We recently stayed at the Occidental Papagayo for a week and everything about it was great!! This hotel and it's grounds are absolutely stunning. The buildings built into the cliffs makes it very unique. We were in building 6 and had incredible views of the ocean, the mountains and volcanoes. The staff were always smiling and very friendly and helpful. The food at the snack bar, the a la cartes and specifically the breakfast buffet was great. The beach was nice, a little rocky but good. Very warm and fun at high tide. We would absolutely not hesitate to return in a heartbeat. We had 3 amazing tours with Frank the Tank tours that were incredible from start to finish, absolutely flawless. A truly amazing and unforgettable week

This resort was good for us … only complaint would be the stairs and hills . Good tasty food , lots of selection, good service …... So after you eat you get a work out with the walking . Beach was beautiful , rooms were clean , a bit dated , but only in room for a short time. We would return to this resort!

We had an enjoyable stay at this Costa Rican resort, thanks to the warm and attentive staff who consistently made us feel welcome. One highlight was the buffet service. Instead of wandering around searching for a table, guests are seated by staff, creating a calmer, more organized dining experience—a refreshing change from many other resorts. The resort’s hilly layout offers beautiful views, but it does mean getting around can take a bit longer. The shuttle service is generally prompt and convenient, though waits can be slightly longer during busy times. Housekeeping was the only area that felt slower than expected; the rooms were clean once serviced, but timing wasn’t always predictable. The location is another plus—only about 30 minutes from the airport—making arrival and departure easier. A quick buyer‑beware note: we booked Viator excursions through Trip Central and only learned at the resort that we had to arrange our own transportation to an off‑site pickup point. This wasn’t clearly communicated, so double‑check what’s included before booking. Overall, a lovely resort with great service and a relaxed atmosphere.

This hotel is not one that if you or anyone in your party has physical issues with their legs is for you It has too many stairs and the buildings are really spread out. Beer and drinks are good and the staff are friendly Food is okay , great steakhouse Just would not recommend for anyone with lower body issues

The actual hotel is nice, not 5 stars at all. The buffet is not even up to a 3 star hotel. Yes, you found something to eat, but not what we were expecting. A la carte were nice, but hard to get in to unless you like 8pm reservations. The pools are kept clean, the beach is nice, but expect to do alot of walking to get a drink or go to the bathroom. Rooms are nice, just don't expect any water, pop etc. After asking everyday multiple times we would get some around 6:30 pm. We even left tips. Hoping that would help. Would i recommend it, no, for the food, and nothing against the staff, some were fantastic, some you knew did not want to help. Idea's, put a cooler cart on the beach that has water, pop and beer, alot of people would appreciate that.

Great resort! Beautiful view from the common areas. Escpecially the lobby! Specialty restaurants were delicious . Pool areas seemed to be in full sun all day. Some shaded areas would have been appreciated! Only complaint the view from our room was directly into palm trees. The ocean was out there but we couldn’t see it! Also had requested 2 beds got 1. I had booked early in the season & was surprised to get such a poor site. Overall it was a great. Vacation. Did not find the hills to be a problem. You could walk or catch a ride. Side trips were great! Really enjoyed seeing sloths @ the sanctuary!

The grounds and facilities were excellent. The only issue was with the view from our patio. It looked directly into palm trees and bushes which were there to cover the waste processing tanks. The smell/odor was especially bad in the afternoons and always drove us inside. Probably the worst view at the complex. For this reason we will not be returning to Occidental Papagayo.

The grounds were beautiful with lemon and avocado trees, a lot of iguanas and we saw the howler monkeys a couple of times in two weeks. The upper pool was lovely for swimming and the lower pool bar was the busiest, both were well maintained. Nice view of resort and ocean from the lobby. Buffet food was good but the Asian and especially Italian food was fantastic. The risotto was the best I've ever had. Kudos to the chef. Our room seemed small at first but was enough for two weeks and just needed a little refresh. Housekeeping kept the room clean. Note: make sure to bring Imodium as some people were having some stomach issues.

This property is 25 yrs old which results in lovely mature tropical gardens~palm trees, flowered shrubs, birds, butterflies.Being built into a hill there are lots of stairs. Numberous carts can take you places. 3 buffets a day with lots of choice + 3 specialty restaurants. 2 pools + lovely large beach area with view to Pacific Ocean. Numberous activities, bocci, ping pong,billards, gym, horseshoes,target practices, musical entertainment most nights. English at front desk was 80 percent, other employees 40-50 percent. People were lovely and friendly. Being 25 yrs old there are areas that need some TLC. Met numberous people that have come to this resort for years and still enjoy it.

Both my flights with Air Transat went smoothly. There were very few people on the plane both ways. I imagine likely due to the scare of a strike that never happened—but worked for me! Airport shuttles were both good as well, drivers both timely, organized and friendly. Arrival at the resort: check in was quick, friendly but I could have used a welcome drink. This was the first resort I have been to where this didn’t happen. A ride to my room was provided but I wasn’t guided to my room as I have been in the past at resorts. The resort is beautiful and surrounded by nature. Everywhere you look, there is wildlife! Monkeys, parrots, iguanas, butterflies, scorpions and crabs. This was my favourite part. The beach, wow. Yes, it’s not white sand beaches but it’s Costa Rica. There was sand a plenty, lots of places to walk and sit. Swimming was great. I brought water socks and found that helpful. Not many people even used the beach—I felt I almost had it to myself the times I went down. There was some sort of bioluminescence the first night—so lucky to have experienced that! The entertainment at night was classy and perfect. Live music by the lobby. The staff by the pool, only visited them once for a dance (I was horrible but had fun) but they were also great. Energetic and friendly. They have a list of activities posted by the grill—where you get your towels. They don’t seem to follow through with every activity. I was hoping to get some water aerobics in to still exercise but be minimal pain on my body but it didn’t happen the day I planned to do it. If I wasn’t so booked up with tours/limited on time, I would have done more! Each and every person that worked there was so hard working and nice. What a great staff they have! Let me tell you when I read about the walking, hills and overall distance of things at the resort I was warned about, I didn’t believe it, but do now. Be in shape, be prepared. I do not believe I was fit/well enough to enjoy the resort as much as I normally would. Though, I didn’t use a shuttle as I could have to make it easier. Note there was a short cut from my room to the lobby with less stairs! If you can’t find it, ask! I was told on my last full day there. It honestly would be nice if the resort would ask about where you would like your room or if you have any mobility issues (I have a spinal condition) as I felt I was one of the furthest from both the lobby and the beach. I should have said something but didn’t understand the distance until the daylight on the second day! Food, was quite average. I tried the grill, lobby buffet and Italian. Note, I am vegetarian so my options are more limited than others. The grill didn’t have much that looked appetizing in my opinion, I only got chips, queso and a piece of bread there. I sorta thought it would be like many beach grills I’ve been to in the past and be made to order, but it was just another buffet. The main buffet was decent, but I feel they need to try quality of quantity. A lot of the food was cold. There were a variety of items but the same almost each breakfast and dinner. The fruit was lovely—plentiful, fresh and ripe. They had an egg/omelette station. I would have liked to have seen a pasta or stir fry station maybe. Instead, I had some cold spaghetti one night and generally had the same rice and some plain roasted vegetables. My last day, there was a really nice flavourful ratatouille I wish I got to eat more of. Booking the al la carte, that was a chore. I explained upon my 7pm check in that I had only 3 full days there and that the first 2/3 I was off the resort before 8am. Still, they said I had to book between 8-3. So the second day, I got back from my excursion before 3. I was still not able to book. Last day, instead of sleeping in when I didn’t have an excursion until afternoon, here I am setting an alarm for 730 to trek to the lobby to book dinner. At first, they said there was no availability, so clearly some rooms were able to book in advance. Then said there was the steakhouse. Im sure theres options, soup, mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables but I wanted Italian. They said it was fully booked but then ended up booking me for 830pm after I pleaded to them. There were only a few tables seated at the restaurant that night which had me questioning the fully booked aspect (maybe everyone that booked was in bed…?). Again, the staff was great, waiter was SO nice! The bread brought to the table with balsamic and olive oil was lovely. The caprese was missing balsamic and the cheese wasn’t good. The eggplant ravioli could have been good but was over cooked. The sauce for it and extra cheese topping was good. The dessert, tiramisu was tasty. It was nice to have a nicer more intimate, made to order dinner for 1 night rather than the buffet . The resort also limits your al la cartes. I was only able to book 1 during my stay. For $1800, I feel I shouldn’t be stuck with a buffet for every meal but 1 for 5 days. My tours were all with the company Frank the Tank. With my short time, I wanted to make sure everything was set before I got there, and I did just that. Deposits were made easily via PayPal and I paid the rest in credit at each excursion (you can pay cash as well). Each member of his team was absolutely fantastic. Knowledgable, kind and fun. I enjoyed learning about Costa Rica on the drives. The country to include health care, education and have monkey/wildlife bridges over roads is fantastic. The country was very clean—how amazing for the people and all the animals. The guides all made me feel welcomed and safe! The river safari was amazing. I was able to see iguanas, so many birds, monkeys and crocodiles. I tasted coffee on 2/3 of my tours and wow! I am a flavoured creamer and all the bleached sugar kind of girl, but I even enjoyed it black. It was made nice and sweet with some real unbleached sugar! I will be incorporating this into my life back at home, saying goodbye to adding white sugar when possible. There was a meal served on all my excursions. All were good. My favourite was the first soda on the River Safari day. I enjoyed the family style meal presentation, the flavours were good and the drink, tamarind was delicious! The pico and guac on the catamaran was also yummy! It was nice to have fresh tasty guac! The pottery demonstration was nice to see—I love art. I am more about experiences over souvenirs but that pottery was beautiful and so I treated myself to a hand crafted, carved, painted clay shot glass—so much better than the mass produced glass ones you see many other places. My second tour was the Rainforest day. We stopped at a waterfall first where I bought another souvenir. This woman hand painted each individual shirt—how cool! I respected and adored her art and got one! Both my shot glass and shirt have a sloth on them! The sloth was my absolute favourite part of my trip and I was so happy to have seen one in the wild. For me, a once and a lifetime experience, I will treasure that. It was beautiful. It was nice to be able to get in and swim right in front of the waterfall! Breathtaking. You can leave your belongs (wallet) in the car so they are save. I always get worried about that swimming and travelling alone. Hiking through the rainforest, bring good shoes! I did! My Keens (hiking sandal with closed toe) were perfect for this. There were hills and it rains (duh)! Each step was worth the beauty I took in. The hanging bridges, an experience for sure, wild! We saw toucans, toad, frogs, snakes and a sloth. The guides knew we were bummed we didn’t see monkeys but they pulled over on the road on the way home and we saw a big group of them! That was awesome! I was very grateful for that. The catamaran pick up was easy—right off the beach of my resort. They have a smaller boat to bring you to the catamaran. The drinks were delicious and a plenty! It was a bit more party than I expected but I had fun! I liked how we had a small group compared to the large party boats I saw. I enjoyed the more intimate/more personal experience. We went by monkey head island which looked cool. We stopped at a place with a bunch of neat caves! As soon as we got there, saw my very first sea turtle. The snorkelling was underwhelming compared to other places I have been but I knew this coming into it. I was still able to see a lot of fish honestly—just not much reef life. Saw some turtles making some love during sunset—magical! It was fantastic. The boat went wild. Overall, I am glad I made all the choices I did. It’s always easy booking with Trip Central, Air Transat was good, resort overall was good and had good trips with Frank the Tank’s teams. Costa Rica was absolutely beautiful. I saw and did everything I wanted to with ease. Pura Vida! https://youtu.be/jYr8uKsm10M?si=Rev5xxPki_BhQpfk

What can we say....our stay was over the top!! Enrique, Carlos plus The kitchen staff made our stay! So accommodating with someone that has celiacs disease. The food was great. The beach was awesome. Loved seeing the whales in the bay. We have nothing bad to say!!

This resort was exactly what we needed - laid back atmosphere, nice beach, good food, light entertainment and great weather. Resort has beach in the bay area , so there are low and high tide and beach is getting wider and narrow , but we were able to swim and snorkel. Long beach is good for walks, but have water shoes as some areas have sharp stones(also can purchase in little store at the resort). There were no mosquitoes ? and flies, couple times towards evening we had rain but still we had the whole day to enjoy the beach, they have plenty sun-beds and shade under the trees. Rooms were cleaned every day and we had free supplies of 2 water bottles, 2 beers, 1 Coca-Cola and 1 Sprite. Keep in mind in the evening there are raccoons checking garbage outside. People are very friendly and eager to help with any question you have. There are many steps in the resort, so ask for rooms in buildings 1 or 2(it is close to dining and pool area) if walking is a problem. Would recommend this place to friends - it is a good value for money.

Beautiful grounds, nice selection at buffet. Nice main pool, didnt spend any time at swim up bar. Friendly staff. Rooms are a little dated but well kept. Beach was nice. Monkeys , iguanas and lots of birds

We found the grounds to be beautiful eventhough it was the dry season. Our accommodations were up to par and spacious; loved the comfort of the bed and pillows. Room was cleaned every day. It looked like all rooms had a balcony to sit out morning or night to admire the view of the gulf. Although it was the norm to fill the fridge every day with 2 waters, 2 sodas, 2 beers, we did need to call once as they forgot to refill and another time to provide a bath mat. The staff was very very courteous and accomodating. The pools were awesome, as well as the beach, with aerobics mid-mornings and other events in the afternoon. I loved that we didn't need to get out there at 6 am just to reserve a chair. They were always available any time of the day. Don't expect much in terms of nightly entertainment. There was just a little stage with a couple of amazing jazzy musicians (one saxophone artist, another guitare player). In terms of food, we did enjoy the variety from the buffet trying something different every day (but do expect the rice & beans every meal). The 3 a la carte restaurants were very appreciated, especially the Italian one - it was totally a great experience. I give it a 5 star rating. Except for the stairs from the main pool to the hotel lobby, the walking was very manageable at this resort. There were always shuttles around but we didn't feel the need to hop on.

The hotel was average as far as services and food selection/taste. Lots of stairs if you like to work out. Not recommended for persons with limited mobility. The grounds are well maintained and the staff is nice.

This resort is beautiful and the staff is great but there are many hills and stairs to traverse. There is a shuttle to take you around the resort if you’re willing to wait. We found the food to be very bland with not much western style food selection. They offer a lot of cheap foods…..beans, rice, potatoes. Not much for meat selection. Never once saw bacon for breakfast. We had a bay view room in building 17. While the view was spectacular we had several critters in and around our building. Raccoons, rampant throughout the resort, will try to get in through your patio door so keep it locked! In our room we found a scorpion, salamanders and crickets. The rooms themselves (in building 17 anyway) are a bit dated. Our shower leaked but someone promptly fixed it. The people that stay at this resort are on the older side so if you’re looking for parties you won’t find it here. I for one preferred that! Entertainment was very boring. One night they had a violinist and another night was a guitarist. We did pay about half of what we would have to go to a different resort so I can’t complain too much. Overall we still had a pleasant time. Shout out to Larry Ulate who we booked our excursions with. Super friendly guy who was very accommodating. The catamaran excursion was amazing as well as river rafting and the rain forest tour! We took the hotel shuttle one night ($40 US) to playa Coco and then took a cab ride back ($25 US). It’s a lovely beach town with shopping, restaraunts/bars only about a 10 minute ride from the resort. Coconutz bar/grill has karaoke every Tuesday which was a lot of fun!! I would recommend this resort to people on a tight budget. Bring snacks!

Our 1st visit was pre-covid and I fell in love with the resort. All Inclusive - Adults Only ... Love the location of the resort only about 20 minutes from the Liberia airport. Resort is built on a hill so lots of hills and stairs which I enjoy FYI there is a shuttle if you don't like the walking. When the tide is out the beach is great. We prefer the bayview rooms for the view. This past week was our 3rd visit to Occidental Papagayo ... each time we visit the service and housekeeping is less & less. The grounds are not as clean as they used to be. The coffee service in the AM is not as accessible as it once was - the only coffee available is at the main buffet and you have to ask for a take out cup. As far as the food, the buffet is the same food EVERY DAY. The restaurants for dinner have to be booked - 2 reservations for the week. GRILL - soup was delicious but tuna was extremely over salted & over spiced. Beef was very tough. ITALIAN - tuna was salty but not as bad as the Grill. Bar service around the pool was hit & miss. Also there is NO service at the pool until about 11am so you have to make sure you have water from the main breakfast buffet. No more plastic cups - CocaCola cups & paper disposable cups for drinks. No more bottle water at the buffets & only one water refill station at the reception. Supposed to get 2 bottles of water each day in your room but NOT always. This resort is getting old and needs some upgrading. NOTE: Keep your patio doors closed and locked due to the local raccoons which go room to room every night - people feed them so they are not shy. Do not leave anything out on your patio. Definitely make sure the safe works in your room and you lock things up. We didn't have any issues but we met a woman who's safe was not working she didn't call the front desk and hide her purse in a drawer under another bag & she had money missing a few days. Like I said, I love this resort not sure we would return for a 4th visit. Happy Vacation!

•Food was horrible, I've had better food in Cuba •Resort lost power and a/c went out multiple times •Not all inclusive-hidden fees •Very little to do on resort itself •Staff was rude and unhelpful

Resort was lovely, our room was clean, functional , comfortable beds and a well stocked mini bar. All the staff were amazing friendly, polite and always with a smile. Our room was a fair hike from the main lobby and I blessed the shuttle driver every day. With the heat and humidity it would have proved a challenge to walk that distance there and back. Our main grimace was the buffet, an abundance of food but pretty much the same every day and looked like a variety of left overs re-invented. However we were never hungry. I would return to the resort. We enjoyed our vacation very much.

This hotel is definitely not for anyone who likes to keep moving. There was essentially nothing to do here unless you're made of money and able to pay for excursions (for which you had no choice but to book through the hotel) and all of which were expensive. The pool closes down at 7, and there were only an hour long piano/guitar show in the lobby every other night. I will say the rooms were clean, however I slept terrible as I kept hearing wild animals running over the roof. Turns out the ANIMALS were actually IN THE CEILING of our room, which wasn't fixed until the day before we left. The food was mediocre at best, and the restaurant areas were not ideally situated throughout the resort. Would not return here, and would not recommend it unless your preference is to sit and drink at the pool every day until 7pm. We waited 4 years (due to a cancelled trip due to covid) to take this vacation, spent a lot of money to go here, and feel like we did not get our money's worth at all.

Lots of wildlife on the resort which is great. Most of the staff didn't seem happy at all. Room was in rough shape, buffet way too small. Sitting area a little small. No coffee before 7am. Beach isn't accessible during high tide.

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!

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 excellent massages. Overall okay vacation but if food is a priority for you, not the place to go.

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 regularly. 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.

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 choice for food for vegetarians

We spent the first week of Feb here. The resort is nice and rooms are everything you need but… Food is NOT good! We are not picky eaters and no one in our party of four was happy with the food There is a lot of walking up and down hills. They do have shuttles but they need to have them running constantly from the beach up to the rooms The beach is very beautiful and there is great snorkeling there as well. There really is no nightlife if you’re looking for that in the evening. The maid service was the worst that we’ve had in 20 years! I wouldn’t recommend this resort at all. My husband and I got sick the day before we left with stomach issues and two weeks later we are still battling them.

After reading so many negative reviews on this resort, we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as bad as some people had described!! Yes, its dated and needs some updates but it is clean, the staff are friendly and acommodating and try their best. Some people reported the food to be "inedible". If you couldn't find something to eat, the problem lies with YOU and not the resort. There was plenty of selection at the buffet, with many entrees of local cuisine. The 3 ala cartes were fantastic. Lunch at the snack bar was great - particularly if you like chicken wings! They struggled somewhat with maintaining hot temperatures of the food at times but for us, that wasn't a huge issue. Also noted in many reviews was the fact that the drinks, especially at the pool bar, were watered down. This was not our experience in the least! The rooms are clean, and the housekeeping staff are diligent in ensuring so. They do not provide washcloths - it took 5 days for me to get one when I requested it. Again, not a big deal. Each room has a balcony/patio - make sure you keep your patio door locked or you will have raccoons coming in. There are also skunks on the property which don't bother you if you don't bother them! We are typically beach people but the beach was one of the disappointing things about our trip. There are about 20 stairs down to the beach and the sand is partially volcanic so its not the nicest looking beach. There are 2 pools - one with a swim-up bar. The resort is full of hills and stairs - we were unaware of this when we booked. Luckily they have shuttles that run constantly so you can jump on one of those and get around. Also, we found the resort extremely difficult to find our way around due to the location of the buildings - the buildings are not laid out in a sequential manner. It would be most helpful if a GOOD QUALITY map was given out on check-in. There is a map in the main building but it is confusing as well, AND it is in the main building. This would have greatly assisted us in the first few days to find our way around and ease frustration at getting lost! Also, if you are a smoker, there are only 3 designated smoking areas on the resort. You cannot smoke on your balcony/patio. Directions to the smoking areas was vague when we asked.

We had a nice stay at this resort . Rooms were clean, but be advised make sure to lock all doors as the racoons will get in and destroy the room looking for food. Pools were great swim up bar was the best. Food well its pretty good but a bit on the the ricey side. Steaks at the italian were awsome. The snack bar was my favorite. The beach is fun, rent a ski jet from Roberto or go on the tour for 2 hours was a blast. Tours are cheaper and better if you get of of Roberto or Norice down at the beach, yellow shits great guys and Morice is the best tour guide you will get. Lets not forget about Gladys she does a great massage . All in all a great place for a holiday.

Extremely hilly and shuttle only comes if you call it from room lobby or bar. No benches to sit on while awaiting shuttle. Not great as 75% of people were over 60. so basically you had to walk a lot of hills. I changed rooms 3 times. Every time the next room was worse. No hot water patio doors wouldn’t lock Safe not working Bar fridge not working. Always a long lineup of people complaining about the same thing. Sand crabs and bugs galore in room. Gross and large bugs. Raccoon got into my room one night because patio door would not lock. Do I need to say anymore

The grounds of this resort are beautiful. There is wildlife on the grounds plenty of birds, Howler Monkeys, etc. The major problem with this resort is that it truly is poorly run. Management is non existed and if you have a problem it is never dealt with throughout the week. They blamed Trip central for our booking mistakes and would never address the problem. When we checked in there was no one in the lobby it took over an hour for us to get into our rooms. The resort is big in area and they had placed my elderly parents far away from us which was a huge concerns. They kept blaming TripCentral for this mistake. The food was always the same and the booze is all no name if that means anything to a traveler. I speak Spanish and spoke to one of the bartenders he told me the staff changes all the time looking to get to better resorts. The staff looks tired, you see during the week all the issues they have to deal with. The sad thing is the manager Raul (From Spain) will not deal with anyone, he sends out his lower staff to deal with angry customers which during our week was consistent. Sad this resort has a lot to offer just not run well and you see it from the top down as the staff (many of them) do not care.

Super clean, the food was great except for The Grill, (the meat was way over cooked for everyone at the table). Service was fantastic and friendly. The room was clean and well cleaned on a daily basis but a litle on the old side with some broken tile. The bed and pillows super comfortable. The excursions were all well organized and interesting however, a little bit on the expensive side and all in American Dollars. We are Canadian. The resort outside was incredibly beautiful and lush. The monkeys and other wildlife were really great to see. The pools were also fantastic with great service. My husband and I like to keep fit so the walking up and down and through the resort was a good thing for us. We are planning on going back this year hopefully around the same time.

Just returned from a10 day trip to occidental papagayo ……. I give it 3 out of 5 stars …….. the good …… beautiful property , food was average to good …. the pools were good …… the shuttles were very available …… the staff , for the most part were very helpful and accommodating …… the room was sufficient …… The not so good ….. no atms , or money changing at the hotel , so you have to cab it to a nearby town ( approx $50 return ) if you need cash …… you can only book one ala cart restaurant for every three days of your stay …… the whole resort could use better lighting on the pathways …… the regular bar doesn’t have a good selection ….. the premium bar upstairs is better , for approx 25usd a day more , yet I wouldn’t call it premium liquor , outside the Johnny walker black …… Would I come back to this resort ? …. I would , if the price were right ….. apparently , other resorts in the same bay are much better , at a much heavier price tag …… you do need to keep an eye on the wildlife ….. unfortunately , I saw people feeding the raccoons , which renders them unafraid …… I actually had a couple in my room one night , after forgetting to lock my patio door ….. somewhat of an adventure chasing them around the room naked , but I managed , everything intact lol ….. the one thing I found unnerving , was one afternoon at the smaller swimup bar pool ….. on a weekend , there were a group of younger locals , that pounding down shots , until one guy puked all over the deck around the washroom area , while another had trouble getting out of the pool , to the point where he needed assistance ….. they really should have been cut off , but weren’t ….. To conclude , if you want a reasonably priced vacation in Costa Rica , this may be your place …… oh , and great fishing , camping got 4 dorado , and an albacore tuna ….. delicious ! …..as the hotel cooked them up for us …… an older crowd , of really awesome people ! ….. cheers !

Very nice resort, placed in area surounded with very rich vegetation, lots of exotic birds and animals, people around us were very friendly and relaxed. Stuff in resort was doing everything to meet our needs.

This hotel was great! My first time here. It was recommended by a friend. The grounds were beautiful. I loved all the wild life on this resort. My room was large and clean. Housekeeping did an awesome job everyday. Except for replenishing my alcohol in the minifridge and replacing the coffee in my room. When I first arrived my safe was not in working order and I had to call twice and wait two hours for two people to finally fix it. The food was awesome! The excursions i did were so fun and informative. I would definately recommend this resort and I will definitely be coming back for sure.

The grounds, although hilly, are beautiful. Glad there was a shuttle available to get from point A to point B. Staff all had smiles even though they were running their feet off. Our needs were met throughout the week. Very clean & lush resort with many great views of the bay. Very few people on the beach. Had a marvellous massage from Maria on the beach. On The Beach Tours had very appealing options to explore the area. They have a desk in the lobby. We booked a private Catamaran for 4 hours for 11 people that was well run and informative by Executive Tours. Tasty snacks and wide range of cocktails, beer, etc. Snorkeled in a calm bay and visited a remote beach. Lots of shade on the Cat if you wanted it. Buffet was pretty good overall. A la carte choices included Asian and Italian 4 course selections. The beef was amazing! Drinks from the bars did their job! If it isn't strong enough, just ask for "mucho rum". At night it was essential to keep the patio door locked to avoid raccoons from opening the door to check for food inside your room. A little unnerving at first. Iguanas, monkeys, birds through the property.

The place could use at least 2 more types of restaurants. A great adult place to get away from the rest of the world among the flora and fauna. Courteous Staff was always ready to please. Give out a list of activities for the week on arrival Had to find the hidden billboard in the premises!

Beautiful Resort. Great pool areas. Great Beach area. Access to rooms only by shuttles. Not much variety in food..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The resort was beautiful and so relaxing. The people who worked there were professional and greeted us every time with smiles and how is your day going. The food in the Buffet was fabulous. The Food Service Director would come out into the serving area and greet you. He would ask how you enjoyed the food. The waitresses were lovely and got to know us personally. Before we asked for coffee it would be in our cup exactly how we drank it. Black for myself, cream for my daughter. The drivers who picked us up were kind and professional at all times. The housekeeping services were fabulous. My daughter and I came home and we can’t stop talking about our positive experience at Occidental Papagayos, Costa Rica.

The grounds were generally nice considering the dry season. The rooms were clean and the bed was extremely comfortable. The food was average but the fruits were amazing!! The staff was generally friendly. There were no planned activities and the beach was nice. The resort is very big and there were lots of hills.

Perfect location , only 1/2 hr from the airport. It’s a quiet peaceful resort. I don’t recommend this resort for people with mobility or breathing issues. A ride was almost always available. There are a lot of stairs & ramps. The beach wasn’t very nice. Hardly no entertainment at night. The food was very good, especially the 3 à la carte restaurants. The excursions were great. Friendly staff always willing to help you. It’s definitely not a party resort but if your looking for relaxing, this is the one for you.

Our deluxe bayview room overlooking the water watching the boats go by was amazing! Room was clean, food was good, drinks were cold and the weather was very hot. The resort is built on a hill so be prepared to walk up and down constantly unless you want to wait for the shuttle. I don't mind walking but for someone with mobility issues it may not be the best resort to visit. This is the second time we visited and would definitely recommend.

Very clean resort! Lacks the “wow” factor but was comfortable. Staff very pleasant and accommodating. Food at buffet could be improved as far as variety. Beach chairs need improvement and lights at night on beach are greatly needed.

Grounds were very nice. Food on the other hand was ok...but you cannot live off rice and beans every meal. Not much selection. We didnt get the room we booked (double) but the view we got was beautiful (#1903). Rooms need updated and fixing as sink and shower would not drain and there was no door on shower. Swimming in the gulf was my highlight...loved it. No soliciting on the beach which was nice. People doing massages would ask once and if you said no would leave you alone.

Nightmare to walk this resort. Every other person got sick! Food or water who knows ! Staff were excellent and services were ok. Lack of service on beach and no where to actually sit is an issue. Not a 4 or even close to a Star

The grounds are beautiful and there are two lovely pools. However, there were six umbrellas at each pool and in 35° weather you need to be under an umbrella. Several people on the resort requested more umbrellas and nothing was done about it in two weeks. The Buffets are the same every day and there are only three à la carte restaurants that you cannot get into unless you stand in line for almost an hour to get a ticket. The a la carte restaurants were very good. Check in was horrendous. There were only two of us in line and it took almost an hour to get our room. Inexperienced staff and a manager that never showed up. This could be a very good resort if there was proper management, more efficient service and better food in the Buffets.

grounds were perfectly manicured, beautiful, food was great. pools were clean warm nice swim up bar. lots of stairs and hills. buffet and snack bars were good. drinks were mixed perfect. rooms were immaculate. no complaints

I loved my stay here. The grounds were immaculate, the food great (whomever makes their bread is a certified genius), and the beach was spotless. More important than that, however, I have to commend the staff. During my stay I had a bad reaction to newly prescribed antibiotics which caused severe digestive upset. I had already booked an excursion the morning after a major night-time episode, and spoke to the concierge about the advisability of actually going on the excursion (the policy is no refunds, if cancelled in less than 24 hours), as I did feel slightly better than I had. The front desk staff went out of their way to re-arrange it so that I could go on the excursion the following day. I didn't ask them to - I fully expected to lose my money, if I was unable to go on the excursion. I profusely expressed my gratitude. Well, I spent the rest of that day alternating between sleeping in my room and trying to eat something (at first all I could tolerate the thought of was dry bread and watermelon) in the buffet restaurant. The wait staff noticed, and several of them asked if I was okay. Then one of the waiters quietly brought me a glass of ginger ale (unbidden - I don't like ginger ale, and it would never have occurred to me to try this) and suggested I sip it throughout the day. It worked like a charm to settle my stomach, and I was extremely grateful. I slowly began to feel better, and went on the excursion the next morning. A day or two later, one of the staff approached me to ask if I was enjoying myself - he knew I was travelling alone, and had been ill, and wanted to know if I needed anything. At first suspicious (I live in Toronto), as he spoke I quickly realized that the staff had been keeping an eye on me and that they were genuinely concerned about my well-being. These are people who work 12 hour days, six days a week, and most probably will never see me again. Yes, I wholeheartedly recommend this resort.

Beautiful resort, great food considering it is an all inclusive buffet. Too many steps. Not really handi-capable. You have to be willing to walk a lot to get anywhere. Beach is public so a lot of locals and many children. We specifically booked this resort to vacation away from children. We simply wanted adult time and weren’t aware the beach was public and screaming children everywhere.

In every respect. As a brand new facility, built on a gentle slope, the service is excellent and the food is exquisite. Only 165 rooms and although it was full when we were there never felt it. The buffet restaurant features theme cuisine nightly from Costa Rican to Mexican, Peruvian, Caribbean, French, international, and chefs surprise. Hardly want to break away to the specialty restaurants although the Italian restaurant is also excellent. Beaches in Costa Rica are all public. The hotel beach is pleasant. Beach exploration is a passion on this bay and in this area. More spectacular beaches are 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and 30 minutes away. Transportation easily arranged. Unforgettable experience. Flawless.

I loved the hotel. This was one of my best trips so far. Everything about it was excellent. The rooms were cleaned everyday, the staff were friendly. The grounds were kept up. I can't complain about anything. The food was very good especially the desserts. I would reccomend this resort.

Very professional hotel. The food was extremely delicious. The staff were fun, again professional and a stress free environment. Didn’t feel stressed out or had any questions or concerned. I highly recommend this resort! 10 on 10 👍

Beautiful grounds(well taken care of) great pools (very clean) and the beach was a wonderful Costa Rica beach with great views. High Tide early afternoon a few days when we were there... so we just hopped on over to one of the pools. Food was good, breakfast was similar each morning but a lot of variety and I'm not sure what else could be added, it was all there and yummy! Buffet is in a small space so there can be a bit of a line at busy times to get your food. Room was nice, clean but time for an update or a freshening up. Two little things we think need work over all; towels for the pool and beach- our first day it took us 4 visits to the towel area to get a towel because they didnt know when they would be clean? This was first thing in the morning... maybe purchase more towels? The other would be more shuttles and smaller maybe, like a golf cart? The drivers were very professional and know those narrow roads like the back of their hands... might help them to have more driving staff and smaller vehicles. We've been to Costa Rica twice and we come for the heat, beach and relaxation. We had a very great vacation at Occidental. It's a lovely resort over all and the staff are great!!!

We just came back from spending a week at this very quiet and relaxing resort. With being the dry season not a lot of green foliage but still the grounds were well kept. All the staff were very friendly and would go above and beyond to make are stay perfect. We booked a deluxe bay view room and we had the perfect view. We were in block 4 it was quiet and away from things. Definitely a lot of walking up and down hills to get around the resort so anyone with issues would have a difficult time. There are carts that you can call for pick ups or they will pick you up on their way. Top shelf alcohol just ask. We ate at all 3 restaurants and repeated the grill. The buffet was very small not a lot of choices same things every day this was probably the only disappointing thing. We enjoy seafood and there really wasn’t any. Other then that was fun watching the monkeys and again a great place to relax with a good book. If anyone is looking for night life don’t go here. The weather did not disappoint very very hot. Thanks to all the staff that made are stay very pleasant.

The hotel is a little dated but the attentive staff more than make up for it. The ocean view premium upgrade is worth every penny. Loved The Grill, the Italian and Japanese restaurants. The buffet had a different theme every night. Alex in first Club went above and beyond to make our vacation perfect. Manuel at the swim up bar makes incredible drinks. Thanks for everything ! We will be back.

Enjoyed just about everything at the resort.I have to say the beach was not the best,too many pedlars and, jellyfish in waters. The people on the resort were wonderfully kind and respectful.The meals were wonderfully tasty, both in the buffet and a la Carte restaurants.

-grounds well kept -not a nice beach -not enough help in the restaurants with minimal food options (very little variety) -disappointed with room accommodations, booked in September for a late Jan visit, asked for 2 beds in the room, showed up there with a king size bed (only 10 rooms at this resort have 2 beds/room however this was never shared with our group) -ended up having to sleep on a cot for the week, not impressed should have a smoking section at the 2 pool areas (at the back away from the non-smoking guests) I would not go back to this resort, I would not recommend others to go

The grounds were beautiful and the howler monkeys, iguanas, raccoons and skunk entertaining. But................6 single women travelling together would like the option of 2 queen beds per room vs 1 king and adding a single cot to each room just does not cut it for the price we paid for the trip. The compensation for this inconvenience was an extra a la carte meal that we had to practically beg for to get a reservation only to find the restaurant half empty when we arrived. There was one evening with a fantastic entertainer who played classical guitar and violin but otherwise very little activitity in the evening.

This was the most expensive all-inclusive I have been to and for the money we paid, it was a great disappointment. By no means is this a 4 or 5 star hotel, more like a 3 if I'm generous. The hotel has reduced its service to the bare minimum. I would say the cost should have been $1500-$1600 not $2200!!!! King bed in the room when 2 beds were requested. The manager response was they only advertise king but this is not true, their site lists king or 2 double beds. Another excuse was that there's only a few and it's on availability when you CHECK IN, not when you book your vacation (no sense). A small single was shoved beside the king as an alternative. Very small buffet which is OK if it's good food, but it was not. The food was bland, cold and generally the same thing every day. Usually there were only 3 fruits, 3 desserts per day. Ice cream was set out in bowls and if they ran out, too bad for you. A la cartes were hard to book and we only rec'd late bookings. Of course we arrived to empty restaurants so why did we have to take late bookings? They've cut back on staff - only one drink server at the main pool, and sometimes only 1 or 2 in the restaurant. Hard to get mimosas (a staple at breakfast usually) and even asking for champagne at dinner was a no no - they would charge for it even though you could walk through the lobby and get it at the bar. The entertainment team (which finally showed up on Thursday) played some games but other than that, not very enthusiastic. The rooms need TLC; they had running toilets, faucets ready to break off, no water pressure in shower, key cards constantly not working. I will not return to this hotel nor recommend it to anyone.

The views at this resort are one of the best selling points along with the majority of staff. The weather also helps This resort would not be a great location as group getaways due to the fact that there are only 10 rooms in the resort have 2 beds, despite there indication of deluxe bay view having 2 beds or king. This would be designated a couples resort not adults only. The rooms need some updating. Wifi intermittent and most of time not functioning in the rooms, malfunctioning room key cards. The food at the buffet was mediocre and service at the beginning of the vacation was pretty sparse. Difficult to get into the a la carte restaurants with line ups every day. Of all my vacations with my girlfriends, this was my most disappointing.

The location of the resort is great with a short commute from the airport. The check in process was very confusing and we didnt recieve all of the welcome package.The resort is clean and the staff are friendly. However the room always carried an odour with limited space to unpack your suitcase. The food is just standard with a few moments of brilliance. External activites are somewhat overpriced and you can get better deals from the locals at the beach. Pools are great and the beach is great in the morning hours when the tide is out. Our stay was good but we were looking for more.

The hotel and the whole experience were wonderful. The grounds are beautiful and well kept. We dined at the Italian and Oriental restaurants during our stay. The Italian was amazing and except for the mains that were a little bland, the Oriental was good too. We definitely frequented the main pool and swim up bar which were perfect. All of the staff went out of their way to make sure our visit was what we expected, especially the bartenders! We plan on going back to Occidental Papagayo soon!

what I do not like there is: Very poor buffet. In Dominican resorts it was, at least, 5 times more variety! Minimum sea food. beef, chicken, chicken, beef.... Boring - no entertainments No shuttle bus service. Hm. $50 from air port + $50 back = $100 Sorry, will not come there any more.

Good services, hospitality, quality in entertaining. We are not happy with the credit card that you send us by mail to use it, can not be used for the services and locations listed so what is the point of sending such kind of " gifts"?

The food was excellent as was the staff. The grounds make you feel like you are in Paradise . Was quite pleased that trip central sent out numbers in case there were issues. Peace of mind. Great trip.

Pool bar closed at 5pm, next to no entertainment, disco was a 30 by 20 room which bad sound system. Pool music started at 7am, Bar doesnt open until 9am. Buffet was small but nice! A la cartes were ok. Resort was clean and well taken care of. Lisbeth in the buffet was EXTREMELY helpful with my food allergies and she made sure everyday i was taken care of during breakfast and lunch. The dinner host Manwell (not completely sure of his name) wasnt pleasant and didnt go through the buffet with me. He just said oh you cant eat anything and then walked away. (I am gluten adnd dairy free.) The Air transat rep Benoit was ok but did NOT explain the excursions well and he convinced us to go through him to rent a car at a whopping 73$USD a day. We should have shopped around but he was very persuasive. He also offered us a discount on the excursion but then did not honour it. I have been disappointed twice with Barcelo resorts. Also the wifi wasnt free (but free for air transat customers) and was horrible service expect for in the lobby when and if it worked. I also asked the front dest to move rooms because the pool was SOOO loud and they couldnt accomodate.

Very hilly and beautiful BUT no hand railing. Poor at replenishing water, coffee and towels. Requested supplies several times to no avail. Terrific breakfast and large enough buffet to find something to eat. Fabulous fruit! We got a good deal and paid little so it was good value.

Resort is stunning, has quiet ambient atmosphere. Beautiful beach and lovely pool.... Would love to come back! Staff is very helpful and kind. We had few out of resort adventures which we loved. We were very well taken care of! Thank you Occidental :) Pura Vida!

Great service! All that staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. Breakfast and dinner were always fantastic - less variety than some all inclusive resorts but I think better quality. Grounds were well kept and pools were very nice as they came around to take drink orders while you could continue to relax. Beach was clean but left a little be desired. Overall great report and would definitely recommend :)

The resort was absolutely amazing. We found that the grounds were well maintained everything was very clean, the food was excellent, our room was kept very clean. The two a la carte were excellent service very good food was fantastic. The beach unfortunately was not the best but understandable because of all the rain and hurricane nate but overall it was an excellent trip for us and would definitely go back to Costa Rica.

The rooms were mediocre, especially the bathrooms. Housekeeping could have been better and replacing used toiletries would have been appreciated. We were short towels a couple of times, called Housekeeping and nobody showed up to bring the towels we were missing. The grounds were ok, pool needed to be cleaned better. The best resort feature was the restaurant and bar staff. They were all very courteous, friendly, and eager to please. Food in the a-la carte restaurants was very good. Buffets at breakfast and lunch were good, but dinners could have been better. Lots of rice, beans, potatoes, cassava, and the same vegetables everyday. We could have overlooked all of this if we hadn't received such horrible and disrespectful treatment at the guest services desk. Trying to make dinner reservations was a nightmare! Saturday and Sunday reservations could only be made the day of. We would go first thing in the morning, line up, only to be told there was NOTHING available at any of the restaurants. They suggested we try again in an hour, so we did and again NOTHING was available. Some days we had to make 3 trips and still did not get reservations. We were told that on Monday we could reserve for the entire week. However, when we lined up on Monday we were told we could only reserve for 2 days. Although we did manage to get reservations for a few dinners during our week stay, the time and effort involved was ridiculous. On Wednesday guest services said there was a problem with his excel program, come back in an hour and he would give us a reservation. Once again, we go back only to be told there was NOTHING available. To add to this, errors were made with reservations we did get on other days. One evening we received a call to go to the buffet, since the Grill was closed, and order from the Grill menu. We were given reservations for the Grill for Thursday and it was closed when we showed up. When we went to speak to guest services AGAIN we were given the blame. This was our last evening and we had had enough and asked to file a written complaint, (as stated in the guest book in our room), and guest services said NO! We reminded him that this was clearly written in the guest book as the only procedure that they would follow up on regarding complaints and he insisted that he would not allow us to file a complaint. We asked to speak to the manager and he REFUSED to let us speak to him!!! We have travelled extensively all over the world and have never been treated in such a manner at any of the places we have stayed at. When we informed him that we would be writing to Air Transat and Trip Advisor, he got on the phone with someone and then offered us a bottle of wine. We told him we were leaving in the morning and had no room for a bottle of wine in our luggage and couldn't bring it in our carry-on. Needless to say, this was a terrible way to end our vacation, especially after all the hassle we went through all week. Worst Guest Servive ever!!!

Beautiful property and location. Check in was really late and unorganized. Guest services was not available nearly enough. You had to go through them to make a la carte reservations but could only book 24 hours before. Because they start late and finish early, if you are on an excursion you can't make a reservation. We were able to eat at the Italian and it was good. The wait Staff were lovely but didn't know anything about wine in terms of what kinds they had to offer. We came back late after a 17 hour excursion and we could get nothing to eat. We were told by one employee that there was nowhere to get food, then another employee told us to go into the disco and we would find finger food there which was adequate. We ran out of hot water in our room and had to have keys redone 3 times and the safe re-keyed once. Rooms were clean but air conditioning was very poor considering the heat. Wifi was scetchy at best. Nightly entertainment was one man with a sax in the lobby. Entertainment staff were great. The only bar around the pool was only for show. It wasn't functional and only one staff member taking drink orders for the entire pool. Again they were great doing the best they could to keep up, there simply were not enough staff. The pool was cloudy and murky all week. Food was good but a very small buffet. The Grille by the pool had good food as well at lunchtime. The bar "by the beach" is nowhere near the beach or the pool. It is in between the two and there are no toilets close by. When we checked out we paid our bill in cash and they had no change available. Do not book tours with Benito from Air Transat. He is misleading and uses scare tactics to get your business. He shows you one tour and you think that is the one you are buying then you go on a different one day of. Very disappointing. He just walked away when we questioned him at the airport. That was the first opportunity we saw him after the tour. All in all not a terrible place and it has so much potential. We got a good deal in terms of cost and I feel it was good for what we paid. Just needs some TLC.

We had an amazing time! The resort staff were terrific and always willing to help. The beach was secluded and uncrowded. The room was clean and very comfortable. While the soundproofing was poor between rooms, it didn't pose a problem as we were only in our room to sleep. There was a lovely lounge where you could play board games or chess. There was musical entertainment in the lobby each evening and plenty of activities during the day, such as yoga, archery and aquasizes, to name a few. We did a few tours. I would highly recommend the catamaran snorkel and sunset tour. We caught the bus to the local town, Coco Beach, to do some shopping, as the resort gift shop was very pricey. All in all, it was a wonderful trip.

Everything was fantastic! Food was great at all areas! Selection at buffet wasn't great but all good! The grounds were well kept up! Nice to see monkeys iguanas and birds of all kinds! When tide was low the beach was great to walk and explore! The staff in all areas were great! There were language barriers. The entertainment they had was good! More would have been great! Discover was fun! Karaoke and trivia were my favourites! It was a cozy warm feeling resort and you saw the same people during to its size! Loved it!!

Amazing views from every direction. Not for the elderly or handicapped due to the stairs. Food was great, staff was amazing and the tours were worth every penny. You need to get off the resort to get the full enjoyment of Costa Rica. Hotel had monkeys, birds and iguana's roaming around. Would definitely return to this resort. Very clean and safe country to visit.

Wonderful, helpful, friendly staff. Beautiful grounds. Cleanest well kept resort I have ever been too! LOTS of stairs and walking though so those with mobility problems should not go here. Food was good, Lots to do. Can't say enough good things about this resort. Will definitely be back!

The hotel was awesome. Beautiful grounds, super friendly staff, great food and abundant wildlife right on the resort. Monkeys, iguanas and many different birds. The staff were all very helpful and friendly. The resort is quite hilly so be prepared to walk up hills and steps. It's not bad at all and there are shuttles readily available to take you from place to place. The ocean was beautiful and warm.

Hotel was beautiful. We went April 3-10, 2016 so we were at the end of the dry season so it wasn't as lush as it would be during other times of the year. We stayed in Room #806 Royal Luxury Package. Wine and chocolates were in the room upon arrival -- GREAT view! -- Room Service is free with the Luxury package. -- Wifi was available but VERY spotty, so it was better to just take my tablet to breakfast and dinner with me as there always seemed to be a good signal at reception --- Just too many stairs to get to the room. Seriously, I can't see any senior or anyone with a disability being able to do that for a week let alone after laying in the sun and drained of energy. There are carts that you can call and have pick you up and take you to the lobby or wherever, but if you don't want to wait then you have quite a hike ahead of you. Food was fantastic and so was the variety. Staff could not have been nicer or more cheerful (Katherine "Katy Perry" is a rock star staff member...remembered everyone's names, always made it a point to speak to us, and has a FANTASTIC personality). There are many scheduled activities at this resort (snorkeling, rifle shooting, cooking lesson, archery, water volleyball, etc) but some of the equipment needs tending to (ie. archery....the arrow rest was like a plastic 3M mug hook that was falling off so it was hard to hold the arrow to shoot it). My only two complaints would be: ONE: there are NO CLOCKS ANYWHERE! This drove me nuts sicne I had no watch. There are activities that you have to sign up for and arrive at specific times. Also the snack bar and buffets close at certain hours so it would be helpful to have at least 2 clocks on the premises. II suggest one by reception for those catching buses to Coco Beach or the airport and one outside the snack bar so it is near the Activity center where you show up for scheduled activities and can be seen at the pool as well. TWO: it would be nice to have shelves in the shower. We had to line all our stuff around the floor of the shower and being low, water was getting in some of my shampoos that had paper-tear tops (like samples) rather than lids. I would suggest bringing eye moisturizer as well as there were several dry fires on the hills outside the resort and the smoke made my eyes dry and burn for the first couple of days...again, dry season issues. Rooms were cleaned well, but the last 2 days there our rooms were not tended to until around 4pm so we had no water or drinks. Also, that defeats the purpose of the nightime "turndown" other than to take our used towels from the morning. When we first arrived they came before noon, so I'm not sure what changed. Overall a great resort and we would go back again!

The grounds were well maintained,buffets a little smaller then we were use to. But the food was fantastic. Room was beautiful. They are a little understaffed (especially in some of the bars..ie.beach area the bartender worked very hard to serve everyone...another person in this area would improve the service). The people are very friendly and willing to share there knowledge about the birds,trees culture truly enjoyable trip. Snorkeling off the beach was amazing even had a chance to swim with a Hawkbilled turtle no once but on three different occasion. The weather was hot everyday above 35 degrees C. Would recommend for everyone if your have leg issues or heat issues maybe another location would be better.

This resort is well laid out on the hills leading to the beach. The staff are outstanding and exemplify what service is. The food at the buffet was a great mixture of areas of the world and local cuisine. Occasional evening entertainment would bring this resort to the next level, it would be a great chance to display local customs and arts.

Beautiful location! Service was excellent especially Jose-Maria who looked after us poolside and in the snack bar! Activities team was great. It was nice to have a fellow Canadian working there. Michael you are awesome. Everything was fantastic, the only thing I would say as a negative was all the stairs(which could be avoided) and check-in was confusing. Would definitely go back!!

Occidental grand papagayo was one of the amazing redorts I had spent a week this year. The staff at the resort was exceptionally helpful. The tours I took is memorable. One of our guides to arenal valcano trip Mr.geovanni was very knowledgeable in every which way. I had several questions about the rain forests, the birds in Costa Rica and the reptiles where promptly answered. Zip lining and the vulcano and hot springs etc will stay in memories for years to come. I am heading to Cuba right now for a week . I will be staying in Ocean VAradero Elpatriarca, which is my third trip to the same resort. Rest to follow

A good hotel with very friendly staff, clean rooms and a good bar near the lobby. The buffet had very limited selections during our stay in June 5-12. There is a lot of room for improvement with better and large selections of food at the buffet.

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!

This hotel is very nice, the food is great, you can actually drink the hotel water from the taps which is totally awesome!! :) The pool is a little crowded and there are not enough umbrellas, maybe 5 for the whole place, and it gets HOT, which is fabulous but a little shade is a must. We were a group of 4 ladies from work, and we had a blast. That being said, it was 99% couples but we weren't bothered by that at all. The beach is okay, not very large, and when the tide is out it's great, but the tide rolls in around 2:30pm each day, and then the beach is gone. lol... Hence the pool and lack of umbrellas... but that's ok, there is shade in the snack bar for snacks or drinks to cool off :) TONS of shells to collect every day, but be sure to put them in your checked luggage as mine were confiscated from my carry on. Very dissapointed... :( I spent hours each morning collecting them, as they are amazing. We did 2 excursions, one to zip line and that was just crazy fun!!!! And that included the tropical gardens, a volcanic mud bath and hot springs. Another one to the river for a boat ride to see crocodiles and white face monkeys... Loved it! We also took the sunset walk to watch the sun set over the ocean, that was incredible!!! And a must... The staff were so friendly and the atmosphere great. I would definitely go back to Costa Rica, and will do so for sure, but perhaps to another resort or city. Pura Vida baby!!

Hotel was not up to our expectations for an Occidental; resort is old/tired and needs upgraded. Beach also fell short of our expectations - note: beaches are public so there will be vendors, locals sharing it with you - Also, no beach bar so take a drink or two down with you!. Lots of steps/walking but they do provide shuttles to take you around (on the 1/2 hour). No outside pool-side bar, so you either had to be served or if you went into the building where the bar was, you had to be dry, shoes on, and I felt I had to throw a cover up on also. I have to mention that "Carlos" was an awesome Server and "Jen" was an awesome pool-side entertainment coordinator! Bar closed at 5, and to our disappointment, between 5 and 6:30 when the buffet opened, you can't get a drink unless you pay for room service/alcohol, or you walk all the way up to the main lobby bar! Our room was nice, clean, but nothing special. TV was old and only 2 channels in English (Not that this mattered much to us). Our King size bed was comfortable. Small fridge stocked with 2 beer, 2 pop and 2 water daily but no bar alcohol supplied. All the staff (except 1 guy who clearly didn't like his job), were great and very friendly. Nightly entertainment was lacking unless you like playing games like 'music trivia', local guy playing a guitar, etc. There is a disco that we didn't go to so can't comment on. Food buffet: was ok only. Italian restaurant was excellent! Suggestions for improvements: build an outdoor pool-side bar and expand the concrete around the pool by a few feet so there is more places/room for lounges, and provide more umbrellas; as it is now, people have to pull lounges on to worn away grass to have some space/shade - we did this and when my sandals were wet, they actually got mud on them from the worn ground where are lounge was sitting - I was not impressed! The lounges were also very worn, not clean looking, and also need to be replaced. We went on daytrips through Air Canada and Kudos to Emileyo! He was an awesome tour guide. If there's only one full tour/day you want to do, go to Monteverde - tour a coffee plantation (and lunch), let a hummingbird perch on your finger, and hike in the cloud forest and along the suspended bridges. All ages can do this one and it was an Awesome experience!

This hotel was alright. The food could have been better, the rooms could have been better, but the staff was amazing! Too many stairs thow! The view out of the rooms was not nice, and when you walk out the scenery isn't nice eathier. They need grass or flowers. The shuttle service is awesome thow! To get around on the resort!

Lots of work needed at Asian rest. Poor food and lots of kitchen noise. The resort on a whole was well maintained and staff very friendly lots of stairs people should be made aware of this before booking

This resort is quiet with very friendly staff. This is a great resort if you want some exercise (many stairs and buildings are spread-out). The beach is a good hike as well. As it is a smaller resort, the selection of food in the buffet is limited but very tasty (there is often a wait for the dinner buffet). You can not go wrong with the weather there, very hot. I would recommend this resort to those not afraid of walking and looking for a quiet, relaxing get away.

The whole resort was beautiful friendly would go back in a heart beat.We celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary and Roberto the general manager made our celebration the most wonderful event to have as a memory of our stay.The whole staff could not please us enough.Putt it this way,when you leave your family to go on your vacation, you get a second family that takes good care of you.The adventure tours we took were by far well worth the money and the experience.

Lots of restaurant choices and plenty of things to do. Although hilly, the cart was always available to pick up and drop off at the beach or where you needed to go. Only issue was that more bottled water would have been nice.

We stayed at the occidental for one week. I need wheelchair access and the people were very helpful and went out of their way to help. The only complaint I have is that the air Canada representative was not helpful when I put in for a lost back belt that the airline had lost when I was inflight.