Essence Arenal Hotel, Spa & Bio Farm

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!!

Great stay at the Arenal Volcano area, with amazing food with veggie and vegan options, multiple daily yoga classes with Thomas and different massage options. The Spa is cozy and with a beautiful view of the Volcano. We had also the chance to experience the Mezcal ritual and the Night Jungle Tour with very passionate and knowledgeable guide Aurelio, highly recommended!

I stayed for a week in Essence on a yoga retreat and felt at home. The people are all lovely, very helpful and welcoming. The yoga classes and instructors were amazing. The food was delicious and healthy (all vegetarian and mostly from their own garden) and they have a different menu theme every night. The surroundings are like paradise, with many trails and beautiful view of the volcano. The spa is nice with view on the lake. I had a cacao tour and night tour at the location with a passionate tour guide. As part of the retreat I had great massages, reiki and a journalling workshop. All the conversations, the journalling, the reiki, the yoga, helped me think of myself, see and treat myself (and others) with more love. It was an amazing experience. I would love to come back some day!!

Outstanding! From the moment we arrived we felt so welcome. Our room has the essentials and a personal touch. The weather changed daily and when the rain came it felt magical. We saw the most amazing sunset on our 2nd night. The food here is amazing! We embraced the vegetarian and vegan cuisine and loved every meal. And I mean EVERY MEAL! You can feel the love and details given by the chef in each dish. Morning Yoga with Michelle was a delight and got me ready for the day! We booked a couple of tours on site - the night tour and the cacau making tour and had the pleasure of meeting Aurelio for both. He is amazing and so passionate about his craft. Don't miss out on that! My absolute highlight was a massage with Tomas. He has an amazing energy which I felt all over and I felt like I was floating at the end. Thank you! This was a wonderful stay from start to finish. I want to come back!!!!

I did a weeklong yoga retreat at Essence and loved it. The mountain setting, with the views over the lake and volcano were amazing. It was peaceful with amazing jungle and wildlife throughout the property, a fantastic permaculture farm (great tour from Aurelio who also took us on a very informative and interesting night tour and birdwatching tour) and the food was always delicious and healthy - I am a vegan and there was wonderful options every day. Michelle was our yoga instructor and she was so lovely and really took the time to get to know us. It was a great experience all around. Also lots of activities on site and close by. Massage, spa circuit (jacuzzi, sauna, Turkish baths), reiki, sloth tours, ziplining, paddle boarding, and more. Highly recommend, no complaints.