Arenal Backpackers Resort

7.5

Outstanding(1,054 Reviews)

Hostel in La Fortuna

5-Star Hostel

Reasons to book

Includes essentialsGarden, Pool, Air conditioner and more

Book with confidenceWe partner with the top travel sites so you know you're getting a great deal on the perfect rental

About this hostel

Located 3.6 km from the slopes of the Arenal Volcano, this hostel offers its guests complimentary Wi-Fi access, luggage storage, and a snack bar. The property also has an outdoor pool.

Amenities

Pool

Air conditioner

Internet / Wifi

Parking

Balcony or Patio

Garden

Map of La Fortuna

Nearby attractions

Sky Adventures Arenal Park

10.6 mi

100% Aventura

24 mi

Sky Adventures Monteverde Park

22.9 mi

Alberto Manuel Brenes Park

46.9 mi

Available Rooms

1 Bunk • 430 ft²

Sleeps 1

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

1 Double • 96 ft²

Sleeps 2

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

2 Double • 322 ft²

Sleeps 4

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

1 Queen • 96 ft²

Sleeps 2

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

2 Queen • 430 ft²

Sleeps 4

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

££££

Arenal Backpackers Resort

££££

7.5

Outstanding(1,054 Reviews)

Hostel in La Fortuna

5-Star Hostel

Reasons to book

Includes essentialsGarden, Pool, Air conditioner and more

Book with confidenceWe partner with the top travel sites so you know you're getting a great deal on the perfect rental

About this hostel

Located 3.6 km from the slopes of the Arenal Volcano, this hostel offers its guests complimentary Wi-Fi access, luggage storage, and a snack bar. The property also has an outdoor pool.

Amenities

Pool

Air conditioner

Internet / Wifi

Parking

Balcony or Patio

Garden

Map of La Fortuna

Nearby attractions

Sky Adventures Arenal Park

10.6 mi

100% Aventura

24 mi

Sky Adventures Monteverde Park

22.9 mi

Alberto Manuel Brenes Park

46.9 mi

Available Rooms

1 Bunk • 430 ft²

Sleeps 1

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

1 Double • 96 ft²

Sleeps 2

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

2 Double • 322 ft²

Sleeps 4

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

1 Queen • 96 ft²

Sleeps 2

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

2 Queen • 430 ft²

Sleeps 4

You'll be directed to Booking.com for availability & pricing

Reviews

7.5

Outstanding(1,054 Reviews)

100% verified reviews

5.0

Aug 2024

Much better options elsewhere.

Moving into another room from the capsule. The private room with bathroom was lovely with the exception of the two roaches I killed (but I totally get that's to be expected in the tropics). Even the tent was so much better than the capsule with room to spread out and the temperature in it was still nice at night even in July. Staff was for the most part pretty unhelpful except for the guy in the kitchen and the younger girl at check in who was lovely.

The capsule room is a cool concept but not in functional reality. There is NO space to hang anything to dry. They will tell you there are hooks outside of the capsule and a clothesline, but they are all outside with no cover. If it rains your stuff stays wet constantly. Showers for capsules don't drain and no hooks in shower rooms. There is not even a kettle anywhere to make a cup of tea.

10.0

Mar 2024

Loved it

Awesome staff, location, facilities, and comfortable beds. 5/5

8.0

Mar 2024

Very nice concept, beautiful and peaceful hostel!

- Big nice pool with good temperature and beautiful gardens - Cylinders are a cool concept with good working AC - Good WiFi - Warm showers - Quiet and peaceful at night and throughout the day - Great location! No loud music from other establishments as in the center. Yet it is walking distance to the center area - Breakfast available

- The cylinders are really small and impractical. Very difficult to store things in and out. Good for one night only, then I suggest changing to a proper room - no working lights in the showers and toilets - cleaning could improve

8.0

Aug 2023

Circle time

We stayed in a circle (pod) and it was really comfy. The complex was great. It has the best showers out of all our stays in CR. Pool area was great too.

The power went off for a few hours one night which made the pod unbearable but this is a hazard of Costa Rican life and the hotel can't do much about it.

8.0

Aug 2023

Okay but need a revamp

The pool it’s nice. The location is okay as it is close to everything by walking.

The hotel has great potential but it seems it lacks a bit of maintenance and updates of the premises. The room was big but lack of furniture and the bed was old and the mattress not very comfortable. Changing the furniture and give a revamp of the rooms would make a huge difference. The bar did not have a good vibe, it would need freshening up. It would be good to have a proper shared kitchen as on a hostel people expect it. People at reception were okay but did not seem very enthusiastic and happy to help. They tried to sell their tour packages but if asking recommendations in general they were not willing to help much.

7.0

Jul 2023

Nice but slightly underwhelming for the price and expectations

Cylinder room was cute, fun to stay in and good air conditioning. Good shower system. Clean pool. Good location to do tours, and the staff helped to book a tour.

It didn't really feel like a resort, even for backpackers. Cafe/bar was VERY basic, not many facilities other than the pool. Was also very quiet. There is also a photo of a venue in the booking.com photos which was not part of the facility, so slightly disappointing. Staff seemed untrusting, e.g. didn't let us have an extra towel when they had given us one between two people, didn't let us check in before the check in time when many rooms were obviously empty and ready, wouldn't let us book our place a tour until we gave them the money upfront (we needed a cash machine). Made a very weird vibe, felt a bit like an inconvenience to them whenever we asked for something.

9.0

May 2023

gorgeous resort for a hostel!

friendly staff and a beautiful pool and bar lounge/common area to hang out in. lots of plantation throughout the property which really keeps it feeling very vibrant! i didn't stay in one of these, but the secret garden that has the cylinder tube rooms was just gorgeous. and it was nice to be able to walk the beautifully lit paths in the evening. also AC in the dorms at night was just amazing! clean comfy dorms with ensuite bathrooms but also many showers and toilets throughout the property in case it is busy

7.0

May 2023

Good

killer pool¡

small cramped dorm rooms

8.0

Apr 2023

Very good

The pool was nice and the cylindrical rooms looked azing, airco worked great.

There was really little space in the room. Keep in mind you have to open the door to get your luggage. Also the hostel was pretty quiet after 9pm. Expected more people to hang out at the bar.

10.0

Apr 2023

Definitely the place to be whether it’s a short or long stay! Absolutely phenomenal!

Beautiful spaces, friendly and helpful staff and super tidy facilities!

8.0

Apr 2023

really clean, nice accommodation with a good location

good location, really clean and nice common area

5.0

Apr 2023

Claustrophobic 'Cylinder rooms'

Could be an amazing place for backpackers but people in their 30s might find it a bit too loud and uncomfortable (the cylinder room). The stuff was very nice and helpful! The location was great as well, a few minutes walking to some nice local restaurants nearby. Nice pool and bar (although the music was a bit too loud at times)

The cylinder room we stayed at was just too small - there is almost no space apart from bed - whenever we needed to find something in the backpack we needed to step outside and jump into bed afterwards. The mechanical ventilation is the only way to ventilate the room - it is quite loud for something hovering over your head as you sleep.

10.0

Apr 2023

As a first time female solo traveler, I felt safe and comfortable during my 5 night stay at ABR.

Kaylee and Jason were so nice and helpful. I liked that the hostel was able to arrange excursions for me. I just had to wake up, get ready and wait for the shuttles to pick me up in the lobby. I was pretty much able to do everything I wanted during my stay in La Fortuna. Also the water pressure and hot water from the shower was prefect!!! Unlimited hot water is a huge win! After an all day of hiking and swimming in the waterfalls, I could not wait to go back to the hostel and take a hot shower before bedtime. They also have tiny ACs in the room, which was great! Especially being out all day in the humid weather. I loved that the hostel had a pool which was open pretty much all day everyday. The hostel was pretty quiet all day and all night, which I didn’t mind. I was exhausted after an all day excursions.

I didn’t like that the bar only took cash. I try not to carry too much with me and prefer using my credit card or tap with my phone. The drinks were priced okay. It was two drinks for the price of one. The food was alright. I just wished they took card or else I would have ordered more food and drinks.

6.0

Feb 2023

nice location but go out for food and don’t ask any unwanted questions :)

location is awesome, the street that the hostel is in is packed with restaurants and little shops; rooms were clean and big enough for everyone to have their backpack open

unfortunately the staff is very rude, little questions already annoy them and also ordering a food or a drink at the bar/restaurant seems to piss them off, we then went out for food and only slept at the hostel; prices for breakfast and dinner on booking.com are not up to date, when I mentioned it I got an annoyed answer that they don’t care; overall too expensive for what you get since the rudeness of the staff ruins the experience

7.0

Feb 2023

Cool place but could be improved

What I liked most is the kindness and availability of one of the guys at the reception: I had booked the room in the cylinder and when I arrived and I realized that it was claustrophobic (it's so small!), he was immediately available to find me a solution and tried in every way to help me. The place is overall very nice, the rooms with private bathroom are comfortable and spacious but they could be a little more comfortable. For example: some samples and something to hang clothes on, could be small improvements that would give great pleasure to guests :) In the end, I only stayed two days instead of three, as I had booked, and I greatly appreciated the offer to use at least part of the amount left over from my already paid reservation, for my two light breakfasts and one salad and two beers one evening. Kindness that I paid for by enduring the gratuitous rudeness of the kitchen attendant.

First: the cylinder room, potentially very original, should be specified that it could be felt claustrophobic and uncomfortable by someone: it's as wide as a mattress, that there is not a single internal hook to hang a dress or a towel, not even a shelf. You have to leave everything on the floor, under the bed, which isn't exactly a great solution. Also, in a place where it practically always rains, putting the only hangers outdoors is pointless. Second: the private rooms (rate $150) should have guaranteed some peace and quiet and shouldn't be next to the dorms, which make noise until 2am. Rules of silence should be established. The second day I slept in the tent, which is an excellent solution to have a little more silence. I also didn't like having to wait 1 hour for breakfast on the day I was leaving. Last but not least, the kitchen attendant was very rude!

6.0

Feb 2023

Pleasant

Clean modern showers, a lot of types of accommodation, fancy pool with slack line

We were accommodated in concrete cylinders. I would say, we are camping type of people, but I would prefer tent than this. Really mouldy, smelly, small place, with AC size which would be enough for small house. It was nearly impossible to use it, we felt like in refrigerator. Yes you can open the doors, but there is missing some net against mosquitos. So we were sleeping in closed warm cylinder full of mould smell. Sum it up, funny good looking idea, but thanks, no more. Btw: Buy breakfast in village, 7€ for breakfast in a hostel and you get oily disgusting eggs with one slice of oily ham and 2 pieces of fruit. Name of this breakfast was tropical.

8.0

Jan 2023

Exelente place to stay

Heated bar pool. Awesome guests. Amazing rooms

Unfinished spa would have been nice. A lot of street noises

8.0

Jan 2023

Very good

the location

the cilinder was super small. not hangers on the room. difficult to sleep with the aircon and not ventilation at all.

3.0

Jan 2023

weird vibe and not social

nice location and great pool.

the staff was rude, the bathroom always dirty, very weird vibe bc no common spaces and almost only couples, no one using the pool or trying to make new friends. And there is no kitchen. I didn’t like my stay here

10.0

Jan 2023

Exceptional

this is an incredible place very comfortable

8.0

Jan 2023

Very good

I really liked the vibe out here. It was nice and you really felt welcome. We made a mistake with booking our rooms but they were really helpfull and changed us to another room without any charges. It was close to the center which was also nice and the staff helped us booking tours. I recommend!

The tents had a floor where stuff could get lost under the tents and you could not get it back. This made you aware all the time for your stuff.

8.0

Jan 2023

Good Location and Beautiful secret Garden

Good Location, walking distance to town and many restaurant. i loved staying in the cylander in the beautiful secret garden, the shared shower and bathrooms are very clean.

they only accept cash payments

10.0

Jan 2023

Exceptional

It was amazing! The lodging was a new and great experience. It really felt very special! The service was also amazing, especially the late check-in. The location is also perfect.

Everything was perfect.

8.0

Jan 2023

Arenal Backpackers hostal

Amazing garden with full view of volcano, next to sloth's reservat. 5min walking from center. Rooms are very clean, bathrooms as well. Unlimited hot water which is rarity in hostals around central and south America. Staff were helpful and generous. They offer breakfast and dinner for 7$ which is nice price comparing to restaurants. Would definitely reccomend this hostal.

Only lack of activities. Maybe would be nice to have organized dinners for all or some small parties. And bar was closed while I stayed. But not a big deal, since we all come to go on tours and are tired at the evening anyway.

9.0

Jan 2023

Superb

The property and facilities are amazing, as well as a great location just on the edge of town.The pool and common spaces are really nice.

I felt the staff was not the most helpful in booking and providing guidance. There is a huge opportunity for it to be a space with more community and hang out (re:NYE) but it was sleepy bc staff couldn't create a warm environment

4.0

Dec 2022

Not recommendable for backpackers

This place is a disappointing mix of hostel and hotel. It is not really suitable for backpackers and low-budget travelers, as it has no kitchen and meals are offered at overpriced prices. The staff, was mostly friendly, but could never answer my questions regarding local transportation, laundry service etc. or gave me wrong answers. A towel was only given to me reluctantly upon request, with the words I should not forget to return it. The highlight was that I as a 19 year old woman, alone shared a room with three 50 year old men, one of whom then also very unpleasantly hit on me. I felt very uncomfortable there

9.0

Nov 2022

Great stay

Friendly and helpful staff. Great breakfast. Easy parking. The extra arrangement for the alternative pool since the one on-site is being renovated. Great air-condition. Even for 8 people in the room it cooled down perfectly. Not too cold, not too hot.

Noise of the pool renovations until late at night (past 8pm). Should be over soon though. Also in the rooms the main door would open if you opened the bathroom door. A little weird and maybe not as secure? Nothing happened though and there are lockers for valuable stuff (own lock required).

4.0

Nov 2022

Disappointing

It was quite at night

It was not as expected There was construction and the location was not near the hot springs There was a lot more charge for using a credit card. I would not recommend it to anyone

FAQs

How much does this hostel cost compared to others in La Fortuna?

The average price for a rental in La Fortuna is £51 per night. This rental is £16 less expensive than the average.

Is parking included with this hostel?

Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Arenal Backpackers Resort. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.

Is there a pool at this hostel?

Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at Arenal Backpackers Resort. Enjoy the water!

Is Arenal Backpackers Resort pet friendly?

Unfortunately, this hostel is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"

What amenities are available at Arenal Backpackers Resort?

We found 7 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, air conditioner, internet / wifi, parking, and balcony or patio.

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8.4

Outstanding(270 Reviews)

Campos Arenal Hotel

Arenal Backpackers Resort

Hostel in La Fortuna

Reasons to book

About this hostel

Amenities

Map of La Fortuna

Nearby attractions

Available Rooms

Arenal Backpackers Resort

Hostel in La Fortuna

Reasons to book

About this hostel

Amenities

Map of La Fortuna

Nearby attractions

Available Rooms

Reviews

FAQs

How much does this hostel cost compared to others in La Fortuna?

Is parking included with this hostel?

Is there a pool at this hostel?

Is Arenal Backpackers Resort pet friendly?

What amenities are available at Arenal Backpackers Resort?

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