Northern Plains Pet-friendly Vacations

Great staff. Excellent Breakfast. A little outdated but still nice.

Great staff. Excellent Breakfast. A little outdated but still nice.

Our stay at Hotel Lavas Tacotal was overall a really enjoyable experience, with a few areas that could be improved. The highlights were definitely the incredible views of Arenal Volcano — waking up to that scenery was unreal. The room itself was massive, very clean, and comfortable, which made it easy to relax after long days exploring. The pool area was also great and well-maintained, and the staff throughout the property were consistently friendly and helpful. That said, there were a couple downsides. There were quite a few bugs inside the room, although that’s somewhat expected given the jungle setting. The biggest letdown, however, was the restaurant. The included breakfast buffet was decent but nothing special. We also had lunch there one day, and unfortunately it was a poor experience. The restaurant didn’t open until 2:00 PM, and despite being seated right away, we weren’t greeted until about 2:15. We ordered tacos and a burger — the burger was honestly the worst I’ve ever had, with a bun that was rock hard and almost inedible. When I mentioned it to the waiter, the replacement bun wasn’t any better. My wife’s tacos were also very dry and lacked flavor. Overall, this stay would easily be a 5/5 with better food and restaurant service, but because of that experience, I’d rate it a solid 4/5.

Thoroughly enjoyed this resort, our home for 6 days. Not pretentious, truly authentic beauty. All staff were not only accommodating, but felt like friends, Joaquin, Luis, Jorge, Fernando, Leah and Justin, to name a few. Large rooms, excellent housekeeping, and restaurant had great options, some excellent ones. Could use more selection in cocktails for all inclusive. Lava springs and foliage/landscaping were the fantastic icing on the cake. Close to nature hikes, wildlife, and excursion options. View of volcano is spectacular, if the clouds cooperate.

We stayed in the honeymoon suite and the room had one of the most spectacular view I’ve ever seen in Costa Rica. The room was clean and very spacious, with modern sinks, toilet, and showers. The bed was very comfortable, true to other reviews. Food at the resort is very good, though cocktails were a little disappointing for the price. Make sure you take the offered jungle hike and wear decent sneakers or hiking boots. It is absolutely gorgeous and we had fun for a couple of hours taking in every trail we could (don’t worry, there are shortcut trails too). We were frequently amazed that even on the trails that somewhere forty years ago, people put in all those pavers and tables and chairs in the woods! The front desk/reception has a whole book of tours you can sign up for including horseback riding and rafting, etc. We only stayed a couple of days so we just took in and enjoyed the property, hiked a lot, used the pool table, and stared at the magnificent scenery. For people who want to get away from it all for a few days, this is a great place to do so.