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Jardines Arenal Hotel is a quiet place, surrounded by beautiful wildlife, located only 2 kilometers east of the park of La Fortuna, San Carlos, Costa Rica. It is a perfect place to enjoy with your family or your friends. Our goal is to provide quality service and excellence, thus making customers happy. We guarantee a comfortable and pleasant stay for our guests. Jardines Arenal Hotel has very pleasant rooms, set in two categories: standard and superior. Equipped with air conditioning, private bath, safety deposit box, cable TV, hot water and some with an extraordinary view to the Arenal Volcano. Also our rates include a rich typical breakfast, consisting of the famous gallo pinto, egg, sour cream, platano, tortilla, orange juice and coffee; ideal to start the day in the best way. Also Jardines Arenal Hotel features private parking, restaurant (on request), WIFI, gardens and an information center where you can get everything you need to book tours, transportation or hotels nationwide. We try to cover all areas to provide more ease and comfort to our customers. Seize the opportunity to visit the famous Arenal Volcano area, known worldwide for being a beautiful place with wonderful views and relaxing hot springs. In addition to many other activities like canopy, canyoning, bridges, rafting, kayaking, bicycles, etc. Enjoy an unforgettable ride while you receive the attention that you deserve and rest in a unique and welcoming place. In Jardines Arenal Hotel we are waiting to make of your vacations an extraordinary and enjoyable time. Our Goal: Make customers happy!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quaint
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
3 Km. Este del Parque Central, Arenal Volcano National Park, La Fortuna de San Carlos 21007 Costa Rica
This was our first stop in Costa Rica after arriving in San Jose the same day. The drive through the countryside and the towns dotting the path were increasingly more serene as we escaped the relative mayhem of San Jose on our way to La Fortuna. Jardines Arenal sits on the main road leading into the small town, about 2km from the city center. Sporting an unobstructed view of the looming Volcan Arenal, when she isn't shrouded in clouds, the hotel hosts 10 units of varying size. The surrounding gardens are beautiful and display an interesting variety of flowers and fruit trees. We had our first star-fruit when a staff member plucked one for us after we asked what it was. Yummy! Breakfasts are included with the stay and provided every morning. Consisting of rice and beans, fried plantains, mixed fruit, eggs and toast, these little meals were the perfect start to everyday as we planned adventures. Our room was spacious and with a bathroom. Not a lot of hot water available but no complaints, it's hot enough outside to welcome a cool shower. There's a patio attached to each unit and we had AC in the room, which was a pleasant surprise! Frander, one of the front desk clerks, was a great guy and very knowledgeable. He went above and beyond in every respect! We even detoured our trip to stay in Monteverde for an evening based on his recommendations. Great idea! Most of the staff spoke English well and helped us with anything we needed or wanted to know. Everyone was very friendly! La Fortuna is an awesome town with plenty of activities in the area to explore. We went to the nearby caverns, Volcan Arenal, cerro chato trail, Baldi hot springs, Lake Arenal, and the nearby wildlife preserves. If you have one dinner out, I highly recommend Nene's as the spot to eat. The lava lounge is an unmistakable cornerstone of the downtown nightlife, check it out to mingle with travelers and locals. The hotel allows a bit more privacy and quiet than staying downtown. I highly recommend Jardines Arenal to couples and families, alike. Awesome!
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Date of stay: November 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from rogeliodaniel, Director General at Hotel Jardines Arenal
Responded 28 Nov 2015
It was a great honor to serve you. Thank you! Rogelio Daniel UM. Manager. Hotel Jardines Arenal,
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This truly is a great place. Small, family-run, the staff and owner are super accomodating and the receptionist will help you with anything from tours, sights to be seen, where to go, etc. I felt welcomed and had a great time at Jardines. I spent two nights, my room had AC, hot water and a full bath. My window had a great view of the volcano. The breakfast is exceptional : coffee, juice, a plate of fresh cut local fruits and a full gallo pinto with the best plantain bananas I ever ate in my life. The common area is outside (under a roof) so it's really great to eat surrounded by nature and relax in their sofas as well. This is a small place and that is what I loved about it. The prices are unbeattable, rooms are clean, it has everything you might need and with a car, it's super easy to get to and from the village.
Of course, if you are into big, 100 rooms hotel complexes with bars, pools and all, this place is not for you. If you want a bed and breakfast and great human interaction with locals, then this is the place.
The hotel is close to the street but with ear plugs, I had no trouble having good nights of sleep.
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Date of stay: August 2015Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from rogeliodaniel, Gerente at Hotel Jardines Arenal
Responded 27 Aug 2015
Thanks for your comment, for us it is always a pleasure to serve! Rogelio Daniel. Mañanero. Hotel Jardines Arenal.
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We greatly enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Jardines Arenal.The hotel staff and management were wonderful. If you want to experience Costa Rica's beauty, culture and cuisine, then this is a great place to stay. The hotel is under new management, and most staff are family members, and take great pride in the service that they are providing. It is a small boutique/bed and breakfast type place, with only 10 or so rooms. Every morning you eat a fresh made Typical/Typicio breakfast that starts off with a plate of cut various fresh tropical fruits, then scrambled eggs, beans and rice, ham/bacon/chorizo, toast, fried plantains, orange juice and fresh coffee. You also can have a "Continental" breakfast, which also has the fresh fruits, eggs over easy, meat, toast, juice and coffee. The dining area is open air, and you sit and listen to tropical birds and see all the various flowers and plants on the property. The property is an older place that is going through some work to repair issues caused by age, without any luxury amenities, such as pools and spas, but rather a more typical Costa Rican construction. There is free WIFI provided, but the signal is best in the dining area. Rooms include A/C, TV with cable in Spanish, and a safe. Rooms are kept very clean, and doors use actual keys, not swipe cards. Our room had a perfect view of the volcano, if the cloud would have cooperated. A rental car is a must, it is 2km into town and worth it to eat lunch and dinner at the local restaurants. If you are looking for some place to lounge by a pool, sipping umbrella drinks and unlimited buffets of food, this is not for you. If you want the real Costa Rica, Hotel Jardines is perfect.
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Date of stay: June 2015
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from rogeliodaniel, Gerente at Hotel Jardines Arenal
Responded 30 Jul 2015
Agradecemos mucho su comentario, gracias, realmente para nosotros es muy importante los comentarios y sugerencias de nuestros clientes. Nuestra meta: ¡Hacer clientes felices!
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This place was horrible..We got there at night after driving about five hours from San Jose. Only took a few minutes to look at the room and you can see it was dirty. Walked in the bathroom. The bathroom was dirty. One of the bed sheet was dirty and had a blood stain on it. It was enough for me and my family to walked out of there. I told the manager and the only thing he said to me was I can't do anything right now, is already late to do anything. I was frustrated. I was traveling with my mother, sister, and aunt . Four ladies late at night and no place to stay. I get home from my vacation seven days later to find out they charged my credit card the full amount.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Cleanliness
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here for 3 nights in early April and interacted almost exclusively with Gretal, who helped us with everything from check in to arranging cabs to breakfast. Booking.com is not to be relied on - when we arrived, Jardines Arenal Lodge did not have our reservation and we initially were going to have to change places for the third night. Gretal immediately gave us other options and helped us with the reservation but because of a last-minute cancellation, we didn't end up changing places for the last night.
The pros: Gretal is amazing. She's super nice and attentive and helpful. Everything is very calm and clean - one of my favourite memories of the trip was sitting in the covered common area, reading and watching toucans chase each other in the trees. Wifi was very available and reliable. Also, the breakfast is good. We had the typical Costa Rican breakfast each day and enjoyed it a lot. It was a very simple meal - a banana, some gallo pinto, a piece of local cheese, a couple of pieces of fried plantains, some scrambled eggs, a slice of toast and orange juice - just the right amount of food and not too greasy (see picture). The coffee was great. We missed this breakfast the rest of our trip.
The cons: The room was a little rustic and the furnishings and linens were a bit older. We had the AC on all the time to help with the mustiness which comes with the tropical climate. I'm picky about beds and I've been told that I like firmer beds than most, so I didn't sleep very well here because the bed was pretty soft. The washroom was also very basic, which is fine, but don't expect great water pressure or lots of hot water (it was an electric shower head). The safe didn't work (which was fine, because it was very safe here), but this and a fresh set of bedding and towels would go a very, very long way.
Note that this location is outside of La Fortuna - too far outside to walk safely into the town because there's no sidewalk (just grass and very speedy cars). This meant that we needed to take a $5 taxi into and out of La Fortuna. There's not a lot to do at the Lodge itself. It would have helped a lot if we had rented a car (a general comment for Arenal).
Overall, good value for money.
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Date of stay: April 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We arrived at the place and had made a reservation through Hostelworld. The hotel decided that they would not honor the price from Hostelworld. They wanted to charge an additional 10 dollars per night and said that this is their final offer or we could leave. It didn't matter that we showed him the confirmation we had received. Since we had already made a deposit through Hostelworld we had no other option than paying or we would lose the 38 dollar deposit as well. The man in the reception was very aggressive and did not allow us to speak to his manager. Avoid this place!
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Date of stay: December 2016Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from rogeliodaniel, Gerente at Hotel Jardines Arenal
Responded 26 Dec 2016
It's sad to see people so badly grateful, our hotel is a humble home, but it has the necessary to be quiet, we have: air conditioning, flat screen, hot water, coffee marker, safe, private park, and swimming pool, it is not possible that you do not value our services. HostelWord told us you were 2 people and who paid $127 for 3 nights, at the end were 3 people and charged $84, is this fair? I'm sorry for you.
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The good: The staff is very nice and helpful. And they put together a nice breakfast for us, even putting it together early for us when we had an early tour. It is not too far from La Fortuna town.
The bad: The rooms were really inadequate and not very comfortable. The beds were not great, the room was not that clean, and the shower only had one knob which was not "hot". It is located on a highway a couple of miles from town and the traffic was noisy.
If I were to do it again I would spend a little extra money and get a nicer place. Some of the Hot Springs hotels were completely beautiful and not that expensive. We visited Baldi Hot Springs a Hotel which would be a great alternative.
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Date of stay: February 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from rogeliodaniel, Director General at Hotel Jardines Arenal
Responded 7 Mar 2016
¡Thank you very much! Rogelio Daniel.
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We had such a great experience at Jardines Arenal hotel. The room was great. Clean room , comfortable bed and large bathroom. The breakfast was delicious. The location was quiet yet minutes away the center of town. But most of all and most importantly , the best part of our stay was the helpful and friendly staff. Always willing to help with our itinerary ,always with a smile and always their for our every need. Very recommended and very pleased to have stayed there.
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Date of stay: August 2015Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from rogeliodaniel, Gerente at Hotel Jardines Arenal
Responded 29 Aug 2015
Thanks, it was a great pleasure to attend you! Rogelio Daniel. Manager. Hotel Jardines Arenal.
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We found this hotel on Priceline. Well let's just start there. The hotel staff didn't even know what priceline was. The staff was very nice. They took us to our first room and we set our bags down and they left. I tried to turn the air on but it didn't work, went to close the curtains and discovered that there was no window. That was enough of that room for me. I'm not staying in the middle of no where with the rain forest close by (snakes) without a window. So we went up front and rang the bell. The family came down and moved us to room number 2. We quickly discovered bathroom wasn't an operating bathroom. On to room 3. Walked in and first thing we see is a enormous lizard. It disappeared somewhere in the room. The hotel staff left and we tried to settle in. I went in the bathroom and discovered there was no hot water plus the lizard is in my room somewhere. I'm a city girl, I enjoy the outdoors but at night I want to sleep indoors and not with creatures. My husband was fine, tired and just wanted to go to bed. My son however said he would not sleep a wink with lizard on the loose. So we went to the front desk told them we couldn't stay and on we went to a hotel in town.
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Date of stay: May 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:No room is good. We had 3 of them and still had to leave
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are ten different sized rooms. The most attractive are the ones with the view of the pointy top of the Arenal volcano, from which lava flows quite frequently. I had no such luck, for the volcano was inactive for a few weeks, at the time of my stay... or maybe I still was lucky, because years ago an eruption resulted in loss of human lives. The rooms are neat and conditioned, but you don’t really need the AC. Despite the tropical climate, the high altitude freshens the air enough and it suffices to open a window and the room is cooled down. The huge open terrace is a place for socializing and also offers a free internet connection. You can also have your breakfast (included in the price) out here. Preparing breakfast is a task that Hernan Blanco, hostel owner, likes to take upon himself. Besides the hostel he also cares of a giant cattle herd, but still finds time to chatter away with the guests. Hernan is always open for conversation and also likes to travel himself. Mostly he’s travelling around Costa Rica, for he has four children at home and cannot just simply go on a longer journey with them. Hernan knows the local area extremely well. He works in tourism for a long time now and knows many attractions around La Fortuna. He got us a few bargains for us, to visit various thermal springs, offered volcano tours and an expedition into the rainforest, but we could also decide to go rafting or visit one of the parks – nature parks or adrenalin parks. Animal lovers should also visit the Danaus game reserve, only a mile or so away. You get to see animals here, you’d otherwise miss. There are mostly frogs there, for which the guides know, where they usually reside. You can see the cute ones there, little green with red eyes. There’s also a butterfly house in the park and you can get to know the plant life, including numerous healthy herbs and orchids.
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Date of stay: January 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the La Fortuna de San Carlos area.
PRICE RANGE
S$47 - S$60 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of AlajuelaArenal Volcano National ParkLa Fortuna de San Carlos
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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