Chachagua Rainforest Hotel & Hot Springs

The rainforest resort is a 2 hours and 40 minute drive from San Jose. We used a fabulous taxi driver who did us a great deal- he speaks good English and is actually local to this hotel- message me directly for more information. It was extremely rainy on the afternoon we arrived (and yes, I know it’s because it’s a rainforest). We were greeted by a member of the reception staff who provided us with large golfing umbrellas and checked us in. On check in, like most hotels, they’ll want your passports and credit card which they’ll give straight back to you. We’d read a number of reviews that said the hotel only cared about selling trips to you, personally, we didn’t feel this was the case at all. They mentioned all the complimentary excursions and activities and briefly mentioned that you can pay additional for others- no pressure what so ever. At 3pm they took us to our room in a golf buggy, which I think was due to the bad weather. Our room was a deluxe bungalow (112) which is around a 5-7 minute, very beautiful walk from the reception area. The room was clean, comfortable and spacious with 2 large king size beds, large TV with lots of channels including Netflix, Disney and Amazon Prime (if you have an account- and when it’s raining hard you will be grateful for these home comforts. Just make sure you log out before you leave), safety deposit box, 2 umbrellas (no torch, so bring as you will need one), air conditioning, dressing gowns, coffee making machine with pods (they will bring more if you call reception- the coffee is very tasty), a fridge, which you can fill up with your own pop/soda, beers, wines etc (recommendation- there isn’t any shops close to the resort so buy before you arrive or if you’re out and about in La Fortuna), bathroom with a massive shower, a toilet and sink and large patio area with a table, chairs and a very comfortable, cosy hammock- which is lush! The wardrobe is pretty small and there is only one drawer. Plenty sockets available that take a US plug. I don’t recommend you leaving clothes out to dry on the patio as when it rains, it’s rains hard and they will get soaked. There isn’t an iron or ironing board in the room, but they do offer a laundry service, that is pretty reasonable ($2 per item for a t-shirt or shorts) and comes back the same day or day after, depending on what time you send- items are not returned ironed/pressed. There is excellent WIFI throughout the resort- rooms, pools areas, reception and restaurants The rooms are cleaned daily. You just need to put your sign on your door. They will replenish your drinking water and coffee pods. If you wish to have fresh towels you just need to leave on the floor and if you want your bedding changing there is a sign for you to place on the bed. They also offer a turn down service at 7pm or 9:30pm- you choose a suitable time. As part of this service they straighten the bed sheets and replenish towels. There are two restaurants on site. One is called Colibri and

We had a wonderful 3 night stay at Chachagua Rainforest Hotel. The room was lovely - it was a 2 bedroom villa with private plunge pool. It was very spacious and clean. While the resort is a bit of a drive to downtown La Fortuna, we appreciated having a truly unique experience in the rainforest; this felt like something special. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. In the restaurants our kids are picky eaters and didn't want some of the standard stuff on the menu, but they were willing to make something at their request that they would eat. Had a great experience and would recommend it to others!

My husband and I stayed at Chachagua Rainforest Hotel for 4 days. The property is very remote and beautiful. As you would expect with buildings in the rainforest, constant upkeep is required but we had no issues with our room (309). I will note that it can be very loud at night. Those little frogs have big voices! Central Costa Rica is super hot and humid. I had hoped the plunge pool would be a cool and refreshing spot at the end of the day but it was heated so I didn’t use it. We enjoyed their focus on natural habitats to support wildlife. Everyone was friendly - the guides were knowledgeable and the front desk staff were very helpful (big thanks to Fabian, Nany and Yara!). There are two restaurants on the property. Both restaurants offer a good variety of menu items but the prices are US prices ($$$) which was surprising. We found that to be true of most resorts in the area. The natural hot springs in the area do not run through this property but my understanding is that water from the natural mineral springs on site is heated in 3 pools near the grill. One pool is cold. There are slides into the river and into the cold pool which are refreshing after a hot day of trail hikes! We had fun sliding into the cold pool then having delicious drinks in the warm pools before snacks at the grill. We recommend a stay here if you are into nature. We saw countless tropical birds, lizards, bugs (on walks, not in the room!), and howler monkeys. We took the zip line tour, chocolate/coffee tour, night walk, and had in-room massage set up through the front desk. All great!

Do you research before booking this hotel. For a 3* hotel, it is super expensive!!! While the rooms were very spacious, they were very dark, very little natural light which was really annoying. We would leave early in the morning and come back as late as possible because of that. The grounds are beautiful but not updated. The food is quite expensive for a 3*. However, the staff really tried and were so sweet. It's also a 20' drive from La Fortuna.

DO YOUR RESEARCH… As a family we loved parts of this hotel and disliked other parts. We are a family who have travelled extensively and enjoy being up close and personal with nature. This hotel ticked all the boxes for us with a small boutique style set up surrounded by nature. The good points - It’s deep in the forest and you are surrounded by nature complete with animals, birds and plants all around you. The hot springs are a nice place to spend the end of each day. It feels quiet and relaxed. The staff are exceptional in trying to make your stay as pleasant as possible. The bad points - As you are in the jungle it’s full of critters and the 2 lodges we were in were generally dark with quite a lot of mosquitoes / bugs inside - which is ok if you don’t mind these but really not ok if you don’t like them. We have stayed in Safari lodges, Jungle lodges, Beach huts in the past all of which are surrounded by wildlife / bugs but they have generally always been clean inside. Unfortunately these lodges feel old and have holes in them so no matter how well the staff clean the lodges bugs do get in. They are showing their age with the bathrooms looking more like a 2-3 star hotel standard tiling / fixings etc. The lighting was inadequate so you can’t see in the room due to dark decor etc. We went in the wet season and this probably did not help. The other issue is the food was nowhere near as good as most Costa Rican restaurants and way way over priced. As it’s a $40 trip to La Fortuna each way you end up sucking it up and paying over the odds. Some nights hardly anyone ate in the main restaurant and it felt soulless. If the hotel invested in better menus / ingredients it could have an amazing feel to eat surrounded by nature and I would imagine people would not mind paying over the odds for quality. So in summary if you don’t mind the odd bugs in your room and happy to accept a tired lodge that has an amazing natural setting this is the lodge for you.

We really enjoyed our stay here. From the moment we arrived the staff was so kind and accommodating. They offer a guided tour of their forest which was beautiful and we saw plenty of wildlife. We were able to squeeze sugarcane and make lemonade. The rooms were great. The open air bathroom was unique and a little unexpected but was great. Just keep the bathroom door closed. It's about a 30 minute drive to La Fortuna and the Arenal area.

This place is over-rated, ridiculously expensive, and we barely saw any wildlife (a few tropical birds, hummingbirds, and a jungle rat). The pool was freezing cold, the restaurant overpriced. and the service not so great. We were very disappointed and decided not to stay a second night. They still charged me! I would not re omens anyone make the long, grueling trip to this place. There are many, many more places to go in Costa Rica with far more to offer, more affordable prices, and great customer service. Skip this one or you’ll be equally disappointed and they’ll break the bank.

Appalling. Nothing authentic about this place and room utterly disgusting. Shower falling off the ceiling, suspect marks on the wall around the toilet and paintwork looks like it was applied with broom. Mini fridge weirdly placed in the middle of the room and a lovely view from the room of parked car. I will write more as we have unfortunately one more night to stay would give 0 stars if I could.

Overall, this is a wonderful, secluded and highly beautiful hot spring resort on the outskirts of the Arenal Volcano area. A perfect spot for a small family or a cpuple looking to escape to nature and away from the business of a large resort. There isn't 5 star amenities but this comes very close. If you are looking for the beauty, peace and tranquility that comes with an immersive rainforest/hotspring escape, then this is it. If you are looking to wake up to volcano views or be close, this is not it. There is technically 2 restaurants on site, one of which they request reservations but realistically wasn't necessary. The prices were typical of an American night out ranging from $18-40 with median being around $25 per dish. Just down the road there were many soda restaurants if you so chose to wander. The reserve was beautiful and full of wildlife, birds and highly reccomend spending some time walking around. The staff were exceptionally welcoming and friendly. The start of your experience is a very well received tour and complimentary drink. The hot springs were decadent and relaxing. Although we didn't travel with children, the resort had a few young family's that seemingly enjoyed the stay, especially the spring with water slide. The beds were VERY comfortable. Falling asleep to the gentle sounds of the jungle were divine. Our room, although slightly dated with boards around the shower being worn/punky, we're very comfortable and secure. Again, beautiful resort with appeal towards the secluded nature lover.