Essence Arenal Hotel, Spa & Bio Farm

My daughter and I headed to the Arenal Volcano are for 5 nights in January. I selected Essence Arenal Hotel because it offered yoga on site as well as other spa services/activities and its location near Arenal Volcano National Park, La Fortuna, and other adventure activities which were on our list of things to do in the area. Essence EXCEEDED my expectations! I don't even know where to begin... the beauty, food, service??? All of it! The surrounding beauty will immerse you in the rainforest eco system. The food is not to be missed. We ate every breakfast and dinner on site and completely enjoyed every bite. The restuarant should be a destination in and of itself. We attended yoga twice (loved it) and had massages (delightful!) A highlight of our trip was the nighttime wildlife tour with Aurelio was a once in a lifetime experience. I have to recognize this amazing staff who made every touchpoint memorable especially our friend, Manfred in the restaurant. A warm thanks to Johelin who helped coordinate before arrival, Nicola who greeted us upon arrival, Alejando and Kay for their yogic guidance, Chritina and Alejandro for relaxing massages, Rudda and Jairo for their on point service. I know there are many others working behind the scenes to make this resort a destination like no other. WE WILL BE BACK!

What an amazing place and one that we would recommend if you are a digital nomad, earthy and spiritual with a hint of liking great organic food. Their food mainly comes from their own eco farm and fresh fruit in the morning is to die for. It’s all vegan and vegetarian and they have theme nights related to the food of the day. The three tours run by Aurelio are really exceptional delivered with passion and enthusiasm. The bird, wildlife and cacau are the three tours. He has learnt so much from his professor and the indigenous people of Costa Rica. The tours show how interconnected life is with nature and how we have abused it as well. It’s an inspiration and mind changing. There’s also a real social connection with people that come here who have the same core values. Yoga, Spa, massage, Reiki, great food and sharing of stories and experience. We had some spontaneous hot springs sessions at 5.30am with two people who were staying there We didn’t really want to leave, it started as a three day stay and we kept adding more until we were here for 6 days. It’s a special place I’ve posted four photos, three dishes and the canvas tent that has a balcony over looking the bamboo forest.

Essence Arenal provided a fantastic experience for me during my solo long weekend getaway to relax and recharge. I tried every activity available and enjoyed each one immensely. The staff were incredibly kind and pleasant, the food was fantastic, and the location is stunningly gorgeous. I absolutely recommend Essence Arenal.

I went to Essence Arenal not really sure what to expect. What I received was amazing service, great experiences and a very restful stay! From the check in with Nichola, to Yoga with Alejandro and the Cacao Tour and Night time Jungle walk with Aurelio, it was awesome. I can’t say enough about Aurelio’s knowledge and passion for what he does. He is a true gem and big asset for the resort. I highly recommend doing all of the experiences, especially if you have an interest in learning about the ecology of the area.

I am very glad to discover Essence Arenal BioFarm and Spa as a place where I can "retreat". I came this February 2024, this is peak season for Costa Rica and yet they offer reasonable Yoga Retreat Packages which includes 02 yoga sessions per day, 01 massage, 01 hour private Spa Circuit that provides a breath taking view of the Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano ; PermaCulture Farm Tour; Cacao Familiarization Tour and full board delicious, artistically crafted Vegetarian Meals. The culinary expertise of Chef Maria and Chef Gabriel is truly exceptional. They create delicious 03 course vegetarian meals using local ingredients and provides international flavors to it. Their plating and presentation skills are of a Fine Dining Restaurant. On top of this, their serving seems to have been carefully thought of. The portioning is just perfect to fill one's hunger. From my arrival experience that is with their Transportation Partner - Luis Angel and Stephanie who transports their guests safely to and from various airports across the main island of Costa Rica that is San Jose and Liberia. The transportation service they provide is also exceptional. The whole team of Essence Arenal headed by Jairo and from Wendy, Lena, Deborah, Mauricio (Front of House Team) ; Resident Tour Guide - Aurelio ; Yoga and Meditation Facilitators - Inna and Alejandro ; Resident Masseuse Johanna - they all have been A-MAZING at what they do. They provide affordable laundry services as well as housekeeping service on a daily basis. The team at Essence Arenal is a group of warm hearted people who are passionate at what they do. The "Luxury" that is expected from a 05 star hotel, I have experienced at Essence Arenal and even more. The concept of the CEO - Niko Boutifer is really great. He is a "promoter" of Sustainable Tourism. He preserved the rainforest and also created an organic farm and so they offer a "Farm to Table" dining experience. The dishes they serve are all freshly picked from their organic farm which is also inside the Eco Resort. I am very glad to discover Essence Arenal BioFarm and Spa as a place where I can "retreat". I came this February 2024, this is peak season for Costa Rica and yet they offer reasonable Yoga Retreat Packages which includes 02 yoga sessions per day, 01 massage, 01 hour private Spa Circuit that provides a breath taking view of the Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano ; PermaCulture Farm Tour; Cacao Familiarization Tour and full board delicious, artistically crafted Vegetarian Meals. The culinary expertise of Chef Maria and Chef Gabriel is truly exceptional. They create delicious 03 course vegetarian meals using local ingredients and provides international flavors to it. Their plating and presentation skills are of a Fine Dining Restaurant. On top of this, their serving seems to have been carefully thought of. The portioning is just perfect to fill one's hunger. From my arrival experience that is with their Transportation Partner - Luis Ange

I can't even begin to describe how magical, refreshing, and rejuvenating Essence Arenal is. From the beautiful location and gorgeous glamping, to the endless activities (paddle boarding, hiking the hanging bridges, yoga 1-2 times a day, & more), to the relaxing opportunities (massages and daily spa access and a pool), to the DIVINE food (there's a chef on site that cooks a decadent 3 course vegetarian meal with stuff from the farm on-site from a different country every night), and best of all the people!! Both the people who work here and the people you will have the pleasure of befriending while in an environment like this. Everyone here went so far above and beyond to make my week here perfect, and I truly thank them. Thank yourself by booking here -- and whatever time you are thinking about staying, double it!!