Nice place but not 5star

My husband and I came here on our honeymoon. We had heard a lot of good things and recommendations on coming here, but my honest opinion is we wouldn't come back. The good things: we had a honeymoon suite room which was very clean and nice. Had a beautiful ocean view. The resort is clean. The weather was hot. The excursions are worth it. ( we did the Vandara one and our tour guide Marteen was amazing) through nexus tours. The staff is very nice. The negative things: hard bed and rough pil [... read more]lows (we did not have a good sleep any of our nights). You do not get room service and the 24hr food is leftover burgers, hotdogs, soggy wraps and nachos. When I was in Cancun at the Hard Rock resort they had great room service and great food options 24hrs. Our last dinner we ate at the Italian restaurant which we waited 45mins for and we had asked for medium rare beef and got it blue with uncooked carrots in the center. And the wine is watered down. Only one restaurant offers bottled cabernet sauvignon. There is no bar at the beach and it is very rocky. You can't walk bare foot in the ocean. All chairs by the pool side are all always taken. We spent most of our time on the beach but without our water shoes it would be painful to walk on the hot sand and in the rocky ocean. Looking overall at our stay, we still had a nice time but not very happy with the food and no good 24hr service. Costa Rica is a beautiful place to visit, but would not stay at the Riu. We talked to some travellers from Montreal who have been to 4 different Riu's and this was the worst resort they've been to so far. I'm sad to have to said mostly negative points but would like to be honest to those spending a lot of money like we did. To me this is a 3.5 star resort.

Beautiful Resort

The Riu Guanacaste was a beautiful resort with lots of amenities. The rooms were spacious and the cleaning staff was excellent. The grounds were nicely manicured. The pool was fabulous with lots of chairs in both sun and shade. The beach also had lots of chairs and you could seek sun or shade there as well. The beach was nice, but there were lots of rocks in the water. If you walked down the beach 5 minutes, it was much easier to get into the water as there were much less rocks there. The [... read more] food was quite good, and there was a lot of variety each day. One thing I would like to see improvement on is the way the restaurants handled reservations. We saw monkeys on the grounds and just 10 minutes down the beach, we were able to feed the white-faced monkeys. Lots of excursions to choose from. A fabulous and memorable family vacation!

Riu Guanacaste

This was our second visit in 3 years to this hotel. And the third time we have stayed at a Riu in the past 5 years. We found the Guanacaste again to be impeccably clean, nice gardens and very friendly staff. All morning long each staff member that you pass along your way greets you warmly and with smiles. FOOD: We have not been fond of the food choices at any of the three Riu resorts we have stayed in. Seems repetitive and caters more to the North American Palette rather than offer more  [... read more]local food tastings. They have set up a efficient egg station for the mornings. A griddle cook continuously makes several over easy and sunny side up eggs and places them on a plate ready for one to pick from. However, I did find the cook was a bit rushed and heavy handed with the eggs and the yolks often broken. The Asian buffet was as good as our first visit. We did not try the other al la carte. Terrific environment for non smokers. There is no smoking on the property with the exception of your own balcony, the beach and the 3 smoking gardens they have provided for the smokers. They are cute little enclaves with trees and granite benches and picnic tables. One is reasonably close to the amenities set off to the side near the theatre. A second is located behind the lunch buffet. The third is off beside the parking lot in front of the hotel. A bit buggy at this one. It was actually quite fun to be there makes one feel like they are back in high school hanging with the cool kids. Terrific opportunity to bond with other guests. We had booked the same room as our last visit as we had such fun watching a large 30 member community of Howler Monkeys traversing twice a day along the trees besides the property line fence on the mountain view side. 3 years ago the zip line eco park was under construction and now that it is operational the monkeys seem to either have moved or the pack has dwindled. There were still a small handful but not the hour long show. There is a spot about a mile walk down the beach named the Monkey Bar that is such fun. Here you will get a close up interaction with Capuchin (white faced) monkeys that will eat out of your hand. It is best to go very early in the morning around 7am to beat the crowds. The first time we went we walked up the little road a to a trail just across from the restaurant that is there. It is a very short walk in to find about a dozen monkeys playing in the trees and the younger ones wrestling on the ground. Feeding the monkeys: We were advised by a biologist we met early in the trip not to feed them bananas as too much potassium is harmful to their health. This was back up by an elderly local gentleman we met who stated that he has banana trees in his yard and they never eat the bananas but from his other varieties of fruit trees. We were told it can even abort terminate a mother's pregnancy. We did find they like grapes and papaya but prefer the red grapes. We actually had green ones tossed back at us but never the red grapes. There is an opportunity to book a visit to the Riu Palace but we did not bother. Over all our stay at the Guanacaste was what we expected. Terrific staff with long memories and happy friendly dispositions. Three of the waitresses recognized us 3 years later. Count on it being very hot in February with 34-38celsius temperatures. I suspect that the guest room air conditioning, although quite comfortable, is controlled by the hotel as the thermostats do not seem to affect the room's temperature. But it is kept at a comfortable temperature. You can however turn the a/c down if you find it too chilly. We did notice that on the cooler days the a/c was not as strong. Local short excursions: Expect to pay higher than you are used to in other countries for taxi fares. Keep in mind that Costa Rica is a modern country with a reasonably high standard of living. The taxis are on a set rate and the hotel provides a shuttle service to visit Coco Beach and Tamarindo. Both fairly close to the resort. Both are cute little towns with plenty of souvenir shopping and restaurants. Each has a lovely beach to visit. On the previous vacation we saw the most amazing golden sunset from the beach in Tamarindo. Do not expect to view sunsets from the resort as there is a mountain blocking the view at the resort. The sun rises behind the mountains beside the resort where the eco park is located. All in all the Guanacaste is a nice place to spend your vacation. If you are the type who enjoys lazing in the sun around the pool then this is the place to go.

Fantastic Resort!!

Just home from a fantastic week at the Riu Guanacaste. Great day trip Zip lining - fantastic Sunset Cruise. The hotel was so clean and the staff did all they possibly could to make sure we had everything we needed. Was worried about the specialty restaurant line ups but not an issue. We would have a specialty Martini in the lobby and eat just after eight O'Clock. Wonderful experience.

Loved it!

Excellent resort! Beautiful, clean, well-maintained. Food was delicious and varied. Enough seats that without reservations you could still normally get into one of the ala carte restaurants without too long of a wait, at least for two people. Pool was great, loved the swim up bar. And while they had music playing it wasn't the blaring loud beat music that we have experienced at other resorts. Generally you could find a deck chair at any time of day around the pool, always at the beach, w [... read more]hich was very tranquil and unspoiled. Entertainment at the pool and in the evenings was very good. Service everywhere in the resort was excellent, the people friendly and courteous. Free wifi in the lobby only for 90 minutes per day, but that is ok! Who wants to be online all the time with all the fun and beauty surrounding them? The wifi had a great signal strength and it was easy to upload lots of photos to Facebook etc when we did want to be online. Beautiful country, beautiful people, would go again in a heartbeat!

Great visit

Just came back from the Riu Guanacaste for a one week holiday. They were very accommodating for us. We first had an ocean view room on the second floor over the lobby with two single beds pushed together and I ordered one bed. When I brought this to their attention they gave us another room on the 5th floor at the end with the most beautiful view. They also accommodated me to make a very special valentines day dinner for my girlfriend and I. The diving was just okey, visibility wasn't the greate [... read more]st. You have to go down the beach to the monkey bar and try the food at night, feed the monkeys in the morning , we really enjoyed it. Overall it was a very nice vacation.

All Staff very friendly

The grounds at this hotel were beautiful and very well kept and clean. The food was good and plentiful. Although it is a very large hotel, there was plenty of room near the pools. I would not return simply because the area was too big for me and I cannot walk well because of bad knees.

Great resort!

Great weather, good food nice resort :) can't really complain about anything at the Rui. Huge pool, good beach (need water shoes) not white sand but really, does that matter? Service was good not amazing but nothing to really complain about again.

Had a wonderful stay

Great food, staff was really good had a little issue with my safe and it was resolve within 5 minutes. Room was clean and sheet smelt so fresh. Older resort but very nice. Would definitely go back the weather is unbelievable.

Service Stands Out

Excellent service from all staff. Beautiful property and beautiful country, however many of the best attractions in Costa Rica are not nearby. Great stretch of beach to walk on. Highlight of the trip was walking to the end of the beach to see the monkeys.

Enjoyed our stay

Check in was quick. Hotel was very clean. The grounds were gorgeous. Lots of iguanas. Pool area was great. Beach was rocky right in front of the hotel. It was better more towards the other hotel. Food was decent.

Great hotel for a five floor walk up.

The lobby is beautiful, the room was fine, the food and service staff were very good. But they did not fix the elevators during our fourteen day stay, it was a five floor walk up. We bought a premium room, would have been better off with a standard room on the first or second floor. We would never return.

Amazing resort!

The Riu Guanacaste was outstanding!!! The buffet was enormous with so much selection, unbelievable!!! Grounds were gorgeous and impeccable, staff worked around the clock landscaping and cleaning. The resort public areas were extremely clean, staff work super hard to keep up the cleanliness! All staff were very friendly, greeted us with Hola every time we passed by. There is absolutely nothing to complain about, stunning property😍, amazing staff that took very good care of us!!! Definitely ex [... read more]ceeded our expectations!! We recommend this resort to everyone! Thank you so much for your hospitality! Hola! Tanya & Mark 😎

Great value!

This was my second visit to the Riu Guanacaste. The grounds are immaculate and the scenery is beautiful. The service at this resort was excellent from the cleaning staff to the bartenders and the wait staff in the dining rooms. There are lots of amazing opportunities for excursions for families or couples. The food was average and it was the only thing average about this resort. If you've been to a Riu property before you'll know exactly what to expect, I would rate it a 4 star.

Meets all needs

Overall we found this resort to be at the top of our list vs. the others all-inclusive’s we have stayed at over the years. It was great not to line up in the morning to make reservations at the al carte restaurants as it was 1st come 1st served; they would give you a beeper when your table was ready if full at the time you arrived. At most it was half hour wait, just went for a drink at the garden or lobby bar. The rooms were large, clean and the room was cleaned by 10am every day. The rooms [... read more] do come with a stocked fridge and a liquor dispenser (4 different types) which was nice when you prepared to go out to dinner or after you came in for the day. The air conditioning worked well. Small pillows though. The food was for the most part was very good at all the restaurants; yes of course some items may not be to everyone’s taste. The buffet seemed to be just as good as the others. The beach was fantastic as plenty of lounger’s available and shady spots as well. It is dark grey sand (volcanic) which for some reason bothered people. There was plenty of fish in the water for snorkelers; the water was warm and not too rough at all. The pool (3 separate pool areas) was popular place but had more than enough loungers you can choose the noisy or quiet places to sit. The staff was plentiful (5 bartenders at the swim up bar alone) and were attentive to your requests or needs. They did seem to appreciate tips in CR currency (colons) and in which you will get a better exchange rate at the hotel than you will in Canada, so do your exchange at the front desk when you arrive or daily if you prefer. The hotel itself has a magnificent lobby and grounds with lots of wildlife on the grounds and outside the grounds. Howler monkeys visit the pool area every day around 3pm, down the beach there are white face and spider monkeys but hit and miss when you see them, the white face will come right up to you. There is a local vendor market just off the beach and you can barter with them on prices. I would suggest visiting the monkey bar also down the beach on an afternoon, as it is quite the experience to have a cocktail in the middle of the jungle plus supports the locals. The vendors on the beach are very respectful and can be entertaining or to have a conversation with them. We booked all our day trips on the beach for the same locations offered by the hotel but for cheaper prices which came with personal transportation. Nightly entertainment was ok 8-9 for kids, 9-10 for adults and kids and band 10-11 then it shut down. There is a disco at the resort if you wished to keep going plus a 24/7 sports bar. The hotel was sold out while we were there but never seemed busy or overcrowded. The hotel seemed to fit all ages, families, couples or single travellers. Tips: bring your own shampoo, exchange your $ in the lobby (better rate by 10% there than Canada), enjoy the surroundings as you are off the beaten path at this location, don’t let the minor things get in the way of the big picture Traveled as a couple, Week before Christmas. Will return as a couple or with family/friends

5 plus hotel

Checkin and out went smoothly without any long waiting time. Rooms are very clean and nicely decorated. Our rooms have very nice view of the water and the mountain. What is missing is the coffee pot so we can enjoy our early morning enjoying the view while drinking our coffee Hotel grounds are immaculately maintained and the close proximity to the beach and pool We are very impressed with the Riu brand and was very happy with Lisa(agent) assistance.

Amazing Vacation in Costa Rica

The resort was beautiful, the grounds were green and colorful very well maintained. The pool was huge and designed for all ages. The entrance foyer was very welcoming with free Wifi and always a fresh flowing breeze. The rooms were spacious, well maintained and the cleaning staff were great. The food at the restaurants/buffets was excellence. The bartenders were amazing and more than willing to make a drink of your liking. It is an excellent family resort. On the not so positive side, the  [... read more]resort did not have any Rye, e.g. Crown Royal, Canadian Club, Wisers, etc. It was available for a price at the Casio and Disco, but was not available at the resort - disappointing.

Riu - 2 Time, Amazing Staff, Perfect HOT Weather

We were at this resort about 6 years ago, beautiful resort, amazing staff! It is in need of some updates but still a great resort. The food is consistent, tasty and a large variety. Beach is clean and the dark sand is a nice change and ALL the staff are top notch! We really like Costa Rica, been there 5 times and will go again. Can't go wrong with the weather ALWAYS HOT HOT HOT!! :) If you have stayed at any Rius, you will know what to expect, layout similar, food for the most part cons [... read more]istent and the staff at all the Rius are great. The three we have been to are very similar. We loved the Riu Palace in Montego Bay and really wanted to go to the Palace in Costa Rica but it was sold out but looks awesome. Hope this helps you make a decision on where to stay! Pura Vita!!! :)

Great resort

This was a great resort. Very clean, friendly staff, great food. lots of jungle around the hotel with wild life. very secluded and big beach. many excursions and activities near by. perfect location.,

Rui

The hotel was very adequate for our needs, except there's no shampoo/cream rinse. Unfortunately, the nettles in the water stung me which kept me out of ocean. Pool side loungers were plentiful, activities great. Just need to show up 15-20 minutes early for a la cartes. Restaurants were excellent! Personally, I like to use ocean so I wouldn't recommend this hotel for this reason.