TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We went to Costa Rica with the primary goal of taking a jungle zip line tour. I looked on line and several zip lines tours in various locations. We made our reservation at a hotel on the Pacific Coast for a week. After arriving and doing more research I found out that the region we were in was the driest part of the country and the forest in the area had zip lines but what they traversed was more regular forest and open areas. The closest tropical forest was closer to the volcano area and a 2-hour drive. I searched locations in the rain forest and decided that the 2-hour drive was worth it to me. That was somewhat of a negative due added cost but that was my decision. As for the hotel it was very nice. The service was outstanding. You could not ask for better personnel who very attentive. The hotel was as picture very beautiful. My only negative comments are the communication was less than satisfactory. I received different interpretations as to when we could book the restaurants. What appears to be the actual rule is after 3 day or on your 3rd day stay you can obtain a reservation at the any of the 3 restaurants. From reviews and talking to guest the best restaurant is the Grill. The paperwork I received on check in stated the Grill was open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you arrived for a week (7 days and 6 nights) on Friday you could get a reservation for Sunday. However, the Grill is only open on Friday and Saturday so you could not get a reservation. The other issue was our building was shop warren. We did eat twice at the Italian restaurant and it was excellent! The main buildings were recently remodeled but our needed care. When we checked in the had the A set on 18 degrees C and it was colder than being in Wisconsin in the middle of winter. I went to turn it off and it could not be turned off so we got a different room after a considerable time. The new room had only hot water in the sink and not in the shower. That was taken care when we brought it to their attention. The buffet had themes for the day and some days were better than others but most days were more than adequate.

Occidental Papagayo: Honest review. This is not a 4 or 5 star resort! At best three stars, and that’s stretching it. As the other reviewers have mentioned, the grounds are beautiful. We have stayed in Mexico, Hawaii, and many European cities, and this resort comparative speaking is at the level of a Motel 6. Alcohol: 1 of 5 starts (it’s really laughable that in order to have access to a cheap whiskey like Jack Daniels, you have to book Premium level accommodations. For standard accommodations, the liquor is below bottom shelf. It’s so cheap, I’ve literally never heard of anything they have on their shelves. The food in the buffet and all restaurants: 1 of 5 stars. The food in my high school cafeteria had more flavor and better variety. The room: 2 of 5 stars. Old, dirty, A/C makes loud sounds in the middle of the night. Customer service (restaurant staff): 3 of 5 stars. Most are friendly and efficient. Customer service (at reception): 0 of 5 stars. See the comments from other reviewers. Between the check in process, the making reservations in person at 8AM to a la carte restaurants while vacationing, and the blatant lack of customer service, this is one of the worst parts on the experience. Additional: Refrigerator is not cold You are limited to 2 bottles of water per day in 90 degree heat and high humidity Constant banging on the roof every night There are many other things I can mention, but will leave it right here. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. Either spend more money to stay at a better/nicer place or spend less money and stay at a cheaper place (which will not be any worse than here)

Pros: 1. Beautiful resort 2. Room - 1 bedroom suite - amazing view 3. Wildlife/birds 4. Beach 5. Pool areas are nice Cons: 1. Unresponsive staff 2. Services promised and never rendered (room service listed and promoted, but you will wait hours to get a menu so they don’t have to deliver the food) 3. Multiple days with room door lock issues (won’t lock, won’t unlock, or left completely open by staff) 4. Food only available from 7a-9:30p - no exceptions or options 5. Only 2 restaurants open instead of 3 listed, reservations require greasing the right palms 6. Food in all cases has been mediocre at best, unappetizing at worst 7. The hotel staff are reckless with your personal information (room service menu was printed on three sheets detailing reservation information of two individuals and one corporation including dates, flights, and payment info)

Been married 31 years and this was our first international vacation. We couldn’t have picked a friendlier country to visit. The people welcomed us with open arms. Everyone from the airport staff, cabdriver, and resort staff was great. This is something you definitely have to have on your bucket list.

Got bought out by Barcelo and hit the skids. A total disaster, dirty, neglected with food worse than school dinners. Bugs, broken ACs, so run down it’s hard to believe it’s the same place. Only redeeming feature is the lovely staff who try so hard to make it bearable with no management support. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this nasty, run down place.