was very friendly and helpful.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel owner, Mario gave us so many great ideas we changed our plans and stayed 4 nights instead of 1. He taught us about the country, set up tours, and even helped us find a church in a neighboring city. He speaks perfect English, has lived in the US for years. The grounds are amazing with beautiful landscaping, frogs, and lots of birds. Couldn't […] have been happier with the service we received! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The owners are very friendly and helpful. Room was clean. Lighting was useless, and not enough places to put/hang things. We took what we could get, and we were happy to have it.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The owners are so helpful with locals places to go. They gave us the best palces to eat, and events to go to at the BEST prices.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel provides a relaxed environment for guests to mingle and share personal experiences on their visits of Costa Rica. The hotel owners were extremely helpful in providing us with information on the Arenal Region and more importantly on safety concerns re. transportation to our next destination.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This hotel was a bit out of the way from the other hotels, but was by no means far from the main attractions. If you are expecting something up to American standards, you will be disappointed, but this hotel was clean and had nice grounds and a good breakfast. Odd shower. All-in-all it was okay.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This is a 5-star hotel in my opinion. I went here with my boyfriend for a few days during the rainy season. The hotel has a picturesque setting, with the little creek running right through the back, numerous fruit trees and a very nice swimming pool. The rooms were very comfortable with private showers, TVs with cable, and AC. The complementary breakfast […] was delicious and filling. The grounds are really well kept and very nice, with a little garden, banana and other fruit trees. The best part of this hotel is the owner/manager. He speaks great English, had plenty of advice for activities and restaurants in the area, made reservations for us to do a nature walk/zipline tour, gave us directions, and chatted with us over breakfast every morning. He even picked fresh fruit for us off of the trees and would leave it on our car or by our hotel door so that we could take some with us for our day's adventures. We were sad to leave Lavas del Arenal, but we definitely want to return there some day! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The staff was informative, attentive, friendly. It was clean, green sks beautiful grounds.

Genuine Expedia guest review

good and clean rooms, friendly atmosphere and democratic price))))))

Genuine Expedia guest review

I personally loved staying here . The grounds are beautiful . Rooms clean . The pool was wonderful . Easy access to town and the attractions around the volcano . The owners are wonderful people speak fluent English . Told me best places to eat , hike , swim and more . I can't wait to come back to this place next year . Great comfortable atmosphere here […] . I highly reccomend staying here and will be telling all my travel friends about it . Pura vida !! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Wife and I just stayed one night. Staff was very nice and helpful. They pointed out frogs and birds for us. Breakfast was good as well. Best of all, I left a travel vest in the room. We ended up driving by the hotel 4 days later and decided to check with them to see if it was turned in. It was and they gave it back to me. Very happy about the level […] of service. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Very nice stay all the fruit was straight off the tree in the first few minutes I was there I was drinking a coconut eating a papaya, mango, and banana. The river behind us was relaxing and when the night cleared up you can see the starry night very well, I almost forgot to mention a very great view of Arenal and only a few minutes drive to stores and […] tours. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The service was excellent. The very friendly owner helped us in every way he could have, offering rides, a gorgeous view of nature, a clean pool and room, delicious breakfast, and some great advice. I would definitely stay there again and recommend it to anyone. It's a quick drive to the nearby hot springs, downtown, and the volcano. It's quiet, comfortable, […] and beautiful. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Rosa and Ever made our vacation a very memorable one. They went out of their way to make it special for our family and other guests to make sure they were comfortable and welcomed. Wonderful people and I was crying when we had to leave. Our kids still talk about them like we knew them for long time.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Room was so dark (three lights) and they couldn't find a bulb to replace the third light. No ice machine, the air condition wasn't sufficient enough to cool the room, very hot at night and hotter during the day. No TV. Two inch gap under front door, used towel to keep out creatures. Breakfast were good and the personal were very helpful with bookin […] gs. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We stayed in the hotel two nights and we enjoyed to be isolated in a very quite and pleasent place surrounded by nature of Costa Rica.

Genuine Expedia guest review

This is a very basic hotel, something like the old strip motels in the U.S. that are now booked by transients. There is no way to ventilate the room without opening the door. We rejected the first room offered in a dark cubbyhole. But there are 2 good restaurants in La Fortuna 7km away.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Lavas del Arenal is an ok place to stay, but it's not close to anything. If you had a car, it would be ok. The main road has no shoulder for walking on. It costs about $8 each time you want to go into town. The room is decent and clean, but nothing special. The wifi worked good. The breakfast was fine, usually eggs and rice/beans. The grounds were decent, […] and the pool looked ok. When we first arrived, we looked around outside and found some smoldering embers out back from some garbage that was being burnt. The staff at the front desk were friendly and helpful. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Clean, no bugs The pool was out of order.... The breakfast was great. The staff was very friendly.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Its a basic hotel. But very quite location by a stream. You have to have a car to get here - only 4 km from Arenal downtown. Also if you do not speak Spanish you will have a tough time as the staff/ owner knows no English.

Genuine Expedia guest review

shower must be renovate, garden was well, the pool was a little bit dirty

Genuine Expedia guest review

First when I was getting there I thought oh my god, did I pick a wrong place? But after 3 days I did not want to leave Lavas del Arenal. I wish I owned this place :) My stay was great. Free and good breakfast. Very friendly service. I will stay here again. The road to Lavas del Arenal isnt paved but not a big worry for me as I went in summer. I liked […] the place and the family owning it. If you are interested in birds, you'll be surprised by the number of different birds you see in Lavas del Arenal. For the first time in my life I woke up to the sound of birds in the morning. I enjoyed staying here. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

If you want to save money in La Fortuna, stay in a hostel. Lavas del Aranal had 3 major flaws: 1) Location- it is a $10 taxi ride to La Fortuna. The owner did have an illegal taxi driver who would take you for $6. The taxi-boat-taxi driver didn't want to take us to the hotel because it was too far. It's located on a farm, and there aren't any sites […] our restaurants within walking distance. 2) Language barrier- the husband and wife owners do not speak any English. It's their country, so that's their prerogative. But if you do not speak Spanish, it is almost impossible to communicate. 3) It's DIRTY- our bedsheets were bloody and soiled. She did come and replace them (it was after 9). I enjoyed their April 2000 issue of Modern Home while she changed the sheets. There were large spider webs on the bathroom doors, and the mirror was not lined up over the sink. The window AC unit was very loud, and there were two blue cutout signs covering a window to prevent sunlight from entering. There is no tv, and the wifi didn't work. The grounds were pretty nice. There was a large garden with a banana tree, picnic tables and lots of wildlife. They also have a pool. And while I didn't understand a word they said, the owners were quite friendly and tried to be accommodating. That said, it was very spartan, and WAY overpriced. We reserved two nights, but decided to eat the cost and stay someplace clean our last night in Costa Rica. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Loved the hospitality of the owners, breakfast prepared and served alfresco, pool, garden setting and rope swing. They even brought me fresh cocoanut milk when I got sick. The location was perfect..just 5 km from Fortuna, so more serene but yet close to restaurants, etc. For the value, I would rate it 4+ stars. If there was a ceiling fan and cross ventilation […] in the room, I would give it 5*. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The Lavas has about 10 rooms, located in a secure, beautifully landscaped garden compound. It is fairly remote, about a 10 min drive from La Fortuna, I would only stay there if I had a car. It is literally right next to the jungle, so there are toucans, and other wildlife to see from the grounds. The owners are very friendly, and speak some English. […] Good, basic Costa Rican breakfast. Nice swimming pool and outside covered area to eat breakfast under or just hang out. The only real negatives were the wifi didn't work, and the rooms do not have windows that open, although the a/c worked fine. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Thought I was in a Motel 6 without television. Then the DNS from the wifi site didn't respond, so we couldn't use the computer. Then we had to ask the manager to spray the ants who were coming in the front door. Then we had to obtain ice from the office in a dish. The ice melted before we could use it all because the refridgerator had no freezer. The […] pool looked inviting until we realized it was filthy. The breakfast was cold rice and beans with over cooked eggs.The butter for the toast arrived after the toast was half eaten. I could go on and on................. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

very friendly owners, but be sure you have some knowledge in Spanish, nobody there speaks a word of English. You need a car if staying there it,s in the oposite direction of all the attractions. What I enjoyrd most of the place was good bird watching, especialy Tucans. I feel the place is overpriced.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

If you're looking for a quiet out of the way place then this is it. Simple, clean cabinas and a good breakfast. La Duena is very nice and will get you a better price for tours than any of the shops in Fortuna. Saw several Toucans one morning while eating breakfast. Only five minutes from Fortuna and slept soundly to the sound of a rushing stream at […] the back of the property. Beautiful grounds. I will certainly stay there again on my next trip and recommend this hotel to anyone. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Location is unfortunate, price is good though. Lighting is terrible. There is no place to sit or read or place anything in the room. Table and two seats outside though. Pool is nice, chaise lounges are nice. Nice creek. Good view of La Arenal from the back yard. Was sort of difficult without a car but we enjoyed the silence and the natural surrounding; […] preferred it to the town, and we had some nice times in town just sitting at a cafe. Convenient enough to everything. Mario fixed us up with a cable day but it was an hour out of town, so we cancelled it and found a perfectly good one right on the road to town, over the Cataractas, the big falls. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

If you are coming to Costa Rica to enjoy a real adventure this is the place for sure. Next to a reserve you will have the opportunity to observe all kind of beautiful birds, including toucans which come to the hotel trees to eat as they are attracted by all of the different trees and beautiful gardens the owners maintain every day. The swimming pool […] is located next to trees and makes it the perfect place to relax. There is a small stream where you can swim. The breakfast is great, rice and beans, eggs, toasts, coffee, orange juice, fruits. This is a great value for the price and the best it is quit. The owner speak little English but they have Gabriela and Mario over the phone at any time who speak English and help with tours or anything else related to the hotel. The rooms are of a good size. About the hot water, you just need to learn how it works. The less pressure the hotter the water will come, but they do have hot water. According to Gabriel they are in the process of replacing their hot water system into a Solar Water Heater which will be a lot better. They offer free wireless internet. You have good space for parking also and it is free compared to some hotels in La Fortuna which will charge you to park in their property. Ligia and Gabriel will go the extra mile to make sure you feel home and I really appreciate the extra help and the great treatment I received from them. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

It is not a luxury hotel, but for the price great deal. Outstanding service. Great with kids.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Located a few kilometers outside La Fortuna; a short drive and not inconvenient. Lovely setting, comfortable, clean, decently sized rooms. Nice pool with babbling brook. Friendly host, Lijia, who also serves as breakfast cook. Included breakfast is basic and fine. We are North Americans and prefer a shower with hot water and water pressure, otherwise […] we recommend this as a good, affordable, basic place to stay. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Throughout Costa Rica the accommodation that you find will be far from the Ritz, but this place was lovely. The room was clean, had AC, and the woman that was running it was very helpful. She didn't speak much English but it wasn't too much of an issue. Breakfast is included and it's very tasty. For us it was cooked to order with the choice of eggs […] or an omelete. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Very nice owner who is willing to go above and beyond to help us with our stay. There's a little stream running from the backyard of the area which is very pleasant. The location is a little bit far out from the town center, but close to all the water activities.

Genuine Expedia guest review

clean and adequate. Friendly staff, but communication is difficult if you don't speak Spanish. Somewhat out of the way and can be hard to find initially, especially if you arrive after dark. Generally, a good value for the price.

Genuine Expedia guest review

We loved Lavas del Arenal. We were in town for almost 2 weeks and it was perfect. La Fortuna is a bit noisy and touristy. Lavas del Arenal is about 5km out of town. If you have a rental car, the convenience score goes up to 5. There are many buses into and out of town every day that stop 300 meters from the hotel. If you're doing tours, tour operators […] will pick you up. I rode my bike back and forth to town and took the bus. The peace and quiet were well worth any trouble. The breakfast was great and okay. Fresh fruit, juice and coffee every day was fantastic. I got tired of rice and beans, but I think many do. Other choices were an omelet with cheese and/or ham, pancakes, tortillas and the like. I was spending my days on a bicycle, so the breakfast gave me good horsepower for the day. Taking a hot shower requires a little planning. Water is heated in the shower head, as it is in most places in Costa Rica. Voltage is limited. There are two things to do, if you're not familiar with the showers: 1) ask someone to show you how it works: and; 2) turn off the AC and most of the lights before you shower. That lets available electricity to flow to the heater. We always had hot showers when we wanted them. There is a small store 500 meters from the hotel. There are a few sodas and restaurants within 2km of the hotel. The family that runs the hotel was wonderful, nice and helpful. If you don't mind taking the bus, or have a rental car, Lavas del Arenal is a nice place to stay. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

My cousin and I stayed in La Fortuna for 3 days and loved the area! Our stay with Lavas del Arenal made our time here great! I had exchanged numerous emails with Mario prior to arriving in Costa Rica. I found Mario to be very prompt in returning emails and was very good about thoroughly answering my questions. Once we arrived, Gabrielle and her family […] were great in checking us in. Gabrielle even drove us around town (for a good rate) since the hotel is located outside of downtown. We didn't have to ever call a taxi because Gabrielle was sweet enough to offer us rides. She was also so great in helping us with the tours and booking them for us. The breakfast served was also wonderful. I was very impressed that Mario later followed up with an email to ask for feedback on improving their services or hotel. I can't say enough about the personal care that was given to us. I feel like we have friends in La Fortuna when we go back to visit Costa Rica again! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Very friendly hotel owners and staff, close to dozen of adventures near Arenal volcano (doesn't erupt now), good place to stay!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Lavas Del Arenal is a very pleasant hotel we stayed at. It was a bit far from town but the hostess would call you a cab whenever needed. It costs roughly about $10 us dollars or about 4,000 colones. The room was spacious although there was no television but I didn't mind that at all. Free wifi made up for that. Breakfast in the morning was also very […] good. Everyone was nice and I would stay here again. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this wonderful hotel. We had freshly prepared breakfast everyday-even with homemade jam from her garden. We saw wildlife while sitting by the pool. Gorgeous gardens everywhere and very quiet and serene. It was only about a 5 minute drive from La Fortuna and well worth it. Would definitely recommend this to anyone-a […] great hotel at a great price! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Owners are nice, rooms are clean, but they have problem with the wires in the shower. Wire insulations for water heater made so sloppy, so when I took a shower it started to burn. Safety wise to be in the shower is quite risky

Genuine Expedia guest review

The staff were pleasant enough, and helpful when it came to transportation. But, the room had a dingy and depressing feeling due to the bad lighting. It's the kind of room you only want to sleep in and then leave as quickly as possible in the morning. The location is pretty far from the city center, which is ok if you have a car, or don't mind taking […] a taxi. I recommend spending a bit more money to stay in the center or in a nicer place. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Located 5 minutes from La Fortuna, this quiet and secluded hotel is more like a bed and breakfast. Located down a small dirt road (not 4WD and only for 2 minutes) The woman cooks breakfast for you every morning. The pool is cool and relaxing and the volcano can be seen from the road. Overall, definitely a nice place to stay on a budget and it is what […] you make of it. Not a 5 star resort, but that wasn't what we were looking for. Perfect for people who rented their own car! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review