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Reviews of Lavas del Arenal

3 out of 5
Lavas del Arenal
300 meters west from El Bosque school, Peñas Blancas, Alajuela

Reviews

7.4

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 69 out of 207 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 56 out of 207 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 36 out of 207 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 25 out of 207 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 21 out of 207 reviews" "

7.8/10

Cleanliness

8.2/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

7.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Lukasz

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very nice and quiet location. Perfect for someone who looks for a secluded place to stay. Hotel located in a very nice scenery in a near proximity of many attractions, activities and also La Fortuna city with many good places to eat. The staff is very nice and helpful.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

6/10 Okay

Patrick

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Amenities
Room was very old and rundown, basic. There was a tv but no remote control. Hotel looked clean and pool was enjoyable. Small restaurant serving breakfast and meals was good.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

allan

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022
Response from Miguel on Apr 1, 2022
Muchas gracias por su visita!

10/10 Excellent

Gurpreet

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property is away from the hustle bustle of La Fortuna. The property is older but it is clean and roomy. Don't get me wrong, it's not a 4 star hotel, but the courteous staff, the hammocks, the front lawn for the kids to run around all added to our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

6/10 Okay

Laurent

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

Expedia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location and friendly staff
Beautiful location with a river and garden out back. You can see hummingbirds and here monkeys on the premises. Very nice to be a bit away from the downtown area and enjoy nature. The staff was very accommodating and made us a vegan-friendly breakfast. Check-in and Check-out were very easy and they even let us drop our bags early before check-in.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Eduardo

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

8/10 Good

Gerard

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lavas del Arenal
Nice quiet little hotel. Clean and comfortable. Friendly staff. A little bit out of town, but not a problem if you have a car.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2021

4/10 Poor

German

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

4/10 Poor

Roberto

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Muy mala experiencia
Muy mala experiencia. Las camas y almohadas no eran para nada confortables, además por la noche llegaban personas a tocar a nuestra puerta y querer entrar y no pudimos dormir por los gritos y ruidos en general que ocacionaban otros clientes que se encontraban borrachos.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Great staff and breakfast. The rooms need to be upgraded.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Hotel owner and staff was nice, however the hotel rooms need some upkeep. Nice garden and pool
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Everybody’s treats you like family the property is well kept and very beautiful everything is close by from the hot springs to the National park
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I pre-paid for this hotel on Expedia. Then when I arrived they said that I must pay them. I thought maybe the Expedia charge was just a hold, but when I returned home I found that my credit card had both charges. I have been working with Expedia for 19 days and the case still isn't resolved. They say that the hotel has not responded. It was actually a great stay, but this hassle is ruining it.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Rick

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay
The grounds are beautiful, the rooms are reasonably priced, modest, and clean, and the staff is super friendly and so helpful. Miguel, the owner, showed us toucans in the trees, and fed us fresh coconuts from trees on the grounds . Francisco helped us plan excursions, and gave us lots of good tips about local places. If you come, don’t be discouraged by the rough 1/2 mile road in, because once you get here you’ll love the surroundings.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Lavas del Arenal is a small hotel situated just ouside of the main town in La Fortuna. There are plenty of benefits to staying at Lavas del Arenal. The first that I noticed is that the common areas of the hotel are surrounded by beautiful plant life, various birds, and a stream in the back. There is a pool available that wasn't overly occupied during my stay. I used it in the morning, so there wasn't actually anyone but me, but even in the afternoon, I only ever saw a couple people using it. The owner and the kitchen staff do a great job. The owner in particular was helpful in suggesting activities to do around La Fortuna, and went the extra mile in ensuring that I got to my destinations on time. They serve a complementary breakfast, which consists of rice and beans or pancakes, eggs, fruit, and a yogurt-like dip. Dinner is also available, though it is not complementary. The rooms themselves are simplistic, though you should be aware of this prior to showing up based on the budget pricing. Mine had a single bed, a mini fridge, air-conditioning, and a bathroom. An unexpected perk was getting to play with the owners puppy Mia. One of the friendliest dogs around! I would have no problem suggesting other people stay at Lavas Del Arenal. Just be aware that you'll be taking a taxi into town, which can be up to 5000 colones.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Host on Feb 13, 2019
Muchas Gracias por su comentario!

6/10 Okay

smartin48, Ontario Canada

Liked: Staff & service
Great staff!
I booked this hotel with Expedia.ca and got a great price. In hindsight the price was likely too low for the Arenal area. This hotel is quite far out from Fortuna and Arenal. The night we arrived they also had two bus loads of young people staying there, running around like animals. They moved us to a quieter room at the front of the hotel. The staff is very kind and helpful. The accomodations are good and it is a good value for your money.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

patty , florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was a hidden treasure
We found this hidden treasure last minute. The rooms are big and spacious. The staff very nice. The beauty of this place is there outdoors. They have a river / creek in the back that makes a beautiful peaceful nature sounds. The landscaping is beautiful with flowers and trees. The pool area is surrounded by trees and flowers. If you are looking for inexpensive, natural beauty and not all the amnesties of an expensive hotel. This is great.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

2/10 Terrible

Sean, Cleveland, Ohio. USA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Must have 4x4 to get this hotel.
As I said, we should get a 4x4 when we had a rental car. I had a sedan at that time, it was really hard to get this hotel. Almost 1 Km was off road. When we reached this hotel, we turned around to get another hotel. I don´t believe this hotel had 3 stars.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Just enough to stay quiet in that place. It's far away of bustle, cars, cities and parties. If you want to be in a pacefull place, it's a very good option.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

2/10 Terrible

Anna

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
0
Refused to stay there. Filthy dark and dingy Not our choice as booked other hotel in September and were told only around 10 days prior to leaving that hotel I initially booked was overbooked
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

4/10 Poor

Ginny, D

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Don't bother-try another
We had two rooms-a single whose shower head was cracked & the room smelled moldy, neither showers drained & water stood in the bottom. Our AC unit had to be tweaked every time to get it running, and it just couldn't keep up. Beds were uncomfortable & room not very clean, both smelled awful. Our second room had 5 beds-a double and 3 singles which fit our family but those spreads made me shudder. For this price I'd try another one, there are a lot nearby.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This was a last minute booking so I didn't do a lot of research. Dirt road to get to the hotel but found it ok. No problems getting checked in but the place reminded me of some old fishing cabin. Not a very clean room and it smelled a bit musty. It was quiet there which was good. The big surprise when I woke the next morning at 5am was that there was no hot water for the shower! Talking to some of the locals they seem to take cold showers but for the price of the hotel, I expected a hot shower. Due to the overall condition and lack of hot water for the price, I decided not to stay the second night. Unfortunately they wouldn't refund the cost for the second night.

4/10 Poor

Reena

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beds were dirty, No hot water. Air Conditioner did not work. Basically, whatever they provided (which was not much) did not work.......:(

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beware of what you are getting.
This is a place to sleep. We had no hot water. Located off the beaten path down a gravel road. Not really what we would expect from an American point of view. Please try another facility. I cant imagine anyone really being happy staying here..

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Seemed over-priced for a tiny room, an iffy air conditioner and plain food at the "restaurant". It was definitely "okay" but expensive and NOT in LA Fortuna as advertised!

2/10 Terrible

Grace, San Francisco, CA

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Overpriced for what it offers
I would like to warn future travelers about the condition of this hotel. I paid $133 per night for a 3 night stay totaling $450 at this hotel. I knew this hotel was not going to be a fancy one, but given the reviews and the price I paid, I thought it would be bearable. Upon arrival, I already wanted to leave. Unfortunately, I already paid $450. Let me try my best to describe the room condition. The bed is very uncomfortable - the bed sheet is thin as paper and the pillows are small and thin. There is only one nightstand and the other side of the bed is probably 10cm to the wall - so one of us had to climb to the bottom of the bed to get on and off. One chair in the room has a super dirty cushion. The rug in the bathroom seemed dirty and worn out. Two towels and one hand towel are offered; all of them are clean but super worn out. The shower head is not bad, but I suspect the shower floor was not cleaned. The air conditioner is super old and almost falling out of the wall. It is very noisy and barely functional. With humidity at 90% plus and temperature at 85F+, we had very miserable 3 nights stay. I feel bad leaving a terrible review becuase all the staff are very friendly, even though they don't speak much English. However, this hotel probably should only cost $30, not $130.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awful room, awful breakfast.
Better to forget it. This hotel is not good and definitely too expensive.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Broken bed. Very basic room. It is not worth almost $200/day rate.

6/10 Okay

Robert, Puyallup, Wa

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
not as nice as before
We had stayed there about a year ago. It was quaint and quiet. The owner spoke some English. This time there was no one on staff that could speak English. I speak some Spanish, but it needs more work. The place was not as well maintained as before and we lost water in our unit for a few hours, think toilet.

2/10 Terrible

Nicholas, United States

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Over-priced Lavas Hotel
Way over-priced and in a remote location.

8/10 Good

Siva, Toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Quiet place and natural setting. Need transportation to get anywhere. friendly staff.

2/10 Terrible

Nathan, Los Angeles

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
hotel was moldy and gross. extremely disappointed.
I would avoid this place like the plague. Our room was mildewy and moldy. it smelled disgusting and looked as bad. No one that worked at the property spoke english, so we could not have them accountable. stay away

6/10 Okay

Michelle

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Room comfort
Place to sleep
It is a place to sleep. Has the básic stuff but pricy during high season

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great value
Best value for the cost of any place we stayed in Costa Rica.

10/10 Excellent

Gustavo, Long Island, NY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
nice place
The hotel staff (Katy in particular) were pleasant & very helpful. The room was spacious & comfortable and the pool area & grounds were absolutely beautiful. We were very happy with the accommodations!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Karla, California

Liked: Staff & service, room comfort
Affordable and Available
We went during a busy weekend and this place was one of the only affordable places left. The staff was excellent/ helpful and set us up with a great deal for Baldi hot springs. We weren't aware that the springs include a dinner buffet, so we are first. So don't do that. The hotel serves a free breakfast, which was good. The room itself was clean and comfortable, with the exception of the showerhead. If you stay in many places in Costa Rica, you'll find electric water heaters installed on the shower heads -they don't seem to get changed often (mold/ and our rust), and they don't get very hot. That's about the only complaint we have, but that goes for many of the places we stayed at. No bedbugs, the ac worked, and the towels were clean. The hotel is off of a dirt road, so don't be surprised.

8/10 Good

Jake, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place near La Fortuna and Arenal
Great little hotel, nice people, and good value for the money. We love the pool and its only about a five minute drive to La Fortuna.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Budget hotel outside of La Fortuna
Our stay was very pleasant. The room was very clean upon our arrival. The breakfast was delicious and typical of Costa Rica. All of the staff went out of their way to be helpful. Bernie was cheerful, efficient and a wonderful host. Thank you for making the first part of our trip memorable.

2/10 Terrible

Grimlou

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Room comfort
Would not stay there again and would never recommend it
Difficult to find ,out of the way place down a long dirt road . 10 to 15 minutes from town. Need car or taxi. Nothing near by . No restaurants or attractions . Room very basic , bare fixtures, closet has no door and no hangers, no glasses, no maid service, 2 worn bath towels and one hand towels for the 2 days we were there. No shampoo or conditioner provided.Two pillows for 2 queen beds (had to request 2 more) no blankets just sheets on bed. Contrary to the info on the internet Wifi was not accessible from our room.(13) We had to go sit in front of another unit to get reception. The grounds needed attention but we recognize that this was the dry season. Pros: warm water available in shower, flat screen TV that worked., clean room, small AC unit.in wall. Off site owner helpful in booking tours. This does not qualify as a 3 star establishment for sure. We based our choice on that rating and what we read on the internet which was deceiving. Bfast was basic and same both days , no choices.

2/10 Terrible

Grimlou

Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Do not stay there
Far from town.need car or taxi.and very hard to find, down a dirt road. Nothing around. Room very basic: bare light fixtures, open closet ,no hangers, no maid services,2 towels and one hand towel for 2 day stay,no glasses,no shampoo, no conditioner and no hair dryer. Beds were comfortable but had only 2 pillows for 2 Queen size beds had to request 2 extra pillows. Unit appeared clean. Shower was basic but had hot water. Breakfast was basic and the same both days.Staff tried to be helpful and off site owner as well. Grounds needed attention but in all fairness this is their dry season. We spent very little time there. This place does not deserve a 3 star rating and is very expensive for what you get.Thank God we were only there for two days.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Third World Jungle Hotel
This place is truly terrible. The hotel had no rooms when we checked in at 6pm so they put us up into suite that was still being build. The place had no hot water, the lighting fixtures in the bathroom were hanging from the ceiling by bare wires, the beds were iron military type single beds with three inch matresses, various construction debris was in the kitchen, and mosquitos abounded. The hotel is located 6km from any restaurant. Although their website says they have one, we didn't see one. The hotel manager offered to have us eat with her family but that was not what we were looking for. We left after 30 minutes of exploring the place and found another hotel in La Fortuna. Both Expedia and the hotel were useless in making any compensation to right our experience. The hotel refused to refund our money and Expedia said they were not responsible for the false information in their advertisements for this hotel.

6/10 Okay

Lana

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness

4/10 Poor

Deltadon, Canada

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Overpriced and over-rated
Our "deluxe" room had no chairs, coat hangers, or bathroom counter. I had to climb up on a table to turn on the AC. The hotel is listed on-line as being in Fortuna, but is is 6 km out of town. There was no milk for coffee, just a chemical powder additive. The list price of the room was twice what much superior rooms were asking in town.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very close to advanture park: zip lines, horse etc
Nice hotel especially for family with kids. My son was so happy with all different type of swings (tarzan) and swimming pool

4/10 Poor

Lisa, Costa Rica

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Very moderate hotel. Looks nicer in pictures
I was quite disappointed with this hotel, especially since it's about a 10 minute drive from Fortuna with no views whatsoever. I think it was overpriced for what we got. Our room was very, very basic with mis-matched decor. Our shower was missing the hot water knob. There were just many things in the room that looked extremely outdated or poorly put together. The pool was dirty--breakfast very basic, but ok. No possibility of getting anything to drink or eat at all besides at breakfast. Would not recommend this hotel. I've stayed at others much nicer, closer to town, for far less.

2/10 Terrible

Marine forlife

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Rustic
Difficult to find , facilities are located on the edge of the jungle and the units need lots of updating . We opted to forgo our reservation after one night . If your expecting a resort ... You'll be deeply disappointed .

8/10 Good

Lilinka25

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
The staff make all the difference
My husband and I stayed here for a week and had a very pleasant stay. The grounds are very well kept but the rooms need some renovating. The location is pretty good (10 min from town by car). I think what we enjoyed most about the stay was the hospitality of all the staff. Everyone was helpful and smiling. I think this hotel is a pretty good option if you aren't looking for anything too fancy.