Exotic villa at Lake Arenal

Guest: Sona and Vijaya (USA)
Date of Stay: 11/08/09 Review Submitted: 12/02/09

Thank you George for the wonderful time we had with our family at casa Lago Arenal. The property description and pictures are exact as advertised. Thanks you for your superfast responses by emails. There are beautiful lake and mountain views from the house and casita and we loved sitting around and walking on the deck. The pool by the clubhouse is awesome with great views of Lake Arenal. The house was maintained spotless. This house is in a resort with round the clock security where there is an office with well maintained yard and trees and flowers around the resort property with other similar type octagonal villas. This is a high end house especially in Costa Rica. I would surely recommend this house to anybody wanting to rent a house around Arenal area. The amenities in the house are 5 stars. There is a full kitchen with 6 burner stove, Granite countertop,dish washer,Microwave, DVD/Satellite TV, WII console, Broadband Internet with a Laptop Computer for use by guests. And most of all great big showerheads with 24 hrs hot water. The linens and towels and all the items provided were high class. There is also a First Aid kit which I have not seen in any houses I have rented anywhere. George gave us exact details on the house and activities nearby and the office also helped in guiding us with directions and activities etc. There is maid service available. The maid is the private cook and the same person cleans and does laundry for you if needed. It’s a good way to pamper yourself when on vacation. The house is kid friendly with high chair, munchkin inflatable bath tub, and flat aero bed if needed. Overall we had the best and relaxing time in Costa Rica. I will surely rent it again on my next visit.

Owner response:Thanks a lot! I make every effort to make your stay a memorable one. Quality is very important to me. Thank you again for your comments. I appreciate it.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Beautiful House on the Lake

Guest: Krista R.
Date of Stay: 12/20/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

I was at this property over the Christmas Season with three other people and we all agree that it was a beautiful house. Everything was upgraded and clean and the kitchen was great. I wouldnt recommend renting this property unless you have a rental car as it is about a 5 min drive from Tiliran (to buy food, go out, ect.) It is a fair drive to many of the 'adventerous' activities you find around the Arenal, Monteverde area (around 1hr). However, if your purpose to relax in the Tiliran area this is a beautiful house. We also found the management and neighbors to be extremely friendly and helpful.

Recommended for:

Wonderful place

Guest: Adrian A.
Date of Stay: 12/28/11 Review Submitted: 01/10/12

We spend some wonderful days in this beautiful place. I want to appoint the terrific service we received. We really enjoy to be there and hopefully we expect to return very soon, also I'm recomending to rent this house and have some marvelous vacations.

Recommended for:

Volcanic Adventure

Guest: Teresa L. (-)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/19/11

Our group had a fantastic time in this upscale, very well appointed house with A/C!!! There is fantastic attention to every detail in the house....great place to visit with kids. Our group consisted of 2 mom's traveling with our 4 teenage kids and high school graduates - from Key Largo, Florida. The location of the house is perfect for adventure. The kids were able to wake board on the lake and we enjoyed a perfect clear day of volcano sight seeing right from the lake. Our best adventure by far was our visit to Rio Celeste....a perfect full day tour and back to the house by sunset. The care takers of the property are very accomodating and the restaurant across the street is a huge convinience. As Homeaway property owners we are very picky as to what we expect from rentals and this house met every expectation! Can't wait to come back for our next visit.....knowing all the comforts and adventures that await us!

Owner response:Thanks a lot . I appreciate it. George

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

A Must Place to Stay.

Guest: Nancy L. (Chicago Burbs)
Date of Stay: 07/11/11 Review Submitted: 07/16/11

July 2011 We just got back from the BEST vacation ever. 2 couples and a 16 year old (she was thrilled to have her own room and full bath). Although we only stayed 3 nights at the lake house it was very conveniently located and more than enough room for all us. The pictures do not do it justice at all. Although in a gated community we woke up to the sound of Howler Monkeys in the not too far distance and 20+ Parrots every morning. Lots of restaurants to choose from close to the house. Our big highlight of these few days was the Viento Fresco Waterfalls only 16 km from the house. I had read a review in the guest book and on a whim we decided to go. On private property 4 waterfalls 2 with nice with pools to swim in they built flush toilets and shelters at each waterfall. Saw 10 or so Howler Monkeys right as we pulled into the lower parking area. A little nerve racking for me on the drive down to the lower parking area but our 4 wheeler did just fine. As a matter of fact it had just started to rain slightly as we got there and after the 3 1 /2 hours we hiked and swam the owner was a bit concerned and came down to check on us. (we had the place to our selves) Best 15 dollars each we spent. Juan Diego the Property Manager took care of our every need and was quite exceptional. Even hooked us up with Captain Ron for an early2.5 hour morning fishing and boat tour of the lake. We caught 10 fish 2 good size. We would definitely recommend staying at this lovely home. We never made it into the club house but the pool was great. The lake was 82 degrees Costa Rica's best kept secret. Thanks Again Nancy & Eric Paul & Ted & Lauren Glen Ellyn, IL

Owner response:Thanks a lot Nancy and Eric. I appreciate it. George

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, people with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wonderful Stay at Casa Lago Arenal

Guest: Tamara F. (Atlanta, GA)
Date of Stay: 05/30/11 Review Submitted: 07/02/11

One of my favorite activities was to sit on the deck with my coffee and watch the birds and listen to the monkeys. The house is beautiful. Everyone in our family enjoyed staying here. We were greeted nicely by the staff and security people. The location was great and we felt very safe. We would definitely recommend this house to others and we look forward to our next trip back. Thanks George.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Arenal house

Guest: Bo (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 02/08/11 Review Submitted: 04/09/11

The gated community right on Lake Arenal was lovely, quiet and very safe and the staff extremely nice. The location was wonderful, allowing us to easily get to all the hot spots easily. We sat on the porch each morning and watched the parrots fly and enjoyed the lovely lake breeze. The setting was very pretty and the house very comfortable with high-end appliances and granite tops which made cooking enjoyable.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children.

Casa Lago

Guest: Joe (Florida)
Date of Stay: 03/31/11 Review Submitted: 04/06/11

This is a great house in the mountains in a quiet little development community. House is fantastic, extremely comfortable and up to date. The office staff is friendly and they went out of thier way to make our stay as relaxing as possible. Cant say enough good things about our vacation there.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Wonderful two week stay

Guest: Joy (Somerset, NJ USA)
Date of Stay: 02/26/11 Review Submitted: 03/31/11

We had a wonderful two week stay at Casa Lago. The house is comfortable, well taken care of, and has lovely views of the lake and surrounding hillsides. With the availability of the casita, there is plenty of room for friends and/or family. It's location works well as a base for exploring that whole area of Guanacaste. It's about equidistant (1 1/2 hrs.) from Liberia, La Fortuna, and Santa Elena. As the weather was quite windy and a bit rainy the first week of March, we took frequent day trips, easily driving into sunnier spots. One of our first trips was to Tenorio Volcano. Even with a 4 WD, that was brutal. The hike to the falls was very muddy and slippery so best to go there after a long dry spell. However, after that one, everything else was a piece of cake. The road to Santa Elena, although unpaved, wasn't bad at all. There was one rough area on the other side of Tilaran, but then easy with 4WD. A good place to stop on the way - or go another day- was Viento Fresco. It's a nice hike (but with a lot of steps) to several waterfalls and a swimming hole. There are also resident howler monkeys and a sloth. Our second week was absolutely beautiful. Such a treat to see multiple views of the volcano from everywhere. Our favorite viewing spot of it in La Fortuna with the plaza and church in the foreground. On the way back from La Fortuna, near Nuevo Arenal, The Ladybug/Caballo Negro has delicious food, especially the schnitzel! All the more enjoyable while watching the toucans and various other birds feeding. We also enjoyed the nearby town of Tilaran. The people were friendly and very helpful, going out of their way to give directions, etc. Be sure to stop at La Troja for a good casado. George provided good info and maps ahead of time and the house has various guidebooks, but as there is no immediate tourist office around, a laptop is key and a phone helpful. We made most of our arrangements and asked lots of questions on line after arriving. Our only disappointment was not being able to arrange for lake fishing at the nearby marina. Perhaps that is better pursued from La Fortuna.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Our stay on March 2011

Guest: Connie (Aurora, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 03/14/11 Review Submitted: 03/30/11

We had a wonderful time in Costa Rica. The property was everything it was shown to be and more. Perfectly maintained, friendly staff, pool area was wonderful. The kids seen two monkeys and a toucan on day 1 near the pool area. The kitchen was equipped with every utensil etc. you could need. George's advice on where to go and what to see was perfect. The weather was great - not too hot and a beautiful breeze blowing every day. I would stay here again and would recommend the accommodations to a friend (in fact I already have!!!).

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.