The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort

After driving through town and seeing a number of unimpressive (that's being generous) budget hotels along the roadside in La Fortuna, guests staying at the 54-room Royal Corin will be relieved and excited to pull up to such a modern, presentable property. The staff greets guests with a cold towel and a delicious fruit juice concoction, in a lobby that's sleek and contemporary. It's not the top luxury hotel in the area, but for the price, it's a good choice. And on a clear day, the views of the (very) nearby Arenal volcano -- the main draw to this region of Costa Rica -- from the pools and every guest room are just stunning.

The star of the hotel is its pool complex out back, fed by natural spring waters. Of the three main pools, two are filled with warm water, one with cool. The complex also has four hot tubs, some with decorative waterfalls. The whole place is stunningly designed, from the curved pool bar at the center of it all, to the tile loungers rising from the central pool, to the two private lounge chairs cordoned off by tall shrubbery.

The pool area is the hot spot (no pun intended) at the hotel by day, and each evening the terrace of the 5th floor Lava Bar fills up as guests (families and couples alike) settle in to enjoy the view and take advantage of happy hour.

The hotel is located about two miles from downtown La Fortuna de San Carlos, a small town with shops, restaurants and a park. The Royal Corin Resort has breathtaking views of the active, 5,437-feet Arenal Volcano, and is a 25-minute drive from the National Park entrance. (The volcano's last major eruption was in 1968, and there are small tephra eruptions daily, so you’ll need an adventurous spirit to get up close.) It's also a short drive to Waterfall La Fortuna, a 236-foot waterfall.

• 5-minute drive to downtown La Fortuna
• 15-minute drive to Waterfall La Fortuna
• 25-minute drive to Arenal Volcano National Park (open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., $7 entrance fee)
• 45-minute drive to the Venado Caves
• 2.5- to 3-hour drive to Juan Santamaria International Airport

The rooms here are clean and contemporary, and they all have a great view of the volcano and the pool complex below. The bathrooms are surprisingly sleek for a Costa Rican hotel, with red-and-black countertops, a curvy above-counter sink, and a high-tech shower (funky colored lights, a radio that played mostly static, and a rain showerhead).

All rooms include:

• Balcony with great views of volcano
• Sleek bathroom with high-tech shower, toiletries in re-useable dispensers (though not much counter space)
• Flat-screen TV
• Phones in the room and bathroom
• Minibar
• Free Wi-Fi

Room Types:

• Standard Room: King or two queen beds. Of the 42 standard rooms, 30 have king beds and 12 have two queen beds.
• Junior Suite: King bed, sitting area with couch, Jacuzzi for two with built-in TV (though it's in the main room -- not in the bathroom). There are six Junior Suites.
• Master Suite: King bed, large sitting area, stone column TV-console separating living area and bedroom (no complete wall though), Jacuzzi for two with built-in TV (again, it's in the main room). There are six Master Suites.

The Royal Corin has a lot of features for a small hotel. Although most guests won't want to leave the pools, there's a beautiful spa with a serene relaxation area, complete with a koi pond, and an attached outdoor thermal hot tub built into the landscape.

• Loto Spa offers facials ($130 to $245), couples massages (70 minutes for $180), hot stone massages ($95), Swedish massages ($90), and deep tissue massages ($100).
• Pool complex has three main pools and several hot tubs, some with decorative waterfalls, all filled with natural spring waters
• Pool bar, Basalto Bar, open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Emperador Restaurante serves three meals a day. Breakfast buffet is free for guests and is served from 6:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. (Lunch is 12 to 4 p.m. and dinner is 6 to 10 p.m.)
• Indoor-outdoor lobby bar open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Lava Bar (located on the 5th floor) serving food and drinks from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. (happy hour 6 to 8 p.m.)
• Computer with Internet in the lobby
• Local tours can be arranged with prices ranging from $40 to $70 for trips like volcano tour ($49), zip lining ($66), and hanging bridges ($56)
• Hotel shuttle from airport can be arranged ($150 one way)
• Free Wi-Fi throughout hotel