Although the road to get to Monteverde was INTENSE, and the road to this hotel more so, once we arrived everything was great. Spectacular views. Very nice people. The place is no resort. If you want umbrella drinks and five star accommodations, this isn't the place for you. The rooms are a bit on the roughing it side, but clean and very quaint. The hot water and electric only work for a few hours a day, in the morning and at night, while the generator is running. Still, we loved our time here. It was very serene and beautiful. Every night at about one I would wake up and see the Volcano erupting in the distance. Unbelievable. The restaurant was OK, good breakfast, OK dinner, but you could probably find something better in town. And I don't recommend the horseback ride they offer at the lodge, I don't think the animal welfare laws are maybe quite as stringent down there. Overall, though, a great stay. Just look at the pictures.

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