We booked through AnyWhere Costa Rica, who are generally great at making reccomendations...however, after sharing our experience with their gen mgr, he admitted they have been having numerous problems with Mirador since it has been under new ownership.

We were supposed to be picked up in Arenal, ferried across the lake, then taken by horseback to the lodge (this is a service provided by the lodge for mucho bucks--it is part of a tour they provide). They were one hour late to Arenal, then 2 HOURS LATE picking us up from a bodega next to Lake Arenal. We kept calling and they kept giving us excuses about being 5 minutes behind. More like 3 hours. No one spoke a lick of English, therefore the "tour" was useless. The horses were not healthy looking.

Mirador Lodge is a family-run establishment that offers simple accomodations and a quiet atmosphere. Electricity can be sparce, but all part of the eco-package since it depends on the flow of the waterfalls for its electricity. The food was delicious and made up of unique twists on local fare using common ingredients (we had a fabulous ayote soup one night and their banana pancakes are fabulous), though quite pricey since there is such a high transport cost out to the lodge. We had a great night view of Arenal volcano erupting in the distance, after a disappointing cloudy view in La Fortuna. It is a long journey to and from the lodge and I wouldn't recommend it if you are playing on hitting up the night life in town. It can become quite foggy at night and difficult to maneuver the winding path back to the lodge.

This a hotel for adventure. The must is the fantaastic view to the volcano. In clear nights you can see the lava coming down.
Unfortunately the hotel is quite basic, although the big rooms.
The hotel is located 20 minutes away from the town on a mountain road (signs quite poor)
Restaurant quite expensive for offered quality, although good breakfast

We just got back from a trip to Costa Rica and spent 3 nights at the Mirador and absolutely LOVED this place. We stayed here two years ago and were afraid that things had changed, but happily it is still the same!! We were with teenagers and all of them said that they did not want to leave, and of all the places we stayed (beach, Arenal, San Jose) this was their favorite. The food is some of the best we have ever had in Costa Rica and the chefs were so accomodating with all of the kids. The bar is great, we bought wine in town and they kept it cold for us , and then served it to us at dinner. We also ended up mixing our own drinks with some of the best juices ever!! (Try the guava strawberry!!) The cabins are great, very clean. We knew going in that the electricity goes off at 10 pm, so we made sure everyone brought flashlights . The kids LOVED this, we all said that we can stay in Hampton Inn etc anytime, but this was really different for them. The water was nice and hot in the morning. The staff was so sweet, very accommodating. They booked horseback riding for the kids at a great rate, and massages for my friend and I. The recepcionist called a taxi to take us to the massage and then into Santa Elena.Very reasonable. We also celebrated a birthday and they hid the cake in the kitchen and helped us with the candles etc. I really can't say enough about this place. I was very disappointed that so much of Costa Rica has become even more americanized (this is my 3rd trip) , but happy to see that the Mirador is still a COSTA RICAN mountain lodge with great views, nice people, good accommodations, and great food. We can't wait to go back!!!