3 Nights in La Fortuna – Hotels and Activities?

I am planning a couples trip (with at least 4 of us) to La Fortuna & Tamarindo 4/22-4/29/17. We just decided to add La Fortuna / Arenal to our trip based on several recommendation and plan to stay 3 nights there before driving to Tamarindo. We are thinking of starting off at La Fortuna mainly because of the 12:30 departure from LIR on 4/29 and we don’t want to feel rushed getting to the airport; a 1 hour drive from Tamarindo is much easier than a 3 hour from La Fortuna. All that being said, we were considering the same high-end 3 hotels you recommended. We haven’t booked yet and there are reasons to book at all three. Tabacon looks nice, provides the springs, and is the least expensive of all 3; however, the rooms don’t seem to have the Costa Rican feel like Nayara and The Springs do. Nayara is currently our top choice but it doesn’t offer the springs like Tabacon or activities like The Springs. The Springs looks great, but I’ve heard it can feel a bit touristy with the day trippers though we like the option of having hot springs and Club Rio on-site. We were thinking we could stay at Nayara, do a 1-day pass to Club Rio (if you would recommend Club Rio vs another activities outfitter) and we could also do a pass to Tabacon one evening to enjoy their springs as they appear to be the nicest/most popular. Would appreciate your thoughts.
From an activities standpoint, we are all somewhat adventurous adults in our early to mid 40s. We hope to zipline, hike a bit, and enjoy a water activity (tubing or rafting), waterfall rappelling looks cool too but we also want some flexibility to relax and enjoy the surroundings without feeling too planned out. Is it best to secure these type things in La Fortuna when we arrive vs through the hotel to save money? Do you recommend a specific company? Thanks for your suggestions.