Doka Estate

We appreciated the warm welcome we received at the front desk, and the friendly, helpful staff. The breakfast was very good as well, and the area around the pool was well maintained. The hotel is very close to the main road, so we did experience a fair bit of traffic noise. Also, and most concerning for me, the security bar on my room was broken, so there was only a fairly small deadbolt keeping my door secure. I'm not a nervous traveler, but I admit this made me uneasy.

Fabulous stay in a wonderful location. The staff are truly top-notch. Attentive and friendly. Every request was answered with “Of course, with pleasure!”. Food was excellent. Morning coffee with steamed milk delivered to our room early morning so we could sip and watch the sunrise from our balcony. A variety of on-site tours are included. The guides are excellent. Special shout-out to Sandra for finding the small Red-eyed tree frogs during the night tour. Scarlet macaws flying all over the lodge, monkeys everywhere, all sorts of beautiful birds and interesting critters right outside your room. The grounds and views are beautiful. Hike to a waterfall within ten minutes. Pool is nice too. They will take you down to the secluded beach and set you up with chairs and cooler. The beach is beautiful but very rocky. We had the Matapalo suite. Very nice though close to the entrance and main road so the intermittent traffic noise was a minus. We had a small issue with a large wandering spider and then a bark scorpion getting into our bathroom (each just once) but they responded within 3-4 minutes both times. They installed a door sweep on the bathroom door within hours to prevent them entering the bedroom- very speedy response. The view was outstanding however. Overall Lapa Rios is an outstanding lodge with wonderful staff, and I cannot recommend it enough. Five stars.

Thoroughly enjoyed this resort, our home for 6 days. Not pretentious, truly authentic beauty. All staff were not only accommodating, but felt like friends, Joaquin, Luis, Jorge, Fernando, Leah and Justin, to name a few. Large rooms, excellent housekeeping, and restaurant had great options, some excellent ones. Could use more selection in cocktails for all inclusive. Lava springs and foliage/landscaping were the fantastic icing on the cake. Close to nature hikes, wildlife, and excursion options. View of volcano is spectacular, if the clouds cooperate.