TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We had the best stay for our anniversary! Room was clean, the staff were so friendly & fun! We loved the seaside grill. Most amazing food there & Ms. Gina was the BEST waitress! Ask for her! Adrian at the pool bar will keep your drinks full & they’re delicious!

We had mixed feelings on Secrets, though overall there are great things about it, and many people we talked with while there absolutely loved it. The resort is beautiful and not overly crowded. The grounds are well-kept and very pretty. The pool bar is fun, and there are always activities going on. (Though no local music by the pool, which surprised us, as when we asked the staff, they told us they were not allowed to play it!) We enjoyed that the restaurants were not overly crowded and didn't have long waits to get in (unlike many other very crowded all-inclusive resorts). The pool usually had open chairs, and there were plenty of water activities available, like free paddleboards. The beach area is calm and nice for walking or swimming, though you won’t see a ton of fish (common for Costa Rica beaches).They also seemed to have plenty of options for excursions. However, the beach area is small, and if you don’t leave the hotel area, you will likely feel like you didn’t get to fully experience Costa Rica because the resort is somewhat isolated. Don't expect to walk to shops, etc. You MUST do a rainforest tour, even though they are 2-3 hours' drive (we did ours through Mardigi Tours and it was amazing). We met some fantastic staff, such as Caralina, who helped us in the members' concierge lounge, Fernando, who went above and beyond to assist us with drinks and food, and Juan, who was wonderful to talk with and a fantastic bartender. One of our biggest frustrations was due to a food allergy (gluten-free/Celiac); the menu is labeled for food allergies, but not always accurate. It took us time to learn not to trust the menu labeling. The servers have varying levels of information – some say it’s safe, others say it isn’t, and some will try to make accommodations with the chef. For example, we asked if salmon rolls were gluten-free, and after consulting the chef, they said they would be if we ordered them without the sauce. However, when they served it, regular bread was all over the plate. Another example is that the pool grill has wings listed as gluten-free, but we watched them dip the wings fully in flour to fry, while still assuring us it was OK for a gluten allergy. They did make an effort to fix this when we brought it up, but it was still difficult and stressful, and not somewhere I’d recommend for a food allergy.

Disappointing from the start...we booked 8 months in advance with family and requested to be next to one another on property. We arrived to find they'd put us on opposite ends of the property at the very last minute (luggage tags still read next door). Check in staff were unhelpful in remedying the problem. Call the manager and the best she could do was move them the next day. That wasn't what we had planned. A large party of 60 people arrived the next day, so rooms had to be available, yet the staff seemed like they really didn't care about accommodating our long-standing request. We didn't get to spend as much time with our family as we wanted to throughout the week as we had to go to opposite ends of the property. As far as the food was concerned, by day 5 we found ourselves wanting to go off property. Some meals were good, none were exceptional. Service was generally terrible. We found ourselves flagging down staff for water, or waiting for 30 minutes to get drinks. One breakfast, we waited an hour and ended up being the last table in the restaurant by the time we got our food, and then they only brought 3 meals. The 4th took another 8 minutes. We did have one great experience at the Aqua Grill with a waiter named Cristian, who is worth mentioning. He was an exception. The main pool gets pretty rowdy and the first two days was an endless exhibition of twerking bare butt cheeks. I guess I'm showing my age. But the 20-something Secrets dancers lining the pool and dancing provocatively, along with nonstop thumping music isn't my idea of a relaxing vacation. It settled down a little the last few days we were there, thank goodness. And we found quiet spaces, including the quiet pool and the beach area. The entertainment got much more tasteful by the end of our week with traditional Costa Rica dancing.

Gosh, where to start. This resort is 3.5 - 4 star max. We have travelled extensively all over the world and what I had hoped to have from this resort was a really romantic get away with my husband for my birthday. I just expected a LOT more from the Secrets brand. What's great: -The staff - hands down, some of the most professional and welcoming folks I have ever met. -They always asked about allergies - which is a big deal. -They cooked chicken like pro's. There was not one dish that I ate that wasn't great. -They make sure to stock the fridge each day -Room service was unlimited and very tasty -Smoke free - AMAZING! What's not: -It is NOT a romantic resort as it caters to large business groups. -It is NOT a walkable resort. Its very hilly and uses vans for transport (thank goodness!) -It is NOT a beach vacation. If you want palapas and lazy days on the beach, pick a different resort Overall, it was an ok resort, food and drink had hit and misses. The quiet bar/pool was our favourite. We never had a problem getting a lounger (Hey, just so you know, if you see *just* a rolled towel on it, that doesnt mean its taken, the staff put those out in the morning) The spa prices are way to crazy to even consider. Our servers, Gina and Ingrid were absolutely fabulous and the fire show that was put on was REALLY COOL! That was a lot of fun. We did tours with Nexus (highly recommend them) and the country and people were wonderful. I would definitely go back but I would be picking a resort that is going to offer a true beach experience and better "luxury" for the cost.

We adored Secrets Papagayo and mostly due to the exceptional job the staff do there. Its an absolutely beautiful place to stay and we enjoyed our time at the resort but also pursuining so may excellent adventures close by. We will be back for certain