Don’t you love it when you find a spot that is off the beaten track and delivers a unique experience? Hotel Laguna Arenal fits that bill perfectly. Five modern… read more and very cool bungalows are perched on a hill overlooking Lake Arenal. You turn off the main paved road and drive 5 minutes up a typical bumpy gravel side road to the hotel. The bungalows are very modern in design and look pretty new. I was impressed with the interior layout. My only comment is one additional chair to sit in would be nice as there is presently only a couch inside. But in truth, I mostly sat outside on the deck chair taking in the lake views. Which were incredible. Our host provided a free breakfast which was unique and tasty every morning.

And after several trips over the years to Costa Rica I can tell you this is the cleanest place we have stayed in. Well done folks. More

  I highly recommend this place to anyone looking to stay around the La Fortuna/Arenal area. Absolutely stunning view! Going to sleep and waking up with such breathtaking views is totally… read more amazing.

The owners are the best hosts you can wish for. Very friendly and always ready to help.

We will be back!!!

  I recommend this destination to anyone looking for an unforgettable visit to Costa Rica!

On the hotel and owners: Julio and his mother are some of the… read more kindest, and sweetest I have ever come across in the hospitality industry. They care for their guests as if they were staying at their own home. Unlike large resorts, this secluded property only consists of 6 private villas. Rest assured, your time will be full of peace, tranquility, and the melodic sounds of the rain forest below. Every so often you can hear a howler monkey in the distance. The views are spectacular, as are the sunsets.

On the food: Where to begin… Julio, the resort’s executive chef, demonstrates an attention to detail and care for the preparation of his plates that would rival any white table establishment. The difference being that we had a private dining experience each night, with his sole attention on us. It was a dining experience we will never forget.
On one special night, for the first course, he prepared a shrimp based Thai soup with a distinctly aromatic red curry paste. My mouth went on a journey tasting the various deep flavors of the vegetables and juicy shrimp that mixed delicately within the spice of the Thai influenced comfort food. The accompanying crisp white wine helped to freshen the pallet at the end – it was a hell of a start.
For our main course, we sampled a steak cut called Picaña, also known as the sirloin cap. This incredibly flavorful meat was accompanied by three different textures of pineapple. fort, a coulis (a fine purée with a dash of sugar), then a fully caramelized version, and finally chopped pineapple cooked In acids with jalapeño and cilantro. The last touch was a garnish of fresh basil plucked from the garden ten feet away.
The finish, a Japanese style cake – lovely and fluffy. – made with egg white and thyme. Accompanied with a splash of yogurt, and a sweet jam. These three ingredients coupled with the texture of thinly sliced grapes makes for a quite complete dish – and a smooth finish to a great chefs menu.

  My wife and I stayed in this hotel two days and had wonderful and memorable time. We stayed in four different hotels, each two nights, around Lake Arenal. … read more All four of them were best hotels Costa Rica presents in different ways. This hotel stands out as a unique one. Its bungalows are well designed and modern. The view from each bungalow is unhindered, looking down Lake Arenal in the right distance and perspective. The hotel is owned and run by Anna and Bastian, who had stayed in many other countries in their earlier life. They bring in their multi-cultural experience in running this remote hotel. They are very warm and very accommodating, for local tours and places to visit, including our losing bungalow keys. We had one dinner and one breakfast, the best food I ever had in a long while. Anna is very passionate of her food from raw materials, cooking and serving. The hotel exceeded my expectation from every possible way! Thank you Anna for the time we stayed there! We missed you to say bye when we were leaving because You went out for your daily shopping for the night’s cooking.

  As per other reviews we really cannot recommend this property enough. From the moment you arrive at this stunning location you are treated to a feast of the senses.… read more The view, the smells from the plants and the taste of the food are all to die for. Milena/Ana (we heard her called both) and her husband Bastion could not be more welcoming and accommodating even when we asked for breakfast at 6 so we could get to La Fortuna in time for our tour.

  This was such a beautiful find, and Julio and his mother are oh so lovely! Big smiling faces and genuine guidance throughout. We in fact skipped on adventures and extended… read more our stay so we could keep waking up to this view (and closing our days with it)! The rooms are wonderful little nests in the sky, and so peaceful. Also, tip– make sure you take at least one dinner with Julio– I am not very easily blown away (I think), but Julio’s dishes were beautiful and delicate and delectable! One of the places I will mark down as a sanctuary for future visits.

  Honestly there are not enough words to describe how PERFECT this place is. An absolute hidden gem!!! My husband and I stayed here for part of our honeymoon trip in… read more January 2022 and were simply blown away by the kindness, service, beauty, and breathtaking nature of this stay. To start with- the buildings themselves are simply stunning. Pristinely clean, amazing architecture, and frankly …. The views literally cannot be beat. Next are the owners, who are simply the most welcoming, kind, thoughtful people in the world. I texted in advance that we were tired and hoping to have dinner on checking in and they (plus their chef Carlos) made what was honestly one of the best meals in our lives. No joke. We travel a lot and have been to Michelin starred restaurants that weren’t this good. I cannot emphasize enough HOW AMAZING the food was… you should come here if not for the views then the food alone!! We essentially had a private chef while we overlooked the most gorgeous landscape in their open concept restaurant. We ended up foregoing the five star resort dinner we had planned for the next night to eat here again and it was equally as amazing. On top of that- breakfast was served every day and was also phenomenal. A huge thank you to the owners, the staff, Carlos, for making our stay unforgettable. This place is a must see-must stay and we… Honestly there are not enough words to describe how PERFECT this place is. An absolute hidden gem!!! My husband and I stayed here for part of our honeymoon trip in January 2022 and were simply blown away by the kindness, service, beauty, and breathtaking nature of this stay.

To start with- the buildings themselves are simply stunning. Pristinely clean, amazing architecture, and frankly …. The views literally cannot be beat. Next are the owners, who are simply the most welcoming, kind, thoughtful people in the world. I texted in advance that we were tired and hoping to have dinner on checking in and they (plus their chef Carlos) made what was honestly one of the best meals in our lives. No joke. We travel a lot and have been to Michelin starred restaurants that weren’t this good. I cannot emphasize enough HOW AMAZING the food was… you should come here if not for the views then the food alone!! We essentially had a private chef while we overlooked the most gorgeous landscape in their open concept restaurant. We ended up foregoing the five star resort dinner we had planned for the next night to eat here again and it was equally as amazing. On top of that- breakfast was served every day and was also phenomenal.

A huge thank you to the owners, the staff, Carlos, for making our stay unforgettable. This place is a must see-must stay and we are so thankful to have stumbled across it. You will be SO thankful to stay here as well! More

  I have to say this is one of the most amazing places we have ever stayed at. The location is stunning and very peaceful. From the moment we arrived… read more to the time we left we felt welcomed and part of a really great place. Anna the owner provides outstanding customer service, she is so very kind and friendly and nothing is too much trouble. She even took us unto town and came back to get us. We arranged transport and Jose picked us up and was very friendly and helpful. The food is delicious and we had dinner there most nights. Breakfast is very good and always presented well and tasty. A very BIG thanks to Anna, Bastian, Jose and the team for making our stay so very memorable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED More

  This hotel was our first hotel in costa rica our of the capital, start of our journey and honeymoon! we were so surprised by the beauty and serenity at this… read more place, the view just amazing, it is so quiet, at night all you hear is sounds of crickets and frogs and see the reflection of the moon on the lake! the sunset view, its an expirence never to forget! the place js so secluded and away from noise!
obviously to get there you need car, taxis dont get there as it is far from everything, down the hill therr is a little cafe and restaurant ( Toucan Lane) that has soooooo delicious food that you must tree!
Milena prepared us steak dinner with lake view that just is amazing! they helped us to rent a car and before renting a car they took us themselves from san jose hotel!
Great hotel, one with nature; highly recommend it! More

  The view at this location is absolutely jaw dropping. Opening my eyes up in the morning to that view was insane! I stayed here with my boyfriend and we had… read more a lovely experience. The owners are so considerate and kind. Their communication was great and they were even able to get us into our room a bit early considering we arrived before check in.
The wildlife is great in this spot. I saw a ton of colorful birds, cows, a horse, and a toucan flew directly in front of my face!
Now the only thing I would consider a drawback is that the location can be challenging to get to. But at the same time, that is also what makes this a perk. It is not located in the main part of town (La Fortuna) where tourist life is bustling with restaurants and stores. The town it is in is called Nuevo Arenal. At the bottom of the hill it sits on there are only a couple of restaurants, one souvenir shop, and a small mercado store. It would be extremely helpful to rent a car if you are staying in Nuevo Arenal because getting a taxi to come get you and take you back can be difficult and pricey.
With that being said, I would not have changed my decision to stay here. The owners were so gracious, the location is out of this world, and the wildlife is amazing. It was beyond peaceful and I will never forget it.