Costa Rica Decisions

Too bad about the Serena properties. I got around Costa Rica in shared vans and several of the solo travelers used these hostels and enjoyed all the extra activities and ease of booking tours.
I don't know the other locations, and didn't use the links. Sorry, as a first time poster, we won't want to trust them. Amor Arenal is waaaaaay beyond a Serena budget.
I used Booking dot com for almost all accommodations, as I wasn't prepared to book direct and be required to lay most in fill 30 days prior to arrival. Booking had better cancellation options. I am a nature lover so was excited to even be able to book a research station stay via Booking.
I did one AirBnB (though I have used many elsewhere in the past). It was adjacent to a sloth reserve and just a long block to LA Fortuna main street.
I found that tours and van shuttles had a default of 2 people to book on line, but emailing them got me the trips and bookings I wanted. You want to be a little flexible on tour/activity dates as they need to review which would have spaces for 1.
Bussing any distance is complicated as each route is run by a different company, and not always near each other or well coordinated.

We did a family vacation to Costa Rica in February, splitting our time between La Fortuna and Uvita. There were some great activities in the La Fortuna/Arenal area but we preferred our time in Uvita which also included visiting Manuel Antonio. Definitely need a car and since we were a group of 7 (5 twenty something children and parents) we had 2 house rentals, both great and the one in Uvita was spectacular. There have been other Costa Roca posts, it’s a pretty popular destination for Americans, Canadians and Brits in particular but you probably need to reword your question and not just use a link to possible hotels for more specific replies and trip information.

Yes, I have, as have others on this forum.

Here is a search that brings up posts about Costa Rica: https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&filter=Travel+Forum&query=costa+rica&utf8=%E2%9C%93

When I went to Costa Rica, I stayed at the following:

In Arenal: Tabacón Thermal Resort and Spa https://www.tabacon.com/ This place would normally have been beyond our budget, but we got a green season deal that included discounted rates, an experience (zipline or hanging bridges) for two, a couples massage, and a dinner (in addition to the included breakfasts every day). Staying at the resort gives guests free admission to the (amazing!) hot springs, admission one-hour earlier than the general public, and admission to an adult, guests-only section. We loved it!

In Manuel Antonio:

1. Arenas del Mar https://www.arenasdelmar.com/ We chose this place for a few nights only because our first choice in Manuel Antonio wasn't available for the entire time we wanted to stay. So, we split our visit between the two places. Arenas del Mar was wonderful. It has direct beach access to a quiet beach. It's not a "private" beach (don't think that's allowed in Costa Rica), but because it's a bit challenging to get to other than going through the extensive hotel property, it tends to be used mainly by hotel guests. There are two pools: one at the beach and one near the main building. The grounds have all kinds of wildlife there: sloths, monkeys (at least two types), capybaras, frogs, etc. We did a night walk tour offered by the hotel, and it was great. We also had a baby sloth climb down from a tree right near us to have a poop. The staff was wonderful. They knew all the guests by name, and if they knew of wildlife to see, they'd let us know and even offer to take us to the spot.
2. Costa Verde https://costaverde.com/ This was our top choice in Manuel Antonio, and it was a fun experience. We stayed in the Cockpit Cottage--an airplane cockpit that has been converted into a cottage suspended in the jungle, accessible by a bridge. We were very close to Manuel Antonio park and could hear the howler monkeys. We had a sloth in a tree right near our deck, and, one day, monkeys on our roof, peeking in our windows. LOL. There is more than one pool here, too. We spent most of our time at the adult pool that has lovely ocean views. Watch out for the iguanas that will steal your fries, and the monkeys that do high wire tricks above the pool.

San José: Alameda Cariari https://alamedacariari.lodgify.com/ We stayed here only overnight, before our flight home, but it was lovely, and it would have been nice to spend another day there.

Hi BB
When I looked up Costa Rica I didn't see a lot of relevant posts - But I may have missed one or looked in the wrong place.

Thanks so much for this amazing info

I am happy to read about other peoples positive experiences about Uvita - this is where Vayu Retreat Villas is - so I think this is a good option. And we will definitely have a car .. I can't imagine using buses.

Selina - I just like the vibe of backpackers to break up mu social interaction - but Amor Arenal ooks heavenly

I find with B dot com they have higher prices than the actual direct booking website .. so I prefer to book Direct and save some money that way ! If I have left my CC details on file they can charge my CC anyway .. so .. why not just save some money and book direct !

timeout,
Booking .com is a good place to start your research, and mainly focus on the reviews. I sort by most recent for up-to-date opinions. Also, the photos give me an idea of the venue. You can go to the hotel website to find better prices, perhaps, and reserve there.