Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa – A Beautiful Hotel in Arenal

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa is one of the most luxurious hotels in Arenal, Costa Rica.  If you’re looking for a great place to stay in Arenal that is beautiful with great amenities, then Tabacón is the place for you. 

Location

Noreste de Centro de la Fortuna de San Carlos 13 Km, Provincia de Alajuela, Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa is located on 900 acres of lush tropical reserve, 15 minutes outside of La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Nearby attractions include, the Arenal 1968 trail which is a 7 minute drive away, and the La Fortuna waterfall which is an 18 minute drive away. 

Our Room at Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

Tabacón offers a variety of rooms. We stayed in an Orchid room with 2 double beds which was spacious and beautifully decorated. As you walk in the door, there is a wardrobe with a built-in bar at the end that has a Nespresso machine, glasses, and a mini fridge. The bathroom features a large walk-in shower complete with a waterfall shower head. This is also where you’ll find your robes and houseshoes. 

On the other side of the double beds, we had a seating area with a large picture window that looked out into some pretty greenery and flowers. 

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Amenities

One of the best parts of staying at Tabacón is having access to their hot springs which cost between $75-$110 to visit with a day pass. The resort and the springs are separate to provide privacy for the guests staying at Tabacón. That being said, there is a guests’ shuttle that picks up and drops off in front of the lobby to and from the hot springs. There are several different pools ranging in temperatures from 72 to 105 degrees fahrenheit. From our experience, the warmest pools are located in the 18+ guest only area of the springs, Shangri-La.

Within the springs area, you’ll also find the Spa at Tabacón.  The spa offers services such as massages, facials, body wraps, exfoliations, and a few other things. Treatments are done in open walled bungalows tucked among the trees for an al-fresco experience. We didn’t get a chance to get a treatment, but it sounds amazing. 

Food + Drinks at Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

There are two restaurants and four bars on the Tabacón property. The restaurant Tucanes and the bars Caña Brava and Bosque Bar are all located on the main property. The restaurant Ave, the poolside bar Agua Ardiente, and the Shangri-La Garden Bar are all located within the springs. 

Tucanes is open for breakfast and dinner, while Ave is open for lunch and dinner. The breakfast served in Tucanes is absolutely amazing. There’s an egg bar where you can get an omelet, scramble, or just simple prepared eggs. Then, you also have a buffet area which has things like bacon, waffles, pancakes, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, freshly made juices, bagels, breads, and more! It’s definitely not your standard, sad hotel breakfast. 

We also enjoyed dinner at Tucanes our first night staying at the resort. The ambiance of the restaurant is amazing at night. The lights are low, and the nearby pool is lit up in fun colors. The cocktails are good, and my lava stone steak was amazing! The exotica dessert was a surprisingly good dessert option.

Ave in my opinion can be skipped. It serves more casual foods such as chicken sandwiches and burgers, none of which is anything to write home about. The only reason to really eat here is if you’re hanging out at the springs all day, but even then the poolside and Shangri-La bars have a small food menu you might be better off trying. Speaking of which, you have to get the pina colada served in a pineapple at Agua Ardiente. 

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The Experience

Staying at Tabacón is a real experience. At check in you’re greeted with a cool, lemongrass towel and welcome drink. Then, a member of the staff will sit down with you and explain all about the property and how everything works. You’re given a wristband that acts as your room key and allows you to pay for stuff around the property. Next, you’ll hop in a golf cart with your luggage to head to your room. 

In your room, there is a tablet that allows you to book reservations for the restaurants on the property, order room service, and more. Also, if you drive to the property and need your car to head out for an activity, they offer complimentary valet service and you can call the front desk to have them grab your car ahead of time.

Overall Thoughts on Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa

All in all, Tabacón is easily the most luxurious place I have ever stayed at, and I would stay there again in a heartbeat. The property is absolutely stunning, and the staff are super helpful and courteous. If you’re trying to figure out where to stay in Arenal, I highly, highly recommend checking out Tabacón. 

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