Hotel Los Lagos La Fortuna Review: Is It Worth Staying Here with Kids?

If you're looking for a family-friendly hotel in La Fortuna, chances are you've already come across Hotel Los Lagos, Spa & Resort. With hot springs, waterslides, volcano views and a location close to many of La Fortuna's biggest attractions, it regularly appears on lists of the best places to stay with kids.

We stayed at Hotel Los Lagos with our 7-year-old son Joshua during the adventure portion of our Costa Rica trip and, honestly, it ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the holiday.

Quick Answer: Is Los Lagos Good for Families?

For us, 100% yes. Hotel Los Lagos is an excellent choice for families looking for hot springs, pools, waterslides, volcano views and a great base for exploring La Fortuna without paying luxury resort prices.

The rooms are clean and comfortable rather than luxurious, but that's not why you stay here. The real highlights are the hot springs, pools, swim-up bar and fantastic location close to La Fortuna's main attractions.

Breakfast was included, started early enough for activity days and offered plenty of choice for families. We also ate dinner at the hotel both nights because the food was surprisingly good and much more reasonably priced than we'd expected.

Joshua's highlight was the waterslides and pineapple mocktails from the swim-up bar. Ours was probably relaxing in the hot springs with views towards Arenal Volcano.

If Los Lagos sounds like the kind of hotel you're looking for, you can check the latest prices and room availability here.

Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend places and services we'd genuinely use again as a family.

Is Hotel Los Lagos in a Good Location?

Yes — this was one of the biggest reasons the hotel worked so well for us.

Hotel Los Lagos sits just outside La Fortuna and provided a fantastic base for exploring the area. Most of the attractions we visited were only a short drive away, including:

• Mistico Hanging Bridges

• La Fortuna Waterfall

• Arenal Volcano

• Sloth and wildlife experiences

The location meant we could spend active mornings exploring and still be back at the hotel in time for lunch and an afternoon in the hot springs. The only thing worth knowing is that it isn't really walkable into town, which is why I'd recommend having a hire car.

If you're still planning your route, see How to Plan a Costa Rica Family Trip: Our La Fortuna & Beach Route.

What Are the Rooms Like?

The rooms were comfortable, clean and a good size for a family, although I wouldn't describe them as luxurious. In fact, if I'm being completely honest, the rooms were probably the least impressive part of the hotel.

Our room included:

• One double bed

• One single bed for Joshua

• Air conditioning

• Small fridge

• Tea and coffee facilities

• Basic toiletries

One thing I found slightly unusual was the lack of natural light. The room felt darker than many hotels we've stayed in, and a larger window would have improved it significantly. That said, we hardly spent any time indoors.

The room was quiet to sleep in (apart from some wildlife noises!), comfortable and practical, which is really all we needed. We also had parking immediately outside, which made loading and unloading the car incredibly convenient.

What I loved most was stepping outside and seeing tropical greenery everywhere, with occasional views towards Arenal Volcano.

Pools and Hot Springs: The Main Reason to Stay Here

This is where Hotel Los Lagos really shines. If you're choosing between hotels in La Fortuna, I genuinely think the pools and hot springs are one of the biggest reasons to book Hotel Los Lagos.

The resort has multiple pools and hot springs, ranging from smaller thermal pools to larger swimming areas suitable for families. The hot springs themselves were warm rather than extremely hot, which actually suited us quite well. Fifteen or twenty minutes at a time felt perfect before moving to another pool.

Hot Springs & Volcano Views

One of the most memorable things about Hotel Los Lagos was sitting in the hot springs with views towards Arenal Volcano. It sounds simple, but it felt incredibly special.

The Swim-Up Bar

This quickly became one of our favourite parts of the hotel. We spent an entire afternoon moving between the pools and ordering snacks, pineapple mocktails and the occasional cocktail from the swim-up bar. The prices were surprisingly reasonable, and the pineapple drinks became such a highlight that Joshua now expects every hotel in the world to serve mocktails inside pineapples.

Night Swimming

One thing we didn't expect was how much we enjoyed the pools after dark. The pools stay open later into the evening, and swimming at night surrounded by tropical gardens and steam rising from the hot springs felt genuinely magical.

Interestingly, the hotel never felt particularly busy during the day, even during the August holidays. Most guests seemed to be out exploring La Fortuna and returned to the pools later in the afternoon and evening. There were plenty of sun loungers, shaded seating areas and lifeguards around the main pool areas.

Waterslides

Joshua absolutely loved the waterslides. They're not giant waterpark-style slides, but they're fast enough to be fun and gave him plenty of entertainment between activities.

If Los Lagos sounds like your kind of family hotel, it's worth checking the latest room rates before booking. We found it offered exceptional value for the facilities included, especially the hot springs, pools and volcano views. You can view current prices and availability here.

Food at Hotel Los Lagos

Food exceeded our expectations.

Breakfast

Breakfast was included and served buffet-style. There was plenty of variety for both adults and children, including cooked options, fruit, pastries and cereals. The early opening time was particularly useful because many La Fortuna activities start in the morning.

Dinner

We ate dinner at the hotel both nights. Originally we'd planned to explore town, but we honestly didn't feel the need. The food was good, prices were reasonable and after a day of activities it was simply easier to stay on site.

Our favourites included:

• Steak dishes

• Local curries

• Traditional Costa Rican options

Joshua, meanwhile, was perfectly happy with chicken and chips, proving that some children remain wonderfully predictable wherever they are in the world.

What Kids Love About Hotel Los Lagos

If you ask Joshua, Hotel Los Lagos was one of his favourite parts of Costa Rica.

The biggest highlights were:

• The waterslides

• The hot springs

• Swimming after dark

• Spotting wildlife around the resort

• Views of Arenal Volcano

• Pineapple mocktails from the swim-up bar

It struck a brilliant balance between providing enough excitement for children while still feeling relaxing for parents.

How Much Does Hotel Los Lagos Cost?

One of the most surprising things about Los Lagos was just how much value we got for the price.

When we visited in August 2024, we paid approximately £122 per night for a family room with two queen beds, August 2026 prices were actually cheaper at £110 per night.

Considering that included:

• Accommodation

• Breakfast

• Hot springs

• Pools

• Waterslides

• Volcano views

we thought it represented excellent value.

You can check the latest Hotel Los Lagos prices and room availability here.

For more context on our overall holiday budget, see How Much Does Costa Rica Cost for a Family?.

Downsides of Los Lagos

Honestly, there isn't a lot to complain about. The main downside is that the rooms are fairly basic compared to the quality of the facilities elsewhere in the resort. If you're looking for a luxury hotel experience, there are more upscale options in La Fortuna. However, for us, the pools, hot springs, location and family-friendly atmosphere more than made up for that.

How Many Nights Should You Stay?

For most families, I'd recommend 2–3 nights at Hotel Los Lagos.

That gives you enough time to enjoy the hotel itself while still exploring some of La Fortuna's biggest attractions, including Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, wildlife experiences and the Arenal Volcano area. More importantly, it gives you time to actually enjoy the pools and hot springs rather than treating the hotel as just somewhere to sleep.

We stayed for two nights and felt it worked really well, but if we'd had an extra day, we would happily have spent it in La Fortuna. There is far more to do than most families can fit into a short stay, especially if your children enjoy nature and outdoor activities.

If you're planning your itinerary, I'd suggest using Los Lagos as your base and picking a handful of key activities rather than trying to do everything. Our guide to Best Things to Do in La Fortuna with Kids: 12 Family-Friendly Attractions compares the activities we'd prioritise and which ones are best for different ages.

For a complete route, see 3 Days in La Fortuna with Kids: Family Itinerary for Volcanoes, Waterfalls, Zip Lining & Hanging Bridges, where I show how we combined the highlights with plenty of downtime at the hotel.

Tips for Staying at Los Lagos with Kids

Before you arrive, I'd recommend:

• Bringing flip-flops

• Packing swimwear for multiple swims a day

• Taking lightweight rain jackets

• Hiring a car if possible

• Planning at least one evening in the hot springs

• Using the hotel as your base for La Fortuna activities

For more packing advice, see Costa Rica Packing List for Families: What to Pack in Rainy Season.

Final Verdict: Would We Recommend Los Lagos for Families?

Absolutely. Los Lagos isn't a luxury resort, but that's not what makes it special. What makes it special is the combination of family-friendly pools, hot springs, volcano views, waterslides and a fantastic location close to La Fortuna's biggest attractions.

It's one of those hotels where the memories come from the experience rather than the room itself. For our family, those memories included night swims, volcano views, waterslides and more pineapple mocktails than were probably necessary.

Would we stay again? Without hesitation.

If you're planning a family trip to La Fortuna, you can check the latest Hotel Los Lagos prices and availability here. It remains one of the best-value family hotels we've stayed in and a place we'd happily return to.

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About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.