Our first and likely only time to visit here. The view of the volcano is beautiful from our room and the reception area, restaurant, bar, etc. we're conveniently located close by. The problem is the room itself seems a bit lacking. We like having a sitting area and while there is a great little porch for that... something inside the room would have been much better. Maybe something a little more than a bed and a bench that includes some walking around room would have been nice. Now, the other rooms might have those options available to offer guests, but I wonder if you get the same view? Oh and the fun thing about the porch is it has a slide lock on both the inside and outside that are separate from each other... this means you are constantly locking the other person in or out. Good tmes! LOL We also find the whole "conserve water" campaign interesting and a bit useless here. You know how most hotels encourage you to hang your towels to be reused? Well, everyday we hang our towels and everyday they replace them regardless. But instead of putting them in the bathroom, they make fun little designs and leave them on your bed. Fun, but annoying at the same time... when you jump in the shower and then realize that fact... it's too late.
We did take advantage of the hot tub one night. The pool was closed and it was raining, but the covered area with the large hot tub and jacuzzi made for a nice end to a long day of doing practically nothing. We found amusing how much emphasis they place on guarding their pool towels. When you check in, they give each guest a card. You can trade the card for a large pool towel. You must turn in a card or towel when you check out. The desk clerk explained it twice and said we can trade out towels as many times as necessary, but we must either turn in a towel or card upon leaving... LOL Believe me when I comment that these towels are hardly worth removing from the property...
The bar has a 2 for 1 happy hour from 5-6pm. The rule is you order a drink and they give you two... at the same time. Dinner is at 6pm, so I ordered wine and saved a glass to have with dinner. I'm brilliant like that! Haha! The first night I ordered a Pina Colada, but it got to melty and mushy before I could drink the second one. Besides, it wasn't overly fabulous, so I quickly decided to stick with the red wine option. Steve realized he could order 2 drinks or just one double. Nice!
Steve wasn't too impressed by the food. I found it fine, but I like my meals simple and basic. They have a variety of lunch and dinner options but nothing special for me and my gluten free diet. I had to stick with grilled meat (pork, chicken and beef) and boiled potatoes. Not a problem for my dinners. Breakfast was included, but nothing much available for me to eat besides fruit. I was concerned about trying the eggs or fried plantains since I had my doubts about preparation and cross contamination. The wait staff in the restaurant are friendly and personable which I always appreciate. I know I am a difficult patron with my specific dietary needs and picky nature, so anyone that waits on us and not easily offended by that is wonderful. They have a coconut flan that is amazing and totally worth the calories! (no gluten...)
There is a morning hike (walk) you can participate in. A guide takes you around and explains a few things about the area. I did not go, and Steve commented that it was not something that interested him. He was looking for a real, true hike through the woods and up the volcano, so he was disappointed. It sounds perfect for me though... I wish I had been feeling up for it that morning. It has poured rain every other morning and I am content to just lay around and read while listening to the gentle rain and wildlife sounds.
There seem to be many activities nearby, so if you wanted to venture out and explore, there are options! It rains a lot here... it's the rainforest and it's the rainy season... be flexible and know that fact. Don't set high expectations on what you might see or do while visiting or you will probably leave disappointed. I recommend having the front desk schedule your tours because some activities fill up quickly. We drove out to do a chocolate tour only to find they were booked solid for the day. We toured a grocery store nearby for snacks and drinks instead... LOL
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