3-Star Hotels in Alajuela, Costa Rica

Good reception, availability, despite a short stay everything was there for us to feel good. We will come back with pleasure.

I’ll caveat my title by saying I had to request a room move to achieve this as our original (superior) room was side facing overlooking a small copse of trees! So a big thanks to the main man behind reception (apologies, I’ve forgotten your name) for accommodating a room change for the remaining 3 nights of our 4 night trip, overlooking the pool & directly facing the magical volcano. The hotel itself is a little tired in places but it offers a nice pool (with a wet bar) to relax in after all those day hikes & the selection of food at the inclusive breakfast buffet is pretty good on the whole, with an omelette chef on hand. There’s also a rooftop sports bar on site for anyone up for a late night beer (be warned, we found d La Fortuna to close down early of a night & were even refused entry in a bar/restaurant as early as 21.30 !!). What we did like about this hotel is that it’s a little out of the town centre but all the attractions seemed to be on that side of town ie. The Volcano Park, Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Eco-Termales Hot Springs (see my other reviews) which meant shorter transfers. Also Uber is available & super cheap in Colones currency so don’t fall for the expensive taxis in USD.

The hotel is next to the airport. There is a shuttle that oicks you up and takes you there every 30 minutes; they should make it every 15 minutes being so close. There is a Walmart next to the hotel and 3 restaurants in fron of the lobby: peruvian, argentinian and costa rican. The gym had everything and breakfast was ok, but not great.

Upon arriving your in a questionable neighborhood. Upon arrival your at a large iron gate, which is needed for the area your in. They buzz you in. Check in was a breeze. They have a nice court yard, swimming pool with a waterfall. Very nice areas to relax in, and an activity room with a pool table. They also serve breakfast which consists of mainly fresh fruit, eggs, rice with beans and coffee, no meats. Did not have dinner there. The rooms are very old. No room darkening shades, just some old curtains. Beds were ok, but very old furniture. Paint was peeling off the walls in my room, and the bathroom has dirty chalking, and an old shower. All rooms use a regular key, with a chain lock. AC worked fine. If you like a dark room at night like I do forget it. The curtains offer no light blocking. Would I stay here again, only in a pinch. I’ll try Hampton Inn, or Holiday Express on my next visit.

Whilst this is technically a hostel, it is far better than some hotels we stayed in! Rooms are great (good air con, hot water, good storage); facilities superb (pool, business lounge, kitchen/food prep area, pool table, great bar); well organised trips (the zip line followed by hot springs is a must!); very helpful staff; and the food delicious (tuna steak with salad delightful)

Ghost hotel, huge grounds but with minimal number of guests. Furniture and room, bathroom were very outdated. Smelled funny inside. Cleaning staff left cleaning supplies in the bathroom by accident. One of the bedrooms had no window and the lighting in the whole apartment was very dark. Air conditioning worked well. The rooms are large and comfortable however my mattress was lopsided and I kept falling off the bed all night. No shampoo or soap provided and shower had some animal poop. The restaurant staff was ok but not the friendliest. Minimal vegan options at the restaurants. Breakfast was also not the best. Rice and beans had minimal flavor, fruit was good but for a vegan not many other options such as bread or avocado. The pool looked great but didn’t have much shade provided with umbrellas or trees. The gym was closed. Would not stay here again as it didn’t feel very vacation like.

I appreciated that the room was spotlessly clean, with all sorts of amenities. The staff was very proactive and helpful, and the location right across from the airport was the main reason I chose it. The problem, though, is that our room (#135) had no window curtains to block out light. All it had was a flimsy screen that you could easily see through. I imagine anyone passing by the first floor room would have been able to see inside the room, because it was easy to see outside through the screen. At night-which comes very early in the tropics-the light from eight powerfully bright lights in the parking lot lit up our room. There was no way to darken the room, the light was so bright you could have read by it. None. Hence I got NO sleep because the room was lit up. Please, put up black out curtains.

Hotel located close to La Fortuna Waterfall and the trail to Cerro Chatota (lake where once was the crater of a volcano). Excellent option for those who want to go on the trail, as non-guests need to pay a fee of 15 dollars to enter the property (the trail starts within the hotel grounds). The trail is not for everyone, the difficulty level is high. Old but functional rooms. Friendly and helpful staff.

This is a magical resort with amazing staff. We were welcomed with open arms and Diego made the check in super easy. Once we got to the room there was the coolest surprise waiting since it was my 50th birthday! The treehouse was literally like living alone in the jungle but with all the facilities you could want near by. Every morning we saw green cheeked parakeets from our window, toucans and lots of other endemic birds. The staff set up all of the tours we wanted to do including transportation. And when we had to be picked up early they always accommodated us for a huge breakfast! Jimmy was one of our new buddies as he helped with breakfast in the morning and also took us on a night tour where we saw a kinkajou, spectacle owl, and lots of frogs . He was super knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and it was an amazing tour. For dinner, the food was out of this world!!! If I could rate it a 10 I would!! A huge thank you to the entire staff . Hopefully we will be back one day!

From the time that we arrived, we were impressed. The coffee is strong and flavorful. We arrived to a welcome basket on our bed and in our fridge for our anniversary celebration! The view of Arenal was amazing— from our bed! (suite 215) The included breakfast is phenomenal— so much to choose from. My fave is the made-to-order omelet station! We did not have Lunch on property because we were out exploring Arenal/La Fortuna region. We did have pizza at the poolside wood-fired pizza oven bar. They made a custom pizza with chicken, basil, olive oil, and tomatoes. That was the bomb! 💣 Service is spot on. The grounds are kept in immaculate condition— Gardening is exceptionally beautiful everywhere you look! October is the perfect time in my opinion to visit if you want low crowds – – we had the thermal pools (7-8 pools) mostly to ourselves. We visited eight properties while in Costa Rica and this one was our absolute favorite! Hands down— pun may be intended. 😉

I’ll caveat my title by saying I had to request a room move to achieve this as our original (superior) room was side facing overlooking a small copse of trees! So a big thanks to the main man behind reception (apologies, I’ve forgotten your name) for accommodating a room change for the remaining 3 nights of our 4 night trip, overlooking the pool & directly facing the magical volcano. The hotel itself is a little tired in places but it offers a nice pool (with a wet bar) to relax in after all those day hikes & the selection of food at the inclusive breakfast buffet is pretty good on the whole, with an omelette chef on hand. There’s also a rooftop sports bar on site for anyone up for a late night beer (be warned, we found d La Fortuna to close down early of a night & were even refused entry in a bar/restaurant as early as 21.30 !!). What we did like about this hotel is that it’s a little out of the town centre but all the attractions seemed to be on that side of town ie. The Volcano Park, Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Eco-Termales Hot Springs (see my other reviews) which meant shorter transfers. Also Uber is available & super cheap in Colones currency so don’t fall for the expensive taxis in USD.

Whilst this is technically a hostel, it is far better than some hotels we stayed in! Rooms are great (good air con, hot water, good storage); facilities superb (pool, business lounge, kitchen/food prep area, pool table, great bar); well organised trips (the zip line followed by hot springs is a must!); very helpful staff; and the food delicious (tuna steak with salad delightful)

Hotel located close to La Fortuna Waterfall and the trail to Cerro Chatota (lake where once was the crater of a volcano). Excellent option for those who want to go on the trail, as non-guests need to pay a fee of 15 dollars to enter the property (the trail starts within the hotel grounds). The trail is not for everyone, the difficulty level is high. Old but functional rooms. Friendly and helpful staff.

From the time that we arrived, we were impressed. The coffee is strong and flavorful. We arrived to a welcome basket on our bed and in our fridge for our anniversary celebration! The view of Arenal was amazing— from our bed! (suite 215) The included breakfast is phenomenal— so much to choose from. My fave is the made-to-order omelet station! We did not have Lunch on property because we were out exploring Arenal/La Fortuna region. We did have pizza at the poolside wood-fired pizza oven bar. They made a custom pizza with chicken, basil, olive oil, and tomatoes. That was the bomb! 💣 Service is spot on. The grounds are kept in immaculate condition— Gardening is exceptionally beautiful everywhere you look! October is the perfect time in my opinion to visit if you want low crowds – – we had the thermal pools (7-8 pools) mostly to ourselves. We visited eight properties while in Costa Rica and this one was our absolute favorite! Hands down— pun may be intended. 😉

Good stopover hotel. It is larger than expected. Great surroundings.

On a tour of Costa Rica with Gate1 travel we spent two days and nights here. WISH IT WAS MORE ! Instead of a typical hotel this resort features a restaurant, a shop for all kinds of things, several natural hot spa tubs, a pool with a swim up bar and more. No hotel here but quaint, beautiful separate cabins with an unbelievable view of Arenal Volcano. Everyone here is SO kind and helpful. My favorite was the crew at the pool bar of Roy, Victor and Dailyn. No matter has busy, they kept everyone served. If you are here ask Victor to show his juggling skills! Really a wonderful stay … unexpected and memorable !

A cost-effective hotel. The resort is very big. It’s best to have a car. If you don’t have a car, you can call a shuttle. The breakfast is very good. There are 8 hot spring pools inside. The volcano viewing spot is even more beautiful than the national park. I really recommend it.

I stayed in this hotel for 3 nights as part of a trip with GAdventures booked through trail finders in the UK. We were checked in to what I think must have been the worst room in the hotel. It was at the back and over looked a side alley. We quickly showered and went to meet our group for dinner. When we got back, we noticed this god- damn awful smell which was coming from the drains and the water hadn't drained from our shower a few hrs earlier. Drains are notoriously bad across CR. We went to reception and the guy couldn't have cared less. We insisted he come and smell for himself. Well, he just couldn't have been more patronising or belittling. He said he couldn't smell it, he accused us of 'just showering' when we showed him the water and refused to do anything ie is clear the smell or move us. He said quite clearly numerous times, the hotel was full. We were left with no choice than to contact our Rep. Strangley enough we were given a different and much better room immediately. When we left, a lady came to our bus, thanked us for our custom and said they are a family run hotel. Clearly explained why the chap on reception couldn't give a hoot - he was hardly going to be sacked! Young ish guy, curly hair tied back in a pony tail. Poor Ester who came to say goodbye has no idea. He best things about this hotel are the friendly staff in the bar below, the view of the volcano from the terrace, and its only a shirt walk from the best place to eat in town- the rainforest cafe opposite (and Andreas is the best server!) but apart from that, I'd avoid it at all costs

Good reception, availability, despite a short stay everything was there for us to feel good. We will come back with pleasure.

The hotel is next to the airport. There is a shuttle that oicks you up and takes you there every 30 minutes; they should make it every 15 minutes being so close. There is a Walmart next to the hotel and 3 restaurants in fron of the lobby: peruvian, argentinian and costa rican. The gym had everything and breakfast was ok, but not great.

Upon arriving your in a questionable neighborhood. Upon arrival your at a large iron gate, which is needed for the area your in. They buzz you in. Check in was a breeze. They have a nice court yard, swimming pool with a waterfall. Very nice areas to relax in, and an activity room with a pool table. They also serve breakfast which consists of mainly fresh fruit, eggs, rice with beans and coffee, no meats. Did not have dinner there. The rooms are very old. No room darkening shades, just some old curtains. Beds were ok, but very old furniture. Paint was peeling off the walls in my room, and the bathroom has dirty chalking, and an old shower. All rooms use a regular key, with a chain lock. AC worked fine. If you like a dark room at night like I do forget it. The curtains offer no light blocking. Would I stay here again, only in a pinch. I’ll try Hampton Inn, or Holiday Express on my next visit.

Ghost hotel, huge grounds but with minimal number of guests. Furniture and room, bathroom were very outdated. Smelled funny inside. Cleaning staff left cleaning supplies in the bathroom by accident. One of the bedrooms had no window and the lighting in the whole apartment was very dark. Air conditioning worked well. The rooms are large and comfortable however my mattress was lopsided and I kept falling off the bed all night. No shampoo or soap provided and shower had some animal poop. The restaurant staff was ok but not the friendliest. Minimal vegan options at the restaurants. Breakfast was also not the best. Rice and beans had minimal flavor, fruit was good but for a vegan not many other options such as bread or avocado. The pool looked great but didn’t have much shade provided with umbrellas or trees. The gym was closed. Would not stay here again as it didn’t feel very vacation like.

I appreciated that the room was spotlessly clean, with all sorts of amenities. The staff was very proactive and helpful, and the location right across from the airport was the main reason I chose it. The problem, though, is that our room (#135) had no window curtains to block out light. All it had was a flimsy screen that you could easily see through. I imagine anyone passing by the first floor room would have been able to see inside the room, because it was easy to see outside through the screen. At night-which comes very early in the tropics-the light from eight powerfully bright lights in the parking lot lit up our room. There was no way to darken the room, the light was so bright you could have read by it. None. Hence I got NO sleep because the room was lit up. Please, put up black out curtains.

Really a very old hotel! The layout and facilities of the room are really old! But still very clean! The surrounding area is very desolate, there is nothing to visit, and there is no way to go out. The better is the hotel charter. For transiting near the temporary airport, you can make a night out!

I’ll caveat my title by saying I had to request a room move to achieve this as our original (superior) room was side facing overlooking a small copse of trees! So a big thanks to the main man behind reception (apologies, I’ve forgotten your name) for accommodating a room change for the remaining 3 nights of our 4 night trip, overlooking the pool & directly facing the magical volcano. The hotel itself is a little tired in places but it offers a nice pool (with a wet bar) to relax in after all those day hikes & the selection of food at the inclusive breakfast buffet is pretty good on the whole, with an omelette chef on hand. There’s also a rooftop sports bar on site for anyone up for a late night beer (be warned, we found d La Fortuna to close down early of a night & were even refused entry in a bar/restaurant as early as 21.30 !!). What we did like about this hotel is that it’s a little out of the town centre but all the attractions seemed to be on that side of town ie. The Volcano Park, Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Eco-Termales Hot Springs (see my other reviews) which meant shorter transfers. Also Uber is available & super cheap in Colones currency so don’t fall for the expensive taxis in USD.

Whilst this is technically a hostel, it is far better than some hotels we stayed in! Rooms are great (good air con, hot water, good storage); facilities superb (pool, business lounge, kitchen/food prep area, pool table, great bar); well organised trips (the zip line followed by hot springs is a must!); very helpful staff; and the food delicious (tuna steak with salad delightful)

Hotel located close to La Fortuna Waterfall and the trail to Cerro Chatota (lake where once was the crater of a volcano). Excellent option for those who want to go on the trail, as non-guests need to pay a fee of 15 dollars to enter the property (the trail starts within the hotel grounds). The trail is not for everyone, the difficulty level is high. Old but functional rooms. Friendly and helpful staff.

From the time that we arrived, we were impressed. The coffee is strong and flavorful. We arrived to a welcome basket on our bed and in our fridge for our anniversary celebration! The view of Arenal was amazing— from our bed! (suite 215) The included breakfast is phenomenal— so much to choose from. My fave is the made-to-order omelet station! We did not have Lunch on property because we were out exploring Arenal/La Fortuna region. We did have pizza at the poolside wood-fired pizza oven bar. They made a custom pizza with chicken, basil, olive oil, and tomatoes. That was the bomb! 💣 Service is spot on. The grounds are kept in immaculate condition— Gardening is exceptionally beautiful everywhere you look! October is the perfect time in my opinion to visit if you want low crowds – – we had the thermal pools (7-8 pools) mostly to ourselves. We visited eight properties while in Costa Rica and this one was our absolute favorite! Hands down— pun may be intended. 😉

On a tour of Costa Rica with Gate1 travel we spent two days and nights here. WISH IT WAS MORE ! Instead of a typical hotel this resort features a restaurant, a shop for all kinds of things, several natural hot spa tubs, a pool with a swim up bar and more. No hotel here but quaint, beautiful separate cabins with an unbelievable view of Arenal Volcano. Everyone here is SO kind and helpful. My favorite was the crew at the pool bar of Roy, Victor and Dailyn. No matter has busy, they kept everyone served. If you are here ask Victor to show his juggling skills! Really a wonderful stay … unexpected and memorable !

A cost-effective hotel. The resort is very big. It’s best to have a car. If you don’t have a car, you can call a shuttle. The breakfast is very good. There are 8 hot spring pools inside. The volcano viewing spot is even more beautiful than the national park. I really recommend it.

I stayed in this hotel for 3 nights as part of a trip with GAdventures booked through trail finders in the UK. We were checked in to what I think must have been the worst room in the hotel. It was at the back and over looked a side alley. We quickly showered and went to meet our group for dinner. When we got back, we noticed this god- damn awful smell which was coming from the drains and the water hadn't drained from our shower a few hrs earlier. Drains are notoriously bad across CR. We went to reception and the guy couldn't have cared less. We insisted he come and smell for himself. Well, he just couldn't have been more patronising or belittling. He said he couldn't smell it, he accused us of 'just showering' when we showed him the water and refused to do anything ie is clear the smell or move us. He said quite clearly numerous times, the hotel was full. We were left with no choice than to contact our Rep. Strangley enough we were given a different and much better room immediately. When we left, a lady came to our bus, thanked us for our custom and said they are a family run hotel. Clearly explained why the chap on reception couldn't give a hoot - he was hardly going to be sacked! Young ish guy, curly hair tied back in a pony tail. Poor Ester who came to say goodbye has no idea. He best things about this hotel are the friendly staff in the bar below, the view of the volcano from the terrace, and its only a shirt walk from the best place to eat in town- the rainforest cafe opposite (and Andreas is the best server!) but apart from that, I'd avoid it at all costs

Don't look any further, this is THE place to stay in the Arenal volcano area. It has an amazing pool-side view of the volcano, everything is really clean, with beautiful landscaping throughout. Ask for the rooms at the bottom of the hill and you won't hear any traffic, just the local fauna. Furniture was very good, there are air conditioners in the rooms and the shower has great pressure and plenty of hot water. The breakfast was excellent, with buffet of fruits, cheeses and breads, plus made-to-order hot breakfast including eggs, pancakes and the local rice+beans of CR. Just a one day pass to hot springs at close-by locations was perfect, as we were happy to not pay a much higher room rate at hotels that had hot springs on-site.