Hotel Sierra Arenal

Nice and friendly hotel. Room & grounds very tidy and clean. I saw lots of beautiful birds, including Toucans, from my balcony. Only about 100m from the Sloth Watching Trail, which is worth a visit (I saw 3 sloths). Good value for money. Many thanks for a lovely stay.

When the sweat is dripping down your back, the sight of a beautiful pool makes it all worthwhile. Hotel Sierra has been one of the nicer hotels even though it’s quite simple in layout and design. What made it work were four things: * Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. * Grounds well manicured and lovely little pockets to relax - by the pool, on the dining area, at the rear on the grass. * View of the volcano that decided it would be almost clear of cloud every day. * Wifi has been the best for the entire trip. The walk into the main part of La Fortuna is about 6 minutes with an abundance of places to eat. More variety here than anywhere else - seafood, sushi, pasta, pizza, steak houses, chicken houses, local Costa Rica food, bakeries, coffee shops, vegan, vegetarian and more. Only food I couldn’t find was Thai or Chinese. La Fortuna is the launching pad to white water rafting, bike riding, volcano climbing, tubing, kayaking and so on. A lot to see and do. Highly recommend this hotel. Don’t forget to say hello to Bruno, the indignant but very cute dog.

If you are looking for peace and quiet in La fortuna this hotel isn’t it! I really didn’t want to give this hotel such a low rating however my last day there broke the camels back. I am well travelled, I can overlook a lot of things. The old and tired decor however the rooms are clean. The staff are friendly and helpful . The hotels small pool area is well kept. The breakfast is good. The room has the bare basics, towels and soap. There are no drinking glasses in the room. There is no hot water for taking showers, you might get lucky with lukewarm at best( last day) otherwise expect cold water. The mirror vanity combo strategically placed over the sink provides some fun brushing your teeth. Wifi is a hit or miss. Room card key or door deprogrammed a few times locking me out of the room. All minor inconveniences. What was so bad about this hotel to receive this poor rating you ask…..there is a bar a block down the road that starts blasting (and I mean blasting) its music at decimals that would break ones eardrums. Wednesday to Sunday From 1 pm to 2:30 am. The bass and sound level of the music is like you are sitting right there however you are a block away. Even ear plugs failed it was that loud. The hotel doesn’t inform you of this detail up front and then minimizes it in an email after you book their non refundable room. So if you are looking for party central and love loud music through the day and into the early morning hours this is your place ! Otherwise steer clear. Also please don’t patronize or support this establishment …. Patron Cocktails ( the offender of the loud music) the owner and management don’t care if they are disruptive to the surrounding hotels and conservation of the wildlife in the area. The Bogarin (sloth ) Trail is right beside this bar which guarantees you will not be viewing any wildlife let alone sloths or enjoy walking the trials listening to nature .

This is a family run hotel and you can tell from the front desk staff that they truly care about their guests. I arrived early and couldn’t check in yet, but Angela arranged for zip lining for me at a last minute (30 mins before the start time). The bus picked me up on time and I had the make fun at the zip lining! Angela also helped with me with other local questions I had. The breakfast was delicious, and truly felt like homemade 😚 The facility was clean. Internet had a great speed. The only reason I gave 4 is because the room wasn’t well ventilated. When I came back from all day activities outside, the room was damp a little. When I turned the AC on, it didn’t help much. The air didn’t feel fresh because of it.

I really loved this small, family run hotel which is close to the centre of La Fortuna and therefore convenient for shops and restaurants. They provided a car to pick me up from San Jose airport : Mario. Mario was super friendly - he’s one of the family! My room was great - had a small terrace with a view of the volcano. All my trips and travel were organised by Rigoberto from Da Eco travel whose office is at the hotel. Thank you so much!