Hotel Riu Guanacaste - All Inclusive

After 5 days of staying at Riu Guanacaste, I wanted to give a short review of our stay. First the facility and staff are amazing! The staff work very hard and it was most appreciated. The facility is huge! We loved our sea view room 3031 which was a corner room that also gave us a view of next door with Diamante. Loved the shower in the room. Our favorite people were our friends who worked at Tamarindo in the evening Jennifer, Harlen, and Francis. They always had smiles on their faces and we enjoyed meeting them. As for excursions we book through Frank Tne-Tank CR! His company is first rate and all the previous reviews were true…we had memorable trips zip-lining, hiking and riding horses, mud bath, cold water falls, and suspension bridges. Our guide for everything but zip-lining, was Maurice! A true professional and very knowledgeable about Costa Rica. You will have a day to remember with Maurice! For zip-lining we went to Canopy tours at Congo Trail. Felipe, Coco, and Jose helped us enjoy zip-lining the rainforest. The only downside for us was 2 things…having to constantly ask for bottled water and the Steak house (not worth the wait and the food was alot less than choices at buffets). Loved the Asian and Mexican the best.

​We recently stayed at RIU Guanacaste to celebrate our belated honeymoon and my birthday. Overall, it was a good experience, but I would shop around for other properties if we were to return. The physical grounds were exceptionally well-kept; people were always painting, cleaning, and sweeping. The staff across the resort was also extremely courteous, making service a true highlight of our stay. We spent a lot of our time at the pool bars, which were excellent. On my birthday, the resort was thoughtful enough to decorate our room, and the spa experience was excellent; I thoroughly enjoyed my one-hour aroma therapy treatment. The view they provided was also excellent and ocean facing. ​However, there were specific areas where the resort failed to go above and beyond. A significant concern was the beach cleanliness. Each morning, the shoreline was littered with trash, including cans, RIU cups, paper goods, and bottle caps. This seriously distracted from the beauty of the area and raises environmental worries about avoidable plastics entering the ocean. Another disappointment was our accommodation; despite indicating our preference and the occasion at the time of booking, we spent our honeymoon in a room with two queen beds instead of a king, which the resort could not accommodate due to being fully booked. While the accommodations were clean and monitored, housekeeping staff was inconsistent with necessities like replenishing towels. Additionally, the resort app was frustratingly difficult to use. ​The food was generally serviceable, falling into the not great, not terrible category. The buffet was okay, and the Mexican specialty restaurant was decent. However, the Japanese restaurant was terrible, and the steakhouse had a line that could practically reach the front desk every day it was open. The selection of fresh fruits was excellent, but we were disappointed by the lack of native Costa Rican cuisine to try; you can only eat so many French fries. The taco spot and the ice cream stations were welcome and enjoyable surprises. The standard resort coffee was serviceable, but the coffee from the speciality shop was excellent, though we paid $14 for two lattes, which is on par with specialty pricing back home. While we had a good overall experience, the combination of inconsistent detail execution and the beach trash issue leads us to believe we would explore other options before rebooking here.

⭐️ 0/5 — Stunning scenery, everything else was a disaster I almost never write negative reviews, but this trip was so consistently awful that future travelers deserve a heads-up. If you enjoy standing in lines and eating barely edible food, this is the place for you. Otherwise, keep looking. Check-in: We waited 45 minutes in the heat just to reach the desk, only to be told our room “wasn’t ready” and we’d need to come back and wait in the same line again. When I asked, I was told this is normal every day. That was true — the lobby was packed from 1–5 pm daily with people trying to check in or get basic help. Rooms: The room was visually nice but came with no shampoo or conditioner, just hand soap. My room overlooked a courtyard where they blasted loud music every night until 11 pm, making it impossible to sleep. Pools: Pools themselves were lovely, but there were kids everywhere, even at the “adult” swim-up bar. Zero enforcement. Food: The food was the worst part. I genuinely didn’t know it was possible to ruin rice, but here we are. Everything is a buffet, even the “nice” restaurant, which is only open for 2.5 hours and has a line forming an hour before opening. Cold, bland, undercooked food across the board. I basically survived on white bread and pineapple for days. Beach & Activities: The scenery is undeniably gorgeous, but the water is rough, murky, and absolutely not swimmable unless you’re strong. There was also a noticeable smell of sewage at times. We booked a sunset catamaran tour, and while the view was nice, staff promised they would help my mother on and off the boat — that didn’t happen. Other guests had to step in, and she ended up falling and cutting her leg. The next day she couldn’t safely get on the snorkel boat due to how rough it was. Any other excursions were 1–2 hours away by bus, requiring a 10–12 hour commitment, so realistically you’re stuck at the hotel with very little to do but drink. (Drinks were the only consistently good thing here.) Bottom line: 10/10 do not recommend. Choose another area if you want real activities, swimming, surfing, jungle tours, or anything besides standing in line and being disappointed by buffets. The scenery is beautiful, but everything else made this a miserable trip.

Newly renovated when we arrived November 1st, 2025. Good value for the price. Surrounded by lush mountains with no other resorts or structures in sight (with exception of one building high up on the mountain for the adventure park that is conveniently located next door (Diamante). The ocean water was warm (not clear), and the sand was soft and mostly clean of debris. The landscaping was impressive with many large palm trees and lots of native plants. Animals that we saw on the grounds included iguanas, raccoons, a toucan, and squirrels. Hardly any bugs which was great and surprising. They do have buckets on the trees that probably catch mosquitos. The three generations we traveled with all appreciated the selection of food and drinks. On one occasion we ordered our 5 yr old son a non alcoholic drink from pool side staff with extra cherries. It came with no cherries so luckily grand dad tasted it first to make sure it was the right drink and it was alcoholic. So to be safe taste test all drinks before handing to the children. We mostly picked this resort for the large water slides for our 5 and 8 yr olds. Only the 8 year old was tall enough to ride the water slides at 50" inches (minimum height). But they both really enjoyed the kiddie slide area. The check in process went smoothly for me but my in laws were asked to prove the credit card used was theirs. This took time as the credit card they used months prior to pay in full had been replaced with a new card and number. They had to connect to the wi-fi and download old bank statements and then email their personal bank statement to the staff as proof. They were hungry and tired after a long day of travel and it took a very long time to find everything requested. Also, if checking in on a Saturday the lines can be very long in the afternoon. We arrived in the evening and there was no line. For the restaurants it is recommended to be in line at 5:45pm to get in on the first wave with no wait (all open at 6pm for dinner). The photos taken by the staff are excellent quality and highly recommend booking a photo session however insist that they be delivered via airdrop from the mac computers there as the download feature does not work. For an all inclusive I did expect more waiters to take your order from the pool side but that only happend one time. You will need to order your own drinks from the bar for the most part and there is no service on the beach. Do take advantage of the adventure park next door (free transportation shuttles) to see the two toed sloths and other animals. Lastly, if you choose the transportation option from the Liberia airport you will need to download the app on your phone for Nexus and check in. One BIG CONCERN that I would be remiss to not mention. My husband stopped by the kid zone child care center (Riuland) to pick up art work our son had done the day prior. Only a cleaner was inside who let him in and he noticed on the front desk (low profile) was a black pistol. He didn't pick it up to examine if it was real but even if it was a toy it would be inappropriate to have one that looked as real as it did. Stricter staff policies are needed to ensure weapons are not laying about. With that being said we never felt unsafe at the resort. One recommendation I would have for the resort is to add a playground.

When we arrived the facilities were quite nice well manicured and clean. Great first impression, that would change soon. We went to our room to drop our bags and the fire alarm started going off (wouldn’t be the last time). We had been traveling all day just wanted to grab a bite to eat and a drink and settle in. We went to American Country the 24 hour bar/restaurant on property. Menu is limited but whatever. So we ordered our food and drinks. Waiter wrote it all down and off he went. Well our food comes out still no drinks mind you it was a daiquiri and a beer. Ask the waiter again for our drinks, he again writes them down and disappears. We finish eating still no drinks. We know he knew where the bar was as he was behind it talking the entire time we ate (He was not a reflection on the rest of the staff as the majority were great pleasant and attentive.) So we left and went to another bar for a drink. There is not a lot to do at the resort itself. There is a beach but there is no bar service on the beach. And be ready as soon as you get to the beach the vendors swarm you like a used car lot!! It’s advertised that’s there’s a casino. That’s false casino was turned into guest rooms during renovations. Let’s talk about food. They have 4 speciality restaurants plus an actual buffet. But mind you only the steak house is a full service restaurant all the others are buffet. So you get dressed up to go out to dinner and get to serve yourself. Also please note there is NO bar service in any restaurant. Wine, beer, and soda that’s it. The steakhouse was disappointing to say the least. They claim to have a 12 oz rib eye. Well I’m afraid the rib eye must of been anorexic as it was 3 maybe 4 ounces at best. The food throughout the facility is fair. The steakhouse isn’t worth the hour plus wait to get in! You can book excursions for a fee. We did 3 separate excursions and they were great. Highly recommend Diamanté Park and also Nicaragua. They tell you at check in if you need anything just dial 9 this includes EMERGENCIES! Well problem is you dial 9 it rings and rings picks up speaks Spanish in a prerecorded message and then hangs up on you. Doesn’t matter how often or when you call same scenario each time. Now on the 5th day we were barely getting any hot water it was eventually lukewarm. Not to worry though on day 6 NO HOT WATER!! Prior to no hot water the shower drain clogged 2 days in a row. Upon talking to another couple they had the same issue. Dialed 9 rang and rang to be hung up on. Walked to the front desk and was told yes there’s an issue hot water might be back by 330p this was 1030a. Here’s the question if there’s no hot water how are they washing things like glasses silverware plates etc?? WiFi yeah they have it (in spots) this also gets a fair at best. This was our first time trying RIU this was also our last time trying RIU. We spoke to people who have stayed at other RIU properties and stated this one is a disappointment. In all honesty if it weren’t for the majority of the staff and the grounds this would have been a one star review. We would definitely come back to Costa Rica as it’s beautiful here but we will most certainly not stay here again!

Stayed at the Riu Guanacaste. The hotel design was like a mile plus long with one or two doorways and one set of elevators. For a hotel this size, it is not user friendly, particularly for seniors and mobility challanged guests. Walkways around pools and beach long and windy. The staff work very hard cleaning, many times, too clean. One has to avoid wet mopped areas for fear of slipping. Entertain in Spanish only, and no side gigs.

My family and I were excited to visit the newly opened RIU Guanacaste resort, but our experience was extremely disappointing and uncomfortable from start to finish. Room Issues On arrival, our first rooms (3085 & 3086) had a water leak from the bathroom ceiling vent and large ants near the minibar. We were moved to 3099 & 3100, where the door lock was damaged, hot water didn’t work for two days, and ants kept returning even after multiple housekeeping visits. Both my husband and daughter ended up with large red bites on their arms and legs. Discrimination by Staff The worst part was the treatment by certain bartenders. Two employees—Sharon (beach bar) and Aaron (American Country Bar)—laughed, spoke in Spanish, and ignored us simply because we didn’t speak Spanish fluently. I stood waiting while they served multiple other guests ahead of me. When I reported Sharon’s behavior, she somehow learned about it almost immediately and later walked past me with a very intimidating look, which made me feel unsafe. The front-desk manager, Jefferson, admitted she “must have put two and two together.” We were offered a steakhouse reservation as an apology, but it didn’t erase how humiliated and uncomfortable I felt. Not an Isolated Incident We also met two other Black families—one from Canada and another from Florida—who said they experienced the same discrimination from staff. It’s heartbreaking that a resort representing a global brand like RIU would allow this kind of treatment. Final Thoughts We came with patience, knowing the resort was only open a couple of weeks and might have early issues. But instead of improving, things got worse. Between the poor maintenance, cold showers, ant bites, and discriminatory service, our family vacation became a stressful experience. I sincerely hope RIU Guanacaste and RIU Corporate review how guests of color and non-Spanish-speaking visitors are treated. Until major changes are made, I cannot recommend this resort and would caution future guests to reconsider.

RIU-ned Vacation I want to start by providing some background. I am a seasoned traveller having been to many countries - staying at many resorts - 3.5-5 stars. Thus, I feel I have a lot of experience with resorts of all kinds to be able to write this very honest review. This was my first and LAST time at a RIU property. I will start with the CONS as there were many issues with this resort. We booked this resort because of the MANY swim-up bars. We were travelling with two children. It is a very nice amenity to have a swim up bar, where we can fetch drinks without leaving the children unattended. Nowhere on the RIU website does it mention that ALL the swim-up bars are adults only. There is also no signage at the pools to indicate this. So, we used the swim-up bars, only to be told we could not use them as they are adult only. Upon questioning why - we are given many differing answers. The first day, we were told there was no life guard. Fine - we left. The next day, we are told we cannot be there as there are “drunk people”. Yet, we are allowed with the children at any other bar and so long as we stay on the other side of the swim up bar wall, we can be there. Makes no sense. They prefer families with kids to be in the deeper ends of the pool, even though the swim up bar areas are shallow - great for families. Lots of families would enter the pool to be there. It’s pretty standard for parents with kids to want to be near a bar, but have a shallow area for the kids. We called for a manager because I was given the run-around as to why we could not be there, and the manager threatened to kick us out of the hotel simply because I mentioned that the RIU has false advertising - stating that they have 5 pools for use - when in reality, families can only use 2 of them. Apparently, this is a rule for ALL RIU’s - or at least that is what the manager said. If that is the case - why is this information not readily available online? I would not have spent my money to stay here, if I could not use the swim up bar. I’ve stayed in many hotels in many countries and this is the only resort I was told I could not use the swim up bar. The ONLY ONE. If you are going to have a rule about children not being near a bar, this rule should apply to all their bars. Not only the swim up bar pools. The kids were fine to use the other side of the bar, the part not inside the pool. How does this make sense? I am fine with policies but you need to make sense and advertise correctly. The A’la Carte restaurants - all equally terrible. That being said, that’s normal at many destinations. My major issue is that there is really only ONE sit down restaurant. Everything else is buffet. To me, this feels very lazy on the part of the RIU. They did their best to make their lives easy - no service. The food, not good. However, the worst part is they don’t take reservations, and to make sure you get a spot, you are stuck lining up 1 hour to 1.5 hours before the restaurant opens. Who wants to do this on vacation? The one day, we lined up at 5:30, reached the door at 6:30 just to be told we would not be able to get in after all. What is this? This is supposed to be a 5 star resort and they can’t figure out their restaurants? The resort boasts as being family friendly. Is it? Not really. Sure they have a water park but it takes a lot more than a water park to be family friendly. We had a room facing the beach. They play loud music until 11:30pm every night. I like to have a good time. However, when the music is so loud you cannot chat and cannot sleep, and you have kids? Not family friendly. The kids shows are in Spanish. Not even an English subtitle. I could not attend most of the shows at 9pm because of how loud they were. We can HEAR YOU. No need to blast everything! I wanted to attend but because of how loud it was, I was worried for my infant son who is 5 months. The minibar - some days it was refilled properly. However, for parents who spend a lot of time in the room and enjoy the fact that the RIU has alcohol bottles for use in the room, I did not appreciate that once they were empty, they replaced them with QUARTER filled bottles. Then, if you requested a refill, once again - quarter full bottles. Food poisoning - I myself liked the food. My husband barely ate. However, I was on the CAN quite literally the entire 10 days. My husband was sick, and my mother who travelled with us too. I tried process of elimination, didn’t work. There are no fresh cook stations. Everything is pre-prepared. Sure they have people cooking but not for you. Just to put it out there to sit and grab. Staff - everyone is super unhelpful. Including the restaurant managers who acknowledge the no reservation policy makes problems but actively does not really try to rectify the situation without some form of argument. They blindly follow policies they say exist - but they don’t know WHY they exist nor can they give you valid reasons. Their approach is to talk over you. PROS unfortunately - few. Nice grounds, well maintained, comfortable rooms, nice beds, nice pools if you are allowed to use them, and good selection at the main buffet.

A really nice hotel, this month the hotel was renew and their new interior design is astonishing, it is worth the visit to see how beautiful the place has become. I recommend going to the hotel and have a nice time with your family and/or friends. In regards to the food, it was ok. Not bad at all but not memorable. In terms of variety, it have way too many options which were great and it was amazing but the flavors sometimes were not at point but not complaints about bad food. I enjoyed for the price of the stay (All you can eat style). Drinks in the pool bars were also ok, not very memorable and they does not seem to add a lot of alcohol unless you ask them. The staff was great, all of them were very nice and welcoming. I saw that some of them did not know a lot of the details of the Hotel like building locations or events, but I suppose it is because they were pretty new at their job. The more experience ones have more information at hand. In term of entertainment, they had a lot of events and a lot of staff members that did their best to include as many people as possible. Staff members from Rio Fit or the other departments were great, I loved joining the AquaFun or Pilates with the staff. In addition to this, the night events were great, they had kids shows in the early evening and after that every day they had a show with dance and other talents. Every night was different and the only thing missing is the visitors to be more joyful and have more participation of the events but that is not due to the Staff. Overall, I had a great time and I hope more local (Costa Rican) people get to enjoy the Hotel. I recommend the visit.

BOOKED DIRECTLY THROUGH RIU We recently stayed at this RIU resort as a family of six to celebrate my husband’s 50th birthday — and we had a fabulous time. I've been to other RIU's before and didn't think they could get any better, but this was the best vacation! FOOD & DINING - So much food! One of the absolute highlights of this resort is the abundance and quality of the food. There are so many places to eat — from themed restaurants to buffets and casual snack spots — and each one had something different and delicious to offer. My kids can be notoriously picky eaters, but they absolutely thrived here. Whether it was fresh fruit, made-to-order omelets, flavorful pastas, grilled meats, or decadent desserts, they ate like champs and kept going back for more. Having more then 1 place to eat and little food stations by the various pools was a hit for us. The buffet was always well-stocked and fresh, with rotating options that never felt repetitive. We also tried a few of the à la carte restaurants, and each one delivered top-notch service and cuisine. STAFF – The Heart of the RIU Experience The staff here deserve a standing ovation. Every single person we encountered was pleasant, professional, and genuinely seemed to enjoy their work. They were always happy to help, whether it was answering questions, bringing extra towels, or just sharing a friendly smile in the hallway. What really blew us away was how special they made my husband feel on his birthday. Not only did they surprise him with a cake and sing to him (which absolutely delighted our kids!), but several staff members made a point to wish him a happy birthday throughout dinner. That kind of attention to detail and personal touch meant the world to us. ️ ROOMS, POOLS, & BEACH Our rooms were clean, spacious, and very comfortable. The housekeeping team did an amazing job keeping them spotless and well-stocked every single day. We had everything we needed — from cold drinks in the mini fridge to fresh towels and a cozy bed to crash in after a long day in the sun. The pools were beautiful, with plenty of loungers and shaded areas. There was always music, good vibes, and activities happening without it feeling overcrowded. The beach was just steps away and absolutely stunning — soft white sand, clear turquoise water, and plenty of room to spread out and relax. Truly a postcard-perfect setting. ️ Resort Layout & Renovations – Exciting Changes Ahead This resort currently has both an older section and a newer one, and while everything was still in great shape, we learned that the older section will be closing for renovations soon. Honestly, even before the updates, the entire resort already feels fresh, clean, and well-maintained — so we are extremely excited to come back and see how they improve it even more! ️ FINAL THOUGHTS – The best 50th Birthday ever RIU might be categorized as a “budget” resort by some, but in our experience, it delivers a five-star experience through and through. From food and service to amenities and atmosphere, every aspect of our trip felt special. We’ve now stayed at two RIU properties in a matter of months, and both times have left us beyond impressed. We are all still talking about this trip and how great it was, the best vacation we have had so far.