Riu Guanacaste: 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

Occidental Tamarindo: Great week with group of 14

The size of this resort made it easy for our group of 14 to find each other easily. The restaurant staff always found a way to accommodate us with cheerful and friendly service. All the staff were exceptionally attentive and eager to satisfy. The hunt for lounge chairs was a daily challenge though.

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Relaxing

The purpose of our vacation was to relax and basically enjoy the sun and beach. This resort has lots of that. The positives, very clean, nice staff, gorgeous grounds, awesome beach, safe, awesome sunsets, beautiful weather. Negatives, not much really, however many kids on weekends who take over the pool, the pool bar, and pool area. For us we enjoy the beach so not an issue. The other minor issue was the choice of food, it's pretty basic, but always fresh, plentiful and satisfactory. The reser [... read more]vation restaurant is poor, extremely basic and not work the visit. Overall if you want a quiet relaxing, walk the beach and get sun vacation, then this is the place.

Riu Guanacaste: 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.

Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica: Amazing Family Trip

We had a great time at the Dreams Las Mareas with our 4 kids ranging age 9 to 15. Food was exceptional, rooms were comfortable and the grounds were well maintained. We booked a trip to Costa Rica for the excursions, and although they were a bit of a drive away from the resort they were well worth it. We plan to return in the future and would highly recommend this resor.t

Riu Guanacaste: 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 Guanacaste: 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!!! :)

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Beautiful Resort!

The property grounds were all kept and clean. The ocean view from the rooms was amazing! Such a pretty place to vacation. The staff were fairly friendly, the rooms were clean and the food was delicious! Certainly a great place to get away enjoy the sun and some wildlife. Would absolutely recommend. Only suggestion for people looking for some more exciting excursions, they are about 4 hours away from the hotel. Keep that in mind while booking if you're looking for mountain/ volcano adventures.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Wonderful Vacation!

The Riu Palace was so much more than expected. The rooms and grounds were immaculate, the food delicious, and the shows were fun. The people that worked at this resort were kind, friendly, and accomodating. I would definitely recommend this resort and Costa Rica, in general. What a beautiful place to be.

Secrets Papagayo Resort: Great staff, helful and considerte

Food is excellent although the choice of restaurants is somewhat limited. The japanese and Italian restaurants are excellent. There is a great selection of wines although they are over priced. Local performers are quite good and the 'party maker staff' add a lot. The entertainment center and staff are quite helpful and accommodating

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.

Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica: Dreams @ Christmas

My husband and I are well traveled and have been to a lot of all inclusive resorts in Jamaica, D.R, Mexico and Costa Rica. This was our first family vacation outside North America with our 2 sons who are 5 & 6. I hope others can find this review helpful as we spent a lot of time researching and reading reviews as to where we should take out first trip. Overall we are happy with our choice to go to the Dreams Las Mareas in Costa Rica. It was our second vacation to C.R. Here are so pros a [... read more]nd cons about our trip. Bus Ride - 1.5 hrs sucks to be on the bus in the heat. The guides are nice though. The roads are bumpy and narrow. Like others posted the gravel part is extremely hard on the stomach and those prone to motion sickness should take some ginger. Grounds - Beautiful, Lush, Green, and well maintained. It was the start of the dry season so everything was colorful and beautiful. Costa Rica is a beautiful country. Pools - More than you can swim in. The resort was rather busy because we visited during the break but there was always a chair and room to play. The water was clean but always had fallen leaves and debris. Unfortunately for the grounds keepers its a constant battle because of all the surrounding trees. Cannot fault them on this. They make a good effort to keep it clean. Wildlife - We saw monkeys, iguanas (big one named coco), lots of colorful birds, and raccoons (who dump garbage cans over and eat room service plates). We went kayaking and saw 1000 puffer fish in the bay. It was crazy how many there were. We also saw baby stingrays about 15 feet from the shore at the beach. The kids found the hermit crabs to be interesting at both far ends of the beach. Rooms - Always clean and well kept. Refrigerator was always stocked. Like other people said it is a little weird that the bathroom has a class door only. The room is just one big suite. Not too much privacy except for a curtain you can pull. Another family thought it was awkward with boys who were 10 and 12 sharing a room with their mom and dad. But the beds were comfortable and linens were clean. The balconies are nice to sit out on in the morning with a cup of coffee. The tub is nice to relax in as well outside. Beach - A perfect size. Its a private beach so you don't have hundreds of people walking past you everyday. There are a handful of vendors that are nice. They don't seem to have too much competition so they are not pushy. There are nice trees to sit under for shade when the sun gets really hot in the afternoon. We always had a chair. There is also someone who takes drink orders which is a lovely touch. Kids Club - The women who worked at the Explorers Club were amazing with our kids. Probably the employees that stood out the most for me. They were friendly, active, engaging, playful, genuine, and actually played with the kids. They were wonderful. I felt very secure leaving the kids in their hands. They have a locked gate that parents can drop off and retrieve their kids. Our kids went for 2 hrs almost everyday. They handed us a buzzer (like you would get at a restaurant when you wait for a table) and the kids buzzed us when they were ready to go. Beautiful. TIP - on the resort event schedule they had a part for the kids club. It has what the kids were doing every hour. So we picked what time the boys would go and they were happy to engage in the activity. Things like zumba, sandcastle building, water balloon fights, beach time, crafts, games on the wii... etc Restaurants/Food - We found the food to be average. I wish they would have had more authentic costa rican food. Breakfast buffet was always the same. So it got a little boring. The best things was the homemade crepes and waffles. And the evening buffet only opens at 6:30 in the evenings. Way to late for kids that need to be settled and in bed by 8. The restaurants opened at 6 or 6:30 but with a la carte dinning they took even longer. There were times when food would fly out of the kitchen and times we waited 45 min for a salad. It was really hit or miss. Sometimes we couldn't get a cup of coffee or water at breakfast. Other times the cups were never empty. The ordered room service 4 times and tried different things. It was always quick (20 or 30 min) but there were not too many options. A bonus was the coco cafe was always open. So you could always grab a quick snack from there and a coffee, juice, pop etc. Overall it was a wonderful first family trip. I would recommend others to visit here. I will say if it was just my husband and I traveling we would not go to Dreams Las Mareas as a couple. The resort definitely caters to families with children. There are a lot of kids here and a lot of noise that goes along with it. We would definitely choose an adults only. I hope these tips are helpful to those planning their vacations : )

Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica: Overall - ok

Overall we were a bit disappointed by the resort on this trip. It really all came down to the level of service. We went just before Christmas this year and there was literally no staff. The bars had 1 person making drinks - getting a morning coffee was super painful and getting your own was really not an option. The room fridge was rarely stocked and this resort claims great room service options...not the case at all. There were some positives - the pools were very nice and the grounds were b [... read more]eautiful. The food in the restaurants was really top notch as far as resorts go. The buffet however was a huge disappointment for breakfast and lunch. Our room was very nice and bed was fairly comfortable. The pool walk-out was also a nice feature. Overall - my family was MUCH happier at the RIU Palace in Costa Rica last year even though it was not as highly rated.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Great Resort

Large property with the sister property next door. All the staff that we encountered were super friendly and helpful. The food and alcohol choices were amazing and varied. The pools and beach were great also with plenty of seating.

Riu Guanacaste: 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.,

Riu Guanacaste: 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.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Beautiful, lush resort

This resort and the staff exceeded our expectations. The grounds were kept lovely and very clean. We asked for joining rooms by the pool; we got exactly that. The hotel is done in a very modern style. The rooms were spascious and very clean. The food was great (lots of seafood). We will definitely return. The only downside were the beds; not comfortable.

Wyndham Tamarindo: Great trip to Costa Rica

The hotel, Esplendor Tamarindo was really nice. Updated features and modern look and feel as well as very nicely maintained grounds. There were some minor areas to improve on but overall great accommodation and lovely staff.

Wyndham Tamarindo: Great hotel

This hotel was really nice. It's up on a hill with an amazing view. My only complaint is that the shuttle down the hill finishes a bit early - 8:00 p.m. The rooms are spacious and clean and the breakfast is good. Most of the staff were helpful.

Secrets Papagayo Resort: Second time, almost as nice!

We still enjoyed our vacation at Secrets Papagayo. We had a fabulous oceanfront room which had a great view and was very private--we were in the room right beside the one we had in April. We like how the resort has two rooms only per bungalow! The sad thing was that a few of our favourite employees from April have moved to other resorts. However, we thoroughly enjoyed some of the new ones, especially a driver named Eduardo. He made getting around the resort lots of fun. The Market Cafe [... read more] was still wonderful for breakfast but we also finally had breakfast at Aqua, which was very close to our room. We should have gone there more often! Lunch was also good in the Market; our last evening at the resort we had a Chinese buffet for dinner there, which was delicious.The Seaside Grill was still nice. However, we really regret dining at the Japanese show table. Our chef had almost no personality and the food was just satisfactory. Portofino was supposed to be a lovely birthday dinner for me on our night of arrival. It was such a letdown. Other than the fake rose petals on our tablecloth, no special thing was done for the occasion (like a cupcake).... Our waiter was so condescending and gave us poor service. The evening would have been a disaster except the lamb was excellent. Sadly, we returned again for the lamb but it was cooked differently and not as good. The main pool area is very busy and loud so we enjoyed our loungers at the spa pool. The one serious drawback to this resort is the beach volcanic sand, which is dark and dirty on the feet. The bay does not look inviting so we have not ventured into the water. We did walk to the right as you face the water when the tide was low. Water shoes are a must as we had to cross over rocks to get to a "long" section of beach further down. Alas, no monkeys were to be seen. The Preferred Club was very good for a drink before and/or after dinner. Caesar continues to be the best bartender there. Kim Hartlen, our travel agent, did a superior job getting us this booking and we are pleased with her service so will use her again!