this wasn't even the nice room with a balcony we wanted.

we stayed at the arenal observatory lodge, which is by all accounts THE place to see lava, since the flow recently switched directions. the place was built as an observatory by the university of costa rica, but has since been abandoned to its current incarnation as a resort hotel that only tenuously hold on to memories of its higher calling as a scientific outpost. honestly. if it weren't for these views and it's remote location (maybe 5km up a dirt road) there would be very little reason to recommend this place. the food was really terrible, everything was fairly expensive and the place was overrun with really loud american and european families. but come on. look at that view. awesome.