Overall, we were not pleased with our stay at Planet Hollywood Costa Rica. It was our very first time to Costa Rica and we really had no idea what to expect or where to stay. Being loyal Marriott members, we went with the option with availability and all inclusive. It was not the standard in which we are used to when experiencing a 4-star resort; especially one that is in the Marriott family. I don’t know if what we experienced is the norm but it definitely was not the norm for other Bonvoy stays. Pros: The rooms were gorgeous. I loved the window in the shower that allowed for fresh air. The rooms had a nice modern and upscale feel. The balconies and view were very nice. All of the support/service staff were friendly and very helpful. The shuttle drivers were awesome and made it a point to get to know the guests. The ladies and gentlemen servicing the buffet, restaurants, and pool and cabanas were very efficient and accommodating. The bartenders were great! There were not enough pool chairs but ample beach chairs (I guest folks prefer the pool over the beach). The beach was nothing to get excited about but it is what it is. It was clean and the monkeys were entertaining. (Great photo ops!) Cons: The biggest negative is that the resort made little effort to provide you with what you paid for but were CONSTANTLY trying to sell you upcharges/add-on at every single turn. Like can I get what I paid for first? Even room service asked about add-ons when they called to confirm your order (also note a very limited room service menu – I understand that you can’t expect a lavish room service menu but this is the smallest I have ever seen). We were told upon check-in and during our room tour that shuttles would run ever 10 minutes so there would be no need to call a shuttle. We found this to be untrue. 95% of the time, we had to call a shuttle after waiting 15-30 mins or walk. We spoke with other guests (staying at buildings located downhill) who reported the opposite so maybe location matters. The staff understanding of things were very inconsistent. Example: We were told we had to make reservations for dinner except for the buffet by no less than 5 staff including the front desk staff when we checked in, the shuttle drivers, and other staff. When we went to the one person (sitting at the desk on the 3rd floor above the lobby) to make reservations, we were told that there were no reservations – everything was 1st come, 1st serve. When we arrived at the resort, I was surprised to be recognized as a Marriott Titanium member as soon as I disembarked from the shuttle. I thought “how great this will be” if we received such a recognition. As we checked in, we were told that we would receive these special “Bonvoy Elite” bracelets due to our status as Titanium members. One person in our group did not book via Marriott (Marriott wanted 3X the price for the same room we reserved months prior when he booked so he used a 3rd party) so he was offered the option to upgrade to Star Class. Overhearing this offer, I asked about “Star Class” upgrade. I was told that it would not be necessary to pay for Star Class based on the elite bracelet we were given and she actually said “it is like getting Star Class for free”. We also received a coupon book. Those bracelets meant absolutely nothing almost the entire trip. Being disappointed at every turn, I asked a few staff members what the bracelets were good for and the best answer I received was “Nothing. It’s just part of the agreement with Marriott that any member who books via Marriott website will be given the bracelet to recognize its members”. On the last day, I went to order from the hamburger stand near the pool and asked about the items that I saw coming out on trays but these items were not on the menu. I was told only Star Class guests could order these items (e.g. chips and guacamole, and shrimp cocktail). However, just as she said it, she saw my Bonvoy bracelet and said “oh, you can order it, you have that” (pointing to my bracelet). I asked if the bracelet meant something and she said it did. I told her that she was the only person the entire trip that seemed to know that. In any event, when we arrived into our rooms on Day 1, we were greeted by the attendants who were seated at the desks at the entrance. He told us he was our “concierge” and told us to let him know if we needed anything. I have no idea what this job’s purpose was. We only asked him to do 2 things and he could do none. We asked him what was his job and basically, he was there to assist us with upgrades and linking us with services (that were extra cost – no surprise). The Star Class member in our group was never assigned an attendant who was supposed to help with reservations, etc. WASTE OF MONEY. We heard 3 different women complaining that they also were not getting any Star Class service they paid for at 3 different points in time. Our entire group was spread among two (2) buildings. The service among the rooms and the buildings was inconsistent. 2 parties in our group were located in the same building but received very different service. Examples: Our facial tissue, toiletries, and coffee and tea, were never replenished despite using them each day (drank the coffee and tea on the first day) and using them all up by day 3. However, our groupmate in a different room received new stock of everything daily despite not even using them all (on the last day, he had 5 of some things). 1 party (my party) had no idea the rooms came with snacks – we never received any. It wasn’t until we went to our groupmates’ rooms that we saw the snacks they had; they told us the supply was restocked daily. The Spa: Two of us booked 80-minute massages prior to arriving at the resort (this was suggested when we stayed at PH Los Cabos so I assumed it was a good idea). My experience with most spas is to be given instructions on what time to arrive (usually 15 mins before the appointment to ensure you have time to get everything done before the massage) etc. I went to the spa the day before the appointment (since it was near the pool) and asked the receptionist for the suggested arrival time. I was told to arrive at the appointment time. We arrived on time and had to wait while the receptionist assisted customers on the phone before being given forms to complete. Then an attendant came out to show us where to change. He told us to meet him at a specific location in the locker area but he was not there when we came out of the bathrooms. We waited about 3-4 minutes at the place he indicated. We finally walked around to find the attendant. He was at the pool passing out towels to those guests. He finally noticed us and took us to meet our therapist who had been standing across from us the entire time we were near the pool trying to get his attention. We were taken to our rooms and I was given a few moments (about 2 minutes) to get comfortable. I paid attention to the time on my watch because the attendant and receptionist seemed to have no concern for the time and I wanted to be sure I received my full massage time. Red flag number 1: Several times during the massage, the therapist stopped massaging me. I assumed she thought I fell asleep (not sure why she thought that) so I kept clearing my throat and making other gestures to hint that I was not asleep. That seemed to work initially but later it did not work so I raised my head and looked at her. She corrected herself and continued the massage. Red Flag number 2: When I raised my head, I checked my watch and we were about 55 minutes into my 80-minute massage. However, it became obvious the massage was coming to an end and soon she told me the massage was over. I went back to the lockers and got dressed. I went to the front desk and complained. That ordeal was even more frustrating. At that very minute I began complaining, it was just about 80 minutes from the time we arrived (first sign that I did not get my full massage). At this point, the person I arrived with was still in a massage. The receptionist gets the manager involved. The manager then gets the therapist. They all converse in Spanish and then tell me “she says she gave you your full massage”. At no point did the therapist even look in my direction. I point out the obvious being the time of the appointment and the current time. They tell me she said she started at time A and I noted it was time B. They seemed to be inclined to believe her despite the obvious. But I then explained that even if it is the time she claimed (which was not accurate), I STILL DIDN’T RECEIVE AN 80-MINUTE MASSAGE; how would it be possible with changing out of and back into my clothing? The light bulb lit and they conceded I did not receive what I paid for and agreed to refund the difference. The coupon book: I was able to use one of the coupons for the massage which is another pro. However, another one of the coupons were specifically identified for a discount on “cabanas” among other things identified on the coupon. So, we decided to rent a cabana on our last full day since we were not able to do an excursion we had previously planned. We attempted to reserve a cabana at the reservation stand near the pool. After waiting 15 minutes, a staff member came to that stand so I asked about the reservation – his English was limited but he did explain he did not work that stand so he went to get a colleague to assist. This second young man went out of his way to help me. He couldn’t make the reservation (did not have access to the schedule) so he escorted me up the hill to the 3rd floor above the lobby to that reservation desk. The woman assigned to that desk was not there (despite her sign indicated she was no longer at lunch). He called her and after several minutes, she finally arrived. She advised there was ONE cabana left for the next day. I asked about making the reservation and gave her my coupon. Her initial response was “you cannot use these coupons on cabanas”. I questioned why it would state “cabanas” explicitly if it could not be used. (She is the person who told me the bracelets were worthless and based on the agreement with Marriott to give out those bracelets when booked through Marriott.) She could not argue with that so she changed her response to it could only be used if I booked the upgraded cabana option (this was a cabana with an upsell of a bucket of beers and a 20-minute massage that I had no interest in after my experience). Of course, the price difference did not equate to the coupon discount so we would have to spend significantly more money to use the coupon. After explaining to her there were no restrictions on the coupon as she now claimed, she refused to accept the coupon for the cabana (only). She was a bit dismissive. Because there was only one cabana left (it was still early in the day so a good chance we would lose out), we opted to rent it anyway. However, after speaking with the manager the next morning, we were told the coupon would be accepted and that we needed to return to the desk where we made the appointment. We returned on 3 different occasions that day and each time she was not there (despite being called to return to the desk by staff). That was a whole different fiasco upon check out but was eventually resolved (after spending almost 40 minutes trying to check out). Being a little disappointed with the beach at the resort, we asked about finding a “better beach”. We were told about a nearby beach (Playa Nacascolo) accessible via the shuttle in the parking lot “at the top of the hill” offered by the Four Seasons (nothing about the shuttle implied it was a Four Seasons shuttle but I wouldn’t know any better). The shuttle was a primitive bus that looped the parking lot to the public beach. We were told we could walk up the hill to the parking lot or pay for the Nexxus Tours shuttle (approximately $50 USD each way). So, imagine what kind of hill cost $50 to ride up so walking was NOT really an option unless you are in very good shape. We paid for a round trip ride to/from the parking lot (only) and scheduled a pick-up time for our return. However, while at the beach, we were able to obtain the services of another tour company who took us all the way back to our resort (Planet Hollywood) for the SAME price we were charged for the partial ride. Sidenote: We did have a wonderful experience on the Papagayo peninsula and cannot wait to return to stay at the Four Seasons!

Many good things to say and a few things that could use improvement. We are a couple who travelled with our friends, 3 couples aged 65-75. This resort is a reasonable 35-45 minute ride from the Liberia airport. We arrived at the hotel around 9 PM, were cheered on arrival and then waited about 20 minutes for the one group at the check in desk to complete the process. Several other employees walked by but none stopped to help the one person working the desk. Fast forward to check out and it seemed much the same. As the line formed behind us a second person was added which helped but it was a very long wait for everyone in line. In my opinion if they could fix just one thing - the reception desk should be it. I have seen several reviews bashing the decor and food at the hotel. Our experience was quite the opposite. The rooms look just like the pictures on the website. Creams and grays with touches of dark (not bright) purple and orange. Very spacious and perhaps the best hotel bathroom we have had with double sinks, a big shower, and lots of closet space. Our garden view room had a distant view of Culebra Bay - beautiful! It was unfortunately quite hot in the morning which is I suppose the price for facing the water. There is a concierge at each building to assist. One issue we reported was attended to immediately. When we asked for additional toiletries they appeared very quickly. Golf cart type shuttles take you around the resort which is quite large and built down a hillside - walking can be a challenge. Our building was right along the main route and we had no problem getting a ride, but our friends were in buildings a bit more remote and their wait could be quite a bit longer.The shuttle drivers were universally friendly. We found the food to be quite good. The SoCal buffet was wonderful at breakfast and even at dinner, which changed theme each night. Breakfast had every possible option you could want. The specialty restaurants were also good although we had some issues with getting a table. They only allow reservations for "star class" (we were not) or at the Teppanyaki restaurant (you have to figure that out when you can't get in) and we would arrive to wait for seating as the restaurant opened - and initially were told we'd have to eat outside or wait... eventually were accommodated. The service was generally very good. Kudos to Randall who went out of his way to take care of us! Guys Burger joint is the one restaurant that could use some improvement - surly staff, lousy slow service. The food was decent however. We learned to go down early and put towels on the lounge chairs by the pool. These are not monitored so people take them and then leave - so be forewarned that it can be a challenge if you don't reserve one for yourself early in the day. There are activities around the pool throughout the day. The music could be a bit loud and more techno pop than we care for, but otherwise we enjoyed the pool area quite a bit. The beach is not a sandy swim beach - if beautiful white sugar sand is your thing, this is not the place for you, though I suspect there aren't many beaches in CR that are of that nature. 2 of the 7 days monkeys spent some time in the trees at the beach. They were fun to watch and didn't seem to come near people. The "monkey police" are there but we're not sure what exactly they do. The evening entertainment was provided by a very talented staff of musicians, singers and dancers. Sometimes OK and sometimes very good. Often very loud. There is usually a singer on the patio on the second floor that is good, but way too loud to be background for a lovely sunset cocktail or conversation. In general if you are looking for a quiet, zen atmosphere this is probably not the resort for you. Be aware that while this is an all inclusive, the level of drinks available differs if you are just a guest versus if you are star class. "Regular" guests get local liquors while "star class" gets top shelf if requested. The Planet Hollywood website is not real clear about what you get for the star class extra cost. I think they could greatly improve the website to provide better details about what is and is not included at this resort. On the good side, the only thing they really try to sell is tours through the PH Experiences located throughout the resort. In general we had a great time and really liked the resort. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it or return to it.