Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

We happened upon this hotel after driving in to town and needing a place to stay last minute. The grounds are beautiful and relaxing. The view is stunning and we loved that everything is made from natural materials. The service was great and everyone was very helpful in setting up tours and reservations. Breakfast was yummy and they were able to accommodate our special requests. Can't recommend Kokoro enough!!

“An Oasis and Hidden Gem”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

“Great Place to Stay in La Fortuna Area”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

We just got back from Costa Rica and were lucky to find 4 great hotels with the help of TripAdvisor, with La Selva Resort being one of them.

Pros: Beautiful setting for reception and breakfast area (covered outdoor patio rimmed with tropical plants and featuring a fantastic view of the volcano); large, attractive cabins; very comfortable beds and linens; thoughtfully done landscaping with wide range of tropical plants; jacuzzi; pool; very friendly staff; hotel location set apart from other hotels giving a quiet and secluded feel; clean rooms; complimentary breakfast

Cons: Staff recommendations for tours/activities were rather vague and inaccurate in some cases (instead, walk through La Fortuna and look into tours by the leading tour companies); cabin bathroom had some layout/design issues, even though it was big and clean; bat flew into our room (just don't open the non-screened windows at night).

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at LaSelva and would stay there again. The staff was lovely (even if not on top of the tours / activities), the cabins were very pretty and clean, and the grounds were gorgeous. Volcano view from our king size bed (cabin 8)!

“We loved this place...”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

Comfortable and well-appointed cabins off of a dirt road entrance way -- the rooms were large, the bed super comfortable, the location perfect (just a bit outside of the town of La Fortuna). The views from our cabin of the volcano were just spectacular and the sounds of the birds at dusk -- amazing. While not a "luxury" hotel -- who comes to this part of costa rica for that type of lodging? We found our stay there to be near perfect and found the accomadations and the staff completely comfortable and charming. The staff -- particularly the ower and Jesse were wonderful and gave us great advice about things to do in the area and where to eat. Try the canyoning/rapelling if you have never done that it was incredible. The owner of this lodge also owns a restaurant in town "Lava Lounge" which is worth checking out.

Only downside was that the bathroom was a little dark and in our first room the air conditioning did not work. But the staff was really responsive and moved us promptly to a room where the air conditioning worked. We did not really hang out by the pool at all -- so it is hard to comment on that.

We loved it!!

“Wonderful Place”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

Stayed at La Selva just one night - but wish it had been more. It's a great little hotel with cabins. Best beds in Costa Rica, in my opinion. Great breakfast and location. Stayed in Cabin #2, which I think might have the best view of the volcano. We were lucky that we got it on a clear day. The best part about the hotel is "Jessie." I sure hope I got her name right! I think she is probably the owner - or at least the manager. She was very nice - and extremely helpful. I have nothing bad to say about this hotel. Stay there! :-)

“Don't Stay in Cabin 5!!!!”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

The staff and owner are very nice so I hate to write a negative review but. . .DO NOT stay in cabin 5!!!! It is directly next to the reception and where breakfast is served. The walls of the cabin are only one board thick. We were woken each morning not by the sounds of birds chirping but by the staff setting up breakfast around 5:45am (which is a nice spread) followed by the conversations of those starting their day with a 6:30am breakfast. We could literally hear every word.

In addition the toilet tank was leaking a little- they did send the night watchman to fix it and the girl at reception cleaned up the water promptly but it was leaking again the next day and probably had been for some time since the bathroom smelled like the laundry you forget in the washer.

One final mini complaint- most of the hotels in the area have someone to help you plan your activities, while the staff here was happy to help they were not very knowledgeable aside from the owner Scott. If you stay here I would suggest planning your activities before you arrive (where you have access to a phone or email) unlike the other hotels I stayed at in Costa Rica.

Aside from all this negativity it really is a fairly nice place- I just got pretty cranky at being woken up early on my vacation and having a stinky bathroom. Not a bug in site inside the cabin- maybe they use pesticide cleaners (a plus for some a minus for others)?

Don't let them put you in cabin #5!!!

“Lovely La Selva”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

We have just had a three night stay at La Selva. The approach, from the road, as with many places in Costa Rica, is a rough track but persevere, the surprise is a good one once the hotel is reached! We thought the term 'resort' could give a wrong impression; it is more of a lodge with wooden 'cabin' accomodation and a lovely 'open' reception area. Arenal Volcano dominates the view on a good day and there is a great view of it from the rooms, the pool and the open air jacuzzi. The gardens and birds are fantastic.The rooms are great, spacious and a fridge is included.

There was a downside for us - there is no food available, except breakfast which means a ride down into La Fortuna; no bar - the only drinks available coffee or water - but these are free all day!

Whilst we were there Arenal was erupting in spectacular fashion but not on the La Selva side so we were away during the day watching the fireworks from the other side. When the lava flow direction changes La selva will need to provide more facilities to keep their residents and visitors happy while they enjoy the display

The upside though, was very strong; great surroundings, a small but lovely staff who felt like old friends by the time we left. They couldn't do enough for us.

“A wonderful suprise!”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

We came to La Selva quite by accident and a lucky accident it was! we decided to leave Montezuma two days earlier and were booked at the Lost Iguana later in the week, but they could not accomodate us earlier. Our travel agent booked us at La Selva and we absolutely loved it! Scott, the owner, is incredibly helpful and has a wealth of knowledge and jessie, his manager, is a warm, bubbly person who we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. They took care of our every need and the cabins are an incredible value for the money. The beds were the most comfortable we slept in , in Costa Rica, and we actually preferred La Selva to the Lost Iguana Resort. La Selva has wonderful cabins and "personality".....we'd go back in a minute! Don't miss it!

“Best sleep while in Costa Rica”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

It was a pleasant surprise to come across "La Selva" while exploring around the Arenal area. The manager (Scott) was incredibly helpful and hospitable, answering any questions we had and offering lots of suggestions for activities, restaurants and shopping needs. The cabins are tastefully decorated with large bathrooms and a fridge for your snacks or beverages. The beds were the most comfortable we found, with nice sheets and comforters. They offered great variety for breakfast which was served in the quaint outdoor restaurant. The pool is small, but, certainly sufficient. The cabins all have great views of the volcano- if only it had erupted when we were there!!!

All in all it was a great stay and we would definitely recommend it to others.

“Loved It!”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

We loved our stay at La Selva. The hotel is a few miles outside of La Fortuna. It is small, quite, and every cabin has an amazing view of the volcano. The staff here was outstanding, from the owner, to Jessie at the reception desk. They couldn't do enough for us from calling taxis to restaurant recommendations. The pool and hot tub are small, but lovely, and we had it to ourselves the two times we were there. Breakfast was great with cereal and yogurt to start while Jessie cooked our made to order eggs. The only negative was minimal lighting in the bathroom, and the cabins do get hot during the afternoon, despite the AC. I would highly recommend this hotel and I would definitely stay there again.

“Amazing Experience”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

This was an amazing place to stay (authentic feeling but clean and super comfy), and the Arenal area was one of my most favorite destinations. There were so many things to do, it could be your only destination in Costa Rica and you'd be happy. It was very helpful to stay at La Selva because the staff are so friendly (and English speaking) and seemed to really enjoy taking the time to suggest what to do and where to go - restaurants, tours, hiking places, whatever. I would definitely go back and stay there again.

“Great place”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

Stayed only one night but wish we had stayed longer. Very nice cabinas and landscaping, pool, hot tub. Staff was exceptionally nice and helpful. Rooms were large with sitting area and huge bathroom, and an outside porch. One improvement could be made for lighting in the bathroom. Saw 2 bdrm cabins that would be great for families. Absolutlely great view of the volcano (but cloudy when we were there). Said they had been open only a few months so I expect it will only get better!

“Not bad, but there was a bat in our room”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

The hotel wasn't bad, except it's a bit far outside of town -- you have to take a taxi everywhere. And, it's the one hotel that doesn't have a restaurant, so you either have to order food to be delivered or take a car / taxi.

Biggest downside: there was a "vampiro" in our room for two nights. Now we have to have rabies shots :(

“Nice surprise”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

We were pleasantly surprised by this little resort. We had booked this hotel through the website [--] which I recommend. We requested a different hotel, but we were booking late and it was already full. Since La Selva had just opened several months ago, it still doesn't have the notoriety of some of the other hotels. However, I suspect this will change as this place was great. Each of the rooms are a separate cabin that is spacious with a large bathroom. Beds are very comfortable. I totally believe that there are amazing views of the volcano, but we were unable to see it due to the clouds and rain. We were there during the dry season, but in this area it still rains frequently. We still enjoyed our time in the area. Scott is the owner and is originally from California. We had already booked a canyoneering tour (rapelling down waterfalls) and found out he had started this company. He took care of all the transportation and was very helpful in recommending things to do. The staff was awesome. The female receptionist even called a hotel in Manuel Antonio to book our next night's stay for us. No complaint from us!!

On a side note, we were originally trying to book a room in the area through [--]centralamerica.com. We requested a hotel and faxed our credit card authorization form when we were told it was available. It turned out, rooms were not available. I inquired if another hotel had availability but never requested a reservation. The website's travel agent Randall Mora was assisting us and decided to book a different hotel using our credit card authorization form for the first hotel. He acknowledged that I never asked him to reserve the room and the credit card form we sent was for a different hotel but refused to refund us the money. We told him this was fraud and it needed to be fixed. He finally agreed to refund us the majority of the money in the next 48 hours but this was 3 weeks ago and we haven't seen anything yet. We used this website before and everything worked out fine, so it may just be this particular travel agent. Apparently, he is ok with using fraudulent means to make money!! My advice is to stick with arenal.net!!

“Best Beds We Found In Costa Rica!”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

We stayed here for 4 days and it was the best sleep I got in the whole two + weeks we were in CR. Nice Jacuzzi and pool, few people, excellent volcano view (on the right side) and super staff and owner. Cabanas are made from very neat woods, really clean, have fridges and excellent breakfasts. There was homemade breads of various types every morning, cereal choices, fruits, yogurts, coffee (with a smitch of cinnamon to make it interesting), tea, milk, juice, etc. The staff is very helpful about everything to do in the area and will book things for you also. This is a brand new place so take advantage now!

“Loved it!”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

My husband and I stayed at La Selva Resort during our honey moon and just loved it!

The grounds are beautiful and lush, we were so impressed with our cabin (beds were so comfortable) and the view of the volcano was amazing.

The staff knew the area really well and were so helpful when it came to offering suggestions on different things to do and restaraunts to eat at.

We liked the location since it's private and quiant - almost like having your own private oasis, but your so close to town where there's tons of restaraunts and most of the attractions are only a few minutes away.

There's no restaraunt at the resort but they do provide a little breakfast with fresh fruit and pastries, was fine for us since we wanted to try out different restaraunts in the area.

No clocks in the rooms, so bring a watch or portable alarm clock with you - we took for granted there would be one in our room and were always wondering what time it was.

We would definately recommend it and hope to go back soon.

“Almost perfect”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

I had a hard time finding any information on La Selva before I booked it and when I arrived I found out why. The resort is almost brand new (the taxi driver wasn't sure where it was, although he was brand new too!). That being said, in a couple of months it is going to be breathtaking!

The resort is well marked from the road by a clear sign and there are 14 cabins altogether. The reception area is a beautiful, open air desk with many tables, a couple of couches and a spectacular view of the volcano. There is a pool and hot tub/jacuzzi available to all guests. The cabins are spectacular. The owner decided to invest in excellent matresses and sheets/comforters and it really pays off. All cabins have large windows, clear volcano views and convey a sense of luxury (which isn't easy to do in the rainforest). I also stayed at an adjacent resort which has a much more 'hotel/motel' feel and I missed the intimacy of La Selva's cabins. I would definitely recommend it for those looking for a more luxurious cabin stay or for a romantic getaway. The owner/managers are incredibly helpful and accomodating (lots of information on tours available and no pressure or commissions with any certain companies).

The only downside is that the bar/restaurant was not complete so you have to order your food in (Lava lounge in town is excellent and charges $3 to deliver) or eat out. That being said, in a few months La Selva will be the one to beat!!

“Go for the Volcano - Stay for the Birds”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

We were the very first guests at this lovely new resort at Arenal. We were greeted very warmly by part-owner, Scott, of Santa Monica, and manager, Letty, a native of the region. Letty can arrange for transportation to the nearby sights. Tabacon and Baldi hotsprings are just minutes away, as is a local favorite, the waterfall and swimming hole - take a picnic lunch. Letty also knows some more secluded hot springs and can give you the inside scoop.

The cabinas fit perfectly into the setting and offer spectacular views of Arenal volcano. You never knew what that crazy volcano was going to do. During our stay it generated weird clouds over the cone, cleared, erupted, puffed, and then at night spewed red lava. Our evenings were a bit cloudy so we just saw a stream of red rocks and embers cascading down the side, but on clear nights you can see red lava pouring out of the cone. The volcano also rumbles and murmurs. On one of our day trips, our local driver made the comment that he thought the views of the volcano at La Selva were the best he had seen.

This place is a dream for birders, especially novices, because you can just sit on your porch and get treated to groove-billed anis, assorted tanagers, and hummingbirds working the hibiscus plants. We fell asleep to the sweet sounds of the nightingale wren.

There is a beautiful open patio where you can breakfast on local fruits while toucans breakfast on the papayas in the tree. In the evening you can gather there and listen to soft world music. From the pool and jacuzzi area, you can watch the volcano and flocks of parrots devouring red flowers, oropendolas performing acrobatics, and woodpeckers sharing trees with toucans. There's a little trail that leads around the property, where I saw a clay-colored robin, the national bird of Costa Rica. For more jaded birders, the hanging bridges are just minutes away, where we ascended through the rain forest canopy, seeing a buff-rumped warbler wagging his rump, blue-crowned mot-mot, female slaty-tailed trogon, tanagers, hummingbirds, and a turquoise cotinga.

We came to La Selva knowing nothing about it, but after enjoying their hospitality, amenities, and tranquil location, we would unhesitatingly recommend it to travelers to Costa Rica.

“Lindo lugar!!!”

Kokoro Arenal Luxury Lodge

el lugar me parecio precioso, la distancia a los lugares es lo malo si no cuentas con tu propio carro, pero de ahi en fuera puedes tomar un taxi , el hotel es muy comodo , la atencion del personal muy buena y la piscina muy limpia, la verdad no tengo una critica mala solo recomendar el lugar...