Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica

We just got back from Riu Guanacaste in Costa Rica, and honestly, we had a GREAT time! Yes, I know people complain about certain things, but some of the reviews I read before our trip had me wondering if we were even staying at the same resort! After about a 45-minute ride from the airport, we were greeted with smiles, fresh water, and a room that was ready to go. The grounds are beautiful and extremely well maintained, the lobby is gorgeous, and the staff were welcoming and helpful. We booked a two-bedroom room with two double beds and a king, this was perfect for us and our teenage son. Our only complaint was having just one bathroom, although the separate shower and toilet areas helped. The minibar was stocked daily with Coke products, water, and Imperial beer. One thing to note: there are no alcohol-free beer options. However outside the resort the local beer spot sells 0.0 beer and we grabbed a few cases and stored in the mini fridge without any issue. The Pools Beach & Waterpark - The pools were clean with two swim-up bars, a beach hut serving tacos, burgers, hot dogs, nachos, and snacks, plus clean bathrooms, ping-pong tables, poolside activities, and outdoor rinse stations. There was always plenty of seating we found great spots near the pool edge, which made it easy to keep an eye on our son. The beach isn’t turquoise-blue with powdery white sand, but it is still beautiful and very enjoyable. There are plenty of free chairs, and water activities are available through both hotel vendors and beach vendors. Most accept cash, cards, or mobile pay (cards do include a 13% tax). The water park was an AMAZING bonus! Lots of slides plus 2 kids splash areas. The best part? NO LINES! There was tons of seating and a hydration station. Another huge plus: GoPros and other recording devices were allowed! So you can capture all the fun. FOOD - We actually enjoyed the buffet the most! 2nd fave was the Italian restaurant.. At the buffet the menus changed daily with a great variety—jerk chicken, prime rib, fresh fish, salads, fruit, desserts, and tons of bread. We never felt like we were eating the same thing twice. Don’t stress about reservations! Only the steakhouse requires one, but honestly, you can skip it. We weren’t impressed—mozzarella sticks were disappointing, and the ribeye was so tough we left it on the table and went straight back to the buffet. EXCURSIONS I was nervous at first to book with a guy on the beach (too many true crime shows ), but we ended up having a fantastic experience and saved a lot of money using local vendors for our activities.. Look for Alan on the beach he arranged our ATV and jet ski excursions. Everything was safe, relaxed, and affordable. Nobody warned us about the wildlife! Watch out for the raccoons! There are lots of raccoons at night and bats in the pool area.. Since the pools are open 24 hours get ur dip in before sundown it’s unless you want some unexpected company! The monkeys near the beach were our fav!! We brought snacks (they love hard-boiled eggs and grapes), and they’ll come right up to you—sometimes even jumping on your shoulders. Hold onto your phones—they are VERY curious! There’s also a pop-up vendor market right past the monkeys with great souvenir deals, and horseback riding!! A Few Tips Bring your own sunscreen and bug spray gift shop prices start at $50 + per bottle Beach vendors accept cash, cards, and Apple Pay Dinamita Monkey Refuge offers free shuttle from the hotel and offers zip-lining, atv’s and animal encounters. We had several weather-related flight cancellations.. Do get trip insurance! Our only real issue was that the TV/cable was out for 3 of our 7 days, but honestly, we were so busy it didn’t matter much. Most importantly, we spent a week relaxing without cooking, cleaning, or worrying about everyday life.

We booked an eight-night family vacation at Riu Palace Costa Rica expecting the quality and service associated with a RIU Palace property. Unfortunately, our experience was so disappointing that we left after two nights and moved to another resort. From the moment we entered our room, there was an overwhelming mildew/mold odor. We reported the issue and asked to be moved, but we were told another room was not available. The refrigerator in our room also did not work, and we encountered non-functioning ice machines on multiple floors. We did not simply decide to leave because we didn’t like the hotel. We couldn’t find another resort that could accommodate our family immediately, so despite reporting the odor and requesting another room, we had to stay in the same room for a second night. We spent part of what should have been our family vacation searching for alternative accommodations. As soon as we found availability, we packed everything and relocated to another resort at our own expense. During those first days, our son also developed headaches, congestion, and a fever, which added to our concerns and significantly affected our vacation. RIU did refund the six unused nights after we left, and I appreciate that. However, after going through their formal Guest Relations process, RIU refused to refund the two nights we spent in the room because we had “occupied” the room and used the hotel facilities. They offered 1,500 RIU Class points as a goodwill gesture. That response was especially disappointing. We didn’t stay those two nights because the room was acceptable—we stayed because RIU couldn’t provide another room and we couldn’t secure another hotel immediately. A family vacation is more than the number of nights you sleep in a hotel. Our first two days were spent dealing with room problems, speaking with staff, trying to find somewhere else to stay, packing again, and relocating our family. Those are vacation days we can’t get back. I understand that problems can happen at any resort. What matters to me is how a company responds when they do. Unfortunately, after giving RIU multiple opportunities to address our experience, their final resolution did not feel proportionate to what our family went through. I hope RIU takes concerns about mildew odors and room conditions seriously and reconsiders how situations like this are handled when a guest reports a problem but the resort has no alternative room available. Based on our experience, I would not return to Riu Palace Costa Rica.