www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I am looking for an area hotel that is reasonably priced ($300 a night is insane). This is a couples trip, so something that is scenic and close to whatever shopping/city centers there is.

Where have you guys stayed, and give me your likes and dislikes for the area.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

I was able to get a great deal at Baldi Hot Springs at end of 2013... a special all-inclusive for $199 per couple. If the prices are outrageous, set your sights a little lower and go to Hotel Villas Vilma... they have very spacious cabins with a nice view of Volcan Arenal for around $60 - $80 a night.

Tabacon is really nice but a little higher. You only live once.....I have been to Baldi but never stayed overnight.

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I am NOT a Cien Boy!!

Great way to browse hotels in Arenal is www.arenal.net

I like Arenal Lodge for a budget. Have stayed there several times when I need to be in that area including a great three-day trip with my girl

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

I'm on that site already, but am surprised that the costs for rooms exceeds that of rooms in the US at tourist attractions.

What's special about certain places and such? You've probably been there enough times to hear about them.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

It s not unusual to find US prices all over Costa Rica.

The prices you see at places like 'The Springs', Lost Iguana and other high-end places in Arenal are for the accommodations and services they have. Many are world class resorts as good or better than you will find in the States. I had the chance to stay at 'The Springs' for a few days and it was incredibly nice and worth the $300+ a night you will spend (minimum). Tabacon Springs is a very nice property but I'm not impressed with the rooms at all...much like the Marriott at Los Suenos.

On a side note, part of the movie "After Earth" was filmed on the property of 'The Springs' and Will Smith is a big fan of the place. It even has a helicopter pad for the really rich and famous.

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

Anyone experienced Lomas de Volcan or Hotel Los Lagos? Both are near Baldi.

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bypassin' kinky, and usin' the whole chicken!!!

I've never stayed at either but have been to both. The Los Lagos, I got to enjoy the hot springs and eat dinner there as well. I really liked the hot springs...very nice and well laid out. The food was also excellent and was served to us in one of the 'private' dining areas. The one room I saw looked very nice but it was a separate villa or condo or something, not a standard room. The neat thing is the property basically sits at the base of the volcano so you are looking right up at it even when you are in the springs/pool. Makes for some really neat sunset pictures.

The Lomas del Volcan I have only been inside one villa and it was not that nice and as far as I know, there are no hot springs on the property. I'd say Los Lagos is a (much) better option.

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

Isn't "downtown" La Fortuna a good option for somebody who wants to avoid $300 per night in the Arenal area

What's available in La Fortuna

We need to be careful about using tripadvisor.com. They have a LOT of self-serving listings and postings. It's hard to know what to believe.

But it's a place to start. Just be a skeptic when using it.

Years ago, I asked Martha at the Castillo to find me a cheap hotel in La Fortuna. She did, it was in the middle of town, and cost $50 a night. When we got there, the hotel was not quite the "romantic getaway" that my tica sweetheart and I had envisioned. From that point on, I promised myself that I would aim a little higher when it came to accommodations at Arenal.

I went to Tabacon on a tour over 10 years ago. I loved the hot pools, enjoyed the ambiance and liked the food (healthy and delicious). What I did not like about Tabacon was the price, the uninspired rooms and the lay-out of the resort. Baldi Hot Springs has a much better lay-out with the accommodations being smack dab in the middle of the hot spring pools and gardens. Never been there, but Los Lagos is in our sights for the next trip to Costa Rica... it pays to indulge yourself once in awhile. My wife and I visit the hot springs at Santa Rosa and San Vicente here in Colombia, but they don't hold a candle to the hot spring resorts at Arenal.

Amen. I am an active contributor on Trip Advisor, but I will be the first to admit, that you need to take some of what is written with a grain of salt. After awhile, you learn to interpret the reviews through the various writing styles, patterns, distribution of grades, cliches and profiles of the reviewers. A string of negative reviews amongst a sea of 4 and 5 stars is always suspect in my book. I've seen this pattern at some of the resorts we've stayed at in Mexico. When we stayed at these place, we were blown away by the experience... while a handful of reviewers suffered from food poisoning and muggings by the cleaning staff. On the other hand, is the "positive fluff" posted by some reviewers. To me, it seems obvious that they've been put up to it. I can think of one example in Medellin. It is a gringo-owned bar/restaurant that is over-priced and serves crappy, sub-mediocre food. Yet, 90% of the reviews (by other gringos, of course) are 5 stars. Go figure...

I have previously stayed at Lost Iguana Resort. It is upscale but affordable. Beautiful location and what I like about it is that it is a bit "off the beaten path" with still incredible views of Arenal but away enough from the more centrally located "touristy" hotels you have a better feeling of privacy and being much closer to nature while still a few minutes drive from Arenal and La Fortuna.

http://lostiguanaresort.com/costa-rica/