Riu Guanacaste

Some of the reviews for this hotel were not so good so we were a little concerned before we arrived. However we ended up having the best holiday. The hotel and grounds are really well kept and very clean. The gardens were beautiful and it was lovely walking along the paths, past fountains and palm trees down towards blue ocean and the beautiful beach. The resident Iguanas were amusing to watch on the way. The sound of the ocean and the nature surrounding the hotel made this an unforgettable experience. We are a middle aged couple and had asked for a quiet room on a higher floor. We were not sure if this would be possible but we were really happy to be given room 4018. This room overlooked Diamante nature reserve and we were able to watch a troop of 10 or more Howler monkeys in the treetops close to our balcony every day. The sounds they made at dawn and dusk let us know they were there! We could also watch the zip liners in the nature park whizzing along. The room was peaceful and we avoided the noise being made by a few groups of young people who were closer to the courtyard. The room was cleaned to a very high standard every day and the mini-bar was replenished every second day with a good variety of soft drinks and mixers. We often had fresh flowers left on our bed which was so nice. The pillows were very small as stated in other reviews but did not stop us sleeping. The air con was perfect and the ceiling fan helped further during the day. Our wi-fi signal was excellent.The bathroom was spotless but the shower had seen better days but was not a problem. We did not have any mosqiuitos or flies around so did not need repellant. We did not really use the pool area so I cannot comment on that. We just wanted to relax on the beautiful almost wild beach. You can always find a tree to sit under for shade and find a secluded spot to relax. There is not a bar service on the beach but we enjoyed the tranquility and peacefulness. The sand gets very hot so beach shoes are a must. The sea was really warm to swim in and sloped gently. There were a few days with "red flags" due to the waves and currents but generally safe to swim. There are quite a few stones in the water so best to wear swim shoes.Beach towels are available by the pool and there are plenty of sunbeds available. There are a few local beach sellers who are really nice and if you say you are not interested they leave you alone. Some of the things they sell can be haggled down to a good price so it is worth having a look. We decided not to line up for the restaurants as were were happy with the food in the Liberia Restaurant buffet. There is always a good choice of food and the coffee is delicious. We were usually served by a young lady called Ligia, who was lovely. She always made sure everything was OK and our glasses were never empty. Thank you Ligia, you are a little star. The food was always hot and cooked to a high standard. A huge selection of salads and fresh bread always available and the deserts were just too good. Breakfast had egg cookng stations, bacon, tomatoes, sausages, cereals, smoothies and just about anything you can think of. Pancakes, waffles, french toast, muffins, doughnuts .....the list goes on. The evening entertainment looked good but after a long day on the beach we just tended to have a quick cocktail and then get some sleep before our 5:30 am Howler monkey alarm call! We used USD throughout our stay so it is not important to get Colones. Sun creams cost around $40 at the hotel so bring plenty of your own with you. Overall, for the way we wanted to use the hotel we could not be more happy. Even without booking day trips there is so much nature around the property, even white faced monkeys further down the beach. We did go on the Sloth Adventure and really enjoyed it. To sum up, all I can say is that the parts of the hotel we used was perfect. The food was really good and our room was exactly what we had hoped for. Fantastic coffee! We would really consider coming back to this hotel as for us it was perfect.

Great hotel atmosphere. We ate every meal outside. Entertainment at night very good. Room was wonderful. We enjoyed all the staff here. Wild animals were around the edges of the property. Warm,warm weather. Absolutely no bugs. No need for mosquito spray. Best pool I've ever seen.