TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Just returned from our trip. Pura Vida! The resort was gorgeous and so cool to have so many animals roaming around. No need to bring an alarm clock, the monkeys will be your wake up call. The resort is big, but there are so many golf carts driving around at all times that you could ride if you wanted to or you could walk if you wanted to so the size wasn’t really an issue. We had rooms in the Westin Club, which I highly recommend. The rooms were gorgeous and huge, and the access to the club restaurant and the club pool was really nice. The pool was pretty quiet and not crowded at all (though people do reserve chairs. I was headed to the gym one morning at 6:00 AM and people were already out there saving chairs). The club pool was running specials on cabanas for $70/day so we utilized that for the week when we were at the pool. Pool service was great. There was also a swim up bar where you could go to the club lounge for drinks and snacks. For excursions, we did white water rafting one day, which was a complete blast, we did ATVs and zip lining, my daughter and husband did a sunset, horseback ride on the beach, which they said was amazing. The guide took them to one of the local towns. My daughter also got a massage on the beach which she said was really nice. While the beach is public, we thought it was great. The hotel has chairs and umbrellas for your use that they will set up for you, and while there’s no service on the beach, it is very close to the main pool bar so very easy to get drinks. I did not find the vendors to be pushy at all. They all pretty much stayed in a defined area. There weren’t a ton walking back-and-forth on the beach, and they were very polite. If you said no, they kept moving. We went to some of the evening entertainment, which is not the best, but our last night there there was a Fire Show, which was really good and we enjoyed watching. The only four improvements I would have them make that would have enhanced our overall experience. 1) not having to make reservations through the app at 8:00 AM. It’s kind of like the hunger games. You really have to be on your game and have several people trying to get a time. In my opinion, if you’re staying on the club side, you should have access to dinner reservations, or have them made for you. I don’t want to be stressed on vacation. Luckily, at the time we went, only three of the restaurants required reservations. 2) overall, the food was just mediocre. I was hoping that some of the reviews that I read would be incorrect, but they were true. The best restaurant by far was the Asian restaurant, Bamboo. If food is a reason why you are going to this resort, you may not want to do it, or plan to eat off of the resort somewhere. Our vacation last year was to the Grand Velas in Los Cabos. The food there was absolutely amazing from poolside to the restaurants, so this was a definite step down. I am usually not at all picky about the food, but this really was just mediocre, especially for this level of a resort. 3) the fitness center is WAAAY too small for a resort of the size. You had to go pretty early in the morning to find open machines. I feel like they need to have a couple of fitness centers spread out on the property. 4) oddly, there were no drawers in our rooms. Which was strange because of the rooms were very large. Also, there was only one hook in the bathroom to put a towel on. There were a few open shelves in the bathroom that I put my clothes and things on, but my husband and daughters just left their clothes in their suitcases. I think this could be a very easy improvement to the rooms. Now, there might be drawers in the bungalow rooms, but not in the club suites. Overall, we will definitely return to Costa Rica, but likely not to the same resort. The resort was beautiful, and we had a great time, but I think we are looking for a bit of a higher experience. Happy to answer any questions you might have.

This is a resort that has a lot of repeat vacationers. I have stayed four years in a row. There multiple restaurants which change up their menu selections on a regular basis. The food is very good at every restaurant and they all have a different theme. The staff is exceptionally well trained regardless of where you are on the resort. Their English varies however it is all very good. Rooms are what you would expect from a Westin hotel so no surprises there. It’s a popular spot for conventions and weddings so you need to book early if you have a preference of rooms. Well worth the trip and cost. Being part of a reserve adds beautiful views and landscape along with golf course and spa.

Took a family trip (6 adults age 17-65) to the Westin Reserva Conchal January 2-7. I read a ton of reviews before booking this resort. We could not have been happier selecting this location. I travel extensively for work and have been blessed to take may family on many vacations over the years. This was one of the best stays! We flew to Liberia and used I Love Costa Rica for round trip transportation. I would not want to drive in CR-narrow roads, livestock on the road, lots of motorcycles passing and tailgating is a sport here. Do Not buy snacks at the airport. There is a great CR version of Buc'ees the driver will stop and you can grab anything you need. Check in was a breeze, plenty of friendly front desk staff and the golf cart shuttles are plentiful. We had two adjoining rooms. Very Clean, free items in the mini bar restocked daily and we called for more items like coffee. They serviced the room twice a day and the housekeeping did a great job! Very little night life so if that's your jam go somewhere else. This a great friends and family property. The gym is crowded early. If you are a swimmer bring goggles and get some open water time in the morning. The beach is not very conducive to running, but the cart paths are wide and you can get a decent run in. Golf course looked great but we did not play. The pool was never over crowded, we always had beach chairs and umbrella's. Their is no drink service at the beach, but the cabana bar is an awful 3 min walk (sarcasm). Pro Tip- bring a small soft sided cooler to put a few drinks and ice in if you plan to spend a lot of time at the beach. They have free kayaks, SUP boards. You will read about the beach vendors. All the beaches in CR are public so everyone has access. there is a small pathway between the hotel and the beach that runs parallel to the shore, all the vendors use this to come from their homes. Yes they will all ask if you want a massage, or a horse ride or if you want to buy a drink. None of them were pushy-ignore the comments from others who seem off put by this. We had read about Eric G (blue Google shirt). This guy is amazing. He will save you a ton of money over the other options to book excursions and he has the insights to make your excursions better. We were interested in the Areal Volcano, he said it was so far away it would eat up the entire day. He suggested the Leona waterfall hike which was great-ProTip-go early you will beat the road and trail traffic. We booked jet ski's and a surf class in Tamarindo (cute mid size town I would suggest spending some extra time over there). We booked the sunset cruise on the Lazy Lizard and had a blast! Lets talk about food. There are a ton of options. The service was always outstanding. If you are a foodie you will be disappointed but hey you are in a remote area. You wont see any shrimp boats in any of the harbors, that should tell you that the shrimp is not local. The Italian and the Asian specialty restaurants were great, there is a young man making killer burgers and chicken sandwiches outside the Imperial bar at night. Super impressed with this experience. The hotel was very nice, but what stood out was that the staff seemed to be bought in on providing great service. No one had their hand out for an extra tip like or asked to be mentioned in reviews, but they all deserve a bonus for doing such a great job.

Just arrived today but off to a disappointing start. I am a longtime Gold Elite member who booked via Costco Travel. I recognize benefits are more limited when not booking directly through Marriott, but I always still receive perks (though not points). I also know of two colleagues who booked via Costco Travel as Gold Elite members and got access to the adult pool, Faisonella for breakfast, etc. There are also reviews on TripAdvisor of Gold Elite members getting that access though they booked through Costco Travel. We got absolutely nothing. We were simply told that upgrades are limited to Platinum, Titanium, etc. (thankfully, they did not pretend that the resort was at full capacity, as I would have never believed that given most students have returned to school). So if based on reviews you think you'll get access to the adult-only area as a Gold elite member booking though Costco Travel, think again. With that said, my colleagues are white and I am not...obviously no clue if that played a part, but they could have easily given my adult party of three access to the adult pool area if they wished to do so.

Review - Westin Reserva Conchal Visited Dec. 13 to 20, ’25 with my wife. We are first time visitors to the property and visited from Ontario Canada. Stayed in Westin Club Tower 2 (adults only section), ground floor. Arrived via private transportation from Liberia Airport to the Westin Resort. Approximately 1 hr. 20 min. drive. Upon arrival, security gate cleared us and our private driver for entry to the property. Dropped off at main check in and were promptly greeted by the on-duty concierge, identified and driven via large golf cart to the Westin Club Lounge for check-in. Greeted with lovely punch beverage, seated in the club lounge, passport identification recorded by the Westin Club Concierge, briefed on services, property amenities and provided with a pamphlet explaining same. Provided with our personal colour coded resort bracelets (white as I hold Bonvoy Ambassador status) that are used to unlock our room and other facilities like the fitness room. The Westin Club lounge and each of the two towers have on-duty concierges (shout out to our Tower 2 Concierge, Kenny) that will address any needs/requests that one might have, i.e.: special occasions, dinner reservations at any of the 3 restaurants requiring a reservation, relaying a request for specific in room fridge amenities (less soda and more beer LOL) and calling for resort ground transportation are but a few examples). Stayed in a Westin Club Room in the Westin Club (adults only section of the resort). Beautifully appointed, king bed was very comfortable, central air was very good and kept the room at a very comfortable temperature. Large bathroom, great wifi, good cable selection and close to the adults only pool and awesome Faisanella Restaurant (that is adults only for breakfast and lunch but opens up to everyone for dinners). Did not swim in the family pool. Stuck to lounging in the Westin Club pool which was large but not huge like the family pool, had a great selection of padded lounge chairs that had nice and soft covers on them, plenty of shade including lots of umbrellas. Didn’t see the day beds being utilized much ($$). Pool staff were plentiful, helpful and attentive. Spent a considerable amount of time at the swim up bar. Bartenders Brian and Emmerson were engaging and very skilled mixologists that were always attentive to ones requests, likes/dislikes and were always eager to please. Top shelf alcohols of all sorts. Very tasty and cold. We brought our own Yeti mugs that the bartenders rinsed out and refilled without issue. Senior Guest Services Concierge Representatives, Jafet Chinchilla and Joaquin Cisneros, were impeccable in their engagement with my wife and I to ensure we were having the most enjoyable time possible. They were very professional, engaging, informative, energetic and a significant asset to the resort! We greatly appreciated the fruit basket, aluminum water bottle and jars of honey (manufactured at the resort) that they gifted to us. There are primarily 9 restaurants (inclusive of the Mitra buffet) of which 3 require reservations (Bamboo (orientale fare) Manglar (seafood) & the Spirula Trattoria (Italian pizza & pasta). All were exceptional but we were most impressed by the Bamboo that had amazing sushi and poke bowls. However, of all the restaurants, we truly enjoyed the Faisanella, at the Westin Club, the most for both dinners and breakfasts. Service was great and, in particular, the breakfasts were top shelf. Before taking our breakfast order, we were always provided a tray of fresh mixed fruit (papaya, pineapple and watermelon) as well as baked goods (muffins, croissants, banana breads and rolls). We highly recommend the omelets, eggs benedict and Costa Rican red breakfast sausages and a cornmeal like flatbread. The steaks and sushi at the Mitra buffet also get a thumbs up as well. The Westin fitness centre also gets a vote of approval from me. Each morning I’d walk 5 kms. on the treadmill whilst overlooking the 18th hole of the renowned Reserva Conchal Golf Club. I enjoyed watching the army of greens keepers buzz around cleaning and grooming the course. I particularly liked watching the howler monkeys and iguanas scatter about the grounds. The fitness centre was well appointed, clean, well air conditioned, lots of amenities like towels, water, yogurts and fresh fruit bowls. Exercise classes of varies types were quite popular. Resort shops were well stocked albeit pricey. As an early riser who walked daily from the Westin Club area to the fitness centre, I had the opportunity to see first hand the collective massing of the small army of employees who descend on the resort each morning each doing their part to ensure that the resort is well maintained and serviced. From housekeeping to grounds keepers, arborists to restaurant staff and office administrators, the employees always greeted you with a smile and an ‘ola’ or ‘buenos dias.’ In my opinion, the energy and professionalism of the staff is a significant contributing factor in why the Westin Reserva Conchal resort remains highly touted and explains its strong number of returning guests. Evening entertainment was fun and I was impressed by the specialized evening entertainment that catered to the children at the resort. Although our children are parents now themselves, I’d love to have brought our kids to this property when they were young. The kids games room and children’s centre appeared to be very popular. Small vendor market where two locals were permitted to sell their souvenirs was worth stopping to take a look. Was advised that this on property small vendor market is provided free of charge by the Costa Rican government. The public vendor market located at the beach access point of the resort was also worth a visit. We found the vendors to be nice, not pushy nor forceful in their sales tactics, the souvenirs were of good quality and variety and, of course, the vendors were all too willing to barter on prices. Visited the beach twice during our stay and on each occasion we found it to be free of any sorghum/sargassum seaweed, not overly crowded, good number of free lounge chairs, adequate shade and the water was calm, sand was comfortable (ground seashells) and water temperature was not too hot nor too cold just perfect. Ground transportation at the resort is a necessity given the large size of the resort. As I understand, the Westin sits on a 900+ acre parcel of land and when combined with the golf course that sits between it and the neighbouring W Resort, it’s something like 2400 acres in size. Nonetheless, primary ground transportation comes in the form 10 person electric golf courses. They’re plentiful and a simple wave will have the driver stop and you hop on. Weather in December was dry and comfortable. Daily high was around 28 to 30 degrees Celsius with evening’s cooling down to 22 to 24 degrees Celsius. We took a day trip into Tamarindo which was a $30.00 Cdn. Uber ride each way and took about 20 mins. Great town full of lots of clothing stores, souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes. There is a significant population of Canadians (expats) that reside in Tamarindo so don’t be shy to sport Cdn. clothing like a Jays or Team Canada hat, shirt or the like. You’ll be easily recognized and, more importantly, respected for the great people we are! Having said that, Tamarindo is not inexpensive. If you’re looking for souvenirs, there’s really only one place to stop and shop and that is at the ‘El Jardin Orotina’ souvenir shop located a stones throw from the Liberia airport. Large store, excellent selection of souvenirs and clothing and at much cheaper prices than in Tamarindo and/or shops inside the airport. We found Costa Rica coffee called ‘1820’ to be much better quality and preferred by the locals than the heavily market ‘Britt Coffee’ also from Costa Rica. You won’t find ‘1820 coffee’ in souvenir shops, rather, you have to buy it where the locals buy it, at a grocery store. LOL. It’s less expensive and a fantastic brew!!! Resort GM, Mr. Hernan Binaghi, whom I had the pleasure of meeting during my vacation, and all the staff should be very proud of the fruits of their labour in making the Westin Reserva Conchal one of the great jewels of the Bonvoy family of resorts. Well done. ??