Hotels near San Juan River, San Carlos

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)

It’s a beautiful complex with many natural hot springs and pool to enjoy . The room is spacious and very clean, bathrooms is huge too . We were there for 3 days 2 nights , only wish we could have stayed longer. Because we had to leave very early on our departure day ( 5:30 am ) , we had a breakfast to go packed by the hotel staff . It shows a great service they offer to their guests and definitely added another wonderful experience in La Fortuna. !

The property needs a refresh and there were several small projects underway during my stay. Rocks were being laid beside the hot pool and contaminated the water and walkway with mud. There was a tree blocking the nature trail near the spa the whole time I was there. Handymen were working all over the property fixing things - most of one day there was a noisy plumbing repair in the room beside me. The food is just ok - it needs more flavour, and more variety for breakfast. This resort has the potential to be a five star resort with some TLC. The location by the hot springs river is beautiful and there is a path on the opposite side of the river that leads you to quieter swimming spots. The hotel tour guide is amazing - Five stars for Frank tours - he personalizes your tour and you never feel rushed. You can tell he loves what he does, is knowledgeable on interesting facts, and will even take pics of you on the tour. The massage therapist is good too and there are several different massages to choose from. I recommend this place for peace and quiet - but it’s rustic.

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.

Positives: Great views of the volcano from the full window room. Good size rooms. Isolated, green and well maintained gardens. Walking distance to the national park and free hot water springs. Air conditioning in the room. Rooms and linen were clean. Very friendly staff - only the female reception staff though. I had an incident of a lost passport in a restaurant and Juliana at the reception was exceptionally helpful in getting it back. Negatives: A few amenities were missing in the room. A bottle of water, glasses and safe was missing. The shower could be turned off only with specialist knowledge, which we were given only on our third day. So had to bear a dripping shower for 2 nights. The WC was defective too and was fixed on the third day only. They have large premises and there is no telephone in the room and the only way to contact reception is WhatsApp, which they are no so good at responding to. Staff not very pro-active or even reactive. Location is far off from La Fortuna town - 9 kms. Access to good restaurants and bars in the evening will be dependent on taxi/Uber if you don’t have a car. They have food but a limited menu. Even short distances can’t be walked at night due to lack of sidewalks and it being a motorway/highway. They are not very flexible with an early breakfast (only as early as 7 am). Conclusion: A good place to stay amongst nature with great views but be ready for a hit and miss customer service. This is a general observation in CR - the hospitality and hotel prices have increased not in proportion to the customer service/care they offer.

From the picturesque landscape to the Arenal volcano as a backdrop, Hotel Lomas del Volcán is worth five stars. Our room was in it's own bungalow, clean, comfortable and cozy. We had a large, spacious bathroom and balconies to the front and back of the bungalow. The grounds were impeccably manicured and the lush greenery and flowers just brought the paradise vibe. It was tranquil and just made me feel so much in harmony with nature. The front desk staff, tour scheduler, restaurant staff, porters were all friendly, polite and helpful and readily available. They always asked if you spoke Spanish and most could easily switch to English if necessary. The food was amazing! There was a wide variety of foods for breakfast and the wait staff there were smiling and bubbly. This is a dream location and our experience was top of the line. It was one of the best places, I've ever stayed at. Certainly value for money!

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.