We enjoyed two fabulous nights at The Springs Resort and Spa in Costa Rica and loved every minute of our time there! We had high expectations for the resort that was the host hotel for ABC’s The Bachelor in Costa Rica and E! Entertainment’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians. CNN Travel featured The Springs in Costa Rica as one of the seven resorts with the Most Spectacular Views in the World and one of 14 of the “world’s most outrageous/spectacular hotel pools.” Even more important than media fame, we wanted a luxury resort in Costa Rica that was family-friendly, would keep our kids entertained, and allow us quality time together. The Springs Resort and Spa Costa Rica delivered, big time! We had so much fun that we didn’t even leave the resort for 2 days! We share all the details on this luxurious kid-friendly resort, arguably the best family resort in Costa Rica, in our review of The Springs Resort and Spa at Arenal.

**Our WTA score represents our own views based on our personal experience with the entity being reviewed.

The Springs Resort and Spa Costa Rica Review

Overview of The Springs Resort and Spa in Costa Rica

The Springs Resort and Spa encompasses a vast 165 acres on a mountain ridge 1000 feet above the Arenal Valley. Thanks to its high elevation, the resort enjoys a pleasant breeze and the best view of Arenal volcano you can find. This luxury boutique hotel is one of the best 5 star resorts in Costa Rica. It is also one of the best luxury resorts in Costa Rica for families, since there are so many fun things to do with kids on the property.

The Springs boasts the best hot springs in Costa Rica, complete with a monkey slide that our kids absolutely adored! Okay, I’m not gonna lie, we loved it too! Their 14,000 sq ft Sanctuary Spa is the best spa in Costa Rica with treatments to relax the mind, body and spirit using botanicals from the rainforest and volcanic clay.

There’s also Club Rio, a riverfront activity center on the property, with adventures families will love such as tubing, kayaking, horseback riding, rock climbing, an animal sanctuary and more! If you seek a mixture of blissful relaxation and thrilling adventure on vacation, then this is the best resort in Costa Rica for you! In fact, their motto is “this is where “vacation” is truly defined”, and we couldn’t agree more. We loved visiting with our kids and could argue it is the best family resort Costa Rica offers. However, it is also a popular wedding and honeymoon destination and makes for a great romantic getaway. It’s rare for a resort to be able to pull off being both kid-friendly and extremely romantic, but they do it well!

Warm Welcome at The Springs Resort and Spa in Arenal

When we drove up to The Springs Resort in Arenal, we passed through a security checkpoint to make sure we had a reservation. It was reassuring knowing they had security in place since theft is a common crime in Costa Rica. The driveway into the resort was lined with lush tropical plants. The song lyrics “welcome to the jungle” popped into my head. If you’re looking for a rainforest resort in Costa Rica, you will love The Springs at Arenal. Tropical vegetation is everywhere!

As we walked into the reception area, we were blown away by the spectacular views of Arenal volcano and tropical forest in the open-air lobby. In fact, The Springs Resort at Arenal provides volcano views from every single guest room and beautiful vistas all throughout the property. The volcano plays hide and seek underneath heavy clouds during rainy season, which is when we visited, so we could not see the top. It had an air of mystery during our visit, but we still found it breathtaking!

After a smooth check-in, hotel staff greeted us with welcome drinks. The kids received a mixture of juice and grenadine, and ours were spiked with rum. Delicious! We love a warm welcome, especially when cocktails are involved! 😉

Honeymoon Vista Guest Room

After savoring our welcome drinks, our friendly bellman whisked us away in a golf cart to our room. We stayed in a Honeymoon Vista Guest Room with jaw-dropping views of Arenal Volcano and a private garden terrace with a jacuzzi. He explained the generous amenities in the room and helped us with our luggage. First on our agenda- get into that amazing jacuzzi!

The room was surprisingly spacious, even with the couch pulled out into a sofa bed for the kids. There was also a day bed so the kids didn’t even have to share a bed, which made bedtime easier.

What astonished us was that all guest rooms, even the most basic rooms, are as large as our honeymoon vista room. The basic rooms just don’t have the jacuzzi on the terrace. Here’s the list from their website of what all guest rooms, suites and villas at The Springs include: Private Terrace and/or Balcony, a Picturesque Volcano View, Hammocks, Rocking Chairs, Central Air Conditioning, Luxurious Marbled Bathrooms with Jacuzzi Tubs and Multiple Shower Heads, Latin American Internet Cable Television, Surround Sound Home Theater System with DVD or Blu Ray Player and Mobile Connectivity, Apple TV, Telephone, Wireless Internet Access, In-Room Safe, Mini-Bar Refrigerator, and Coffee Maker. That’s a seriously impressive list of in-room amenities, especially for Costa Rica! Here’s some photos of our beautiful guest room, which featured tall ceilings, nature-inspired decor, and luxurious amenities.

Best Hot Springs Arenal Offers

After making ourselves at home in our luxurious guest room, we headed straight to the hot springs. The 28 mineral laden hot springs of varying temperatures at The Springs are the best hot springs in Arenal Costa Rica. We’d even argue that they are the best hot springs in Costa Rica. Why? They have the highest level of Bicarbonates in the Arenal area, making them the most therapeutic waters around. They are luxurious and beautifullly landscaped in lush tropical rainforest. The Springs boast the best views of Arenal volcano thanks to being on an elevated mountain ridge rather than down in the valley like all the other hot springs in Arenal. Between a swim-up bar, waterfalls, secluded pools you can enjoy all to yourself, and a ridiculously fun water slide (the monkey slide), you won’t ever want to leave. We loved the hot springs so much that we are writing a separate blog post all about them. Check back soon for more about these fabulous hot springs in Arenal!

Spa at The Springs Resort Costa Rica

If you haven’t fully melted away all tension after soaking in the hot springs, there’s the 14,000 square foot spa at The Springs to finish the job. I regrettably did not indulge in a spa treatment during our visit, but took a peak around the spa and found it very tranquil. The spa uses natural ingredients from the rainforest and volcanic clay harvested from the hot springs on the resort, making it the best spa in Costa Rica.

The spa encompasses one entire level of the reception building and includes a fitness room, common lobby where couples can relax together with volcano views, separate men’s and women’s relaxation rooms, nail salon, sauna, steam room, and locker rooms with private showers.

The Sanctuary Spa has a full menu of services to renew the mind, body and soul. Treatments include massages, facials, body wraps, manicures and pedicures. The Springs is the leading spa retreat in Costa Rica so I’m really kicking myself for not pulling myself away from the hot springs long enough to get a massage. Next time! 😉

The Springs Fitness Center

The fitness center is on the same floor as the spa and has an impressive selection of cardio and strength machines and equipment. We were too busy soaking in hot springs to be bothered with working out, but we of course snapped some photos for you all. 😉 They also have water and a bowl of fruit in the fitness room, which is good to know if you need a quick snack for a hungry child.

Game Room for families

Although The Springs does not offer a kids club or babysitting services, they do have a game room where kids and families can play together. The game room has video games, foos ball, table tennis, air hockey, dolls, movies, and an old-fashioned popcorn machine. The game room is located right next to the sushi restaurant, so parents can sit at the bar and enjoy sushi and drinks while kids play right next door. The game room was staffed so we even ordered cocktails and dinner while playing games together and could play until our food arrived.

Dining at The Springs Costa Rica

The resort has 5 restaurants and 5 bars, offering a nice variety of dining and drinking options for families and couples. Las Ventanas (The Windows) offers fine dining in a beautiful room with windows overlooking the mesmerizing view. Since our kids are active and loud, we skipped this fancier restaurant in favor of something more casual.

Treetops Grill serves lunch and dinner pool-side or even from the swim-up bar at La Laguna Pool. We enjoyed a late dinner here when the kids were having too much fun swimming to leave the pool. We didn’t order our food until almost 9pm and loved having the flexibility to eat literally in the pool.

Breakfast is served at Tres Cascades Restaurant and guests can choose to order off the menu or opt for the breakfast buffet. We enjoyed the buffet, which had a nice selection of fruit, made to order smoothies, waffles, pancakes and omelettes, pastries, yogurt, bacon, sausage, fried plantains, rice, and more. The food was very good and we enjoyed the outdoor seating with views of the volcano.

We also ate at Ginger Sushi, which as mentioned has the benefit of being located right next to the Game Room. That way our kids could play video games while we waited for our food. The view of Arenal Volcano from Ginger Sushi is magnificent on a clear day.

The food at the resort was priced reasonably for a 5 star resort in Costa Rica, although you could certainly find cheaper meals at restaurants where locals eat in La Fortuna. However, we enjoyed ourselves at the resort so much that we happily forfeited dining with locals to have more time to enjoy the hot springs and activities at the resort. One thing we really appreciated about the resort is that you can order a burger from the Treetop Grill while dining at Ginger Sushi, or order sushi to be delivered to the swim-up bar. It’s so flexibile which makes pleasing picky children a breeze! Your family doesn’t have to agree on which restaurant you want to eat at since you can order off any menu! Here’s a photo of a few menus to give you an idea of what they offer. FYI- the children’s meals were big enough that our kids, ages 4 and 6, could share one and be full.

Club Rio Costa Rica

Last but not least, don’t miss Club Rio at The Springs! The outdoor activity center sits down at the Arenal River waterfront and offers tons of fun activities for families, couples, or even solo travelers to enjoy. A green school bus takes guests down to Club Rio every half hour, where there is also a restaurant, hot springs, and animal preserve. Choose from tubing, kayaking, rock climbing and rappelling, horseback riding, nature hikes, animal preserve tours, and bird watching. You can also take guided tours into Arenal to visit top attractions like La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano National Park.

Animal Sanctuary at The Springs Club Rio

We took the animal sanctuary tour ($15 per person) and the kids loved seeing toucans up close. One even tried to eat a pom pom off our daughter’s jeans because it must have looked like fruit, which cracked our kids up! Our guide showed us the crocodiles, monkeys, jungle cats, sloths, and other animals native to Costa Rica that have been rescued from poachers or donated for various reasons. We were very fortunate to visit in the afternoon when the sloths were awake and active. They were climbing all over their enclosure, eating leaves and looking cuter than ever!

Family Activities at Club Rio

We planned on tubing on Arenal River but due to the unusually heavy rain the night before, the river was too high to be safe for tubing. So instead we went horseback riding, which our kids loved! The kids wanted to try rock climbing too but we didn’t have enough time for everything. The kids also enjoyed throwing rocks in the rushing Arenal River while we waited for our bus ride back up to the resort.

Conclusion of our review of The Springs Costa Rica

If you’ve stuck with us this whole time, congratulations because this was a long post! We had so much to say and so many photos to share of the best resort Costa Rica has for families who are seeking a combination of relaxation, adventure, luxury, and fun! The Springs Resort and Spa in Costa Rica is an incredible luxury resort in Arenal and a fun-filled destination for families with children. Between the monkey slide, 28 different hot spring pools, Club Rio, and game room, there’s tons of ways to bond as a family. The Springs consistently ranks as one of the best family resorts in Costa Rica. However, we think they should add a children’s program or babysitting services so parents can enjoy a few hours of downtime. If you’re looking for a one-stop vacation destination, then The Springs may be the best resort in Costa Rica for your family. You don’t have to leave the resort and can stay entertained for days!

For more on Costa Rica, also check out our post about the #1 zipline in Costa Rica at Diamante Eco Adventure Park. Read our review of Andaz Costa Rica if you’re looking for a kid-friendly beach resort on Papagayo Peninsula.

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**Disclosure- We were invited guests of The Springs Resort and Spa, but as always all opinions are our own.

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