The Best Luxury Hotels in Arenal: Nayara vs. The Springs vs. Tabacon

Last updated January 20, 2021

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica is Arenal Volcano. If you’re looking for the best place to stay near Arenal, you’ll find three high-end luxury resorts mentioned again and again: Nayara, The Springs, and Tabacon. When my family visited Costa Rica a few years ago, I considered all three of these Arenal hotels and decided on three nights at Nayara, one night at The Springs, and an afternoon at Tabacon’s spa and hot springs. If you’re considering staying in Arenal, here are my thoughts about each.

This post contains affiliate links, which means, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Arenal Hotels: Nayara vs. The Springs vs. Tabacon

Nayara Resort

As soon as I saw pictures of Nayara Resort in Costa Rica, I was charmed by its beautiful common areas and elegantly decorated rooms. And I love visiting hotels and resorts that have landed on the “world’s best” lists. But, for my family, Nayara Resort had one major drawback.

When we arrived in La Fortuna, we were treated to beautiful clear views of Arenal Volcano, and I couldn’t wait to sit back and relax at Nayara and enjoy them. But what I found was a family pool on the Nayara Gardens side of the property where trees blocked the volcano views and a casita with a deck completely shrouded by tropical plants.

Nayara Springs vs. Nayara Gardens

Nayara started out as a honeymooners’ paradise, with a strong emphasis on privacy. The adults-only side of the resort, Nayara Springs, continues to advertise romance as a selling point, while its sister property, Nayara Gardens, (both owned by Relais & Chateaux) purportedly welcomes family. Yet, when we visited, only a few spots on the entire resort had a clear view of what most family travelers are there to see—Arenal Volcano. And one of the best of those views was from Nayara Spring’s adults-only pool.

Thankfully, in the last two years, Nayara Resort seems to have addressed this issue, offering more family friendly spots with the addition of Nayara Tented Camp, which opened in December 2019, and a new patio next to its central restaurant, formerly Altamira, now La Terraza del Arenal.

Nayara Tented Camp

Nayara Tented Camp offers 25 air-conditioned luxury tents that each feature a plunge pool fed by natural hot springs, a canopy bed, a bathroom with an oversized tub, and an outdoor shower. According to Nayara Resort, the hillside camp has “spectacular” and “unobstructed” views of Arenal Volcano, and the property is set within a sloth sanctuary—a reforested area planted with 1000 guarumo trees, the preferred habitat of sloths.

Nayara Resort’s Restaurants and Casitas

As for the things we loved about Nayara Resort, it has wonderful dining options, each with a lovely atmosphere and excellent food. We tried all the restaurants except Amor Loco, which does not allow diners under the age of 16. Mis Amores, which is on the adults-only side of the property but allows children, offers delicious wood-fired pizza. The included buffet breakfast at Altamira (now La Terraza) each morning was generous, offering a wide range of choices, such as made-to-order omelets, rice and beans, Belgian waffles, and charcuterie, served with Costa Rican coffee, juices, and a favorite local beverage, pipas frias (iced coconut milk).

The Nayara Gardens casita where we stayed was also spacious and well-appointed, with a separate room with two twin beds for the kids, a large deck with spa tub, a double indoor shower, and an outdoor shower. And because our children were older and could spend time on their own, my husband and I were able to take advantage of the adults-only pool area, which was beautiful, with a swim-up bar and plentiful lounge furniture.

The Springs Resort & Spa

If you’re looking for volcano views, The Springs Resort & Spa is an Arenal hotel that has them in spades. You can’t miss Arenal Volcano as you look out from The Springs’ pools or the balcony of almost every room on the property. The Springs also offers hot springs on-site and has a private club, Club Rio, where visitors can horseback ride, tube, and kayak for an extra charge.

The Springs’ Rooms

One thing about The Springs that gave me pause before booking was the arguably tacky appearance of the rooms. In photos, it’s hard to get past the over-the-top teak decor. But in reality, the teak looks lush and appropriate for the surroundings, and the bathroom was enormous and extravagant, with a built-in jet tub, double sinks, and a separate shower. The pull-out couch in our room was also high-quality and comfortable.

The Springs’ Dining

Even though The Springs came out ahead on views during our visit, it couldn’t compete with Nayara Resort on food. We found the Springs’ food pricey and somewhat bland, and there aren’t many alternatives to the resort restaurants. The Springs is about 10 minutes down a long road off the main drag, making a round trip to La Fortuna for a meal at least 40 minutes. And unlike most other Arenal hotels, breakfast is not included in the stay.

The Springs’ Room Rate

Finally, one of the biggest downsides to The Springs is that it’s expensive. So expensive that I only considered staying one night and still felt a little guilty about it. In hindsight, given its great views and access to hot springs, and the amount I was already spending on Nayara Resort, it may have been worth the extra splurge for more time there. But if you decide that The Springs is outside your budget, you can still check out the grounds and the hot springs by buying a day pass for Club Rio.

Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa

Because I didn’t stay overnight at Tabacon, I can’t review it as thoroughly as Nayara and The Springs. But I can say that having access to Tabacon’s hot springs as part of your lodging at Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa is a compelling argument in favor of staying there. Tabacon’s hot springs are a short walk from the hotel, separated by a two-lane road.

We had lunch at Tabacon’s spa and spent time at its hot springs. I can imagine that coming back to the hot springs each evening after a day’s excursion would be a welcome respite. As with The Springs, if you opt for different lodging, you can still check out the Tabacon hot springs on a day pass. Between The Springs and Tabacon, I found Tabacon’s springs to be the lovelier and more natural of the two.

So there you have it. Between Nayara, The Springs, and Tabacon, you have several luxury options for for Arenal hotels. Where to stay to choose depends on your taste for room style, food quality, amenities, and volcano views. If you can’t decide which Arenal hotel is right for you, follow our lead and spend a little time at each!