Riu Palace Costa Rica: Great time!

Family went to Riu Palace for a week. We had a great time! It rained a bit, but not too much. The beach was lovey (got to see wild monkeys). I would say I thought the pool at the neighbouring resort was nicer, but ours was still good. The food was really nice. I would recommend more vegetarian options at the al a carte places, but overall delicious. Rooms were cleaned everyday. Bartenders remembered you. All the staff we very friendly and the nightly shows are fun to watch!

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Amazing

Much better thank we accepted good to very good. Rain was 🔥.No hummidyty, green and fresh air .Perfect service ,some people's slow,but is Central America, maniana is normal ,and very OK when Is vacation TIME. BIG THANK YOU. Val

Riu Guanacaste: Amazing Resort

Myself three other couples just spent two weeks in Costa Rica at the Riu not the Palace what a wonderful resort Rooms were lovely very clean and spacious The food was very very good tons of selection something for everybody of all ages Although rainy season the grounds were beautiful well maintained Amazing excursions lots to see and do there The santuarary next door has all kinds of things including one of the largest zip lines You will see different families of monkeys hilarious to watch PLEA [... read more]SE DO NOT FEED THEM people do anyways!!! They have a NEON night there is nothing like it best entertainment ever experienced on a resort The staff is marvelous like no other speak great English will go out of there way to get you what ever you need My friend celebrated his 60th birthday there we took decoration they decorated his room well we were on a excursion All the workers come to sing at dinner Cant say enough about this place the beach is clean so is the water Highly recommend for a holiday you wont forget

Riu Guanacaste: exellent resort lots to due

good resort pool could use some clean up and a beach bar. maids were very good rooms clean. food very tasty and servers were efficient. lots of bartenders and quick service. excursion a little pricy but excellent. you can get a better price on the beach for excursion (cash only) see Luis Solution and his dog Mikey near the Riu Palace he is a great guide .

Riu Guanacaste: Riu

The Riu was great the hotel was great the people there were also I'm the only thing the day trip the VIP service sucked it was bad whoever gave it to us told us to we're going to go shopping we didn't get to go shopping and yeah it was a waste of money for us it wasn't our trap and they sent us on the wrong one for sure okay thank you we missed our trip the next trip because we were so exhausted from this VIP service there was no air conditioning on the bus there was no time for shopping we got  [... read more]a whole 40 minutes and my heart has been got swollen ankles and my daughter's boyfriend almost passed out so that was not a good experience for us and I'm not very happy with that okay just letting you know

Riu Guanacaste: Great and a little bad!

The hotel was beautiful. The landscape and the rooms were exquisite! The entertainment staff catered to all the guests that we spoke with and from what we witnessed and experienced. We thought the food at the buffet was excellent but never got a chance to experience the a la carte restaurants because we never wanted to wait in a line. Now the bad....we arrived at the resort at approximately lunch time. I went to check in, we were told to come back in a bit. We came back an hour later, only to  [... read more]be told to come back later. We came back at 2pm, knowing that other guests from our plane already got their rooms, but were told to come back at 3pm...a little frustrating! Anyways, we waited there in the lobby from 2-2:55 because we never wanted to leave our luggage unattended, when we were waived over to get the key to our room. For some reason, some guests got their rooms at 2pm and we had to wait till 3pm. We never saw anyone bring keys to the front desk while we were waiting for the hour. The staff at the front desk decided to give some people their keys early and others not....So a big thumbs down to the welcoming staff and some of the front end male staff at the resort! This is the first Riu where we had anything negative to say. Overall I would give the resort a 8.5 out of 10. It would have been a 10....

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Great Holiday but would not go back

This was our 45 Wedding Anniversary and we were looking for adventure and to travel outside our comfort zone. Background we love staying at the RIU Mayan Riviera Palace Mexico, so much that we have been there 18 times. Our flights with Sunwing were great no problems, our experience with the Nexius team was great and they need to be commended for their hospitality and their expert advice. The RIU hotel was beautiful, the view from our room was excellent. The pools were awesome. The beach how [... read more]ever was extremely disappointing and certainly not welcoming. If you wanted to sit down at the Ocean be prepared to drag your own lounge chair down to the beach. At any day I only counted maybe 10 people who ventured down to spend time in the Ocean, We did travel in the rainy season and we were there from September 30 until October 07. It rained every day from 12:30 until dark. The rain came with lightening and very heavy downpours and you could not do anything but try and get something to eat or go to your room. There was minimal activities provided to the guests during the afternoons or evenings. If you were lucky to get into lunch earlier you had a great selection of food to eat but if you did go after 1pm good luck as your selection became limited and the staff were blocking areas so you could not sit with the view of the ocean.. I would have to say that I was very disappointed with the food selection and it was often luke warm or cold at night. The variety of food that we were use to in Mexico was not the same in Costa Rica. The service in the restaurants and in the buffet was also very selective and you really were on your own. We did try the steak house one night and arrived at 8pm to be told that we are very late. We chose lobster and asked if we could share a serving of steak between us but was told NO not until we ate our first meal. I felt like I had just been scolded. Our lobster was cold and dry and we left shortly after. We did however have a wonderful meal in the Italian Restaurant and the management team at this restaurant were amazing. There is a considerable amount of walking and if you have any mobility issues please know that the pools are accessible but the bathrooms are very far away from the pools and there is considerable amount of walking to and from the pools. Also if you are a smoker there is no smoking in the buildings or on the premises however there is a couple spots where you can walk to. . I thought that we were being too judgmental but learned very quickly when meeting just causally with other residents how disappointed they all were with the service and the food and the fact no one was really caring if you were okay.. I think however the worst complaint was during an evening of sitting in the lobby bar on a Saturday night where there would be about 25-30 people chatting and some were playing cards, some were playing scrabble. The lights suddenly were shut off and the lobby bar became pitch black and the hotel lobby was also pitch black. It was 12 midnight and the bar closed so they shut off all the lights. There had been in our group one older woman that had had a few drinks and we had to help her back to her room to make sure she could see and get back to her room safe. Thank God for cell phones and their lights. I use this as an example as this appeared to be the general consensus with the staff They were there to do a job and only a job and it had nothing to do with ensuring that the people who were paying to be there were enjoying themselves. We never received any acknowledgement that were were celebrating our 45 Wedding Anniversary and we even showed them a copy of our Marriage Certificate We did however enjoy the 2 excursions we took and the staff who provided these trips were so informative and very entertaining throughout these trips. The first trip was the double decker bus called the city tour and the group on the bus were fun and we learned so much about the Coffee Plantation, Sugar Cane and the history of Costa Rica. We also took a boat tour through the jungle and this was also fun and learned more about the different species in the jungle, the monkeys, etc. Both tours we would highly recommend. All in all we had a great holiday, met many people from all over the world, made new friends and learned something new. So it was a great holiday but we prefer Mexico. Sandra and David Best

Planet Hollywood Costa Rica: Amazing Resort

Family trip week of Oct 12-19th & would not hesitate to return to PH. The resort was spotless! The natural scenery surrounding the resort was breathtaking! Nice not seeing a strip of hotels along the route from the airport or along the beach. Felt like I was "away". Every employee we encountered was friendly & helpful. Special thank you to Ivan who went above & beyond for us & ALWAYS greeted us with a smile & friendly conversation. Shout out to Luis, Isaac, Alejandra, Sebastian & Adrian. [... read more] Can't forget about efficient Lorenzo who not only helped at breakfast, but works his tail off at the Burger Joint ensuring each guest has their burger prepared just the way they ordered & delivered with a smile. We did not upgrade to Star Class & can honestly say we didn't feel we missed out on anything. The buffet & a la carte restaurants were excellent! We dined at each restaurant & every meal we had we enjoyed. The Fuel Café is a bonus! Appreciate the organized system when going to the buffet, each guest is seated. Avoids the herd of guests walking around the restaurant looking for that ideal table, especially during the breakfast rush. The beach was o.k. One can go out quite a distance & enjoy the ocean not being deep. Water was clear & refreshing! Yes there were a few vendors on the beach but they weren't a bother. After a few days when politely showing no interest which excursions they had to offer, they stopped asking. Evening entertainment was o.k. I would say this is what management at PH should focus on improving. But "Silent Night" was fun!! Appreciated the Sports Bar. Real good Wi-Fi connection

Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica: Had high hopes, BUT

THE GOOD The resort is large and the grounds are beautiful, the pool area is kept immaculate and is very large with a variety of pools. The beach is above average The bar staff are very attentive, and the drinks were very good, they have unique drinks (try the green monster, as well as the Chili guaros The room was very comfortable and we’ll layed out The service in the restaurants were outstanding Room service was good as well as fast THE BAD Checkin was terrible, took well over an  [... read more]hour to get checked in and our room keys The food was below average in all the restaurants except for the Italian (which was excellent) The maintenance crew was very unorganized, We had an issue with opening our room door one evening, and it took them over an hour to get our room door opened and us into our room We had an issue with the unlocking mechanism the next night, and here we go again, they said it was fixed (which wasn’t the case, the door needed to be jiggled to make it open) The checkout procedure was unorganized as well, with no communication and we stood beside our transportation to the airport and no one knew where we supposed to go

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Our great vacation Oct.07 - Oct.14/19

We arrived in Costa Rica after a 3 hour delay from Toronto with Sunwing. Our flight was uneventful aside the 3hr delay. Upon arriving in Costa Rica we went through immigration quickly and got on our bus for our 45min transit to the Riu Palace Costa Rica. Our check-in was quick and we were sent to our room (2022 lobby floor) very clean and I'd say well kept and cleaned every day. We tipped the cleaning lady $5.00us every day. We made our way to the Lobby Bar and had a refreshing drink, the servi [... read more]ce here (and at every bar in the hotel) was fast and the drinks was well mixed (ask for Marco at the pool bar he'll take care of you and tell him Dave from Canada sent you). Food at the Hotel was very good and there was plenty to choose from. We ate at the steak house 1 night and I wish we could have eaten there again the Steak was made to order and brought to the table hot yum is all I can say! I've given you my rating below and I stand by everything I've said the SERVICE, FOOD, DRINKS here was A1 YOU'LL LOVE IT! as we do. My wife and I have travelled too Cuba, DR. Mexico, Jamaica, Panama and many more to the tune of over 60 trips and I can say we'll be returning to this country and this hotel again. TRY THE ZIP LINE TOUR!! and Pura Vida !!

Riu Guanacaste: Stuff stolen from our room

Our room was locked, we were at the pool for the day and had money among other things taken from our room.We felt violated the rest of stay and could not enjoy ourselves. Otherwise the food was good but the bars were mediocre at best. there isnt much ever going on at the resort

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Outstanding

We travelled during the rainy season but that did not dampen our experience of the hotel or CR. The villas are super - spacious, clean, comfy bed. We were directly on the ocean and had ocean views out each window. Staff are polite and very accommodating. If you don't like your room, ask for a change. The food...wow! All a la carte due to quiet season, and every dish was 5 star. And the coffee...top notch machine so you can make yourself cappuccinos all day long. I cannot recommend this place en [... read more]ough - if you are a laid back, low key traveller who wants peace and quiet to enjoy CR, then this is the place for you. If you're looking to be entertained with music and games, go elsewhere. Grounds are beautiful and the whole place is reminiscent of a bygone era. Big thank you to all staff at villas playa samara!

Riu Guanacaste: What a place!

Out of all the Riu's i have stayed at this one blew me away for their food! Pools was huge and clean! Beach was well maintained, and the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The shows were fun and the disco was a great place to meet people! I really look forward to returning soon!

Riu Guanacaste: Beautiful Setting

Absolutely no issues from check-in to check out. The grounds are lush, green and well maintained. The beachfront was swept daily and afforded relaxing long lazy walks through varying terrain. The food was better than we experienced in the DR on three trips so no complaints there. The room neat, clean and well-stocked. I would recommend anyone going consider the excursion to Nicaragua. Peering down into the great Masaya active volcano was beyond words. One off my bucket list for sure. This was ou [... read more]r first stay at a Riu and I would not hesitate for a second booking with them again.

Riu Guanacaste: Fabulous Time

This hotel was more than we expected, the grounds were very well manicured, the room was more than expected we were upgraded to a ocean view suite for our 25th anniversary, this was very well appreciated, All the staff at the bars were great especially at the filadelfia bar and sports bar. We booked three excursions with Eric on the beach and were happy with all three, the excursion to Nicaragua was our favourite with a visit to a active volcano and a boat trip around lake Nicaragua islands incl [... read more]uding one that is occupied by three spider monkeys, we also did a excursion to Buenavista adventure park that was also unbelievable , this included canopy bridges, zip lining, water slide , horseback riding, hot springs , mud bath, and waterfall even saw spider monkeys jumping through the trees at the hot springs, all the food was very good on the resort , I did not agree with any of the bad reviews that I have read in this resort, everything is great , I cannot believe that the Palace would be any better than this resort.

Riu Guanacaste: Great Resort

The resort was beautiful and well maintained and the food was excellent. As a smoker, I would suggest they maybe provide covered smoking areas for rainy days but other than that, I have absolutely no complaints.

Riu Guanacaste: The washrooms needs to be more safe. The bath tubs are very old.

Rooms are clean. There is room for improvement . I wish our wish to keep our group together was taken seriously. I will not recommend this resort to anyone. The reception was not very helpful. The bath tubs are very dangerous.

Riu Guanacaste: Lovely, but not 5 star

We stayed at this resort the last week of September. It was lovely and reminiscent of other Riu hotels we’ve stayed at. Everything was very good but I would not have rated this hotel a 5 star, rather it was comparable to the 4 star Rius we’ve stayed at. One morning we forgot to tip our housekeeper (after having left $10 the day before) and we were left with 2 bath towels and nothing else (no hand towels or wash cloths). The next day we tipped $2 and were left with ample towels and extra soa [... read more]p. The restaurants were not all opened each day. Further, they don’t allow you to make early reservations, so when we ate at those restaurants we had lined up for 30-45 minutes at 5:45 to make the reservations that night - a little inconvenient compared to the Occidental where we could make reservations at the hotel lobby desk each day. The beach was interesting as well because there were no huts/umbrellas or bars on the beach and no service available there either, I think because the beach is public and available to non-hotel guests. It was safe enough, even with the vendors who offered their wares. The waters were quite strong, and the area known for rip currents, though could have been just the weather that week. There was no seaweed or rocks on the bottom, so quite nice to walk out into the Pacific. People spoke of monkeys down the beach further who walked up to passersby, but we weren’t lucky enough to have seen any this time. Definitely recommend taking a tour off-resort - we did an ATV tour of the surrounding areas through the jungles, towns and beaches and got to see some cool things we wouldn’t have otherwise seen if we’d stayed on the resort because there isn’t much close that you can walk to. Be sure to pack enough sunscreen and necessities because the shops at the resort were charging insane prices ($USD45 for sunscreen).

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Excellent Resort

This resort was very good and an amazing destination. The two RIU hotels are the only resorts on this entire beach. Food was excellent with gluten free options for my wife. Staff was very friendly and helpful. I would definitely stay here again.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Awesome Riu Palace Costa Rica

Awesome anniversary holiday we were looking at an anniversary vaca all inclusive stayed at many many Rius looked at the Palace Costa Rica and were not disappointed. From the moment we arrived with Sunwing an exceptional flight coming and going early with wonderful flight attendance. We emailed Jordi Customer service with requests and he was fantastic. Every aspect of this Riu was terrific from the food to the alcohol to the servers the service the cleanliness of this resort is overwhelming. The [... read more] beach is good for Costa Rica not white or black volcanic sand. Our room spectacular had everything and more. We would highly recommend this Riu Palace Costa Rica the other side not so much. Thank you