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Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga

3.0 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga

Casa Bella Vista | Exterior
View from property
Lake
View from room
Outdoor pool

Reviews

8.6 out of 10

Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast available
    Breakfast available
  • Spa
    Spa
  • Pool
    Pool
  • Room service
    Room service
  • Laundry
    Laundry
  • Housekeeping
    Housekeeping

Explore the area

Map
1 Km Sur Escuela del Castillo, Arenal Volcano National Park, Peñas Blancas, 1230
  • Arenal Eco Zoo
    3 min walk
  • Costa Rica Sky Adventures
    8 min drive
  • Arenal Volcano National Park
    20 min drive
  • La Fortuna (FON-Arenal)
    35 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Superior Room, 1 Double Bed

Superior Room, 1 Double Bed

Superior Room, 1 Double Bed

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Triple Room, Shared Bathroom

Triple Room, Shared Bathroom

Triple Room, Shared Bathroom

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Twin Bunk Bed

View all photos for Casitas nomadas

Casitas nomadas

Casitas nomadas

  • Mountain view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Standard Quadruple Room, Shared Bathroom

Standard Quadruple Room, Shared Bathroom

Standard Quadruple Room, Shared Bathroom

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Twin Bunk Beds

View all photos for Casa Bella Vista

Casa Bella Vista | Exterior

Casa Bella Vista

  • Lake view
  • Sleeps 5
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Double Bunk Bed

View all photos for Superior Quadruple Room, Private Bathroom

Superior Quadruple Room, Private Bathroom

Superior Quadruple Room, Private Bathroom

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Twin Bunk Bed

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Breakfast included
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Kids pool
4.2 out of 5, Very good, (394)
The price is NZ$90
for 1 night
includes taxes & fees
6 Dec - 7 Dec
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About the area

Peñas Blancas

Located in Peñas Blancas, Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga is in the mountains, a 1-minute drive from Lake Arenal and 8 minutes from Costa Rica Sky Adventures. .This hostal is 5.2 mi (8.3 km) from Arenal Volcano and 7.1 mi (11.4 km) from Tabacon Hot Springs.

What's nearby

  • Costa Rica Sky Adventures - 8 min drive - 4.1 km
  • Arenal Volcano - 15 min drive - 8.4 km
  • Tabacon Hot Springs - 18 min drive - 11.5 km
  • Arenal Volcano National Park - 20 min drive - 12.0 km
  • Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park - 25 min drive - 15.0 km

Getting around

  • La Fortuna (FON-Arenal) - 35 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Restaurante Río Lounge - ‬36 min drive
  • ‪Agua Ardiente Pool Bar - ‬18 min drive
  • ‪Fusión Arenal Mirador. - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Soda La Palma - ‬20 min drive
  • ‪Restaurante Las Palmas - ‬25 min drive

About this property

Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga

Hostal with free parking, a quick walk to Lake Arenal
Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga offers 15 shared accommodations with complimentary toiletries. Housekeeping is provided daily.
Recreational amenities at the hostal include an outdoor pool.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Guests can pamper themselves by indulging in the onsite spa services. Services include deep-tissue massages, hot stone massages, sports massages, and Swedish massages. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including reflexology. The spa is equipped with Turkish bath/hammam. There are hot springs open between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
Make yourself at home in one of the 15 guestrooms.
Pamper yourself with onsite massages or enjoy recreation amenities such as an outdoor pool. Additional amenities at this hostal include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and a picnic area.
Satisfy your appetite for lunch or dinner at No aplica, a restaurant which specializes in vegetarian cuisine, or stay in and take advantage of the room service. Full breakfasts are available daily from 7 AM to 9 AM for a fee.
Featured amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, luggage storage, and laundry facilities. Guests may use a roundtrip airport shuttle for a surcharge, and free self parking is available onsite.
Full breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 7 AM and 9 AM.
No aplica - This restaurant specializes in vegetarian cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Room service is available.

Languages

English, French, German, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and public transport

  • Free self-parking on site
  • Return airport shuttle (surcharge)

Food and drink

  • Full breakfast available for a fee daily 7 AM–9 AM: USD 10 for adults and USD 8 for children
  • 1 restaurant
  • Room service available
  • Coffee/tea in a common area

Restaurants on site

  • No aplica

Things to do

  • Hiking/biking trails
  • Outdoor pool
  • Spa services
  • Volleyball
  • Yoga classes

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool

Conveniences

  • Front-desk safe

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Daily housekeeping
  • Dry-cleaning service
  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Tour/ticket assistance

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Picnic area
  • Terrace

Spa

  • Hot springs
  • Massage - deep-tissue
  • Massage - hot stone
  • Massage - sports
  • Massage - Swedish
  • Massage - Thai
  • Reflexology
  • Turkish bath/hammam

Accessibility

  • This property does not have any lifts

More

  • Books
  • Romance packages available
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bed sheets

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Soap
  • Towels

More

  • Eco-friendly cleaning products used
  • LED light bulbs
  • Recycling
  • Shared accommodations

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 1:00 PM; Check-in end time: 7:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 7 AM - 9:00 PM
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for full breakfast: approximately USD 10 for adults and USD 8 for children

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, debit cards, and cash
This property uses eco-friendly cleaning products

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Hot springs access available from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Reservations are required for massage services; reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

Property is also known as

Essence Arenal Hostel El Castillo
Essence Arenal El Castillo
Essence Arenal Spa
Essence Arenal Hostel
Essence Arenal Spa Yoga
Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga Hostal
Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga Peñas Blancas
Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga Hostal Peñas Blancas

Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga Reviews

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 16 out of 34 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 13 out of 34 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 34 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 34 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 34 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Franka

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We had a wonderful time. The grounds are beautiful. We saw monkeys lots of birds and other wildlife right from our window. The staff is incredibly nice and helpful. The restaurant is cute and offers good food at a reasonable price. We had lots of rain while there and it does creep into the casitas. Our towels never really dried and the bed felt clammy too. So be aware of this and decide if that works for you before booking. The kitchen is also only sparsely equipped. It would've been nice to have a chopping board and a sharp knife as we did cook a few times. If you like to cook extravagant meals at home this is not your place but we did make pasta, tacos and other simple dishes without any problems. There is much to explore in the area and it's helpful to have a car, preferably even a 4x4. Overall, we very much enjoyed our time at Essence and would come back. Bring a raincoat and change of shoes and don't miss the Night Jungle Tour. It was a highlight!
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Janice

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing
Essence is a wonderful place to stay…. The property is well thought out for you to enjoy nature and has a variety of accommodation options. The Glamping tents are surrounded by bamboo trees and very peaceful. (Shared bathrooms, but that was no problem for us….expected with Glamping) They have their own farm and I would recommend taking a walk through it. There are also a number of hiking trails, which makes it feel like you are not only staying at a hotel, but also a nature park. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Gabriel is an amazing chef and wonderful person. We enjoyed our stay tremendously and will recommend Essence to friends.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jose Manuel

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Friendly staff, eco friendly hotel
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The most wonderful place to relax, detox, and recharge. The staff is full of genuine love and kindness. Beautiful views and excellent heathy food.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Jeff, Prince George bc

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
Rustic. Beautiful views. Staff was amazing. Beds were not so comfortable. Food was great. Right in the jungle so lots of wildlife.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing stay! Beautiful view of Lake Arenal and good vibes
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I absolutly loved staying here. It was a great setting, a nice break out of town, with a wonderful view of the volcano. The staff were amazing and extreamly helpful. I loved the daily yoga classes out in nature with amazing teachers. There were lots of walking trails around the property and you could go walk around the farm where they grow a lot of the fruit used in the kitched for vegitarian meals. Also the massages were super relaxing. I will definitely be coming here again!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

Carrie, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing view, beautiful property and trails, delicious meals with the lovely Lillian. If you want some time away from the tourism and to be in nature, this is the place! The staff are so helpful and kind, and I highly recommend you get a tour of the area with Lilander in horseback... will blow your mind!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Cameron

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful place to stay
The rooms are small but nice, service is great and the views are amazing!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

erin, Tacoma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Family fun time
We took our three young kids, agreed 6, 8, and 10. Our room was very small, but doable. If the kids were a little older, we would have gotten 2 rooms. The service was fantastic. My kids didn't want to leave. The pool wasn't a pool, but more of a mosquito pond children's pool. The food was fantastic. I'd like to see maybe another light out brighter light brought into the room. It was a bit darker than I prefer..
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2018

8/10 Good

Yann, Philadelphia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice hotel next to the Volcano Arenal
Very nice place, easy to find, the staff is nice and very welcoming. If you stay more than a night you will be able to enjoy the swimming pool and the jacuzzi. Waking up and taking a very good breakfast while looking to the Volcano is priceless!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing place with amazing staff
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2017

8/10 Good

Núria , London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location to feel close to nature
We stayed 3 nights in a troom-tent and it was very clean and nicely done. We really liked the location and the lovely walks around!, specially the horse riding journey to the nearby waterfall. Very convenient they have a communal area with a small fridge where you can keep stuff. We had shared bathroom and I wouldn't say that is the highlight of the place... Very basic and impossible to get a decent warm shower from it, I'm afraid that you can only freeze or burn on it... The upside is definitely the almost isolated location away from the tourist crowds but the downside is that you're far away from town / amenities and the "road" is quite a pain to drive! It's a good 30 min drive through road with the most potholes I ever seen...be ready!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice secluded hotel in the jungle
Hotel staff were friendly and accommodating. It's far from out of town but there were ahuttlea that went to the main town if needed or to arenal observatory. It was nice to go into to town for the day by sleep in the jungle. During our stay we were able to see howler monkeys on the trail. Lillian's meals were worth coming back for everyday.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice, but not a Hostel
This place was nice and the food was great, however, it is not a hostel. There was no available area to cook or prep your own food and barely an area to store food. Due to the location, your options are to pay to eat at the hotel (which would really add up) or stash non-perishables in your room. This is not ideal for a person on a budget! Also, there were a lot of drop offs and I didn't really feel like my kids would be safe wandering the property. It is also one heck of a drive up. This place would be ideal for a romantic getaway or for adults only. Again, the food was great, the property was beautiful and the staff was so accommodating - it just wasn't what I had expected or planned for.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2017

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing views from the property! Friendly and helpful staff. Incredible value!

10/10 Excellent

Raphaëlle, Montreal, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very comfy & relaxing Hostel
It was a great experience, we were recommended this Hostel by a friend. When we arrived we were very excited to spend some time there and we wished we could've stayed longer. The room was clean and comfortable, they had hot water in the showers, and the meals were very complete and tasty. It was very easy getting around thanks to the shuttle driver Luis, and the view from the Hostel is magical.

10/10 Excellent

Alexander

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Laura

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful surroundings
This place is really nice. The surroundings are amazing - you can see both the volcano and the lake, and they have a beautiful garden with a pound, a pool, a spa-area and yoga studio. The morning yoga was really good! And the make really nice food in their kitchen. We thought their activities were a bit to pricy for our taste - but that shouldnt stop anyone from going. Im pretty sure you wont regret it!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Emile

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice little hotel with Hiking trails, spas, healthy food options and very nice view of Arenal as well as the lagoon
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Pascale

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cuisine excellente. Manque lampe de chevet
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nous avons adoré cet hôtel avec une magnifique jungle et une super vue sur le volcan. Le personnel est très sympathique et les repas sont excellents.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

6/10 Okay

Erik

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

6/10 Okay

Trotoux

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Room comfort
Chambre très petite, même pas de place pour ouvrir les valises. Odeur d’egout dans la salle de bain. Chambre ne correspond pas du tout à la photo.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hôtel accueillant, personnel aux petits soins, nourriture excellente et végétarienne ! Ballades autour de l’hotel au top...
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019