Hotel Riu Guanacaste 5*

Stayed here last year for 65th birthday. The staff in hotel were so helpful and arranged room dec ,flowers etc. Lovely hotel on beach,the sister Riu next door is very 3 star ,rundown looks like it will be demolished sometime soon so not spending money on it.Even beach beds terrible.Make sure you book the newer hotel. Our hotel room dated with bath in bedroom but clean,large comfy bed. Food in hotel I thought was good only complaints hard to book restaurants and no toilets near pools.and bar You had to walk a long way either to restaurant at bottom of complex or go up to inside hotel !! Never been anywhere there are no toilets near pools and bar ! Hate to think how many people pee in pool 🥺🥺 Besides this I really recommend hotel. Note if you pay to go in nature park next door,it is actually a zoo Sloths in tree in compound to view .Good if you are invalid to at least see some wildlife with out travelling.

I went with 2 lady friends for a 4 1/2 day stay. Only my 2nd resort stay (& their 1st), so we had open mind, in spite of the negative reviews on TA. We really enjoyed the food, I found it varied & flavorful, the servers were very attentive, especially Oscar and Tatiana and Marcia. The bartenders were very friendly and efficient. Especially Kenneth down by the pool areas. Speaking of pools, we found them to be clean, as were the loungers. We did not go to the splash park. The room (Friends and Family), #2025, was the perfect size for the 3 of us. A king, a queen & a sofabed. All were comfortable. The room was clean & well appointed. If you want fresh towels or more water, just call to the desk & they will be provided. The room we had sort of faced the stage area, but the entertainment shut down about 10pm, I always carry earplugs so it wasn't a bother. All the staff were attentive & knowledgeable about the resort. We used Scuba Caribe to do the water taxi to Coco Beach. The boat trip was fun, but Coco Beach is kind of lack-luster. We signed up with Frank the Tank for the day- long Magic of the Rainforest tour and were well pleased with the excursion. Noel, our guide, was a fountain of info about Costa Rica, the rainforest & more. If you want to see the capuchin monkeys, walk down to the beach to the left about 10:30 and you'll find them in a parking area. Didn't see any at the Monkey Bar, but we went at about 9am and the locals say they're more active around 10:30. Saw coati mundis in the forest that abuts the resort on the right (near the taco bar, close to the beach.