Sarapiquis Rainforest Lodge

The reviews I had read were mixed. We arrived around 3 tomorrow a very warm welcome. Our room was #8 in Jaguar. It was not 5 stars, but very clean with good a/c and an awesome shower. Bed was creaky, but we slept well. The grounds were beautifully manicured. The pool was inviting. Food was good, but options are limited. The tenderloin I had was one of the best ever….for the money unbeatable! Hamburger was a 10! Grilled fish…tasty. All the servers were smiling and anxious to please. We will go back next year for 3 more relaxing days

This may have been a spectacular place in the past. But now it’s dingy and vastly overrated. Yes, the location and grounds are excellent. Lots of wildlife and jungle. But the mattress was very uncomfortable, bathroom was tiny and spartan, and if you want fresh air the only option is opening the porch doors and see the other guests as they walk to/from their rooms. For a self-described green facility, why no screened window? But the restaurant is the worst. The menus never change. Although the ingredients seemed fresh, preparation is fair at best and extraordinarily devoid of flavor. No other options close by so you’re captive to this restaurant. The very worst cocktails imaginable. Staff is very friendly and helpful. But the owner knows the place is a money machine.

After reading some of the reviews I was concerned about staying here, however we had an excellent 2 days. Yes the rooms are quite basic but they are clean & the shower was quite powerful with hot water. The evening meal was good - we had chicken in a mushroom sauce day 1 & steak in a delicious red wine sauce day 2 - both were very good & the accompanying chips were fabulous. Breakfast was sufficent although not a huge choice - fruit, scrambled egg with sausage, rice, plantain. I had a freshly cooked omelet this morning. The pool is small but again fine for a short dip which is what most people want. Yes it has a rocky surround but this is not a problem. Towels are available from reception. The staff have been excellent - very helpful when my husband had a problem with his phone. It has a fabulous location with toucans & howler monkeys seen in the gardens. It is a 10 minute walk from Dave & Dave's excellent wildlife park (see separate review), next door to Tirimbina Lodge where a lot of the trips take place - we did an excellent Chocolate tour from there. We also got a taxi into Sarapiqui for a boat tour along the river - again we had an excellent guide & saw lots of wildlife. Overall we have had an excellent 2 days here & don't agree with many of the previous comments. The hotel is only a 3*! Our only complaint was that the website does not advertise the available trips - this would make it more popular with potential clients.