Marion P.
I loved this lodge and I think it was my favourite overall. The positives The welcome I got from the receptionist was fantastic. She carried my case from the vehicle to reception and then to my room. We had a long chat and she was so lovely the stark contrast between this and Arenal was obvious. She took the time to explain how the breakfast worked, showed me a map of the lodge and the area pointing out places that were within easy walking distance (apart from all the hills). She also made some suggestions of other tours specific to my interests. Lastly she walked up to the sister hotel with me, so that I could decide whether I wanted my breakfast sent down. She had got your message and put me in the cabin nearest to reception. It was gorgeous. High enough to give me a great view of the surrounding forest through the huge picture windows, but close enough to get to reception and the car park. And it was cool and not so humid which was a welcome change. The grounds are stunning and you feel like you are in the middle of the forest, with all the cabins blending into the landscape. They were happy for me to smoke in the huge car park. Massive relief!!!! I saw and heard howler monkeys from my balcony and a troop of naughty capuchins by reception. There was also a family of Coaties living in the grounds which was great until I saw one ripping a baby monkey to bits and eating it!!! The breakfast options definitely fall into the luxury category with several great options and they were delicious. I chose what I wanted the night before and it was delivered to reception at the time specified. The option to have it sent to my room was available but I preferred to sit at a table to eat, so reception made more sense. One morning they sent 2 cups of coffee down for me as they didn’t think one would be enough. (How did they know?) On my last morning, as I had plenty of time before my transport, I decide to slow walk up to the other hotel for breakfast. It took a while but it was so worth it. The service was impeccable and the views breathtaking. I did the tour the receptionist had suggested to Natuwa wildlife sanctuary. I took a taxi there (NB In Europe nearly all taxis take cards, so it was a good job I checked first and took some cash) and walked back as it was all downhill and not raining. Its a lovely place with enthusiastic young guides who know the full history of all the animals there. Again I am happy to provide further details and my impressions if you decide to add it to your recommended tours. Negatives I’m happy to report that there aren’t any. Maybe more facilities actually onsite (bar, restaurant etc) would be nice, but that would surely push the price right up and are not really necessary, if people are happy to walk up the hill