Grupotel Orient

The sauna and swimming pool were the highlights, well kept and relaxing after a long day. The hotel is also only a five-minute walk from Arenal beach and lots of clubs and restaurants. The rooms were small, and the view was pretty average, so don't expect anything luxurious. A decent stay overall, though the room experience could be better.

The buffet was delicious every day, the beds were fantastic, the rooms were clean, and the staff were super friendly. The walls are thin enough that you can hear your neighbors, so light sleepers might want earplugs. We were also a little confused about checkout time. Otherwise, it was a really great stay!

The pool was a nice place to cool off and relax in the afternoon, and the hotel itself was pleasant. Our room faced a green, natural woodland and was very quiet. I was there in May 2025. Meals were good, with a different buffet each day, from burgers and sushi to grilled fish and tacos. It got a little noisy when the dining room was full, though we never had to wait for the buffet. There’s a small shop about a five-minute walk away. The location is peaceful, with no noise from Beer-king or megaparc, even though both are roughly a 15-minute walk away.

We spent €180 on a night we never wanted to stay, and weren’t offered compensation. We had planned to leave after finding the hotel dirty and lacking basic toiletries, but the night receptionist raised his voice and said nobody could process a checkout or refund until morning. We felt trapped. After nearly an hour of waiting at reception around 8 AM, a kind woman from the Czech Republic handled our complaint politely. She was the only reason I’d give this place even 2 stars. It doesn’t deserve 4. We arrived around 11:30 PM after a long journey. The hotel is far from the beach, and the common areas looked neglected. Reception was extremely slow and unhelpful. The elevator was dirty, full of trash and scratched up, the hallway on our floor was dirty too, and our room was small and unimpressive. When I went to shower, there was no shower gel, shampoo, or soap. I reported it downstairs. The older man on the night shift pulled a dusty bottle of shower gel from under the counter and handed it to me without an apology or explanation, as if that were normal. When I said we wanted to cancel and leave, explaining that dirty facilities and missing hygiene basics were unacceptable for a 4-star hotel, he was rude and arrogant, and offered no solution or apology. We also had to step around drunk tourists carrying beers. We’ll never make that mistake again. We spent the rest of our trip at Hotel Helios, a 3-star hotel that was far better, not even comparable. Shame on this hotel, especially the night receptionist. He should seriously consider a different career.