I have always been impressed with the hotels of Florida native turned Costa Rican hotelier, Lee Banks. My company, Package Costa Rica, has been sending our customers to the Peace Lodge, an amazing resort located in the heart of the cloud forest in Vara Blanca, for years. Banks has had a stroke of bad luck lately, what with the “double whammy” of the earthquake of January 8th that did serious damage to the Peace Lodge and La Paz Gardens coupled with the economic crisis that has waylaid tourism in the country. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, you can’t keep a “good hotelier” down. The Peace Lodge has now reopened and Banks’ new hotel at the Arenal Volcano, the Springs Resort and Spa, is going strong. I stayed at the Springs this weekend and it is, to put it mildly, impressive. I have had the fortune of staying in many great hotels around the U.S., but I tell you nothing I have experienced surpasses what is awaiting guests at the Springs Resort. Admitted that one unique characteristic is that in every nook and cranny of the hotel you will be staring at the massive Arenal Volcano, one of the most active and beautiful volcanoes on the planet. Banks’ attention to detail is truly extraordinary, as is his penchant for maintaining the absolute highest levels of customer service quality. I guess the property on which the hotel rests was once covered with “caña brava” (or wild sugar cane) because the stalks of the plant have been incorporated into every facet of the hotel, from ceilings, to doors, to light fixtures and fans. The effect is “rustically elegant” and totally gorgeous, but the extent to which it has been used in almost every conceivable item of the hotel is mind boggling. The views offered of the volcano are absolutely second to none (take a peek at the slide show below and see for yourself). The hotel’s pools are fed by underground hot mineral springs of varying temperatures. The spa facilities and exercise rooms are immaculate with the best possible equipment. The hotel features three restaurants and a sushi bar. There is also a casino. In short, the hotel has everything you need and what is so amazing is that all this is located deep in the tropical forest with the 5th most active volcano in the world looming overhead. The overall effect is “maximum exoticness” times ten. Then there are the “perdido springs,” which we didn’t even discover until it was almost time to leave. Perdido Springs (or “lost springs”) are a series of connecting pools and waterfalls fed by underground hot springs in a real tropical jungle setting. This amenity also features an exhilarating water slide and bar. Really cool stuff! The hotel’s rooms are absolutely stunning in rustic decor (and the ever present caña brava), as well as maximum comfort. And every room offers a balcony with a “jaw-dropping” view of the volcano. The place ain’t cheap, with rooms that start in the $365 per night range (breakfast included), but worth every penny. Let’s put it this way, a place like this anywhere in the U.S., or any “developed” country that offers such a beautiful natural setting, would cost three times what Banks is asking. Bottom line is this; if you are coming to Costa Rica and want to visit the Arenal Volcano you must make the Springs Resort your chosen accommodation, or else you’re gonna be sorry.

Note:  The photos below were actually taken on my first visit to the Springs Resort about a year ago and while the hotel was still under major construction, but you can still “get the picture.”

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