Arenal Rustic Lodge

We had a wonderful experience here. It is indeed a hidden gem that not many people know about I guess. Family owned, Vane and Juvenal (husband and wife) went out of their way to accommodate any requests we had. Each cabins are private and brand new with private bathrooms, comfortable and cozy. The view from the balcony is breathtaking. Vane made us delicious breakfast every morning. Highly recommend this lodge!

Staying at the Arenal Rustic Lodge was our only bad experience on a 3 week trip to Costa Rica. We booked a bungalow for three nights in February 2023. On arrival we were informed that our accommodation was elsewhere. After paying cash in advance for three nights, the hosts took us to a building about 0.5 km from the place where the bungalows were located. The building was nothing like the one we booked, it was located on a busy road and had one bed although we wanted two. We did not agree to stay in this place. We drove back to Arenal Rustic Lodge. There we were informed that they could not offer us a bungalow because they had overbooking. I do not understand why they did not warn us earlier, although the day before they wrote in the application that they were waiting for us, indicating their exact location. We would understand and without any nerves we would find another hotel. Due to the fact that it was late and the weather was terrible (it was raining), the host agreed to stay in a bungalow for one night, provided that we cancel the reservation in the application. However, this was not possible and we ended up changing our booking from three nights to one night. We were refunded for two nights. The bungalow itself wasn't worth the price (almost $100/night) and it was a good thing we didn't stay longer. The entrance to Arenal Rustic Lodge is very poorly marked and hard to see, especially in rainy weather. We walked around the area for a long time before we found this entrance. The parking lot is just a mud square that is not easy to get out of. None of the staff speak English. The inside of the bungalow was cold, unfriendly and impractical - there are no lockers, no power outlets or reading lights next to the beds. There is only one source of cold light (a bare bulb on the ceiling). There was not a single hook in the bathroom to hang a towel or clothes. The water from the shower went straight into the jungle, which could be seen and heard from the terrace. The location of the entire complex is also not as attractive and romantic as it might appear from the description, photos and some comments. There really are plenty of hotels in La Fortuna with much better locations. Overall, we were very disappointed with the facility and do not recommend it. Costa Rica is very beautiful and warm, but this place was definitely not like that.