W Costa Rica - Reserva Conchal

This review is long overdue and I'm still struggling with how to start it! Magical? Incredible? Gorgeous? Picturesque? Every single one of these adjectives apply and then some when it comes to the W Costa Rica! We went for our 20th Wedding Anniversary and couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate. Now, we had never been to Costa Rica or Central America in general, but there's a reason Costa Rica was tabbed as the Top Destination of 2024 by Travel and Leisure Magazine.. ok, now into everything that made this place special: Location: The W is situated in Reserva Conchal, roughly 90 minutes away from the LIR airport and the closer you get, the more beautiful it becomes. This place is truly gorgeous in terms of its scenery as it is built inside of a mangrove forest, and since it was rainy season, everything was green, lush, and full of color - I cannot stress how it felt like you were looking at pictures in a book when you walked around the resort. Because your on the most northwestern side of the country bordering the Pacific Ocean, the views are absolutely stunning. Just look at some of the pictures attached which show the view we had from our room every day! It's also incredibly safe as the Reserva Conchal actually houses a number of private residences as well as the Westin All Inclusive Resort. There are two separate security points with gates - one to enter Reserva Conchal and another to enter the W. Suffice it to say, only people who were staying at the W were at the W - it routinely took 8 minutes by car to go from the initial entry point to the W itself. Room: We opted for a Spectacular Ocean View room and it was worth every penny. We happened to be in Tower 1 on the 3rd floor and our balcony view of the Pacific Ocean was nothing short of incredible. Starting each morning by seeing the gorgeous blue ocean, mountains, and abounding greenery across the area was just breathtaking. We were there for 9 nights and honestly, it got harder and harder to want to leave when it was time to come back home! Since we had our kids with us, we had 2 queen beds that were quite comfortable. The bathroom had dual sinks, dual showers with a view of the ocean, and a private toilet. They offer turn down service every other day, which was a nice touch when we got back to our rooms in the evenings after a long day at the pool, beach (more on that later), or excursions. Food: You're going to hear this as a complaint from a lot of people and I'm honestly a little perplexed on this one. There are 3 different areas you can eat at the W - Cocina Mercado, Zona Azul, and Latitud 10, but you're likely eating from Cocina Mercado 90% of the time as they offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not only that, but the W offers different cultural tasting experiences across Cocina Mercado and Zona Azul (i.e., Indian Night, Peruvian Night, Taste of Guanacaste to name a few) which were quite good, the Taste of Guanacaste in particular as it was authentic cuisine local to the

Exceptional hotel. Beautiful grounds. Excellent service. Great food.

We booked a five-night stay at the W Costa Rica - Reserva Conchal, but left after just one night. As a long-time American Express Platinum cardholder, I’ve stayed at many luxury hotels through their Fine Hotels Program and generally had excellent experiences. Just before the W, we had enjoyed a fantastic three-day stay at Nayara Gardens in La Fortuna, which was one of the best resort experiences I've ever had. Unfortunately, our stay at the W was the exact opposite in every way. Although I booked through the Amex platform, it turns out this was not part of the Fine Hotels Program, despite being listed as a five-star property. It fell short of that rating in virtually every way. Here’s a rundown of our experience: The W Reserva Conchal is situated in a large development. After passing through security, it’s a 10-minute drive to the hotel, making it quite isolated. Once you're there, you're pretty much stuck unless you drive elsewhere. Upon checking in, we asked about the amenities associated with the Amex Fine Hotels Program. The receptionist promised to consult his manager and call us in the room, but we never received a follow-up. Our room, on the second floor despite the hotel being only about 20% full, was small and uninviting. The electronic key printer was malfunctioning, so we had to wait in our room for the keys. We were informed of the dining options on the property. We chose the main restaurant for a light bite in the afternoon. After being seated, we waited ten minutes without service despite the restaurant being nearly empty. When our order arrived, the bruschetta was poor and over cooked spring rolls were inedible. The bill was $42. Later, we drove to Tamarindo and returned to find heavy rain. We opted for room service but were put on hold for four minutes before we could place our order. An hour later, our food arrived on a wooden tray with no utensils, napkins, or condiments. With no space to set up the tray, we had to eat on the bed, and the food was unappetizing. We ended up leaving the tray outside our door. Breakfast the next morning was similarly disappointing. The buffet was ridiculously overpriced and was nothing like I had ever experienced in a 5 star hotel. Service was slow, and the waitress spilled coffee without offering to clean it up or leave the pot on the table. I eventually had to refill my coffee myself. The staff appeared poorly trained throughout our stay. We checked out just an hour after breakfast and headed to Tamarindo, where we found the Capitan Suizo Beachfront Resort—a true gem where we enjoyed the remainder of our vacation in complete comfort. I wish I had thoroughly reviewed the W Reserva Conchal before booking. Despite its five-star rating, it barely deserves two stars in my opinion.

Loved it

I would not recommend this place to anyone. I stayed at Westin for 4 days before I stayed in w Hotel. The prices were double at W, but the service were not even comparable to the Westin. Staff here is not very friendly. Everything is pricey. Food was ok. And there is no one to help at the beach or help the activities.

Lovely stay and friendly staff. Highly reccomend the floating breakfast which includes a lot of options and can easily feed 4 people. The oceanview room was amazing and the grounds and beach area are clean and stunning!

This is just a beautiful property on one of the nicest beaches in the world. We loved the fact that the surrounding area is a nature preserve, and even the beach area felt unspoiled, even though the pool and a restaurant were 100 feet away. Very well planned and designed. This allowed for abundant wildlife around us - monkeys, parrots, etc.

The W is an absolutely beautiful property. The staff go above and beyond to make sure your every need is met while on your trip. The room was not only immaculate upon arrival but daily they made sure the room was spotless. The only downside is no entertainment in the evenings on property and not many dining options. We had to go to the Westin to eat dinner but not a big deal.