Azura Beach Resort Samara: Azura Beach Resort Samara is not open and won't be for another YEAR!

I don't know why Tripcentral is advertising it at all or Air Canada Tours. We were sent to Hotel Villas Playa Samara. We never received the automatic upgrade stated in our 1 (a) choice and we were never refunded our difference in the pirce package which is at least $300.00 each. I felt sorry for the poor hotel manager who had to deal with us. I had all the paper work with me, it's a good thing because they said they were unaware of the upgrade.......who to believe. The Hotel Villas Playa Sam [... read more]ara is a small resort, very quiet if you get a villa in the back of the property. We were in a bottom floor of a quad duplex. Room was nice and clean and in working order. The people there were very nice and friendly. We went on the fishing trip excursion twice and brought back our catch of the day. The chef at the restaurant prepared our fish and both times it was amazing. I would go back because I know what to expect, it's my first all inclusive but my friend who has been to a few all inclusive bigger resort would not return. I was trouble with the service I got from Tripcentral in returning my calls seemed like once we paid the trip I had to talk to someone new it's unfortunate. I have a few more trips planned this year so I think I will deal with a travel agent face to face from now on.

Occidental Papagayo: Great all adult resort

The food was excellent as was the staff. The grounds make you feel like you are in Paradise . Was quite pleased that trip central sent out numbers in case there were issues. Peace of mind. Great trip.

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Absolutely Amazing

Loved this place. Very small resort, easy walk from our cute little villa to the pool and the ocean. Our room and the resort were kept very clean. The food was great! Always a good selection and variety. Chicken, beef and fish always tasted great and were cooked in different ways. Lots of fresh fruit and salad selections. We have been to many resorts, but the staff at this resort went above and beyond any resort we have been to. Fransella and Danni at the front desk, Sergio from Monkey  [... read more]Tours, Remi from Monkey Tours, Marcos the bartender at the swim up bar and many others that I just can't remember their names. We had a few glitches with our air conditioner and safe and they came within 15 minutes and had things fixed up. We loved the beach. Water was clear and warm. We were able to walk the beach into the little town of Samara. Beautiful walk along the ocean. A few rocky patches, but I was still able to walk in my bare feet. The beach in front of resort was beautiful sand and waves for swimming. We walked 10 minutes down the road from the resort to another beautiful beach. Very peaceful place to relax and fall in love with Costa Rica.

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Perfect for us!

We had an amazing family vacation here. It was the perfect spot for 21 of us aged 7 months to 64 years old. After a bit of confusion with the rooms when checking in, Andreas went out of his way to make sure it got settled promptly. We soon found our way around the resort which is the perfect size and very well laid out. The pool is a very good size and never was terribly busy. The wet bar was great except the bartender, Marcos was at times overworked. Though he never hesitated to serv [... read more]e you your drink with a smile. Marcos was awesome. His drinks were over the top! Our villa was absolutely perfect for what we needed. The bed was very comfy and the a/c was much appreciated and needed to sleep. We were happy with the dining room. Food was good and even sometimes great. Always plenty to go around. The staff were excellent, especially Eduardo who always seemed to go out of his way to please us. At times they seemed a bit overworked but they always served you with a smile. I don't think I have ever seen such hard working staff that were so happy. The entertainment in the evenings was very good. Unfortunately it ended a bit early at 9pm. We went out to the bar The Flying Taco in Samara a few times as we weren't ready to stop the party at 9pm. It was lots of fun and just a short 7$ taxi ride away. The beach was always clean. The water, although nice and warm was a bit murky I found. We much preferred to take the 5 minute bus ride to Carillo where the beach is amazing and the waves a lot of fun to play in. The security guard at the beach front area (I believe his name was Brenev) was the nicest guy. He was quick to answer all our questions, joked around with us and always had a smile. My family did a few excursions. One was off shore fishing and the other was zip lining. Both were very good and worth the price. Also huge shout out to Raphael who does the kayak tours. He was so kind and helpful when it came to educating us about Costa Rica. His knowledge of the area abundant and was much appreciated. In general I would say I was completely satisfied with my stay here. We were all sad to leave and hope to go back maybe even next year. It was worth the 2 hour drive from Liberia which was part of the adventure! The staff really made it a great experience but it is also a beautiful location. We felt extremely safe and travelled many times off the resort to Carillo and to Samara. I never felt uncomfortable and the locals were always friendly and accommodating. I would give our vacation a 5*+ because of the resort/staff and location. I would give the resort a 3.5 - 4*

Azura Beach Resort Samara: Epic resort

Everything was pretty good we have no complaints , people were very nice ,guides were awesome and so helpful , meals very good , love the pool it was kept very clean ,the ocean was amazing , loved the wild horses walking along the beach ,the sunset was epic ,our villa was the best of everything #1 on the ocean front , felt comfortable and safe and would consider going back someday

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Good resort, needs more bartenders

Staff are super friendly and helpful, however there is only one bartender at the pool bar which means that he is constantly working like crazy to cater to everyone's needs, the very least would be to have 2. Villa was nice , however didn't get new towels on 2 of the days. Food was ok, considering it's a resort. Atmosphere was good however there lacked activities during the days , they should have someone animating or something to get people moving and meeting one another , rather than just every [... read more]one drinking in the pool . I could see water aerobics in the morning due to the average age of clientele . They had big fires on two occasions on the beach, however I think most guests were not made aware which resulted in a handful of people going . Pool was very hot. Final and most important remark, there is a big resort addition being built right next door , so there is noise all day from construction. We also met guests that were duped and had booked rooms in the new addition, even though it hadn't been finished. Ownership seems to be misleading people...

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Amazing Hotel

During our stay the visit was so pleasant - the room was very clean and spacious - we were in 3505 villa and outstanding staff that cleaned our room - we really enjoyed the food and there was plenty of it for everyone - the variety was very good - the a la carte restaurant was also very good - the grounds were so clean and very nice to see how the staff looked after the grounds - we both love small resorts and this had everything that we needed and then some

Wyndham Tamarindo: Amazing hotel, great staff.

Staff was very attentive and we're very helpful with any questions or when we needed a hand. Beautiful, clean hotel in tamarindo and from what we hear from other people is possibly the best in the area. I would absolutely book with these guys again.

Riu Guanacaste: Resort for everybody!

Good size of the rooms and nice location on the beach. Convenient with all facilities on the resort premises; such as scuba/water sports center, spa/wellness, disco, small shops. And an adventure park close by. Very good setup for a la carte restaurants with first come first served principle and the buzzer if you are waiting, telling you when the table is ready for you. And the buffé food was very tasty and huge variation. Service was excellent! From clean room to clean pool and beach. Easy [... read more] to book tours as all the representatives have their desk at the lobby where you can ask about the excursions and book directly. The closest town is Coco, and it has a nice beach and a main street with plenty of souvenir shops. Overall great resort with excellent service. I'll be back :-)

Occidental Tamarindo: Not what I was expecting

Food was the same every night, small selection and to be honest I didn't eat at the resort it was so bad. Even restaurant food was not quality. Mixed drinks were disgusting and not made properly. Beach was very rough (waves and rock) and couldn't swim. Hotel was far from the town of taramindo (30min walk or $5 Cab ride). Would not recommend this hotel to anyone.

Punta Leona Beach Club and Nature Resort: Excellent hotel

Very satisfied. Rooms were very clean, personnel always friendly and ready to help. Enjoyed the onsite day and night outings with Alex where we saw the Costa Rica wildlife. Food was very good with a good variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. Overall excellent holiday! Will go back!

Riu Guanacaste: Riu Guanacaste review

Overall a nice resort. I would recommend it to others. Pros - Great resort, clean, lots of food and drinks. The animation team was good, better than some we have seen in the Dominican. Pool was good Cons - Awful pillows in the rooms, beach is not great, rocky, food was just ok for flavour, some spice. Far away from things if you wanted to go on excursions.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: AMAZING AMAZING!!!

Riu palase costa rica has by far past beyond are expectations! Palace sais it all!!! very clean resort, rooms! Food is very good! entertainement was also great and drinks were Amazing! Would I go back? Will I be back? YES YES AND YES

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Going back FA SHO!!!!

The RIU Palace was excellent. The service and staff were all very friendly. The room was very nice and housekeeping was always on top of things. The whole resort was well kept. Lots of space and seating at the pool. No shortage of people offering drinks. The food was great. Lots of selection. Only went to one a la cart and was not disappointed. Our zip lining excursion was a fun experience. The tour guides at the zip line were a good group. Friendly and fun. We are already talking about our next [... read more] vacation being to the same resort. Also, the weather was perfect all week long. Trip Central did a great job helping us plan our vacation and answering all our questions and concerns.

Villas Sol Beach Resort: Enjoyed our stay

Lovely hotel with fantastic view, and good food. The reservation restaurant was outstanding. The excursion arranged by the hotel was great. The only sour note was the meeting we thought would be a hotel orientation turned out to be a three hour long infomercial for the Wanderlust travel club. I would recommend the hotel to a friend but with the proviso that they avoid the introductory meeting.

Riu Guanacaste: pura vida at riu

our third visit and glad we chose the riu Guanacaste for our winter escape. the late February/early march weather was a consistent 33C and sunny. we enjoyed walking the well kept grounds checking out the birds and monkeys. the food was consistently good, whether at the buffet or the theme restaurants. the riu staff were friendly and responsive - a request for a box of tissues at the front desk was completed within minutes. all in all a great vacation!

Riu Guanacaste: Lovely resort great locale

The hotel is well kept and clean. Staff are lovely and very responsive. It is located in a remote area which meant lots of local wildlife including monkeys, ant-eater and many birds. We recommend doing a snorkeling excursion via the hotel water program- it is nearby and you'll see lots of different aquatic creatures (Staff were great with younger kids and nervous swimmers so good for all ages and experience levels). If you need quiet for early sleeping, you may want to request an outside  [... read more]room (not in the inner circle) as the nightly entertainment was loud and seemed to echo into the rooms (We were on the fifth floor). You also need water shoes or flip flops for the beach as the sand gets very hot. This was our second time to the hotel and it did not disappoint.

CC Beach Front Papagayo: On the Beach

Generally speaking the grounds were well kept up, clean and pleasant. What was totally lacking was any additional outdoor protection from the sun. There were no umbrellas , palapas, or overhead shading other than the trees and bushes. Pools were good with good water quality and plenty of lounges and good towels. Rooms in the older Beachfront villas were adequate but need to be upgraded. The bathrooms didn't even have a toilet paper holder on the wall. Staff were good. In the dining areas [... read more] they were friendly, attentive , and quick to respond. Food was good but choice was somewhat limited because of the small size of the hotel. Overall, our stay was pleasant. It's definitely a very laid back place for a relaxing stay on a very nice stretch of calm ocean beach.

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: THE PERFECT VETAWSY

Upon arriving I was nervous but the minute you step off the bus they have people making sure every need and question is answered. Every little detail is tended to the people that are amazing I had tons of questions which they already had the answers to before I even asked the resort was the up most refreshing environment. I felt safe I felt comfortable I felt relaxed. The staff were the up most friendliest and helpful. The food was an amazing assortment of flavors and textures and even if there  [... read more]was nothing there that appeased your appetite they, accommodated your needs

Occidental Papagayo: Not the adult only youd expect.

Pool bar closed at 5pm, next to no entertainment, disco was a 30 by 20 room which bad sound system. Pool music started at 7am, Bar doesnt open until 9am. Buffet was small but nice! A la cartes were ok. Resort was clean and well taken care of. Lisbeth in the buffet was EXTREMELY helpful with my food allergies and she made sure everyday i was taken care of during breakfast and lunch. The dinner host Manwell (not completely sure of his name) wasnt pleasant and didnt go through the buffet with  [... read more]me. He just said oh you cant eat anything and then walked away. (I am gluten adnd dairy free.) The Air transat rep Benoit was ok but did NOT explain the excursions well and he convinced us to go through him to rent a car at a whopping 73$USD a day. We should have shopped around but he was very persuasive. He also offered us a discount on the excursion but then did not honour it. I have been disappointed twice with Barcelo resorts. Also the wifi wasnt free (but free for air transat customers) and was horrible service expect for in the lobby when and if it worked. I also asked the front dest to move rooms because the pool was SOOO loud and they couldnt accomodate.