"The Positives Outweigh the Negatives"
This was our 2nd time to stay at this resort, the last time was 8 yrs ago before the renovations.
Positives: The rooms, restaurants, facilities, and grounds are beautiful, updated and meticulously kept clean. We hardly ever saw trash or things out of order. The staff are constantly sweeping, moping, picking up beverage containers, dirty dishes, and setting new place settings. I never once saw staff on their phones, and everyone was always doing their jobs. The bartenders work their butts off, and they are capable of making any type of drink you can think of, and the drinks are amazing! There are entertainment options throughout the day and night. Tons of things to do from Bingo to Yoga, and lots of live performances by the pool, in Tamarindo bar, and for several hours at night on the Pura Vida stage. You cannot get bored. We tipped our housekeeper everyday, and always received fresh towels, a cleaned bathroom, and made bed. The refrigerator is only restocked every other day, so don't expect it daily.
Negatives: Our room (5092) did have the sewer smell that others have written about. I hate to say it, but you get used to it after a few minutes, so we did not ask to be moved. But, i wish that we had taken a Glade plug-in to mask the smell, so I recommend you take one just in case you get a smelly room. We had family in a "family room" across the resort that did not smell at all. Their room faced the Diamante park. Our room was directly above the Pura Vida stage, so it was extremely loud every night during the live music and shows. They usually start around 8:00 and end at 10:30. So, if you want to go to bed early, don't stay in that area, or take ear plugs. We used white noise on a speaker at night because people were still loud outside after the shows ended. We ate at every restaurant. The food is not excellent, but you can find tasty options at every location. The A/C is very loud when it kicks on and woke me up several times at night. I was thankful that it worked and we were never without it, but did notice that it seemed to be having issues at the main restaurant and in our rooms the day that we left.
Tips: Reservations for the steak restaurant must be made 2 days in advance on the app. I booked ours at 6am (2 days prior) and there were lots of times available. I recommend the mix grill option there as the steak is much thicker than the ribeye, and the chicken and shrimp are good. The other theme restaurants will require some waiting time, especially the Asian restaurant. We put our name on the list at 6:50 and were seated at 8:10, and one of the last groups to get a table that day, so get on the list early. We only waited 15 mins for the Mexican restaurant at 7pm, and no wait for the Italian restaurant when we arrived at 8pm. The made to order quesadillas at the pool grill are amazing, probably the best thing we ate there.
Overall, we had a great time at the resort and would recommend it to our friends and family.
