Riu Palace Costa Rica: Wonderful holiday!

The Riu Palace was a great place to stay for a relaxing holiday. Drinks delivered pool-side, a nice selection of tasty, fresh food well-prepared, hotel staff very service oriented. The grounds were beautiful, the pools great, the pool side activities just right, evening entertainment was entertaining, beach was super! Not too crowded - there were maybe 25 people at the beach at its most crowded. There are several pools, each seemingly for a slightly different crowd - there was the one with all t [... read more]he boisterous young people having lots of fun in the pool, and the one we liked which was more for swimming and sunning in the lounges built right into the water, and aquafit every day at 11.30. Always easy to find well-located lounge chairs to lie in pool-side. The staff come around frequently to get your drink order and deliver it right to where you're lying in the sun! whether at the beach or at the pool. Poor guys, having to traverse all that in blazing sun all day! There is as much to do there as you want - you can keep yourself really busy with day trips, snorkeling and other going-out-on-the-water type excursions. Or you can take it nice and easy! There were lots of day trips available, we only went on the Congo Trail ziplining outing, which was very nice. There are a couple of other ziplining outings but they are 2 and 3 hours away by bus. We did not want to spend 4 to 6 hours in a bus to do a day trip. A few people we spoke with flew into San Jose first to do some of those rainforest, volcano, whitewater rafting and other activities, and then spent 5 nights at the Palace to relax after all that strenuous activity. Flying into Liberia you don't run the risk of the airport being closed due to volcanic eruption which is what seems to happen at San Jose from time to time (it happened around the day we were flying out, March 21). I felt really comfortable at the Riu Palace and would highly recommend it. The staff, the service, the location, activities, etc were all great. Just realized I haven't mentioned the room - very nice as well. The hotel is more or less U-shaped, with the lobby at the bottom of the U and the rooms on each arm of the U. Each room has a balcony that looks out either on the gardens, so outward facing, or the courtyard, which is more or less facing onto the inside of the U, which is where all the evening entertainment is staged so at night it is quite noisy. We had a room that faced outward into the wilderness, so it was nice and quiet. Nice balcony and great to sit there in the evening with a glass of wine. The beds were very comfortable, curtains room-darkening, shower and bathroom all clean and modern and fresh. There was also a Jacuzzi-type bath tub between the rest of the bathroom and the beds etc. You can draw a curtain for privacy if you want it. Wifi everywhere.

Occidental Papagayo: Simply Brilliant!

This was a fantastic resort -the food was very good, lots of variety and plenty of fresh fruit and veggies every meal. The staff were always helpful and pleasant. The grounds are beautiful. Very clean!

Villas Sol: Average Resort but a great time!

We recently stayed at Villas Sol Resort and overall had a great time. Below are some pros and cons from our perspective. Pros: - Excellent staff service throughout - Decent room with very efficient A/C - Food was great- only 1 a later carte; but was excellent - Very close to beach but not beachfront - Beautiful Views throughout the resort Cons: - Lack of activities and entertainment - Resort on hill so lots of walking. They do however have a shuttle service - Fridge in room doesn't get stocked [... read more] with anything. - Water pressure very low in room with lack of hot water - Limited drink variety; however very good portions! Costa Rica is overall gorgeous and we had a very nice time!

The Westin Reserva Conchal Golf Resort & Spa: A piece of Paradise!

This was an Amazing Resort, the rooms were spacious, the a la carte's were Fantastic and the weather was Unbelievable and the Pool was Great with sun and shade. It was like they dropped the resort in the middle of the jungle. We definitely plan to return here.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Very Nice Hotel with a couple of Issues

The Good: Very nice hotel, great services, pools are nice, great staff, food was excellent, our 2 kids (9, 7) had a great time, no fighting for pool chair, turtle tracks on the beach and monkeys a short walk away. We had a "courtyard View" room which also had a nice view of the ocean which was a pleasent suprise. The Bad: the beach in front of the hotel was rocky but if you walked a short distance, the rocks were less and the water was beautiful. The Ugly: there are 4 pools and only 1 toilet i [... read more]n a restaurant next to the last pool. Also, there is no toilet in the main buffet restaurant; you have to walk a fair distance to find one. Given this place is only a couple of years old, it's shocking at the lack of toilets.

Allegro Papagayo by Occidental: beautiful grounds

grounds were well maintained. Food was was fine - loved the variety everyday. Fresh fruit and smoothie bar was amazing. Would recommend the ala carte restaurants - especially the Italian one. Entertainment was okay. The entertainment team were excellent dancers and versatile as they put on the show every night. The International Night barbeque and show was awesome. We stayed in Building 10 which was perfect. We asked to be moved on the first day as our first room was not acceptable. Staff were g [... read more]reat about moving us. Shuttles were regular which would take you up to the main reception area. The view is beautiful from there but a long steep walk from the pool area so the shuttle is great.

Riu Guanacaste: Beautiful Resort

Riu Gauanacaste Resort is a fantastic place to stay. The rooms are clean and spacious, the food is awesome, the service is great, the beach is close, and there are always chairs available around the pool and beach. The only thing that is too bad, is that the drive to the rainforest is about 3 hours by bus.

Riu Guanacaste: Amazing resort but..

Great resort, fantastic people,beautiful country,weather unbelievable. But for a resort like the Riu I would have figured they would have had a more bountiful selection of fish dishes at there lunch and dinner.

Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo: Great Time

This resort was well looked after,with attentive service. For a 3.5 star it excelled any other resort I have been to with that rating. The staff upgraded our room for free when they foun out it was our honeymoon, and sent a complimentary bootle of champagne to our room.

Riu Palace Costa Rica: beautiful place.

Beautiful place. Friendly staff. Quiet and relaxing. The pool was amazing. This side had a more matured crowd. Not too many kids as compared to the other building. It's not white sand beaches like the Caribbean.

Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo: Awesome resort

What a great week, rooms, grounds, & breakfasts were amazing. The beach was beautiful, & sunsets breathtaking. We booked the breafast only, & it was perfect because there is so much to see and do in CR

Riu Guanacaste: wonderful resort

The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The food was great with lots of choice. Would like a few more activities geared to tweets in the evening, but overall would highly recommend and would go back!

Riu Palace Costa Rica: Great resort

Overall enjoyable for a RIU. Room was a bit small for a "suite ". Food was very good. Facility was kept very clean. Entertainment was a bit cheesy on a few occasions but dancing was good. Live bands were very good. The beach is not what we expected. Disappointing when we compare to other places like Jamaica, Turks, Dominican, Bahamas etc. Excursions are a must as the country has much to see and do. Locals are very tourist friendly.

Natural Wonders of Costa Rica: A Great way to see Costa Rica

A wonderful trip & tour. The tour guide Fransisco and the driver made the trip. A very busy week, but worth every minute. A wonderful country, friendly people, great hotels & food & toured some great attractions & sights in Costa Rica. Made a lot of friends during the week as well. I would highly recommend Nolitours/Jacamar Tours to see & explore Costa Rica. The flight was cramped, but worth it for 5 hours to see this great country.

Secrets Papagayo Resort: Great atmosphere, friendly staff.

We stayed at this resort a few years ago and liked it so much we came back. Buildings and grounds could use some work but the staff, food and drink were still excellent. Julio deserves special mention, very helpful and an all around super guy. Be prepared for things to take a bit longer. Remember to relax, you're on "Costa Rica time". This is a very quiet resort. The bungalow layout is nice, no noisy traffic in the halls like apartment style units. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Our bungalow [... read more] was close enough to the spa area that we were able to get the free wifi that is available in the common areas. We rented a car from the Alamo desk in the lobby and drove to Playa Grande and Tamarindo. Stunning beach and great taco's at Taco Star in Playa Grande. Tamarindo was busy... I think Coco beach is nicer if you want to hit the shops. Resort was sold while we were there so it will probably get the needed facelift. I hope the price stays reasonable so we can go back!

Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica: Beautiful resort tranquil remote location

The staff are very friendly, happy and eager to please. Do your homework because this is a beautiful resort and its location is remote which only adds to its beauty BUT if you plan to do a lot of day trips there will be some extensive travel time. The trip from Liberia airport is 2 hours and paving continues near the resort but the bumpy road that people refer to isn't an issue and will be completed shortly. We had booked as Preferred Club and we had requested Building 8A second floor and tha [... read more]t's exactly what we were given, a lovely kind sized room with view of the lower pools and beach and we enjoyed lovely sunsets from our balcony. The resort is easily walkable - approx 10 minutes from the main building (World Cafe, El Patio, Himitsu and Portofino restaurants are located) to the beach. If you have mobility issues there are golf carts available to transport you as the property is quite rolling. The two story buildings, like 8a and 1a, do not have elevators which may be a consideration for those with issues. The resort is beautiful with its meandering pools and the great thing is that your have choices for the pools, some with lots of action and others suitable for a quiet read. It is always windy but that helps as it can get very hot and would be unbearable without it. The beach is a beautiful remote bay, no it's not white sand and aqua waters, but it is lovely unspoiled perfection. We didn't venture into the water but I did speak with some locals who were swimming and asked them about rays and jellyfish and they said there was no issue but you should "shuffle" into the water just in case. You can decide on that one, we stuck to the pool. Restaurants were fantastic! Portofino was gorgeous, beautiful chandeliers in a formal setting....just sit back and then realize where you are...in the middle of nowhere in this beautiful restaurant. Food was very good, some might think the portions small but not so if doing appetizer to desert. Pastas and meats were all delicious. Seaside Grille. The beef tenderloin/fillet was absolutely one of the best steaks ever...so tender no knife required! The Costa Rican lobster tail ($35 extra charge) was huge - sweet and tender, no butter required. The manager of Seaside, Jorge, is a super nice guy who runs a smooth operation always checking on the kitchen and waiters/servers. It certainly translates to good service and a great meal. El Patio is underrated IMO and has some great steak and chicken options which are delicious. Himitsu is good and very popular so get there early unless you want to wait. For breakfast our only option was the World Cafe as the resort was only about a 1/3 full and Seaside was never open for breakfast. Lots of choices including a cook to order omelet, eggs, crepes, and smoothie bar. One could never leave here hungry for lack of choice. At lunch the selections again were varied and good. Barefoot Grill offers grilled kabobs, burgers, etc. We tried the kabobs, chicken, ribs and wings, all of which were good. You can do as much or as little as you wish at the resort. There are daily nature walks to see the monkeys, parrots, iguanas, pool games and entertainment nights. Don't miss their Fire Show which was great! Colleen Graham

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.

Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo: We will return!

Clean grounds, comfy beds, clean pol and a short walk to a great beach! Helpful and friendly staff. We had the included breakfast which was great. They changed it everday. Fresh fruit and different juice every day. Iguanas were entertaining!

Villas Sol: Wonderful time - quiet, relaxing

The view from our villa was beautiful. The slection of food was limited but what they had was very fresh, good and tasty. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Overall if you are looking for a quiet, relaxing time then this is the place.

Allegro Papagayo by Occidental: Excellent resort for the money

We had a great time at Allegro Papagayo Costa Rica. We had room 132 which had an awesome view. A bit of a walk to and from the pool and restaurant but you could take the shuttle if you want which runs about every 10 minutes or so. The food was we thought very good for an all inclusive and not at a 5 star resort. Went on a couple excursions through Charlies Adventures which is right at the towel exchange and was very enjoyable. Cammillo and Reuben and the rest of the crew were very friendly and f [... read more]un. Some people went with outfits from the people on the beach and complained it was expensive for what they got. Don't get sucked into the timeshare. That's all I have to say on that. All in all we would go back again for sure. Not a resort if you're looking for parties but if you're looking for a quiet holiday it's great.