Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Excellent location

Location can't be beat - on one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. Beach is over 3 km long with the resort at one end and the little town of Samara at the other about a half an hour walk away. The water was warm and the sunsets were amazing. Grounds are well kept. The resort is upgrading the villas and a number of them have been turned into rooms which allows them to increase their occupancy, There was a buffet and an a-la-carte restaurant. Food was good but service was spotty and [... read more] you would have sometimes wait for plates or cups. The bars tended to back up and waits for drinks could be lengthy. This could be solved by adding an additional bar-tender and dishwasher. The drinks, once you got them, were good. A sister resort is being built next door and how much this impacts your say will depend on the location of your villa in regards to the new resort. We had to go to the front desk every day to ask for towels and face clothes. When they arrived at our room they were fresh from the dryer, obviously they need to increase their supplies. Staff were generally friendly and when asked would do their utmost to comply with your request. With the great weather, beach and location you can enjoy your stay if you don't let these inconveniences bother you.

Wyndham Tamarindo: Quiet and Peaceful

Situated high above the quaint little town of Tamarindo, this hotel offers everything you will need for a quiet and relaxing vacation. Friendly staff, clean rooms, a gorgeous infinity pool, and an outstanding view of the ocean await you under the seemingly eternal sunny skies of beautiful Costa Rica. Some might be wary of the "Langostas", extra large grasshoppers that visited nightly and often lingered in the early morning hours, but they are harmless and quite fascinating if one takes the time  [... read more]to really study them. Frequent shuttles provide transportation to the beach club for those who prefer to relax by the ocean or into the rustic little surf town where there is shopping and restaurants galore. Costa Rica is my happy place and I would definitely return to Esplendor Tamarindo.

Riu Guanacaste: Amazing Resort

The resort was kept in impeccable condition from the grounds to the rooms to the bathrooms. All the staff were very helpful and friendly and did everything possible to ensure we had a great time. The food was absolutely fantastic with plenty of selection for every pallet.

The Westin Reserva Conchal Golf Resort & Spa: Fantastic Resort and Golf Course

My Boyfriend and I traveled to the Westin the last week of February and it was an excellent week! Beyond the fabulous weather this resort delivered exceptional service, Great golf course and good food. Our favourite restaurants were Bamboo and the French one. We stayed in tower two in the Beach Club which also offered 24 hour room and concierge service and no additional charge! My only recommendation would be that the Westin change up their buffett a little more for breakfast and lunch. Although [... read more] this resort has very little night life I definitely would return.

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Mixed experience.

On the plus side, we enjoyed the hotel services in general. The highlight was the excellent prepared meals. The chef was very imaginative and creative. We particularly enjoyed the Italian themed Friday meals. As an example, the beef Ossobuco in tomato sauce was authentic Italian fare, with the meat balls as well as a very surprising eggplant parmesan. The grounds are kept very clean and tidy. The villas are spacious and very comfortable. Our unit had new kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Th [... read more]e pool is a very good size. The staff is very friendly, courteous and accommodating. They aim to please. On the minus side is the Air Canada experience. We booked in August 2017, and when we arrived at the ticket counter, my wife and I were informed that our seats were not next to each other. This is not acceptable for an all-inclusive vacation package, As experienced. vacationers for the past 10 years we had that never happen to us before. This was our first Air Canada vacation and frankly we do not anticipate taking another. The seating situation, the cramped quarters of the Airbus. A319 without a video screen for entertainment are too spartan for a comfortable vacation, All-inclusive vacations experiences should begin at the gate, and not only when you arrive at the hotel. We were on the plane for 6.5 hours approximately, gate to gate. Air Canada needs to drastically improve its guest treatment or get out of the vacation packages business altogether. We would recommend this hotel but suggest that they do not book with Air Canada.

Wyndham Tamarindo: Great hotel

Quiet, beautiful view of the ocean and sunset. Room was comfortable, the mattress and pillows were great.... we slept very well the whole time. Staff was very friendly and responsive to all our requests and enquiries. Breakfast was good. Enjoyed the rice with beans, the plantain, local cheese and fruit were excellent.

Azura Beach Resort Samara: Nice resort with excursion issues

We enjoyed the resort and the staff worked hard to provide you with what you wanted. We had issues booking excursions due to some confusion between Air Canada and the hotel on the credits issued. It eventually got resolved but not by the hotel staff person. The process and handling by the specific staff person should have been more client friendly. Other than that and a very poor mattress this was a nice place to stay.

Fiesta Resort: DoubleTree Puntarenas Costa Rica

Grounds and pool were fine although beach was not suitable for long walks. The rough waves and stones did not allow swims in the ocean or use of water craft. The pools were large and well kept. There was nowhere to walk or go outside the hotel area. The al la carte restaurants were very good. The buffet was Okay but on some occasions limited choice. The service and room were well maintained. The room design was odd with closet in the bathroom and noisy AC. I would recommend the hotel with a [... read more] couple of reservations.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Beautiful Resort!

Hotel itself was very high end featuring modern decor and elegant touches throughout. We were delighted when we stepped into our room to discover that it was beautifully decorated, spacious, included not only a large walk in shower, but a jacuzzi tub, a private balcony, mini bar with stocked fridge. This room was cleaned daily along with the fridge and mini bar dispensers reliably refilled by very pleasant staff. All the staff from the servers, pool, bar, cleaning, front desk were very prom [... read more]pt, accommodating and polite. There were many pools that served the different needs of their guest which was excellent in our view. Since I (Catherine) swim early in the morning, I personally saw the lengths to which the staff went to maintain these areas. The buffet restaurant (Arenal) was the best of the many resorts that we have attended. The variety of food choices changed daily, so the menu choices remained interesting. We tried all 4 specialty restaurants and found the Steakhouse (Papagayo) to be the best for our taste. The steaks and lobster were consistently excellent. The other specialty restaurants were classy, food was still good, but were less to our tastes. The one disappointment was that the beach was not as swimming and snorkel friendly as we would have liked. The lack of a barrier reef caused the unchecked waves to make the water hard to see and swim in. There was only one tennis court and it needed to be reserved in advance. The court itself was excellent quality, well lit and provided several days of fun for us. I would like to say a special thank you to Kay at the front desk who made the reservations for us and helped me with other requests that we had. Overall both my husband and I were very impressed by the Riu Palace Costa Rica.

Riu Guanacaste: Great Value :)

The RIU Guanacaste is a beautiful resort ! They keep the grounds and the rooms very clean. Pool area is extremely busy and you have to put your towels down early to get a seat. The monkeys and Iquanas are amazing to see :) The food at the buffet is good, nothing special. The Asian and Italian alacart is great :) No complaints....great vacation :)

Riu Guanacaste: Playa

had a lovely family holiday. Extra tours are expensive. Need activities for teenagers Lovely warm ( 30-36 degrees) dry climate and quite windy most days. Nightly shows had some marvellous dancing and acrobatic portions. Good coffee but would have liked a coffee pot in the room

Occidental Tamarindo: Comfort in Costa Rica

Hotel staff were very friendly and eager to accommodate, beds were extremely comfortable and showers hot. Grounds were well kept and clean. Beautiful pool that did not seem overcrowded and plenty of lounge chairs available.

Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica: Amazing Vacation

Beautiful resort. Lush grounds, excellent food, large swimming pools. Very friendly staff. Large, comfortable well appointed rooms. Very clean. Special thanks to Judy at Trip Central for making this happen.

Fiesta Resort: doubletree by hilton punteraneas

very clean hotel and pleasant staff, speaking english was not a problem,the rooms are comfortable but could use some updates,a la cartes are very good but could use a few more,grieven at the pier gives great deals on trips and very good to deal with, all in all 8 out of ten for a rating

Riu Guanacaste: Beautiful location, lovely resort, great food for all.

We loved the hotel, the pool, the beach, the restaurants and the proximity to activities for the kids. My kids really enjoyed the sports bar, bingo and other activities they could do around the resort. The rooms were decent, we had a view of the ocean and the resort next door. We could see the sunset from our balcony. The staff were friendly and efficient, the food was a great selection that even my pickiest eater could find something he enjoyed.

Riu Guanacaste: Best weather ever!

We stayed at the Riu Guanacaste once before and had a great time both visits. The hotel is lovely and well maintained. The gardens are beautiful and we could watch Howler monkeys most day from our hotel balcony. The food is very good and the staff are friendly and helpful. We went for a beach walk every morning to watch the sunrise and saw two baby turtles hatch and make their run to the sea. We provided "air cover" so that no birds ate them before they made it to the sea. This resor [... read more]t is located far from any towns but there are lots of excursions you can take. It's perfect for a week of relaxing. There are kayaks, paddle boards and wind surfers for guests to use and the sea is beautiful and warm there. We will be back. Thanks for Bill's help in making our holiday a success.

Azura Beach Resort Samara: Resort is Okay

This is a smaller resort and the the rooms were okay. Getting hot shower is a challenge. Only one pool and one restaurant so if you are looking for more flexibility then this is not the place. Need more staff to man the two bars and the bars are on the smallish side. Pool bar is fine but need something closer to the beach. Only place to get food is at the restaurant so that is also not ideal. Staff booking the excursions need to be replaced.

Fiesta Resort: Great Resort!

This resort was very clean, grounds were well kept, adult pool was amazing, food was good with lots of variety, staff were friendly and spoke English well. The cookie given at check in was a nice touch.

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: If Not For the Staff.....

Location, location, location. People, people, people. the greatest strengths of this resort. The beach was clean, quiet and peaceful. Virtually everyone from dining to mtce. were warmly receptive. The food was remarkable and surprisingly never repeated in our 10 day stay. Simple evening entertainment during dinner was a perfect blend of variety. Indeed on Valentines Day there was a fabulous beach bonne fire, entertainment, blankets and drinks. This resort COULD BE SO VERY MUCH MORE however. I [... read more]t's infrastructure is weak. No loaner bikes or paddle boards as advertised. Bed linens and towels are old, grey and thin. Water and power supply are oddly sporadic with no backup generators. Guaranteed water will be off at night time a few evenings per week. important to know if you 'need' the toilet. We experienced a 5am-11am planned power outage by the local hydro, for which the resort make no apparent backup plans. Phones are non-existent on site. Our washroom a breeding ground for small black winged drain moths. It would seem this older side of the resort may be a cash-cow for the new development adjacent. The departure tax was a conundrum. The TripCentral agent did not know that the tax was pre-paid by Air Cananda, basic information that would have save waiting in a hot line at Liberia.

Best Western Jaco Beach: Nice resort

The Hotel was clean and nice but a little far from the beach. The food was good, the rooms were very clean. It is close to town. My only complaint was that the entertainment didn't speak English only Spanish.