Hotel Riu Guanacaste - All Inclusive

Would never spend my money here or with another Riu after my experience at the Guanacaste location. FOUL and rude management, and poor business practice and policy provided ahead of our trip. Landed early and called the office to ask if we could arrive early to wait in the lobby until check in. Was told that was fine only to be stopped at the gate along with 10+ other vehicles at the gate and was told we would not be allowed through (even with proof of reservation) until 1:30pm. We took an Uber and were left waiting outside the gate (another mile plus away from the entrance). We had waited for 2 hours at the gate with no service on the side of the road, until an airport shuttle did us a favor to take us through the gate. Foul and rude attitudes by the guards, supervisor, and management. When asked about where this policy was stated or why ubers and taxis were not allowed through, we were dismissed by management and told “they do not have to disclose or provide proof of policy”. Was told they “receive complaints like this all the time”. Did nothing with our complaint or offer apology for the experience. If that’s policy, fine, but that should be stated clearly and communicated to customers. Imagine an emergency situation and you’re left stuck on the side of the road with no service in the middle of the jungle. There were babies waiting in hot vehicles and a line of cars told to wait down the road. Do not spend your money here. Would not ever waste my money on a Riu experience at any other location after the experience we had.

Back 2 months ago I selected this hotel for me and my wife and she got worried this was a bad choice. I wasn’t so sure either when reading all the reviews. If you average the December to mid January you probably end up with a 2.2 avg. but that is not at all what we experienced. We were there Jan 24-28 and this place is without a question a 4*. Everything is fine and I mean nice, pleasant, ok. The staff…the rooms…the full resort…the food. It’s all good. The beach is not white sand…but it was clean and being an advance snorkeller I can tell you there are tons of great fish on the vacant side (not by the Palace). We had no issues with the room. The food was good and varied. All my drinks had real fruit blended into it. You have the Diamante park right next door to do great activities. The ride though bumpy to Lib Airport is short for Caribbeans standards. I have been to all the regular destinations…MX, Dom Rep, Cuba, JAM over 18 times and experienced ‘rated’ 3.5* to 5* this place is a 4 for sure and can only be lower if the one rating got a specific unfortunate situation or is always in 5* and cannot relate. The only real con of the place is the restaurants with no reservation and people lining up. I did do the line for 40mins for the Steakhouse. That restaurant was good…not great, maybe a good 3.8*-4.0* if rated as a resort steakhouse. Its no Hotel Xcaret….but also not Cuba. Also every restaurant and buffet house wines were decent. The whole time I was there I never noticed people that would look like they were not enjoying themselves.

So far so great. Food 5/5, pools 5/5, entertainment 4/5. Even got into the steakhouse tonight. Service is really good except for the non existent service at the pool. Suggestion box: Towel cards are really not required.

I can go on and on about this hotel. The service, food, bartender, the clean room the amazing show; the views and pools gets a 10 out of 10 for me. The front desk manager Jen ( I might be saying her name wrong) made sure my family and I was safe and together.

Travelled here at the near end of November 2025 basically right after the reno. Everything was excellent. Weather was a bit of a gamble at this time of year as its the end of the rainy season. Forcast was for some rain but only had one afternoon of rain for 2 hours but the rest of the time was 30s with lots and lots of sun. Being the end of the rainy season everything is in full bloom and so green. Its beautiful. Hotel has very well kept grounds also. Rooms very clean spacious. Big Bathroom, very HOT and lots of pressure in the shower . Bed was very comfortable. Very Large compound. Lots of walking. Good variety of restaurants and all of the food was quite good. Very good large main buffet with choices for every taste. I found the Mexican rest. to be somewhat limited in variety. Restaurant hours are very short and too limited. This is something that definitely needs improvement with longer hours. I was here when it wasn't busy and there were wait times and if you got in at the end near closing time i found replenishing lacked. All was still good. Only one elevator was working but i always took the stairs anyway. Garden view was beautiful Hotel is spotless. Constant cleaning going on everywhere. Several pools all clean and clear. Morning coffee in the AMERICAN bar also had a very limited attempt at a continental type breakfast. The coffee here was so delicious. All Staff got a 9 out of 10. Most were pleasant and helpful but there was the odd cranky pants employee who made no effort. The best staff member was definitely LIDA in the American bar/restaraunt where I came for my coffee, or as she made me ask for a 'CAFE CON LECHE "every morning. The beach is a black sand beach and was really clean and relatively short if you are a walker. No garbage or seaweed to be seen. There is a group of vendors at the entrance to the beach/hotel but i found them to be harmless and a polite no thanks was all that was needed. The hotel location itself i found was in a fairly isolated area. There are several tour companies here for excursions so there is no lack of things that can be arranged to do. Sharly at Nexus tours was so pleasant and helpful so go see her. Front desk area can be very very busy and very congested at times. Entertainment was fair to good. Riu party was quite good Alcohol was decent. Several brand choices, no complaints. All in all a very good experience. No complaints at all and I would recommend others to stay here. Would I stay here again....DEFINATELY

The resort was just completely renovated. Everything is new and looks amazing, not like ordinary RIU, but like a luxury resort. Beautiful interior accents, modern furniture, pleasant rooms. Food is typical for RIU, plenty of fruits, good coffee. Even some branded alcohol drinks such Chivas, Carolans. Beach is volcanic, not my favorite. Very beautiful surroundings, nice walking paths. The downside is that we couldn't get to the steak house restaurant during our 7 night trip - there is a line of about 100+ people and the management dont care! It is easy to make this restaurant for reservation only and give people equal opportunity to try all the restaurants. Bad management!

I don’t usually write reviews, but this one feels earned. The location is beautiful, great sunsets, warm Pacific water, and classic Guanacaste weather. Unfortunately, the resort itself doesn’t live up to the setting. This is a very large, very busy, very worn all-inclusive. The property feels dated, rooms are tired, and maintenance is clearly reactive rather than proactive. Small issues stack up quickly and start to affect the overall experience. Food is inconsistent at best. Some meals are fine, many are forgettable, and reservations at specialty restaurants feel more like a lottery than a perk. Buffets are crowded, repetitive, and often lukewarm. Drinks are plentiful but watered down, and bar service can be slow unless you’re tipping aggressively. Even if they’re not a buffet restaurant they’re operating as a buffet restaurant, including the Mexican, which I was really surprised that it’s still a buffet chicken was OK. Beef was extremely chewy. Basically, the whole experience was pretty unforgettable. One particularly odd policy: the minibar is only restocked with beer every other day, for reasons no one could clearly explain. In an all-inclusive resort, this just feels unnecessary and cheap—especially when consistency is already an issue elsewhere. The Wi-Fi has been hit or miss the entire stay. Connectivity drops frequently when moving from the room to the hallway or elevators, and it’s often impossible to keep both an iPhone and an iPad connected at the same time. Even basic browsing or messaging becomes frustrating. Cell service isn’t much better. Calls routinely drop when moving around the property, especially when transitioning between the RIU and RIU Palace areas. For a resort of this size, it should all operate on a consistent wireless network, but it doesn’t. As you move through different parts of the resort, coverage changes—or disappears entirely—which is unacceptable for modern travelers. As I read this review, I cannot get my iPad to connect to the Internet. It just keeps telling me the password is wrong. I understand that the beaches are public, and I fully respect that. However, the moment you step off the resort pathway onto the beach, it becomes a nonstop gauntlet of vendors selling trinkets, bowls, and T-shirts—along with illicit drugs. I was approached to buy cocaine at least 25 times in a single walk. It was uncomfortable, aggressive, and completely detracted from what should have been a relaxing beach experience. Beyond the logistics, the resort doesn’t feel very Costa Rica. It lacks the warmth, cleanliness, and genuine hospitality the country is known for. Instead of highlighting the beauty and culture of Central America, the experience feels generic and disconnected—more like a crowded cruise ship on land than a place that celebrates its surroundings or its people. Service is hit or miss. Some staff members are friendly and hardworking, but the resort feels understaffed for its size. Long waits, limited follow-through, and a general “assembly line” vibe take away from any sense of relaxation. Pools and common areas are overcrowded early in the day, chair-saving is rampant, and finding a quiet place to relax is harder than it should be on vacation. Entertainment is loud and constant—great if you’re here to party, not so great if you’re looking to unwind. Bottom line I would look at boutique hotels, something smaller if you’re not interested in the quantity over quality

Please help my daughter lost her favourite stuffy in the laundry at the resort. Did you ever find it? Please reply! She is so sad. Hopefully no one threw it out. To her its her best friend and its been with her her whole life.

We’re halfway through our stay in Guanacaste and truly feeling grateful to be here. Overall, it’s been a really nice experience with a mix of highlights and a few things that just weren’t our personal preference. The weather is perfect! The drive from the airport was easy enough, about hour with the traffic. We booked an Amstar private transfer for four, about $300 round trip, which was comfortable. When we arrived at the resort, our first reaction was wow! The property is absolutely beautiful, lush grounds, spotless, and everything looks very well cared for. It’s clear a lot of pride goes into maintaining the resort. Before arriving, we emailed with a room request and also asked about bringing donations (school supplies, etc.). Communication felt a little mixed but once we arrived, everything eventually worked out and we were ultimately happy with our room location. We have two rooms for our family (our kids are 22 and 13), and being close together was important to us. The pools are gorgeous, and we personally enjoy the older section of the resort, it feels a bit calmer and more our style. The newer section would be great for families with younger kids, though. The beach is different from what we’re used to. If you love calm, turquoise Caribbean water, this may feel like an adjustment. The sand is darker and the water can be choppy with waves. That said, if you walk to the right side of the beach, it’s calmer, and I was still able to enjoy floating but not in front of the hotel. We also did a snorkeling excursion with Frank the Tank, which was fantastic and gave us that crystal-clear water experience. The rooms are on the smaller, simpler side, which was totally fine for us, though there is a bit of a musty water smell in the bathroom, nothing major, just noticeable. Ladies, THERE IS NO CONDITIONER! As a mom with 2 daughters, for us this is a nightmare! Apparently there is a store somewhere on this property, but once we found it it was closed. They must close very early. Going to try again this morning.  For an all-inclusive, we found the food to be good, and there are plenty of options. Service can be a little more relaxed and self-serve than what some people may expect, especially at breakfast, they bring you a coffee pot but no cups lol and around the pool there is water tank but no cups, but once we got the hang of it, it became easier to navigate. They do run out of plates too at the lunch by the pool which makes self service impossible. We went to the Asian restaurant which was just a buffet. No service at all which was disappointing. A quick note for anyone who cares about drinks: during the day at the pool bars, the alcohol selection is more basic off brand. In the evenings, we noticed the theater bar had some nicer options, which was a pleasant surprise. The nightclub was fun, but the alcohol there is also more basic, so grabbing a drink beforehand might be a good idea if that matters to you. All in all, we’re very happy we came and appreciate the experience. It’s a beautiful, clean, well-maintained resort, and we’ve made great memories here. While it may not be a perfect fit for us to return mainly due to the beach style we’re grateful for the time here and can absolutely see why many people love this place.

Our family trip this year was the worse, thanks to the look off attention of the people at front desk. No costumer services. We did plan this trip since January 2025, 30 members of my family and the only thing we wanted was to be in rooms close by, the way they clean the rooms wasn't the best, plus that never leaves washcloths even we ask for. Only 4 of them guys was pleaseant. And was the guys from the bar near to the kids pool, Kudos to them. Our family Christmas was just not the best thanks to them service. Every year we try a new all inclusive and for sure this was the WORSE. Oh the drinks was counterfeit.