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Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails

3.0 star property
VIP Access

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Photo gallery for Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails

House Economy - Shared Bathroom - Private Room
White Hawk Villa
Terrace/patio
Poolside bar
Breakfast, lunch, dinner served; international cuisine

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Pool
  • Parking included
  • Free Wi-Fi

Explore the area

View in a map
22 km Oeste de la Fortuna de San Carlos, 1.7 km del Volcán Arenal, La Fortuna, Alajuela, 21007
  • Place, Arenal Volcano National Park
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, La Fortuna Waterfall
  • Place, Costa Rica Sky Adventures
    ‪21 min drive‬
  • Airport, La Fortuna (FON-Arenal)
VIP Access
Curated for quality and service, VIP Access stays consistently receive our highest guest ratings.
  • Expect exceptional service
  • Extra savings and perks for BONUS+ members
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Room options

View all photos for Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(29 reviews)
  • 25 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Superior Room, Mountain View

Superior Room, Mountain View

Superior Room, Mountain View

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(31 reviews)
  • 20 sq m
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for White Hawk Villa

White Hawk Villa

White Hawk Villa

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 20 sq m
  • 2 bedrooms
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 King Beds, 2 Single Beds and 2 Single Trundle Beds

View all photos for Phil's Villa + Waterfall

Phil's Villa + Waterfall

Phil's Villa + Waterfall

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 3 bedrooms
  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 10
  • 3 Queen Beds

View all photos for House Economy - Shared Bathroom - Private Room

House Economy - Shared Bathroom - Private Room

House Economy - Shared Bathroom - Private Room

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(5 reviews)
  • 1 bedroom
  • Lake view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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4.8 out of 5, Exceptional, 1,000 reviews
The price is €316
includes taxes & fees
9 Jan - 10 Jan 2026
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About this property

Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails

Colonial lodge with a full-service spa and free breakfast
Along with a full-service spa, this smoke-free lodge has an outdoor pool and a restaurant. Free cooked-to-order breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self parking are also provided. Other amenities include a bar/lounge, a hot tub, and massage/treatment rooms.
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails offers 48 accommodations with laptop-compatible safes and coffee/tea makers. Rooms open to balconies or patios. Bathrooms include showers and complimentary toiletries. Housekeeping is provided daily.
An outdoor pool, a children's pool, and a hot tub are on site.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Guests can pamper themselves with a trip to the onsite spa, which has 1 treatment room. Services include deep-tissue massages, hot stone massages, Swedish massages, and facials. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy and reflexology. The spa is open daily.
Our customers tell us they can't get enough of Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails's great location. During your stay, you'll be close to Costa Rica Sky Adventures. You'll find features like free breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self parking.
  • Free cooked-to-order breakfast served daily
  • Free WiFi in some public areas
  • Free self parking
  • Enjoy a bite to eat at El Jilguero, a family restaurant that serves international cuisine
  • Take a swim in the outdoor pool or soak in the hot tub
  • Treat yourself to aromatherapy, reflexology, or massages at the spa
  • Amenities include a front-desk safe, 2 meeting rooms, and a gift shop
  • Onsite recreation includes horse riding/rentals, hiking/biking trails, and a playground
  • Guests have great things to say about the location and the overall condition of the property
  • 11 minutes by car from Lake Arenal and 13 minutes from Costa Rica Sky Adventures
  • Airport and local-area shuttle service available for a fee
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails offers its guests a full-service spa, an outdoor pool, and a hot tub. There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Free breakfast is served daily. WiFi is free in public spaces.

There are 2 meeting rooms available. A children's pool, a library, and a terrace are also featured at the family-friendly Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails. An airport shuttle (available 24 hours) and an area shuttle are available for a fee. Self parking is free.

This Colonial La Fortuna lodge is smoke free.

Guests are served free cooked-to-order breakfast daily from 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM.
El Jilguero - This family restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • 24-hour return airport shuttle on request for a surcharge
  • Area shuttle (surcharge)
  • Free self parking on site
  • Limited on-site self parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Free cooked-to-order breakfast available daily 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Restaurants on site

  • El Jilguero

Things to do

  • Arcade/game room
  • Children's pool
  • Ecotours
  • Foosball table
  • Full-service spa
  • Hiking/biking trails
  • Horseback riding/rentals
  • Hot tub
  • Library
  • Outdoor pool
  • Playground
  • Table tennis
  • TV in common areas

Family friendly

  • Arcade/game room
  • Children's pool
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Playground
  • Pool gate

Conveniences

  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Business services

  • 2 meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • In a national park
  • In the mountains
  • Pool loungers
  • Terrace

Full-service spa

  • Aromatherapy
  • Body scrubs
  • Body wraps
  • Couples treatment rooms
  • Deep-tissue massages
  • Detox wraps
  • Facials
  • Hot stone massages
  • Prenatal massages
  • Reflexology
  • Spa open daily
  • Swedish massages
  • Treatment room

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Accessible airport shuttle
  • No lift (single-level property)
  • Pool access ramp on site
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible concierge desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible pool
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant

More

  • Built in 1992
  • Colonial architecture
  • Eco-friendly cleaning products used
  • Fireplace in lobby
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker

More

  • Ceiling fan
  • Eco-friendly toiletries
  • Laptop-compatible safe
  • LED lighting
  • Window screens

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 10 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 7 AM - 10 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

  • Pets and service animals are not allowed at Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Kids stay free! Up to 2 children 8 years old and younger stay free, per registered adult, when using existing bedding.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Cribs (infant beds) are not available.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Airport shuttle fee: USD 225 per vehicle (one-way, maximum occupancy 7)

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
This property uses eco-friendly cleaning products
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
The front desk at this property is open daily from 7 AM - 10 PM.
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property.
If you cancel your booking, you'll be subject to the host's cancellation policy. In accordance with EU regulations about consumer rights, property booking services are not subject to the right of withdrawal.

We should mention

  • Pool access available from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
  • Up to 2 children 8 years old and younger stay free, per registered adult, in the same room as the parent or guardian when using existing bedding.
  • Registered guests are the only ones allowed to be in guestrooms.
  • Pets and service animals are not allowed on site.
  • This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly).

Property is also known as

Arenal Observatory Lodge La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory Lodge
Arenal Observatory La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory
Arenal Observatory Hotel La Fortuna De San Carlos
Arenal Observatory & Trails
Arenal Observatory Lodge Spa
Arenal Observatory Lodge Trails
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails Lodge
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails Lodge La Fortuna

Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails Reviews

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 738 out of 921 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 146 out of 921 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 30 out of 921 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 921 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 921 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

9.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

CHRISTINE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay. The trails were amazing.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Conor

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Loved it. Such a beautiful unique place.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Chadd

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved the views of the lake and volcano, the food was great, the hiking trails were tons of fun, the dante waterfall was beautiful, and the staff were absolutely amazing! We loved Howard and our beautiful waitress with red hair! Also, don't let the shared bathrooms scare you away from the casona. It was an amazing room with the best view and toucans!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Autumn

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent in every way.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Lezley

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location is amazing. We saw so much wildlife and lots of great hiking trails including waterfalls. We loved the frog pond. We went at night and heard all the croaking and saw lots of frogs including a few red eye tree frogs. The free tour they provide guests in the mornings was awesome. The only thing my family didn’t like was no AC in the rooms. The restaurant provided great free breakfast. We ate at the same place for dinner and found it was way overpriced and not great quality. Overall the stay was great and we would recommend it.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Joseph

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Surrounded with nature

Beautiful surroundings, peace and quiet, nature at it’s best
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Spilman

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We liked tye beauty of nature,the views,wildlife,food and friendly service of everyone.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jacek

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sebastien

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing location!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

ileana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
we loved the property . gorgeous lanscape and views . pleasant personnel , felt very safe. cabins are very nice designed . walls are very thin and you can hear all the wildlife outside and the rain . didnt mind that and fortunately it was very cool at night so we werent hot (no AC). the doors werent well sealed so we did have several spiders coming in but nithing major.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Paige

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lawrence L

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful spot to explore the cloud forest around Arenal volcano. Great trails for nature lovers with lots of birds and monkeys. Great breakfast buffet. However, the dinner options were a little disappointing and pricey.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

ileana

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property was stunning. Gorgeous views of lake, mountains and volcano. Beautifully kept grounds . The room itself as very cool design . Simple but had an entire glass wall overlooking the most stunning view . There were a few things that we didn’t like . No refrigerator and the door didn’t properly close and bugs got in several times mainly spiders .
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

6/10 Okay

stephanie

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service
We came to Costa Rica with our two kids , ages 4 and 6. Perhaps I did not read anything about it- but for those who don’t know it- the rooms only have fans, no ac’s. It was extremely hot and humid in the room.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tony

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lots of wildlife and trails on property. Close enough to everything but far enough that it’s quiet. Staff super friendly and having food available with their restaurant was a big plus. I’d stay here again if ever back in La Fortuna.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Sonja

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Gorgeous property and very friendly staff! We had access to viewing so many birds and we loved that there were onsite guided walks. The food was amazing as well! We are looking forward to returning.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Eran, Merida

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing hotel The area is beautiful, lots of activities within the hotel Close to all the activities of Fortuna and Arenal Rooms are nice, great views Food is delicious, every dish we ordered was great The entrance to the hotel area is a bit of terrain and not paved road, easy with a 4x4 but also doable with normal car. We loved everything and enjoyed every moment there, would be more than happy to return.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Carrie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The lodge was fabulous. It’s definitely more secluded but that’s exactly what I as hoping for. The weather came through for us and we had stunning views of the volcano out our window/patio area. I enjoyed walking the trails and birdwatching. We found about 40 different species with a guide in 2 hours. The rooms were comfy and clean. The restaurant had a free breakfast which was much more than a buffet. Dining at night was pretty good. I wish there were a few more options at the restaurant. Oh also saw spider monkeys on the grounds. Great place. Wish I had more time there
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Leah

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
So the trails and park are beautiful and really well maintained and walkable. The place is worth it for that but do not eat there. The food was truly awful. The desk service was also not great, we had a broken window the whole stay and the staff never did anything about it and did not appear to care at all when we told them. Said they would fix it next day but never did anything, we mentioned it again next day still nothing. We stayed in the casonas which are rooms with shared bathrooms, they were not bad but be warned there is no A/C and no mini fridge so dont bring stuff that can melt (sad for those doing chocolate tours) and they give you one bath mat for each bathroom each day so if its been used it kind of bummer. Otherwise they were clean and comfortable. Wish they had better rooms for the price but again trails and views of wildlife are incredible and unparalleled. Perhaps just get the day pass and skip the hotel if you wanna visit.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jolie

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property. Friendly service. Need transportation since it is away from other hotels, restaurants, etc. plenty to do on the property with hikes, waterfall, wildlife, etc
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Travis

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great overall experience. I would recommit to everyone.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

stephen

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A little dated but for us the grounds made up for it. Recommend.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025