Located in La Fortuna, Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails is in a national park, within a 15-minute drive of Lake Arenal and Costa Rica Sky Adventures. .This family-friendly lodge is 4.7 mi (7.5 km) from Butterfly Conservatory and 9 mi (14.5 km) from Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
Arenal Volcano National Park - 17 min drive - 10.2 km
Arenal Volcano - 17 min drive - 8.0 km
Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park - 26 min drive - 14.5 km
La Fortuna Waterfall - 38 min drive - 24.5 km
Getting around
La Fortuna (FON-Arenal) - 50 min drive
Restaurants
Virgita Ristorante - 28 min drive
Restaurante Río Lounge - 39 min drive
Agua Ardiente Pool Bar - 21 min drive
Red Frog Coffee Roaster - 31 min drive
North Fields Café - 32 min drive
About this property
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails
Family-friendly lodge with a full-service spa and free breakfast
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails offers 48 accommodations with laptop-compatible safes and coffee/tea makers. Rooms open to balconies or patios. Bathrooms include showers and complimentary toiletries. Housekeeping is provided daily.
An outdoor pool, a children's pool, and a spa tub are on site.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Guests can pamper themselves with a trip to the onsite spa, which has 1 treatment room. Services include deep-tissue massages, hot stone massages, Swedish massages, and facials. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy and reflexology. The spa is open daily.
Make yourself at home in one of the 48 guestrooms. Rooms have private balconies or patios. Bathrooms have showers and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include laptop-compatible safes and coffee/tea makers, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages, body treatments, and facials. If you're looking for recreational opportunities, you'll find an outdoor pool and a spa tub. Additional features at this Colonial lodge include complimentary wireless internet access, an arcade/game room, and gift shops/newsstands. Getting to nearby attractions is a breeze with the area shuttle (surcharge).
Enjoy a satisfying meal at El Jilguero serving guests of Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails. Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served daily from 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM.
Featured amenities include luggage storage, laundry facilities, and a library. This lodge has 2 meeting rooms available for events. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours), and free self parking is available onsite.
A complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is served each morning between 6:30 AM and 8:30 AM.
El Jilguero - This family restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Languages
English, Spanish
Property amenities
Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and public transport
Free self-parking on site
Wheelchair-accessible parking available
24-hour return airport shuttle (surcharge)
Airport shuttle on request
Local area shuttle (surcharge)
Food and drink
Free cooked-to-order breakfast available daily 6:30 AM–8:30 AM
1 restaurant
1 bar
Restaurants on site
El Jilguero
Things to do
Arcade/games room
Children's pool
Ecotours
Table football
Full-service spa
Hiking/biking trails
Horse riding/hire
Outdoor pool
Playground
A hot tub
Table tennis
Family friendly
Arcade/games room
Children's pool
Laundry facilities
Outdoor pool
Playground
Pool gate
Conveniences
Front-desk safe
Gift shop/newsstand
Library
Guest services
Daily housekeeping
Front desk (limited hours)
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Tour/ticket assistance
Business services
Meeting rooms - 2
Outdoors
Garden
Pool sunloungers
Terrace
Spa
Aromatherapy
Body scrubs
Body treatments
Body wraps
Couples treatment room(s)
Detox wraps
Facials
Massage - deep-tissue
Massage - hot stone
Massage - prenatal
Massage - Swedish
Massage/treatment rooms
Reflexology
Spa open daily
Treatment room
Accessibility
If you have any requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
This property does not have any lifts
Accessible airport shuttle
No lift (single-level property)
Pool access ramp on site
Well-lit path to entrance
Wheelchair-accessible concierge desk
Wheelchair-accessible lounge
Wheelchair-accessible parking
Wheelchair-accessible pool
Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
Wheelchair-accessible (may have limits)
More
Fireplace in reception
Smoke-free property
TV in lobby
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bed sheets
Ceiling fan
Bathroom
Eco-friendly toiletries
Shampoo
Shower
Soap
Toilet paper
Towels
Food and drink
Coffee/tea maker
More
Eco-friendly cleaning products used
Laptop-compatible safe
LED light bulbs
Window screens
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 3 PM; Check-in end time: 10 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before noon
Special check-in instructions
The front desk is open daily from 7 AM - 10 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours)
Pets
No pets or service animals allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
2 children, per adult, up to the age of 8 years, can stay for free if using existing beds when occupying the parent or guardian's room
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available
Payment types
Important information
Optional extras
Airport shuttle fee: USD 225 per vehicle (one-way, maximum occupancy 7)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
This property uses eco-friendly cleaning products
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher
We should mention
This property does not have elevators
Pool access available from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property
This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly)
Property is also known as
Arenal Observatory Lodge La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory Lodge
Arenal Observatory La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory
Arenal Observatory Hotel La Fortuna De San Carlos
Arenal Observatory & Trails
Arenal Observatory Lodge Spa
Arenal Observatory Lodge Trails
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails Lodge
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails Lodge La Fortuna
Arenal Observatory Lodge & Trails Reviews
Reviews
9.6
Exceptional
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Amazing view to Arenal Volcano, literally you have the volcano in front of you. Perfect choice to go relax maybe on a weekend and forget about stress and just connect with nature
The property has an excellent location surrounded by trails and and trails at the base of the volcano. The free guided hike was informative and a good way to learn to spot wildlife if not doing guide tours elsewhere (although be aware that advance reservations are recommended). The only downside of the location is that you are limited to onsite dining even if self-driving, and the food options are not great value for the price.
Our stay was very pleasant, the hotel is on beautiful grounds, we arrived late at night , a portion the road leading to the hotel is not paved, breakfast was superb, you can have both the open buffet and a choice to order from their menu. We ended up having dinner 2 nights at the hotel and those were excellent as well. Very helpful staff that go above and beyond, Sergio was very helpful with his recommendations and directions. Lots of hummingbirds and wildlife that you can experience from your room. No AC but the ceiling fan was sufficient to keep up feeling comfortable. Would love to go again.
Marghrit
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
6/10 Okay
Husong
13 Aug 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Nice Experience of Nature and Birds
Great experience but room key constantly gave me problem. Room key has to be replaced 4 times.
Restaurant food and drinks are great!
Amazing location inside the NP. Road most unpaved getting there. Great balcony where you can see the birds and monkey. Very chilled out vibe with plenty of easy trials around. Shame that the pool wasn’t open and we were not notified, the kids were very disappointed. Also we left very early on the last day and missed out on breakfast as they didn’t tell us we could have a takeaway breakfast box. Overall a stunning place, beaming with wildlife.
Alexander
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024
6/10 Okay
Husong
12 Aug 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Great experience but room key constantly gave me problem. Key has to be replaced 4 times
Restaurant food and drink are great!
Husong
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024
10/10 Excellent
Liang
Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
My 7 yr old complained about no AC in the room but I am completely fine with it. It is high up in the mountain so felt a little cool even in the summer. View is beautiful because it is super close to the volcano.
The lodge staff is very welcome and kind.
Of course you’d be expecting bugs and flies in the washroom next day in the morning. But I call this nature, we would also be seeing monkeys within the hotel range. Driving up to the hotel is also fun as some roads are un-paved. My husband joked as we got a free ATV experience.
One of my favorite places in the world. We have been here three times in the last 14 years. Love the lodge, its proximity to raw nature, the thoughtful and kind people that work here, and the views. I would highly recommend staying here.
You can not beat the location and beauty of this property. The staff went above and beyond. The restaurant was great. Wildlife all around. Loved this stay.
Fantastic lodge and trails.
Amazing staff.
Great views of the Arenal Volcano.
Peaceful.
We saw snakes, frogs, toucans, hummingbirds and tropical birds.
Food is good and fairly priced - considering the nearest outside restaurant is > 30 mins away.
This was an amazing property. Trails were beautiful. Waterfall was amazing. Breakfast buffet has everything you would want on your plate and dinner was very tasty
The property is breath taking! So many beautiful plants and trees and we spotted wildlife at every turn and really enjoyed everything the property had to offer!