Secrets Papagayo Resort: To small and crowded for secrets

We arrived at this resort on April 4, though we had found a perfect resort. Three day’s later it came crashing down. There was an influx of 150 people, who were rewarded with an all inclusive. This resort is small and everything is centrally located in this area. They did have a quiet pool. Which they wouldn’t play any music at all. It’s different when people know each other, the atmosphere totally changed. The staff at this resort are fantastic. There just wasn’t enough room for all the guess t [... read more]o spread out the main area was just to crowed.

Riu Guanacaste: Great resort

My family of 4 had a great week at Riu Guanacaste! The food was amazing! The service was fabulous! It was super clean but when we first got there the room smelt musty. We think it was from the humidity. We asked for a "family room" which ended up being a king bed with a single. We had to sleep 3 in the king to make it work for us. We are all in great health so the long walk from our 5th floor room to the main area wasn't a problem. My children's (age 11 and 13) favourite parts were the waterslid [... read more]es and the evening entertainment. There are elevators that broke down about 5 times during our stay, but they were always fixed quickly. The beaches are all public so be ready for the locals who want to sell their wares. There are some boutiques just outside the main entrance that are open for shopping daily, but they are grossly overpriced. There are lots of excursions that can be taken from the resort with ziplines in their backyard. We are all longing to go back!

Barcelo Tambor: Well kept, kind staff, good food and lovely scenery!

My 4 teenage kids and I loved this resort. It was clean and very will kept. Loved the pools and the staff were always kind, even of they didn't speak English, we always managed. Overall a great experience! Pura Vida!!!

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Cute quiet resort

. Loved: Communicating with the front desk via WhatsApp. Wifi throughout the resort. Staff No fight for chairs at pool or beach Heard howler monkeys twice but did not see them. Beach was clean. Some coral in the water but it wasn’t hard to walk in. Warm pacific water. Pool was clean. Quirks: figuring out the shower. Some days we ended up with hot water coming out of the shower head but cold water coming out of the handheld sprayer lol. Not a big deal to us. Room key s [... read more]topped working twice which leads into the third and last “issue” With the room key not working I was able to gain entry easily through the patio door just the way the balcony lined up. We notified the hotel and they came and fixed it a bit but still didn’t lock. This wasn’t an issue for me- I didn’t fear for our safety at all. Short power outages a few times. Drive to hotel ended up being closer to 5 hours - this was related to traffic and not the hotel or driver. The way back to airport was more accurate, closer to 2.5 hours. Also this is a me issue for not researching it enough prior to going but I did find CR to be more expensive generally than most other countries I’ve been to. They have 13% tax and as a Canadian the exchange was 0.38 cents to the dollar so this ended up being quite more than I thought. As another example the taxi ride to Samara (3.2 km from hotel) was $12.00 usd (not including tip/tax) each way and if you want the taxi Driver to wait for you it is $25.00 usd an hour. Probably cheaper alternatives but I didn’t have any need to go into the town this time. Amstar was the company air Canada works with and we were shuttled from the airport to hotel with them. There was wifi in the van. No air Canada rep on site but available by WhatsApp and they were easy to reach. Excursions: we booked 2 through the resort and they were both great. We did the adrenaline (zip line, horse ride to waterfall, tubing, hot spring/mud) and I would recommend this to anyone that wants to do a ton of activities in a day. It was about 2.5 hour drive one way. The second was a pottery and river tour at national park. The pottery part was short and interesting. The river tour also great, we got to see white faces monkeys crocodiles iguanas and many birds. A couple we spoke to had booked some excursions off resort and said they were significantly cheaper. Food - breakfast and lunch typical buffet. Dinner had to be by reservation but was also buffet lol. I heard that you could book 2 dinners at the restaurants next door at the adults only azure restaurant. Entertainment- there was a few different people singing/ playing guitar a few times during the week we stayed. Not your typical themed big loud activities like larger resorts. Store- expensive but to be expected. We bought coffee and chocolate and had it shipped home. We haven’t received it yet but it’s only been one day since we have been back and it can take 15 days. Didn’t realize we packed expired sunscreen, I had a reaction and had to buy sunscreen here and it was $32.99 USD before taxes. It was the same price at a gas station/pharmacy when I checked another day. We booked last minute all inclusive through air Canada. All was well with in that regard.

Occidental Tamarindo: Very nice and comfortable

Cleaning of rooms needed a little work,.................................................................................................................................................................

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Serenity in the tropics

We really lucked out with perfect weather and a villa right on the beach, where we woke up to the sound of the waves and a view of a long palm-lined beach, with hardly a soul on it. No thumping music, no "animators" trying to get the crowd excited and noisy. The beach itself is super clean, though not the expected bright white sand. The water temperature was perfect in our April 2024 visit: cool enough to refresh, warm enough to just walk in. Water was not clear enough for great snorkellin [... read more]g, but we did manage one decent outing in shallow water on a small reef just off the beach itself. The food was ok, the staff was super friendly, and the grounds beautiful. The best part of the food were the daily fresh mini croissants. In my opinion, it's not worth bothering with the fancy speciality restaurants. All around a lovely place to spend a week in quiet relaxation.

Barcelo Tambor: Could be better

I like the grounds. The room was clean but had a musty smell. The bathroom needs to be renovated. The staff was nice but some didn’t speak English and it was difficult to communicate with them. The food was good, but could use more seasoning.

Barcelo Tambor: Didn’t meet expectations

The grounds are nice and kept clean. The room was dirty when we checked in (stained sheets and pillows, dirty coffee maker, hair on the shower head etc). The bathroom is in disrepair and has mold. Some staff were pleasant while others were rude. Most of the staff don’t speak English which was somewhat annoying but not unbearable. The food left a lot to be desired as most of it was bland. The buffet isn’t the cleanest as various animals like birds and squirrels will attempt to eat from your plate [... read more] or even the hot tray. The a la carte restaurants are a bit better than the buffet but with long wait times for bland food, it’s hard to enjoy.

Occidental Papagayo: Stunning Resort!

This resort is stunning, the landscape is beautiful it'll take your breath away. The food was great at both the buffet and a la cartes. There were monkeys and lots of wildlife right on the resort. We really enjoyed the pool by the beach, there is a swim up bar and it had a great vibe. If you're looking for a relaxing quiet resort this is the one!

Occidental Papagayo: Okay Resort

Resort is very clean. Staff are attentive and aim to please. Food is unfortunately sub par. Very repetitious. Saw the same meals/food for 7 days. Not a place for anyone with walking issues. Can’t access the beach without going down narrow stairs. Also drinks from beach area is a walk. The shuttle is always available though and will drive you to areas where it is far to walk as there are many stairs. Good air conditioning in the rooms and showers have good pressure. Ladies on the beach give excel [... read more]lent massages. Overall okay vacation but if food is a priority for you, not the place to go.

Riu Guanacaste: It was Great!!!

The staff was friendly and attentive, the food was excellent. The resort was modern and everything was kept clean. The pool was large with lots of room. Being next to the Pacific ocean a real plus, I would go back.

Best Western Jaco Beach: resort was average

We arrived at 12:30 in the morning and were greeted by staff which were friendly. In the morning the grounds and the walk to the beach were well maintained and groomed. The entertainment there was minimal to non existant. The town of Jaco was very pleasant and the food at the resort was just average and basically the same thing on the daily. The rooms were clean but very dated.

Azura Beach Resort Samara: disappointing and expensive for what they offer

At arrival they did not find our reservation, poor communication, we had to wait and were not told why. Procedure to get to our room took about half an hour after a long day travelling. The front desk is not welcoming at all. They have a number of unexperienced staff. there was no information about the resort amenities. Hotel and rooms are overall clean. Room cleaning was fine but very late in the day. Some days no room cleaning at all. Booking system of restaurants with Whatsapp is somewh [... read more]at cumbersome if you do not want to carry your phone at all times. Food quality overall was good. More local cuisine would be welcome rather hat an Italian and an Asian restaurant. Service staff is friendly but not really welcoming which may be due to lack of English skills and working 12 to 14 hour days with only one day off per week. For 72 rooms they only have 24 beach chairs available which were usually reserved all daylong after 6 am by people not even present for hours. They have no other infrastructure on the beach like paddle boards or kayaks for hotel guests. All had to be rented outside the hotel. No collaboration between front desk and separate desk for excursions. We would not recommend this hotel for people looking for a more active vacation. Main activity is focused on the pool bar. Overall the hotel is too expensive for what they offer.

Hotel Villas Playa Samara: Great little resort

Hotel is on the smaller side. But that was a good thing. Great place to relax. Pool had lots of sitting.pool bar was great. Beach had lots of room and seats. Great views. Rooms were always clean. Common areas well maintained. Bar was really great drinks were excellent. Staff were all friendly. Great service.

Punta Leona Beach Club and Nature Resort: Unfortunately disappointed

Sadly I am not recommending this resort to anyone. It is great for bird watchers and wild life lovers. The food (or water), however, got both myself and my partner extremely ill for three days of our trip. We talked to several other people staying at the resort and they were having the same stomach problems. Extremely disappointed as we have travelled to many other third world countries and have never had an issue with the food. Staff: Some of the staff are very helpful. Others don't rea [... read more]lly go out of their way to help, unless you speak Spanish. I noticed there was a huge difference between the help Spanish people received as apposed to English and French speaking guests. They really are not tip motivated, but grateful when you give them a tip. Accommodations: Our room had a garden view with a balcony which was a nice getaway from the beach or lounge / bar. The room was clean, towels were changed daily if you wanted. PLEASE INSIST ON GETTING WATER REPLENISHED DAILY! DO NOT DRINK THEIR WATER FROM THE FAUCET. The rooms are roughly a 8-15 minute walk from the service desk. Not too bad, but annoying when your card key has to be reset for the fifth time during the week. Food: The food looks amazing! I would, however, border on the side of caution. I believe this is what got us sick. Take something like Dukeral before departing and bring medicine to take care of any sort of sore stomach if you plan on eating here. Beaches: There are two different beaches along the resort, very nice to walk and swim in. The tide comes in and out pretty quickly and high, so make sure to pack a bag to store your belongings in a tree and not on the ground. Nature: Punta Leona is a good 1 to 2 hour drive from San Jose (depending on traffic). There is a lot of wild life living within the resort compound. White face monkeys hang around the restaurant. Aras live along the roadside near the butterfly sanctuary, and lizards and iguanas line the sidewalks to soak in some sun. Overall, for the price and time to get to this hotel, I really really would not go again. I would have a very difficult time recommending this place to friends or family knowing the poor experience we had. That being said, everyone's adventure is different. Book at your our risk. I am only one of the 4000+ reviewers here giving their own two-cents.

Planet Hollywood Costa Rica: Top 5 reasons to not choose Planet Hollywood Costa Rica

We are at Planet Hollywood, Costa Rica. We are in Costa Rica for the first time. I wanted a 5-star hotel in a new country for a week to avoid surprises. Costa Rica it is a beautiful country with fantastic weather, friendly people and cute monkeys :-) The review is not for them; it is for Planet Hollywood. When I say, "This hotel is unbelievably bad," it does not mean that you will starve; you cannot get drunk with the available buz at the bar ... it means that you don't have the service that  [... read more]you paid for; it means that you better go elsewhere. We had the Star Class, building 26. If, after you read this review, you still decided to visit the hotel, and you are a Star :-) Try to avoid Henry, the butler. That is my first tip. The second tip: don't book any trip with the hotel. You will find friendly people on the beach - better service, better prices, more fun and private. Top 5 reasons The service is terrible to average. It has a very different level of service compared to Planet Hollywood, Mexico. SPA PHM - for Star guests, unlimited access PHCR - for Star guests 1 hour per week Restaurant reservations - butler PHM - anytime PHCR - only at specific times - 6 pm, 7:30 pm and 9 pm The food is ordinary at most I am trying to remember the best dish I have and can't. The food selection was limited, with minimal variation. At noon at the buffet restaurant, the only restaurant available at that time, no fresh fruit at all ... in Costa Rica ... on a 5-star hotel ... unbelievable! At the Italian restaurant Gusto, we ordered a Margherita pizza. After 30 min, the pizza arrived uncooked. I've asked to do it again because it is raw. After 30 minutes, the pizza arrived uncooked again. We left for the buffet... The chef asked us to return the next day, promising we would have something special. I asked him to do his job and prepare something special for each Planet Hollywood client each day. The people Unprofessional and probably untrained for the job Examples: I have received Hennessy on a tequila shot glass ... Don't clean the table if we don't ask. You finish your bear, ask for another one. Don't expect someone to notice and ask/bring you another one. The events All the time, they have private events. It was noisy and uncomfortable for the regular guests. Part of the hotel is reserved for the event and is closed for regular guests. Planet Hollywood is a small hotel on the hill. The space is limited. Why are events like that limiting the space that we've paid for? I found this unacceptable. The rules They have rules and constraints for guests if you can imagine :-) Rules when you reserve a restaurant, rules when you take the table for breakfast, rules when you book the SPA :-) I'm not sure how you are :-) I don't need rules on vacation; I want to be able to reserve a restaurant at 6:12 pm if I want to. I want to be able to go to the SPA on the same day. I want to be able to give fresh fruit to my child anytime. At the end of the week :-) Do I recommend the Planet Hollywood? The answer is no. Overrated and overpriced for the quality the hotel provides. I'm totally for a high price if the service matches the quality, exclusivity, etc ... at Planet Hollywood Costa Rica, the only high thing is the price, nothing else.

Occidental Papagayo: OCCIDENTAL PAPAGAYO

I found Occidental PAPAGAYO very nice with beautiful view and very nice swimming pool and very nice beach. Some maintenance work is needed specially in rooms. Some of the points i need to mention are listed below. 1. Lights in our room 124 Building 1 is very poor and not at all good. 2. Safe was not working. 3.Kleenex were not provided for 10 days even after our requests. 4.Face towels and hand towels were not replaced or missed completely lots of days. 5. Room floor was not cleaned regul [... read more]arly. 6. In the main building in Men washroom one of urinal sign was under repair and was never repaired. 7. Food was generally cold in dining room. 8. On the positive note most of the staff was excellent and tried to help when requested. 9.There might be more points but you got the idea.

Occidental Papagayo: Occidental Papagayo, Liberia

Resort is beautiful.......We really enjoyed ourselves except for few things.......Definitely need more lighting in the rooms.....Housekeeping was not good as there were no fix timings and always forgetting something to replace towels etc.......Same thing with refilling the mini bar.......There was no fix timing......Safe in the room was not easy to use.....Asked for help with safe, no one showed up during the whole stay....Language was problem with not understanding English.......Hardly any cho [... read more]ice for food for vegetarians

Occidental Tamarindo: Not 5 star maybe 3

. My husband and I took our grandkids age 11 and 4 for 10 days. I am not fussy and understand that everything is not going to be magical and I am OK with that . I am going to start with the positive. Grounds were beautiful,Tamarindo was 20 min walking distance (nice shops and food). The beach was a great mix of rock and sand, with shells everywhere. Great for surfing. The rooms were outdated but who spends there Vacation in the room? (nobody) They were also clean and the beds were not that [... read more] bad either.The fruit, smoothies,pancakes and omelet station were great! Negative..the food was not 5 star, the grill was fabulous but there was never any seafood served. No kid friendly meals. The snack bar served hamburgers, hotdogs and fries every day and they were not anything my grandkids were happy about eating.They did have pizza and it was good one day but horrible the next?? I was truly disappointed that the website mentions kid friendly there were no activities for kids and only had water exercise everyday at 1 or so. They did have a ping pong table and a warped ball for the pool volleyball net. The average age of people in this resort were 47-70.

Riu Guanacaste: Excellent, recommend

Great resort, great activities, adventures available.. Resort has a night life available for those that want it.. Bartenders are great, recommend Steven and Jeffrey.. Pool activities, David and Carlitos great at their job.. will go again