Barcelo Tambor: Very nice resort

The resort was very clean, the rooms cleaned daily and the mini bar refilled. The food was AWFUL.If you like rice with beans or plain rice go to this resort. Every meal was very bland, WE ATE OFF OF THE KIDS BUFFET. We asked for fresh fish for lunch one day and received a processed white fish you would get out of the freezer section at your local grocery store.At the AL-a-cart restaurant we had a hard time making our self's understood because most of the staff could NOT speak English.We would  [... read more]not go back to this resort, it is not a 4 star resort, we would rate it at maybe a 3.

Beach Break Resort: Cozy,friendly resort

We thought the resort was nice..It is in transition of changing owners at this point so,the 2 weeks we were there you could see changes every week,for the better.It is a no frills resort so if you are looking for a 5 star resort from a 31/2 it is not the place for you..Small buffet that could have been a little bigger but the food was good( no complaints)..The staff was very hard working and put a lot of hours in and still had smiles on their faces.The grounds were nice,flowers blooming everyday [... read more],very hot and dry so grass never got enough water,even with them watering and sprinklers.Up grades have been done to the water front rooms of the resort (side views)and were told the rooms in top part by the round pool were going to be renovated soon..Rooms we had were a bit dated but AC worked very well(had 33% and higher weather for two weeks of holidays)which we welcomed to get relive from the high temps.. Could use nightly entertainment as there is none..Good bang for your buck to see Costa Rica..

Beach Break Resort: A Superb Winter Retreat

I stayed at Morgans Cove Resort (in transition of new ownership) Feb 22-Mar 8/17. The weather was very hot, 90 degrees night and day. A great winter getaway. The resort was an hour and half ride from the airport. The journey to the resort allowed all to see the area in the comfort of an air-conditioned bus. Everyday one saw the changes in progress under new ownership. The resort is small and quaint. Under 100 guests can enjoy the resort. The rooms are clean and modern with a/c. Bars ha [... read more]ve a great selection of drinks. The food was made fresh everyday. The buffet selection was awesome for all three meals. A menu selection was available every Monday with three very delicious choices for supper. Everyone went home with a weight gain!! The beach was beautiful to walk on. Rock free with black sand that went as far as the eye could see.. The staff were friendly and catered to every request . No complaints from myself nor my husband.

Beach Break Resort: HOT COSTA RICA WEATHER

STAFF IN THIS HOTEL ARE EXCEPTIONAL. FOOD LEAVES TO BE DESIRED AS IT IS MOSTLY THE SAME EVERY DAY. A FEW ROOMS HAVE BEEN RENOVATED BUT THE MAJORITY COULD USE A FRESH COAT OF PAINT AND THEY DO NOT HAVE A FRIDGE NOR A CLOCK. MOULDINGS NEED TO BE RE-INSTALLED. BEDS ARE HARD BUT YOU GET USED TO THAT. GROUNDS AND POOLS ARE WELL MAINTAINED. LOUNGE CHAIRS ARE HARD TO FIND. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL IF IT RENOVATIONS WERE COMPLETED AND FOOD WAS IMPROVED.

Fiesta Resort: Great holiday

Just came back from doubletree resort in Costa Rica. Great holiday. The resort was clean, staff were very attentive. Food was great at the buffets as well as the a la carte, Went on a tour arranged thru the resort amazing . service. Would go back in a minute!!!

Beach Break Resort: A little disappointed

Some of the staff were very good and the rooms were clean. This resort only has 1 restaurant and no entertainment at all! Both pools are in full sun all day, no shade. Luckily there were a couple of nice shady seating areas. The beach is quite rocky in some areas, so shoes are needed to get to a good spot. The waves are fairly big and no life jackets were available, so I was too nervous to take my 8 year old out past our knees. Surfing is the main activity here. No monkeys at this resort [... read more] 😔, So if that is why you are coming (me) apparently a resort more in land would be best. Walking distance to town, which was nice.

Best Western Jaco Beach: Best Western Disc NOT Hotel!!

Non-stop music!! Can't get away from it because the grounds are too small. It's quiet only from 1:00am until around 9:00am. Friday night is Disco night - apparently there are quiet rooms, but if you are not in one - you need the air conditioner & TV on. I recommend ear plugs - forget about opening the window!! Brutal!! Thursday & Saturday volume is about 80%. Monday night is the quietest. Always music at the pool (volume blasts when they have a program) & always music at the beach bar.  [... read more]Pros: No smoking on resort property - only on the town road or beach. (Noise pollution instead!). Clean, friendly staff, good food, great weather. Many Costa Rican families with children (the staff says they like the music & they are the majority). Cons: Wide sandy beach, but public - no shady spots. Transit guide advises you not to go into the town at night - not safe. Get drunk in the hotel not in town!!

Beach Break Resort: OK resort

There is not much included with the stay. The food was OK but it was maybe 6 dishes to choose from. There aren't any activities besides swimming in the pool. The location was good and a quick walk to town. It is definitely a three star.

Punta Leona Beach Club and Nature Resort: Great beaches

The rooms are a little old but comfortable except for the pillows. Food is ok not great service is very good though. Beautiful grounds it's like your in the jungle.I would recommend this hotel to family's and couples.Busy on weekends with locals.

Punta Leona Beach Club and Nature Resort: Quiet Resort netled in a tropical paradise

This resort is pretty quiet, at least at non-peak times. The room was clean and the AC worked beautifully. The buffet is small and has limited choice but you are able to find something to eat and the food was ok. The resort is far in from the main road so if you expect to walk outside the resort it's a long walk out. You need a vehicle for sure if you want to leave the resort. The pools were plenty and since it was quiet, we had no issues finding lounge chairs. The resort is not well layed out i [... read more]n that you need to walk long distances to get to the beach or reception. If you don't want to walk, you can always rent a golf cart at $45/day. The shuttle does go by every 30 minutes and takes you to the beach, Playa Blanca and Selvemar rooms. Playa Blanca has the most beautiful beach but good luck finding lounge chairs. They are kept tied together due to the high tide and are limited. There is a restaurant at Playa Blanca. This resort is best suited for people with young families or people just looking to relax. The wild life is pretty amazing at this resort also. If you are a nature lover, you will be happy to have went. Def saw lots of white face monkeys around, especially around the buffet area. There is only one buffet area near the Selvemar rooms. The rest of the resort offers restaurant order off the menu. The drinks were ok.

Fiesta Resort: Doubletree central pacific

Very nice place to stay in Costa rica. Lovely pools, great food, friendly staff. Black sand beach which doesn't get groomed, so not my favorite beach. Many fun activities in the surrounding area; pay a visit to Victor Hugo and Green Bean for the best tours ever!!!

Fiesta Resort: Beautiful resort!

The hotel was beautiful and the public grounds were kept clean. The size of the hotel room and view was perfect. Friendly hotel staff and great service. The one thing that I did not like was that I found the food to be very salty a couple of times at the buffet restaurant at Doubletree resort. The food was very good at the Macondo restaurant. We had our dinner there a couple of nights.

Beach Break Resort: Great Vacation

Beautiful setting, ocean on one side mountains on the other.Comfortable rooms, well kept grounds, walking distance to interesting town, lots of tours on offer but the staff really made the place, friendly , helpful . Outstanding

Best Western Jaco Beach: comfortable stay

This was a nice hotel. It was clean, we'll kept and quiet. Staff were very polite, helpful and we're always available to answer questions. The food was okay. It wasn't as varied as I might have hoped but reasonable decent fare. The grounds were well kept but I was disappointed that it closed at 7:00 pm every evening as a night swim would have been refreshing. Great beach access and in close proximity to the town of Jaco which was a bonus. Overall it felt more akin to a hotel than a resort as the [... read more]re weren't as many organized activities as I thought. Two bars and tennis courts and billiards were a nice touch.

Best Western Irazu Hotel: Mediocre

The hotel structurally was average and the maid service was very good. The food availability was limited to a Denny's with a standard chain restaurant menu and very expensive and a bar with primary bar type offerings. There were no restaurants closer than an $8-10 taxi ride with the exception of one a few minutes away inside a small mall that hotel staff don't mention. A local told us about it after we were there 9 days but the food was excellent and worth overlooking the facilities. The hotel i [... read more]s located in primarily an industrial area and sidewalks are either broken or non existent so going for a walk is not much pleasure. The location is very poor but in fairness to Best Western other large hotels other than in the city Center are no better e.g. Hilton, Country Inn &Suites.

Punta Leona Beach Club and Nature Resort: Virtually PERFECT

This was our 3rd visit to Costa Rica, and our 16th visit to the Central American-Caribbean area during the winter season. We had an all inclusive plan. Yes, the complex is very large, but the shuttle bus is regular at 30 minutes for those who prefer not to walk. From the Selvamar apartments, the walk to reception is at most 10 minutes and the the Mantas beach, an additional 5 minutes. The pool is on the way from reception to the beach. The shuttle bus from Selvamar to Playa Blanca is a 10 minute [... read more] ride, with AC. STANDARD ROOM: 2 double beds, very comfortable to sleep in. AC that is efficient. Generous sized fridge. Very easy to use and generous sized safe in room, large enough to fit passports, wallets, iPad, additional lens and a professional camera with a 400mm lens attached!! By far the best safe I have ever seen in a resort. Cable TV with 70 channels, including about 6 in English including CNN. Several other languages and lots of Spanish, including multiple sports channels (where language is less important). Washroom door we kept open so that it was air-conditioned. Steady access to hot and cold water. Shampoo and soap as well as towels and face cloths provided. Hair dryer in place. All electrical outlets took NA 120 V, no converters needed. Tap water was safe to drink. Two bottled waters provided at arrival. MEALS: Carabelas restaurant for breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner is only a minute or two from most Selvamar rooms. Very good food quality. Superb coffee. Very friendly, attentive service. Fresh fruit and vegetables +++. El Grill is at the far end of Carabelas. Reservations required but no cost if all inclusive. Superb quality a la carte. Beef and fish wonderful. Very attentive service. Leon Marino restaurant, a la carte for lunch and dinner, also very good. Huge portions. Pizza superb, for example. Playa Blanca restaurant similar to LM, fewer selections. BEACHES: Playa Blanca one of the best in CR. Firm sand, does not blow in the wind. Interesting rock features on either end of the beach. Lots of shade. Lounge chairs in shade, cannot be moved. Can rent umbrella and 2 beach chairs, $USD14 for the day. Not really needed unless one is obsessed with baking in the sun. Beautiful warm waters. Occasional surfing activity, depending upon wind and waves. Mantas beach, nearest hotel. Same warm water and rental arrangement. Special water play area for kids, costs extra. A good beach for strolling. Strong winds will bring in jellyfish. POOLS: One smaller pool in Selvamar, nearby the apartments and good for a dip, but often in the shade. Large adult pool near beach and near Leon Marino restaurant. Beautiful grounds, interesting shapes to the pool, very warm water, not deep, great for swimming and aqua fit exercises. Nearby large pool for kids! Both pools have reasonable number of lounge chairs, but again, as at the beach, secured in place by chains so one can only move the umbrellas, not the lounge chairs. Drinks can be taken to the poolside from nearby bar. NATURE: many different kinds of trees, vines, flowers all around the resort. White-faced monkeys are a regular presence at Carabelas, really entertaining. Netting protects eating area from the monkeys. Lots of iguanas on the property. A few racoons. On this visit, we did not see coatis or armadillos. Birdlife fantastic. Local scarlet macaws nesting very close to main road, one would be very unlucky not to see them. Other birds on the property include toucans, motmots, trogons, hawks, osprey, various shorebirds, various smaller species. 615 AM bird walk with naturalist Alex is excellent. He also conducts a very interesting tour of the butterfly area and a night walk (scorpions, spiders). The latter requires proper clothing, so be forewarned that you will be turned away if not in closed shoes and long pants. PEOPLE: Punta Leona is geared largely toward local Costa Ricans, especially Saturdays and Sundays, which would be good days to take day tours outside the resort, as the pools and beaches will be more crowded on weekends. Many of the staff have limited English, though this is not an issue at reception or at the restaurants. A limited Spanish vocabulary would help. For us, the heavy CR influence was really nice, as we felt like true visitors. Outside groups included Canadians, Americans, Germans and a few other Europeans. A nice mix. So why is the title only "virtually perfect"? Finicky in-room internet connection (even though it is free to use). Bar Cafe 1492 (beside Carabelas and the Selvamar pool and apartments) was only open on Fridays and Saturdays during our early February visit! Only one evening of local entertainment. A few more evenings of entertainment would be welcomed. Overall, a superb resort that we will visit again in the near future.

Punta Leona Beach Club and Nature Resort: interested one

awesome place for everyone. We will go backrooms were clean . The people were very helpful and the cabs were cheap and helpful too. The nearby cities were clean and the people were very friendly . we ha d a great time thanks

Barcelo Tambor: Beautiful resort and beach!

Our vacation was pretty much perfect. Nothing but sunshine and blue sky. Resort was beautiful. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food was fresh and delicious. Lots of birds and other wildlife around. Very natural setting. Not commercialized like so many other places we have been to. It is a long trip to get there though if you go by bus and ferry. I would recommend to go by small air plane from San Jose to the resort. It is only a 30 minute ride compared to 5 hours by ferry. I would go ho [... read more]me by ferry though because you do get to see a lot of the country and stop to shop in a small town on the way back. But either way it is a great place to vacation.

Punta Leona Beach Club and Nature Resort: Enjoyable week

Room and deck were nice, private, clean, Wifi was fine. Our room was close to buffet and to smaller, quieter, shaded pool. Buffet was adequate and Le Grille good and well served. Took local bus into Jaco for a day. Did a crocodile tour on Tarcoles...Jose was great guide. Did a ATV ride with Vista La Suenos tours...good value. All inclusive worked well for us. Friendly staff. Busy with locals on the weekend...no chairs,etc. at the beach pools.

Barcelo Tambor: BEST TRIP SO FAR

Well where do I start. This was the first time we have traveled to Costa Rica and It wont be the last. After a 5 hr plane ride to San Jose We were greeted by Nolitours and off to the Ferry at Puntarenas. Great scenery and lots of hills. The ferry ride was more than an hour but beautiful view of the gulf of Nicoya. Wish we had the option of flying direct to Tambor and save more time to enjoy the Resort. Arrived at Paquera and off to Barecleo Tambor. Arrived and had no problem booking in to our ro [... read more]om as there was only 4 of us that was on the mini bus.The grounds are magnificent and well taken care off. The Iguanas, squirrels, and doves kept busy looking for hand outs but didn't bother us at all. The scarlet Macaws flying over head and in the bird sanctuary were breath taking to see and its good to see the re introducing of endangered animals back into the wild. The parrots greeted us with Ohla. The howler monkeys religiously arrived around 5 pm to bask in the shade and cool off. What a hair raising sound they make!! The pool was clean and warm and enjoyed every minute. The pool activities helped wear off some of the drinks. The weather was nothing but perfect as we had 7 days of full sunshine and no clouds. Couldn't ask for better. The bartenders especially Kaylor in the main bar beside the stage was so amazing in making us feel like a close friends. I told him how to make a peralyser drink and he liked it. He should be recognized for his efforts as he works so hard at what he does. The bingo they had before the main entertainment was hard to follow. I know that Spanish is you main language, but it would have been nice to understand the jokes as we felt out of place. We laughed anyways. The food in the buffet was excellent and always a variety for everyone. The only draw back was at the steak house. My wife asked for here steak to be well done and it came between medium rare to medium. The ceaser salad was supper salty and the portions of veggies were small. The beach was fabulous and took a walk at low tide to Tambor, a small village at the west end of the beach. We purchased some liquor and as we were heading out of the local grocery store the worker came out and gave us a a small bottle of the local Costa Rican 5 year old rum as a gift. That made our trip even more unbelievable. At night the stars were so bright and felt like you could reach out and grasp them. The security was present all the time and we felt very safe at all times. Went to Tortuga Island snorkeling and had a blast. Saw tons of fish and lots of crabs running along the white sand beach. The bbq was excellent and the beers were cold. Went to the Curu wildlife reserve and Douglas our guide was awsome and we would recommend him as a guide as he new so much as if you went by your self you would enjoy it as much. We learned many things about the animals and foliage of Costa Rica. About 10 white faced capuchin mokeys gave us a show and were almost at touching distance. The pictures were amazing. Saw local deer, butter flies, rodents, and herons. This trip was the most memorable one we have taken and plan on going back to this resort as its a resort away from the big cities and we felt soooo relaxed. The only thing is that we wished that Nolitours gave us the option of the plane ride not the Ferry to bet us back to San Jose airport as getting up at 3 a.m. and the ferry ride at 5:30 a.m. then the long ride to the airport used up to many days of enjoying the resort. Didn't get home till 1:00 a.m. the next morning and made for a long long day. Thanks again for a wonderful experiance Barcelo Tamabor Beach Resort.