Riu Guanacaste - All Inclusive

We just got home from six nights at the Riu Guanacaste and it was a wonderful trip. We spent the majority of our day at the beach playing- snorkeling, playing in the waves and walking down to feed the monkeys. We have three kids ages 7, 10 and 12 and here are some things that were helpful for us for our time at the Riu Food: We hated that you couldn’t make reservations for the restaurants and we weren’t going to stand in line an hour before they opened so we basically only ate at the buffet. We much preferred the buffet Papagayo that’s in the new section. The service was better, food wasn’t picked over as much and had a calmer ambiance to it. We tried to get a time for the other restaurants but even getting there at 6:05 right after they opened; we couldn’t get a time to come back until after 8. And having three children, we didn’t want to eat that late. The restaurants also did not have a children’s menu and didn’t really have any options for our kids Pepe’s is the little pool food grab and go in the new area and they had chicken nuggets, hot dogs, fries and nachos/tacos from 12-6. My kids loved the nuggets and we would get those for a midday snack just about every day. The candy ice cream shop was yummy and had more ice cream choices than the buffets had to offer. They also close a few minutes before 6. Pool: We honestly didn’t spend a ton of time at the pool. The entire pool is practically one depth of just a little over 4 feet. My 10 year old could barely touch and my 7 year old couldn’t touch at all. They are strong swimmers but it was super annoying for them and not that enjoyable. They do have permanent chairs in a couple sections around the edges and that small area is just a couple of feet deep but not a big enough area to really play in. Around the bar it is more of a party crowd and we avoided that area. Towels: You get cards at check in for beach towels. If you don’t turn all of them at check out you get charged $20/card. In order to get a new beach/pool towel you have to turn a towel in. The towel stands are only open from 8-6 so if you have an early excursion or want to swim after 6, make sure to get fresh towels before they close at 6 pm. We did do an after dinner swim and that was a lot of dun fun. Stars were so bright and only a couple of people were in the pool. Beach: We LOVED the beach and spent the majority of our time there. The waves can get kind of big, especially during high tide in the afternoon so we were always in the water with the kids. We brought our own snorkeling sets and in the mornings they would go farther out in the water and snorkel. We even saw a sting Ray one day! You can also “rent” snorkel sets from scuba caribe at the resort for free too. Bring sandals bc the sand is HOT. The sand is black and will stain swimsuits. I wish I would have brought darker colored swimsuits for my kids and not white lol ‍♀️ Monkey trail: Go down past the palace and go see the monkeys! This was a highlight of

We had the best trip! I was nervous after reading some reviews but it’s very easy to have a great time here. Room - we were in the new building. Farther from the beach, large pools and most restaurants. Closer to the ice cream shop, beautiful pools with built in loungers and swim up bar and the 2 water parks. room was very clean, no smell, very nicely equipped. The toilet was separate from the shower and sink and it was actually genius. Don’t mind the mess - that was all me. We didn’t have housekeeping come while we were there- it’s just a preference, I do this everywhere we go, not just here. We got new towels and that was it. The beds and pillows were comfortable- nothing crazy but I fell asleep right away. Nite- there was no desk and chair, so it was annoying to have to work there, but it is what it is. Bring a travel desk if you need one. The grounds- kept very clean, they have people constantly cleaning everything. The pools are great and there are a lot of them. The main pool bar area is adults only and has smaller jetted pools off of it. Beautiful. The only thing is the jacuzzis are not hot. They are “heated by the sun”. The beach is nice- it’s not blue like Cancun but it’s calm enough and a good temperature. The food- buffet is huge with a lot of options, not the best options but not the worst. You won’t go hungry but you won’t be craving it when you leave. Besides breakfast. Breakfast there is everything. We went to papagayo every morning- it was awesome. Their churros are so good, eggs every way. They only had bacon one day the other days were sausage. But they have so much good stuff! Restaurants- get there at 5:30 to be seated. The steakhouse was great. Chicken Caesar salad was so good! Mozz sticks, great. The ribeye was really good - by far the best beef we had there. The salmon was also great- cooked perfectly. Mixed grill was ehh. Italian restaurant was amazing. They have a huge appetizer bar with all sorts of hot and cold things - carpaccio, pizzas, salads, meats, seafood, breads and dips - the garlic balsamic bread dip is divine. The steak here wasn’t as good but the salmon and lasagna were great. The chicken Milanese was also decent. Excursions- We hired a private tour guide (PM for info) to take us to the rainforest and hot springs. It was amazing! We started in the rainforest - saw frogs, snakes, sloths, a lot of toucans. There also did a coffee and chocolate making tour. Then went for a local Costa Rican lunch - casadas - everyone was happy with their food and their soursop juice was heaven. Then went to a local waterfall - it was so beautiful Then went to the hot springs on the volcano. It was insane. I never experienced anything like that before. It was nature in its purest form. We rented jet skis on the beach at riu. We went to Diamante eco next door to do ATVs. If I was more into it I would have ziplined there- it looked amazing. If you’re going to do it anywhere that’s where to do it. The monkeys!!!

This was one of the worst all-inclusive hotel experiences we’ve ever had. Despite being advertised as a brand-new resort, everything felt old, worn down, and poorly maintained. Our room had a strong, unpleasant odor and showed significant signs of wear and tear. The food was another major letdown — bland, repetitive, and of very poor quality. There were no specialty dining options available, and the main restaurant was chaotic. The staff appeared disinterested and untrained; service was slow and inattentive. One of the key amenities, the water park, was located at a completely different property. Getting there involved a long walk — nearly a mile — and required crossing another hotel. Incredibly, no towels were provided at the water park, so we had to carry everything ourselves. Overall, this hotel fell far below expectations and did not meet the basic standards of an all-inclusive resort. I strongly recommend looking elsewhere

If you have a family with kids look elsewhere. This resort is a joke for families. There is nothing family friendly to do besides the pool. After dinner, if you can even get a seat, all activities are catered to adults. Save your money and go elsewhere. So disappointed. The front staff even agreed that it isn’t family friendly and catered more towards adults. Also the rooms don’t look like the photos

I really enjoyed this hotel as a solo female traveler I was put in a lovely room that was spacious and great views I’m a vegetarian and I had some great meals in the buffet room I didn’t used the specialized restaurants as I was on my own The weather was not that great but I managed a little boat trip that I booked through the hotel The pool area was nice but it did worry me that people drank all day at the pool bar and you never saw them leave the pool to use the bathroom Hope the pool cleaners have good cleaning fluid Well done to Rui and the staff for keeping the grounds pretty

The facility itself is nice. However, expect your meal times to be on the schedule of the resort. If you happen to miss a restaurant time the sports bar has some snacks available that I wouldn't feed a homeless person. All restaurants I have had dinner at are all buffet style. The pool, beach and spa are the only activities which are fine. My chief complaint is, we have been without air conditioning for 3 days and it isn't a resort wide issue and the hotel staff has done little to accommodate any changes to that situation. I have spent more time at the front desk than I have with my family. Honestly, the highlight of the trip has been the monkeys at the beach.