The centerpiece of the Lodge las Ranas is a bright blue pool, which is beneath the shade of a towering tree and dappled with sunlight. The landscaping incorporates bright pink bougainvillea and red ginger flowers, and the pool is ringed with cushioned wooden lounge chairs and whimsical alligator and frog stone sculptures ("ranas" means frog in Spanish). The hotel attracts mostly couples, who come for the budget rates, private setting, and the chance to unplug and be in touch with surrounding cacophony of nature which includes a multitude of birds and families of howler monkeys.

Days begin beneath the giant palapa roof, which houses the hotel's small lobby and rancho-style restaurant with a towering ceiling strung with white paper lanterns. Guests fuel up on ham and cheese omelets or "tipico" (scrambled eggs with rice and beans and plantains) washed down with Costa Rican coffee before hopping into their rental cars to explore the nearby beaches, many which require a car to access.

Walking to town and the beach is also possible, but it takes about 25 minutes. Those interested in booking excursions such as trips to Monte Verde or Barra Honda Caves can arrange them at the front desk.

While the restaurant doesn't serve lunch or dinner, there are a handful of casual places to dine in the small town of Samara, about a five-minute drive. Nightlife is possible, as there are a few bars and night spots around Samara, but the area is not heralded for its party scene. Most guests turn in early and rise with the sun, and the resounding calls of howler monkeys.

Having GPS will come in handy when trying to find the Lodge las Ranas. The hotel is located off a dirt road, requiring a sharp turn up a steep, narrow driveway. Getting to Samara is also not easy, requiring a two-hour drive from the airport in Liberia or four-plus hours to get to the airport in San Jose.

• Five-minute drive to Samara
• Seven-minute drive to Playa Samara
• 10-minute drive to Playa Buenavista
• 15-minute drive to Carrillo
• 50-minute drive to Nosara Airport
• 1-hour, 30-minute drive to Barra Honda National Park
• 2-hour drive to the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Liberia
• 2-hour drive to Tamarindo
• 4-hour drive to Arenal Volcano National Park
• 4-hour, 30-minute drive to the Juan Santamaria International Airport, San Jose

Set in two-story white buildings that are built into a steep hillside, the hotel's 10 rooms consist of Standard Rooms with a queen-size bed and seating in a small alcove or Triple Rooms with a queen-size bed and a twin bed tucked into the alcove. One room with a kitchenette is available. 

The rooms feature a soft, neutral color palette that reflects the hotel's jungle-like surroundings. They are styled with coffee-colored tile floors, vaulted ceilings with exposed dark wood (in top-floor rooms), and thick wood entry doors. The bamboo canopy beds are draped with gauzy fabric and finished with perfectly tucked white linens and coverlets in solid soft taupe or in a sage green striped fabric with matching pillow shams. Towels shaped into tight pinwheels are placed neatly on the beds.

A few steps from the foot of the beds, large glass doors open to private balconies bordered by thick tree-branch railings and furnished with two rocking chairs. Arguably the best feature of the rooms, the private balconies feel as if they are floating among the tree tops, offering guests up-close views of resident birds and howler monkeys. In the distance, across the dry landscape of Samara, guests also have views of Playa Buenavista and the Pacific.

Other amenities include closets finished with wooden shutter doors, air-conditioning, mini-refrigerators, and coffeemakers with packages of Britt coffee. The bathrooms feature river-rock tile floors, single vanities with white raised vessel sinks, shelving with small safes, and walk-in showers with glass-block accent walls. The baths are also stocked with small bars of soap and shampoo but they lack hairdryers.

The small, intimate lodge lacks the multitude of features found at typical resort-style properties. Guests enjoy hot breakfasts included in the room rate, along with a lovely pool with sufficient cushioned lounge chairs set beneath tiki umbrellas. The greatest feature of Lodge las Ranas, however, are the views. From the balconies off the rooms, guests are at the level of the tree canopy, allowing them to be close to birds and howler monkeys.