My trip through Costa Rica was booked through a tour company, so I didn’t have much of a choice when it came to hotels. I had been pleasantly surprised by my first night’s stay at Auténtico Hotel, but I was substantially more nervous when it came to the hotel located in Costa Rica’s Arenal district.
My tour company booked Hotel Arenal Rabfer, which is listed as a two-star hotel; lower than I usually search for when booking my own trips.
Still, the reviews were decent so I had my fingers crossed. Upon arrival, the hotel was pretty basic, but had a decently sized, kidney shaped pool with some lounge chairs, plus a nice lounge area on the second floor of the hotel that would have had a great view of the Arenal Volcano- if the clouds had cleared enough to see it!
My room was fairly basic, but it had a clean bed and an ensuite bathroom and that’s really all I need in a hotel! Be aware that walls are extremely thin- Costa Rica’s iconic rainfall (and your neighbors conversations) can be heard fairly quickly. Maybe pack some earplugs!
Since we were moving pretty quickly on this trip, I didn’t spend all that much time in my room. Instead I chose to explore the town and some of the surrounding nature. When I was at the hotel, my friends and I typically elected to hang out on the pool loungers.
The hotel is only a short walk from the city center, so we’d headed to the markets to try some of the local fruit and bring back a coffee to hang out with.
Having come into this hotel with low expectations, I was pretty happy with my stay. Hotel Arenal Rabfer is basic and inexpensive- but you’re getting what you paid for!
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