Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica

Looking at the pro's and con's of this resort, we really couldn't find much to consider a con. The only things that could be considered more miss than hit would be the shuttle service from our bungalow to the main area and the hostesses at the restaurants were not overly friendly and did not hurry to seat people regardless of how many people were waiting. However, with that said, everything else was well above our expectations! Food- every bit of food eaten was delicious and perfect! Even the buffet, which was very small (and at other resorts is not great) had amazing food! It was delicious and the service was impeccable. Erick was our favorite server at Market Cafe. Room- our room was a Preferred Club Ocean View Bungalow King. It seemed small at first. But it was perfect! The huge shower had a window with a view of the bay. It made for longer showers... Room Service- the room service had a limited menu but everything was hot and delicious. And having a "Secrets" box was nice for a private delivery (didn't have to open room door for server). Pools- there was one pool on the fun side of the resort with 2 different areas of that pool, one with a swim up bar. Jose at the swim up bar made delicious drinks and kept them flowing. He was awesome and accommodating when we were trying different drinks (the Howler Monkey was awesome!). Housekeeping staff was great. They kept our room tidy and stocked with everything we needed. The mini bar was updated every day, without fail. 2 mini bottles of alcohol, 1 can of pringles and a pack of peanut m & m's. The mini fridge had beer, water, coke, diet coke, fresca, club soda and orange juice. Entertainment - the E Team were around and tried getting everyone involved in there activities but were not annoying. They were fun to watch! Overall, the employees of the resort were friendly and seemed happy. This was our 11th trip to an AM Resorts property and was by far one of the best! The resort is almost completely smoke free (other than a few designated smoking areas) which made for a very nice experience for us (non-smokers). There were sunny areas, there were shaded areas, there were air conditioned areas. If you wanted to find a place to relax, it was definitely possible. Everyone at the resort was welcoming and loved to hear how much we love their beautiful country. We will DEFINITELY return. The sooner the better!

We stayed here for several days after travelling Costa Rica for a week. We wanted to end our trip here so we could just relax and do nothing. We were preferred guests. The concierge area was wonderful and cool for check-in/check-out. We were greeted with cool towels and cold drinks. We stayed in room 132 which had a great ocean view and was nicely located close to the main area. It was a short walk (up a steep hill). We liked that we could walk to the main area and didn't need a shuttle. Several times we saw large groups of people waiting a while for shuttles. It was super hot and we found the best place to relax was on the beach, in a lounge chair in the shade. The beach had a nice breeze and the water was the perfect temp to cool down. It's a swimmable beach. The pool didn't feel as refreshing. Service on the beach was great and speedy....we had food and drinks delivered to us. All the staff was super friendly and super helpful. Room service took a long time. The estimated wait was always 40 minutes, but we usually got our food an hour or later after ordering. Not sure if that's a normal thing, but prepare to wait at least an hour for room service. We did a couples massage at the spa. The spa is super relaxing. The massages were prob our favorite part of our stay.

Spent April 4-10 at Secrets and it did not disappoint. Food was good, except one bad reaction 2 of us had after eating at The Aqua restaurant, Overall property is very nice, our rooms were located close to main pool (where all activities/action takes place), as well as restaurants. The young ladies at the Activity Center were awesome and kept the crowd pumped up whether it was water aerobics, Zumba or line dancing. The staff at Secrets are very accommodating making sure everyone's needs are met. The resort is very hilly, but they have shuttles running 24/7. I recommend Secrets Papagayo to anyone looking for a nice, relaxing vacation!!

Secrets Papagayo in March-April is over 90 degrees every day, with constant sunshine. If that's what you're looking for, this is the place. There are many available excursions, for those who want to see other aspects of Costa Rica. But my wife and I simply wanted (needed) to relax, and relax we did. The hardest decision each day is which restaurant of the 5 on site to choose for dinner. Portofino, the Italian spot, was our favorite. Seaside Grill and Aqua are also good, as is the Asian restaurant. Pools and bars are plentiful of course. They are necessities in this climate. The resort is spread out over a large hillside. Each "room" is actually a bungalow, most with views of the water, which in this case is the Gulf of Papagayo, a tranquil and smooth bay-like gulf with peaceful waves. Enjoy your vacation in this charming resort, but don't go in the rainy season unless you love continual showers in the jungle.

Amid a tropical setting are bungalows with every convenience a person could desire. Hotel employees are some of the friendliest we have ever encountered. It was extremely hot on our first day but the tropical breezes that followed the rest of the week made it a pleasant week. "JJ" taught us a new Spanish word each day as he transported us from one place to another. Hosea kept our beverages flowing at the swim up bar. The only fault I could find was that this resort it a smoke free property that was not properly communicated through its advertisements. However, they do provide a place at the beach for those in need.