Choosing a hotel in the Lake Arenal area can be difficult, mostly because there are so many amazing options, just look on TripAdvisor and it can be a little overwhelming! After searching and reading all the incredible reviews, we chose the The Lost iguana Resort and Spa. Two of the deciding factors was that it was a Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice award winner and the room rate was currently on sale.
Getting to The Lost Iguana was a little like getting lost, it is tucked away in the rainforest and when you turn off from the main road near the bridge, you are not sure that “this is right”, but it is and you should just keep going down the steep and windy road. The reception area was this beautiful indoor outdoor space and we quickly b-lined for the coffee. We booked a room with two queen beds, because we assumed maybe they would have a pullout for Grandma Debbie or the kids would just sleep with Harris and I would sleep with my Mom. We’ve worked it out at other hotels before and every traveling family knows that you have to be flexible with sleeping arrangements.
Harris told them there were five of us and they told us that wasn’t allowed and that we could not have five people to a room. I was a little irritated. Our option was to book another room or book the Celebrity Suite,which sleeps six people. The man at reception told us we could look at both the Celebrity Suite and the regular rooms to decide. The Celebrity Suite, had an extra room with bunk beds and a queen bed in addition to the king bed in the main room, this room could officially sleep 6 and would cost the same as booking two rooms.
As soon as they opened the door to the Celebrity Suite and the kids rushed in and I said, “yeah, we’ll stay here.” This room was much larger than your typical hotel room and came with a little kitchenette and a separate room with a jacuzzi tub that looked out at the Arenal Volcano. My favorite part of the room was the outdoor shower in the bathroom, it was pretty amazing, not just to look at but probably the best shower I’ve ever had in my life. So in the end we paid more then what we had originally booked, but it was so worth it.
So, sure the celebrity suite was great but what was really spectacular was the grounds of the property, the pools, the views of the Arenal Volcano and the walking paths filled with such lush greenery. Once we got to the pool, we had it all to ourselves and it started to rain a little. We were visiting in low season, or rainy season so not too many other guest were staying there. There are two pools, the main pool was a bit chilly but then top pool was a lot warmer and had the swim up bar. My favorite memory was McKenna and I jumping into the cold pool and swimming all the way across and then jumping into the warm pool, but it felt so good!
The Blue Hibiscus is the restaurant on the property and they served a complimentary breakfast each morning. The breakfast was a great spread of fresh fruits, a variety of breads, and the typical Costa Rican breakfast of eggs, pico de gallo, plantains and coffee. It is a nice walk to the restaurant but they also have golf carts that will pick you up and take you there if you’d prefer, and of course our kids love riding on the golf cart. We also had dinner at the Blue Hibiscus Restaurant one night and the food was really great!
Check out the slideshow for more pictures of the room and our epic view of the Arenal Volcano from our room right before sunrise. The Lost Iguana Resort is a gorgeous hotel and I cannot wait to go back!
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