If you are going to stay near Arenal and want to see lava, this is the place. You can lie in your bed at see the volcano erupt. The hotel is located pretty far out of the way in El Castillo, however it is located on the side of the volcano that is the most clear. In other words, there aren't as many clouds on this side of the volcano for some reason. I've now stayed at this hotel 5 times, you can see my previous reviews for more info, and I've seen lava each time.

If you get a room that is number 17 or higher (honeymoon suite or master suite) or you pick the junior suite that is number 11, you'll get a volcano view from your bed. The good thing about rooms 17 and higher is that in addition to the volcano view, you also get a lake view. The lake, though man made, is beautiful.

The breakfast at the hotel is included and has a continental or typical option. Both of these come with a fruit, cereal, and toast buffet. When in Costa Rica, you have to get the "typical" breakfast that is gallo pinto, fried plantains, eggs, and tortillas. Don't forget to ask for Salsa Lizano! This breakfast will keep you full for waterfall hiking and zip lining!

The restaurant at night is a steak house and is open to the public. The steaks are priced as if you were on vacation in Florida, so be prepared. In fact, pretty much everything in the Arenal area has gotten more expensive in the past two years. So much for cheap Costa Rica! Our cheapest dinner was $40, including one $4 Imperial beer, which tastes surprisingly similar to Budweiser. Unfortunately this place has become so popular, the prices are sky rocketing.

The honeymoon suite where we've stayed multiple times is a very comfortable room. All wooden furniture, tile floors, panoramic views of the lake and volcano, Air Conditioning, and private parking. The only bad thing about the room is the shower. The plumbing is a little dated and the shower will switch from hot to cold and vice versa almost the entire time during a shower. I'd recommend taking a bath instead since the water maintains a constant temperature! I washed my hair under the faucet for the bath tub rather than mess with the shower. My husband, who is much taller than I am, was not fortunate enough to fit under this faucet and was rather annoyed at the constantly changing temperature. The bath tub is pretty big, perfect for soaking, and you could possibly fit two people in it. However, if you are looking to soak in a tub, just go to the hot springs down the street. (I recommend Tabacon, even though I am somewhat against large resorts.) Suck it up and pay the $65, but plan on staying all day so you get your money's worth.

The hotel has done some renovations in the past two years including a swim up pool bar, eliminating the outside seating in front of the restaurant, adding outdoor seating beside the restaurant (over the pool bar), and a 2 computer work area between reception and the restaurant. There is also wireless internet available, but I didn't use it. The computers in the little room are also ridiculously slow, reminiscent of dial up, but still, it is kind of amazing that they could get the wiring up to this hotel since it is so far removed. There are also flat screen tv's in the rooms, I think it is satellite, but I didn't turn it on once during my stay.

My one recommendation to anyone traveling to Costa Rica is that you don't ruin it by expecting it to be like the United States. I heard a woman during my stay complaining that there was no sweet tea in the restaurant to the poor guy who knows just enough English to get by. (There's sugar on the table, make your own! or heaven forbid you try something new, perhaps a batido en agua de maracuya - passion fruit smoothie) The thing that makes Costa Rica special is that it ISN'T the USA!

I have been traveling throughout Costa Rica for two weeks. The Linda Vista del Norte has exceeded my expectations. I reserved a suite with a view of the Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal and a village below. All of the staff have been courteous, supportive, and friendly. I would like to mention Ana, at the front desk, because she went out of her way to help me with a problem with my credit cards & registering for my next hotel. I highly recommend this lodge hotel to all visitors to the Arenal area.

This hotel has it all. Amazing location, views and fantastic rooms.
Just spent 4 nights, should have been 3 but loved it so much stayed for longer.
We had master suites which are huge, views of the volcano and the lake are better than any painting. Each suite has a computer and internet access, fridge and coffee maker, although only 1 pack of coffee is supplied each day which seems mean.
Restaurant food very good and not to expensive. Fantastic views of the volcano and the lake. Very romantic as they only have dim lights and candles. Had to use a torch to read the menu!
Small swimming pool and spa tub which was never full.
You do need a car to get around and see the local area.
The volcano was very good to us and blow many times, day and night which was a shock to begin with as a few times it woke us up and put on a brilliant night time display.
I would recommend that the hotel offer umbrellas in the rooms and some literature of where to go, hotel facilities and basics such as is water and beer in the fridge, is it free free, where to get extra coffee etc.

We only considered accomodations on the west side of Arenal, as we wanted to have a chance to see lava flow. Although we weren't lucky enough to see the lava, we did have a picture perfect view of Arenal from our room.
The room and bathroom were clean, breakfast was good, location was absolutely beautiful. The cable in our room didn't work well and the walls were incredibly thin. We stayed in a Junior Suite because I had read the views were great and they were! If you stay in a Junior or a Master Suite, ask for a room on the end to minimize your shared walls. If you're thinking about a Standard, spend a bit more on the Junior. Also it's worth noting that the Honeymoon Suite is it's own building but it is closest to the lodge and the pool - very close. You can look into it and see the whole patio area from the pool deck.
The staff was mediocre, hotel van service was $15 each way to Arenal Observatory Lodge but not all staff knew about it. We only stayed 2 nights and did not have our own car so transportation was tough. We didn't end up going to La Fortuna at all and instead hiked Cerro Chato from AOL. In the end, staying in the El Castillo area was probably better for us, as it didn't feel touristy or crowded at all.
I highly reccomend Jardin Escondido in El Castillo. We walked there, which wasn't too bad and the owner called the local cab to drive us back for $2. I could go on about the restaurant,, instead check out the reviews here.
Transportation - it's a bit of a drive to La Fortuna so having your own car would be helpful if you're planning to do a lot of activities in the area. We took the taxi-boat-taxi from Monteverde and the hotel is very near the landing on Lake Arenal so that was convenient.
All in all, I would stay here again because the room was comfortable, the view was fantastic and I want a chance to see lava, even if it is at 3 AM!