We have stayed at several bed and breakfasts in the Nuevo Arenal area and definitely check to see if there is a room available with Cathy and John first. Their knowledge of the area is outstanding, so if you don't know what you want to do, they share their great ideas. If you prefer to sit and watch (or feed)... More

Joyce and I loved John and Cathy and their place so much we stayed 3 nights instead of one! Their 3 Great Danes made me not miss my 3 small dogs so much! Hiking with John to the stream one day, driving to the volcano antoher, sitting on the front porch, wonderful fresh fruit & juice-made from her amazing blender!... More

If your idea of travel is staying in a 5 star Mariott with concierge service & cookie-cutter suites, you need to look elsewhere. But once you drive up the tree-lined driveway and the beautiful home of John & Cathy Nicolas appears with the birds and the flowers and the views of Lake Arenal, you will be convinced you have made... More

Chalet Nicholas was one of the highlights of our five day trip! My husband and I are both flight attendants and purposefully booked three completely different places to stay while we were there so we could give our children different experiences while we were on the road in Costa Rica. We stayed in an all-inclusive resort near the beaches, a... More

We had the very good fortune of finding Chalet Nicholas on Trip Advisor and it has been all we had hoped and more! The warmth and comfort of this beautiful home has been wonderful! Quiet and serene......the great danes in residence are warm and friendly....the exotic birds of all shapes and sizes...the beautiful sounds of these exotic birds is just... More

I recently stayed at Chalet Nicholas for the second time. Liked it so much the first time I had to come back. It's a wonderful, warm homey place. We stayed in the upstairs bedroom with two double beds and a bathroom upstairs and downstairs! Love waking up in the morning, getting a big mug of Costa Rican coffee and sitting... More

We highly recommend Chalet Nicholas. We are a couple in our 30s/40s. We planned to spend 4 days at this B&B in early September, but ended up spending 10 days there. John and Cathy Nicholas (owners and residents of Costa Rica for 20+ years) were very hospitable and helpful, and made us feel almost that we were family. We also... More

We spent 10 days in Costa Rica and 4 nights were at Chalet Nicholas. It was a great time there. John and Catherine (owners), Lucas (Tico worker), Mucky, Maya and McGiver (3 Great Danes) make you feel at home. Every morning Catherine and Lucas prepared a delicius breakfast for us (fresh juices and music included) and John invited us to... More

First time to Costa Rica and John and Cathy were fantastic. I loved learning the different fruits, plants and birds of the area from John and Cathy. Very inviting and cozy. Pancakes and fresh juice are amazing!!! Thank you for making our first experience a great one! I hope to return one day. Give the pups big hugs from us!!... More