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    Riu Palace Costa Rica

    OOOOO Plus

    InPlaya de Matapalo, Costa Rica

    TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

    trip advisor

    Based on 5392 reviews

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    ABOUT THE HOTEL

    • Official Rating
    • Free Wi-Fi

    Located right by the beach and backed by lush hills and mountains, this stylish addition to the RIU portfolio delivers big-resort facilities with a boutique touch.

    With its palatial pinnacles and domes, this beachfront retreat certainly looks the part. Step inside and you’ll find a silvery lobby that style-wise is best described as futuristic meets Art Deco. It sets the tone for the rest of the hotel, which fuses funky and classic design twists.

    Location-wise, the Riu Palace Costa Rica is pulled up right by the sea – you can walk down through the grounds, past the pool to the sands. The hotel is flanked by velvety green hills and mountains. Coco Beach, the nearest big resort, is about 20 minutes away by cab.

    • Rooms: 538
    • Lifts: 6
    • Building: 1
    • Floors: 5
    TRAVELIFE CERTIFIED

    This hotel meets global standards on how it's protecting the environment, looking after staff and supporting the local community.

    Things you'll love

    • Secluded beachfront setting
    • Boutique-style interiors
    • 4 à la carte restaurants
    • Free Wi-Fi throughout
    • Perfect for your wedding day

    Location

    • Located on Playa de Matapalo beach on Costa Rica's Pacific coast
    • Next to Diamante Eco Adventure Park which offers wildlife and zip-lining experiences
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    Fly Long Haul With TUI

    • Direct flights from 7 UK airports
    • Fly on the spacious new Dreamliner
    • Experience quieter, jetlag-busting flights
    • Enjoy complimentary meals accompanied by your choice of wine
    • Upgrade to Premium for additional benefits
    • UK airport lounge access for Premium guests

    Platinum

    Holidays in premium hotels

    • 4T and 5T hotels
    • Minimum 4/5 Trip Advisor score
    • Luxury properties
    • 20kg luggage allowance with TUI

    Find out more about Platinum »

    FOOD & DRINK

    All Inclusive

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    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Evening Meal
    • Drinks
    • Snacks

    Buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. A la carte restaurants. Further choice of selected restaurants at Riu Guanacaste for continental breakfast, lunch and snacks. Unlimited local and international alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks 24-hours a day. Drinks service at the pool. Regularly restocked minibar and in-room drinks optic with branded premium spirits. 24-hour snacks and room service.

    Facilities

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      accommodationData.facilities
    • Arenal restaurant

      The main buffet restaurant here features an outdoor terrace for al fresco dining. In the mornings you can take your pick from eggs made to order, pancakes, waffles, pastries and tropical fresh fruit. Come the evenings there are show-cooking stations serving up fresh meat and fish, as well as pasta bars and salad stalls. Buffets are themed three nights a week to mix things up, too. Just so you know, there's a dress code here - gentlemen are asked to wear shirts with sleeves.

    • 4 outdoor pools

      You've got the choice of four pools here. One comes complete with in-water loungers, and another has a bar with a swim-up area.

    • L'Anfora Italian restaurant

      Styled in striking tones of red, white and black, this is an Italian à la carte with a buffet twist. Starters and desserts are of the help-yourself variety while main courses, like shrimp linguine, grilled grouper fillet and pepper-stuffed chicken breast, are available to order from the menu. No reservations are needed to eat here and it’s open late into the evening. There's a dress code, though - men need to wear shirts with sleeves and full-length trousers.

    Rooms

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    • Junior Suite with Balcony or Terrace

      These junior suites come with a balcony or a terrace, a lounge area, free Wi-Fi, air-con and a flatscreen TV. Other facilities include 24-hour room service, turndown service, an open-plan bathroom with hydromassage bath, shower cabin and double sink, and a coffee maker . You'll also have a drinks optic with premium-brand spirits - the drinks can vary but usually include brands like Smirnoff vodka, Barcadi rum and Jose Cuervo tequila. Just so you know, the extra bed is only added if you're booking for five.

    • Junior Suite with Sea View and Balcony or Terrace

      These junior suites come with a sea-view balcony or a terrace, a lounge area, free Wi-Fi, air-con and a flatscreen TV. Other facilities include 24-hour room service, turndown service, an open-plan bathroom with hydromassage bath, shower cabin and double sink, and a coffee maker . You'll also have a drinks optic with premium-brand spirits - the drinks can vary but usually include brands like Smirnoff vodka, Barcadi rum and Jose Cuervo tequila. Just so you know, the extra bed is only added if you're booking for three to four people.

    Still Fab in rainy season
    08 Oct , 2019 jennifer-downing, 186338
    Currently in Costa Rica on first full day and already we are having a great time! The sun is hot in the morning up to 1pm then on and off rain. There is so much to do around the hotel it doesn’t bother me it’s a nice break away. Booked the holiday as a package via TUI and from start to finish they have been Fab we booked our excursions this morning for $280 we have 2 full days doing everything from water park, mud bath, zip lining, horse riding, nature park and more. Alonso made the booking for us and he was so helpful an asset to the TUI company. The RIU Hotel staff are beyond helpful and so friendly - tipping is not compulsory here but you can if you wish they do not expect it from you. Entertainment staff Freddy and Johnny are amazing and such fun! The hotel itself is gorgeous from the outside and the food is yummy lots to choose from - personally I am not over keen on the decor in the rooms but that’s my decorative taste.
    Couples trip
    08 Oct , 2019 Taytay1715, 56003
    I visited Riu Palace for 6 days with my fiance and 2 other couples and we all really enjoyed our stay at the Palace. We scheduled airport transportation through LAR. They picked us up on time and got us quickly to the resort. Our room was ready when we arrived and check in was quick and easy. The room was nice and clean, we had a rain forest view. It did have a little bit of a musty smell but it wasn't overwhelming and was probably because it was so humid. We went during the rainy season, and it did rain every day we were there. It only rained for an hour or so one day, another it just sprinkled and the other days it poured. It never really affected our vacation though, we got to do everything we wanted to do. Every time it rained it was after 3:00 pm. It's absolutely beautiful there and there is a lot of wildlife to see on and around the hotel. Pros: quality of service, cleanliness of the hotel, drinks, and beach. The beach is not your typical white sand beach but it is still really cool and the water is crystal clear. Everyone was really nice and quick to do what ever they could for you. Cons: food and pool and bar close early. The food was not awful but it was nothing to rave about. We tried all of the specialty restaurants and our favorites were the steakhouse and Italian. Go 10-15 minutes before they open to get in line or expect to not eat till 8. We found that the buffet had the best food and you didn't have to wait to get a table. The pool and bar close at 6. The drinks were really good and the bartenders were great. Awful selection of wine though. We did visit the Guanacaste next door. There were a lot more kids there and more of a party scene versus the Palace being more relaxing. We really enjoyed their pool though and liked that it was all connected unlike the Palace. We met Luis Solutions on the beach and booked all our excursions through him. We did an adventure package one day, ziplining, hanging bridges, horseback riding, waterfall, water slide and hot springs. We also booked a water taxi to coco beach and he walked us around town to different shops. He made our trip AMAZING!! He's the one with the little white dog, Mikey! Would definitely go back just for him and Mikey!
    First time
    07 Oct , 2019 simonR8194NN
    This was our first time to costa Rica and it did not disappoint .Hotel was first class and the staff were so helpful. If you like wildlife this is the place to go because it was all around you. The Hotel was clean and the food always had a good choice Don't worry about going this time of year because the forecast was always rain but it rained twice in two weeks and that was at night. This hotel is non smoking but as a smoker it did not spoil my holiday. We will be back
    Love it!!
    05 Oct , 2019 HernandezFamily2010
    Stayed here with my husband and mother in law. First time in Costa Rica and it was AMAZING! The people here are very nice. Always helpful and making sure we were taken care of. Love the place, the vibe and the people. We will definitely be back again!!
    Amazing
    05 Oct , 2019 sambE9883OS, 186298
    Spent a week here in September with my partner. A beautiful hotel in a stunning location. Staff are really friendly & helpful, the food was great with plenty to choose from. Would definitely recommend the Japanese restaurant on site however get there early as it fills quickly. Best place I've stayed in a long time
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    Special Assistance

    This property is generally suitable for those with reduced mobility. Having said that, we understand that everyone has different needs, so feel free to contact our Customer Welfare team if you have any questions.


    Our Customer Welfare number is 0203 451 2585. Lines are open Monday to Friday 09.00-19.00, Saturday 09.00-18.00, and Sunday 10.00-17.00. Calls from UK landlines cost the standard rate, but calls from mobiles may be higher, so please check with your network provider.

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