Overall Ratings & Reviews Essence Arenal Spa & Yoga

Me encantó la experiencia, el equipo de trabajo a otro nivel con su dedicación. Definitivamente volveré a reservar cuando vuelva a Costa Rica

The property is little dated but ok, it’s surrendered by nature, so it would be nice if cabins had some outdoor sitting furniture. The area has some beautiful views on the lake and volcano, it’s hard to beat!

This property was a true sanctuary. Nestled in the jungle with various short walking trails, daily yoga and a spa circuit. The hosts were just amazing and kind and the property was pure heaven. If you want snacks or coffee, there’s no refrigerator or coffee in the room so just plan accordingly. :)

Loved this stay so much!!!! Highly recommend.

Absolutely beautiful hotel with incredibly friendly service and amazing food. I would highly recommend it. The chocolate tour was a highlight.

We had a wonderful time. The grounds are beautiful. We saw monkeys lots of birds and other wildlife right from our window. The staff is incredibly nice and helpful. The restaurant is cute and offers good food at a reasonable price. We had lots of rain while there and it does creep into the casitas. Our towels never really dried and the bed felt clammy too. So be aware of this and decide if that works for you before booking. The kitchen is also only sparsely equipped. It would've been nice to have a chopping board and a sharp knife as we did cook a few times. If you like to cook extravagant meals at home this is not your place but we did make pasta, tacos and other simple dishes without any problems. There is much to explore in the area and it's helpful to have a car, preferably even a 4x4. Overall, we very much enjoyed our time at Essence and would come back. Bring a raincoat and change of shoes and don't miss the Night Jungle Tour. It was a highlight!

Essence is a wonderful place to stay…. The property is well thought out for you to enjoy nature and has a variety of accommodation options. The Glamping tents are surrounded by bamboo trees and very peaceful. (Shared bathrooms, but that was no problem for us….expected with Glamping) They have their own farm and I would recommend taking a walk through it. There are also a number of hiking trails, which makes it feel like you are not only staying at a hotel, but also a nature park. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Gabriel is an amazing chef and wonderful person. We enjoyed our stay tremendously and will recommend Essence to friends.

Friendly staff, eco friendly hotel

The most wonderful place to relax, detox, and recharge. The staff is full of genuine love and kindness. Beautiful views and excellent heathy food.

Rustic. Beautiful views. Staff was amazing. Beds were not so comfortable. Food was great. Right in the jungle so lots of wildlife.

Amazing stay! Beautiful view of Lake Arenal and good vibes

I absolutly loved staying here. It was a great setting, a nice break out of town, with a wonderful view of the volcano. The staff were amazing and extreamly helpful. I loved the daily yoga classes out in nature with amazing teachers. There were lots of walking trails around the property and you could go walk around the farm where they grow a lot of the fruit used in the kitched for vegitarian meals. Also the massages were super relaxing. I will definitely be coming here again!

Amazing view, beautiful property and trails, delicious meals with the lovely Lillian. If you want some time away from the tourism and to be in nature, this is the place! The staff are so helpful and kind, and I highly recommend you get a tour of the area with Lilander in horseback... will blow your mind!

The rooms are small but nice, service is great and the views are amazing!

We took our three young kids, agreed 6, 8, and 10. Our room was very small, but doable. If the kids were a little older, we would have gotten 2 rooms. The service was fantastic. My kids didn't want to leave. The pool wasn't a pool, but more of a mosquito pond children's pool. The food was fantastic. I'd like to see maybe another light out brighter light brought into the room. It was a bit darker than I prefer..

Very nice place, easy to find, the staff is nice and very welcoming. If you stay more than a night you will be able to enjoy the swimming pool and the jacuzzi. Waking up and taking a very good breakfast while looking to the Volcano is priceless!

Amazing place with amazing staff

We stayed 3 nights in a troom-tent and it was very clean and nicely done. We really liked the location and the lovely walks around!, specially the horse riding journey to the nearby waterfall. Very convenient they have a communal area with a small fridge where you can keep stuff. We had shared bathroom and I wouldn't say that is the highlight of the place... Very basic and impossible to get a decent warm shower from it, I'm afraid that you can only freeze or burn on it... The upside is definitely the almost isolated location away from the tourist crowds but the downside is that you're far away from town / amenities and the "road" is quite a pain to drive! It's a good 30 min drive through road with the most potholes I ever seen...be ready!

Hotel staff were friendly and accommodating. It's far from out of town but there were ahuttlea that went to the main town if needed or to arenal observatory. It was nice to go into to town for the day by sleep in the jungle. During our stay we were able to see howler monkeys on the trail. Lillian's meals were worth coming back for everyday.

This place was nice and the food was great, however, it is not a hostel. There was no available area to cook or prep your own food and barely an area to store food. Due to the location, your options are to pay to eat at the hotel (which would really add up) or stash non-perishables in your room. This is not ideal for a person on a budget! Also, there were a lot of drop offs and I didn't really feel like my kids would be safe wandering the property. It is also one heck of a drive up. This place would be ideal for a romantic getaway or for adults only. Again, the food was great, the property was beautiful and the staff was so accommodating - it just wasn't what I had expected or planned for.