We stayed at the Essence Arenal for two days 16th and 17th May 1012 and had a great visit. The rooms were very comfortable,we had one with a private bath. We enjoyed the dinners they were outstanding and the participation part of preparing them, we made some very interesting vegetarian dinners with vegetables right from the gardens on the property.... More

This palce might be a bit challenging to reach but it's definetly worth it! After 1 day we decide to prolongue our stay there - The place is nice and the view amazing, the staff lovely and the food delicious, even if none of the 3 of us is vegetarian! Yummy! Thanks to their precious advices we were able to... More

We enjoyed a lot our stay at Essance Arenal : - the Chef was very good and we had wonderful meals. We took part in cooking our Marocain bread and our dessert. Our kids loved it. - the location was really great : in a very quiet place and close to wildlife. You can have a small walk and watch... More

This is a very friendly, professionally run hostel. The evening meals are unusual but memorable: the communal experience of making one course (well, badly, it doesn't matter!) and then eating together is lovely. The remoteness of the place (you absolutely need a 4x4, and a fairly confident driver to get there) also adds to the charm. But it is worth... More

In march 2012, we stayed tree nights at Essence Arenal. Upon arrival, we made reservations for the transport. The ride was bumpy, the hostel's location is relatively isolated. The rooms are very basic, but that's reflected in the relatively low price. The first night, we had een room with shared bathroom, but after one nigt we were able to switch... More

This is the most magical place I have ever been to in my life, seriously! Set with the volcano right in your view, you could simply sit in the rocking chairs in the front of the hostel and watch the clouds pass you by with white birds against the green hill sides. Everything is wonderful about this location: the people... More

I'll keep it brief because what I was going to write has already been said below. Really good hostel. Stellar food. Kelly the co-owner really has a great concept, and you get to see it evolving when you stay. Diner participation with the meals precipitates easy conversation and Essence's drive to cultivate its own food looks promising. Definitely the best... More

Great view on the Arenal volcano and the lake. Probably the last hotel on the trail and located highest on the hill opposite to the volcano. Clean, basic room, shared bathroom, the managing girl enthusiastic in an US-american way. Great jungle surroundings nice for short walks. In the evening could be noticed an over-representation of german homosexuals.

We stayed here, with our 4 young children for 3 nights. They had a quadruple room with bunk beds and we a double room next door. As previous reviews have said, the rooms are basic, but the beds comfortable. We shared the shower and toilet and both were a short distance opposite our rooms but outside. It is all about... More