Arenal Manoa

Our entire experience from Isabel with the reservations team, the airport transfer with Freddy, very responsive WhatsApp messaging with the concierge team (Angelica, Isabel and Alison) excellent food quality and service in the restaurant and the poolside (Gaudy, Luis), cleaning service from Miriam and the nightly turn down team, the hot springs, chateau private pool, gorgeous landscaping, tour bookings …it was a wholly positive experience! Our family of four felt welcomed, safe and comfortable. Fortuna is a gem in Costa Rica and the people are very proud of their town. The views of the volcano were awe-inspiring. We intend to return again soon for a couples trip next time. As it’s a rainy country, our only suggestions is for exhaust fans to be installed in the bathrooms to allow for better ventilation. Overall, we highly recommend this hotel.

This resort is set among some spectacular flora. The rooms were clean and comfortable and nestled in quiet, natural surroundings. We began each day with a fabulous breakfast buffet and enjoyed the pool area (with swim-up bar) and the adjacent thermal springs later in the day after hiking. Highly recommend!

We didn’t know what to expect, as most hotels and resorts near La Fortuna are not typical hotel brands. After landing at LIB and renting a car, we drove straight to Arenal Manoa in the rain. Check-in was great, and the staff were very friendly. The landscape was breathtaking—lush and tropical without feeling overdone. It actually made us reminiscent of our family homeland of Kerala, India which was an unexpected bonus. The room was basic and slightly outdated, but it was large enough for our family. The bathroom was bigger than expected and included a clothesline in the shower area for hanging wet clothes. A special shoutout to the housekeeping staff - they cleaned the room very well and we came back to lots of friendly towel friends. Our room was conveniently located near the main pool area, which included a nice swim-up bar. Another shoutout to the pool staff and bartenders, who were attentive and made excellent drinks (though be prepared to pay for them). The breakfast buffet was very good. The kids especially loved the variety of yogurt cups and the fresh fruit—don’t miss out on the pineapple. The best part of the resort was the hot springs. Unfortunately, it rained throughout our stay in Arenal, and we only saw the volcano on the day we left. As a result, we never had a hot, sunny day, which is typical during the rainy season. Even with the rain, relaxing in the multiple hot springs was the highlight of our trip. There was something almost surreal about sitting in the hot springs while it poured around us. One suggestion would be to add more lighting around the pool area, as it gets very dark and slippery in the evening. We arrived with low expectations, and the resort far exceeded them. Having stayed at both the JW and this resort during our trip, the JW staff should learn a thing or two about customer service from Arenal Manoa. Job well done!