The Top Hotels for an Unforgettable Costa Rican Experience

Today’s post is all about accommodations. We stayed in some incredible hotels during our time in Costa Rica, all of which I would highly recommend. I thought it’d be helpful to not only share our thoughts on each of those three properties but also the other top contenders that were on my radar during the planning process. Disclosure: I need to get WAY better at documenting with photos…

Amor Arenal

Amor Arenal opened during COVID, so it’s still pretty new. We loved this resort—it was absolutely beautiful and felt so secluded. Even though the property is on the smaller side, they have golf carts to get around because those hills are no joke! There are only 31 “casitas,” which have the most incredible views, each with their own hot tub that we enjoyed nightly when the temperature dropped! [LINK]

• Property [5/5]: I would give this a 10 if I could! The property was beautiful and so well maintained with several walking trails.
• Amenities [4.5/5]: We took full advantage of the pool bar every day which was awesome. The only thing missing was umbrellas near the pool chairs which were noticeably absent. They also offer free classes every morning in the meditation studio and yoga studio which we took advantage of.
• Rooms [5/5]: Super clean and new. Each room is in its own casita, so there’s a ton of private space. You’re in the middle of the rainforest, so some bugs are to be expected. The showers were big enough to host a group of 12 with the most breathtaking, unobstructed views of the volcano through a floor-to-ceiling window.
• Food [3.5/5]: Breakfast was the best meal of the day with fresh squeezed juice and great options, but out of the two dinners we had on site, they were just okay.
• Service [5/5]: The staff here could not have been more helpful. If you called for a golf cart (or anything at all!) they would be there in 2 seconds.
• Price: $650/night, inclusive of breakfast

Rio Perdido

Rio Perdido is located a bit off the main area, but was between Arenal and the coast. It’s about an hour or so from Liberia airport, which was convenient for my parents who met us there. I came across this property when looking up unique stays and eco-lodges in Costa Rica and was immediately sold by the scenery and pictures. There are 30 individual “bungalows” at the time of writing this, but they were in the process of building a new section known as the West Bungalows. [LINK]

• Property [4/5]: Rio Perdido is located on a really unique and remote property. Coming from Arenal, the views weren’t quite as spectacular, but had we started our trip there I think we would have been impressed! There are TONS of wildlife there–we were routinely woken up each morning by monkeys, and you could always spot an anteater or other creatures nearby the rooms! They LAO offer a golf cart to get around as the rooms are a little far from the main building.
• Amenities [4.5/5]: They have hot springs and hanging bridges on site, but I didn’t get a chance to experience those. The pools and swim up bar were nice to lounge by, but the spa area was only okay. We had a massage one day and it was so insanely hot that it wasn’t very enjoyable.
• Rooms [4/5]: Not all of the rooms are created equally. We stayed in a Center Bungalow which had a modern industrial vibe and my parents stayed in an East Bungalow which had more of a sleepaway-camp-no-frills vibe. Again, you’re in the middle of a remote forest, so a few bugs in the room are unavoidable. There’s also not much privacy from the windows as all the bungalows face each other. Our room also had an outdoor shower, which was fun for 5 minutes but then got old very, very fast when it became our only option.
• Food [5/5]: Our particular room booking included all the meals, which always makes me wary of quality, but every meal we had on site was great.
• Service [4/5]: While the staff were all friendly, things felt a little discombobulated. The property is pretty large and confusing and the staff isn’t proactively helpful.
• Price: $980/night, inclusive of all meals and one massage each

Andaz Costa Rica

I had been wanting to stay at an Andaz property ever since we got engaged in Hawaii and had drinks at the Andaz in Maui. It just felt like such a cool, sleek property, and I loved the vibe. When I saw they had one in Costa Rica, it felt like fate. It was every bit as awesome as I thought it’d be, and even though the price was steep, it included a lot of little things. Sitting by the pool each day, they’d bring around popsicles from fresh squeezed fruit juice, and there were beach hats and flip-flops in the room for you to keep. I’m not saying that justifies the price, but it was nice. The Papagayo Peninsula itself was also really cool. It felt very exclusive—there’s a private gate just to enter the peninsula, and the area itself is filled with all-top-tier hotels like the Four Seasons and the soon-to-be Ritz Carlton. [LINK]

• Property [5/5]: from the moment we pulled up in front of the hotel we were blown away. I wouldn’t call this hotel “beachfront,” even though it technically was, but everything about it was great. Some of my favorite moments were sitting in the infinity edge pool overlooking Culebra Bay. 
• Amenities [4.5/5]: They have an adults pool + a family friendly pool, and one of the most beautiful spas I have ever seen. They also offer golf carts to get around since some of the hills are steep, as well as a shuttle service to nearby hotels. They recently opened a beach club which was really nice and located a few minutes away by boat (all included). Each week they publish a new calendar of activities. We took 2 cooking classes which were $35 pp and definitely worth it.
• Rooms [5/5]: we loved the rooms here! They were clean, comfortable, and had an indoor/outdoor shower situation. Our room was considered a “partial view” but I thought it was perfect. It was the first time not having to share a room with bugs which was also a huge plus!
• Food [5/5]: Nothing here was cheap, which we expected. A breakfast buffet was included in our room rate, which was solid. The restaurants onsite were also great, with our favorite being Ostra.
• Service [5/5]: The staff was super friendly and helpful throughout our stay. They also had a concierge you could text through Whatsapp for any help, which we took full advantage of!
• Price: $850/night, inclusive of breakfast

This trip was definitely one of the pricier ones we’ve taken in terms of accommodations. Usually we’ll try to balance it out with a mixture of hotels and Airbnbs to offset some of the costs. Fortunately, we were able to use a lot of credit card and rewards points, but it was still a splurge!

Other Top Hotels

It took a lot of research reading through reviews to narrow down our options. Below are some of the top contenders that didn’t make the cut, but are worth a notable mention if you’re looking into planning your own trip to Costa Rica 🙂

Arenal Volcano Area:

• The Springs Resort & Spa (filming place of The Golden Bachelor, for any fans out there!)
• Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa
• Nayara Springs

Papagayo Area:

• Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo
• El Mangroove, Autograph Collection (Marriott)
• Secrets Papagayo (Hyatt)
• Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica (Hyatt All Inclusive)

Pacific Beach Areas:

• W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal
• Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
• JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort and Spa