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Concierge.com's insider take:
If you're seeking some serious R&R rather than an eco-lodge, this 114-room resort near Volcán Arenal in the Northern Lowlands is perfect for a spa vacation au naturel, thanks to its natural hot spring–fed pools. There are waterfalls where you can get an outdoor massage; if that's too exposed, the Grand Spa can arrange an alfresco rubdown hidden among tropical flowers. There's the requisite swim-up bar at the main pool, but El Palenque, down the hill in a secluded corner of the hot springs gardens, is a less-crowded watering hole, and all the better for it. The Los Tucanes restaurant serves international fare (roasted salmon with truffle-oil mashed potatoes) and opens onto the pool landscaped with boulders and tropical foliage. The rooms are luxurious, with Georgian-style dark-wood furnishings made by local craftspeople and modern touches such as 40-inch flat-screen TVs. Junior suites have private gardens with whirlpool tubs, but superior rooms have the best views of the volcano.—Updated by Christopher P. Baker
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