TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Hotel has beautiful grounds, views and wow factor. Great views from the bay view rooms. We had asked for quiet room after a long day of travel and they had listened so thank you. Food was piping hot despite some reviews. Good choice of food and great restaurants to book. Real problem is Barcelo has let it run down and it needs some investment. Rooms are tired, cleaning is not that good. The bedding is awful. Cheap bobbly sheets. Some staff are brilliant, some seem worn down particularly cleaning staff. In general it felt like the staff were trying but not empowered by the corporate management.

great resort. staff were amazing and the food was top notch and changed often. pool was clean and the beach was so nice.

It was hard to watch the staff work so hard particularly in the buffet restaurant and bars. They are really understaffed. Annoying that at 7 a.m. one or more of the coffee machines weren't working or there were no cups beside the machines. Tables were often missing items and you had to take them from neighbouring tables. Drinks were inconsistent - ordered the same drink daily and it always tasted different. We were looking forward to two items at the Japanese restaurant - the spring rolls and the fried ice cream. They didn't have either available. Upon arrival we were told that we didn't have a reservation and the receptionist blamed the airline for making a mistake. After several trips to the back room we were assigned to a room in the 4000 block next to the disco and entertainment centre. The music from the disco was very loud until midnight. It was difficult to sleep as the blackout curtains were damaged and wouldn't close. The sheet covering the mattress kept moving and exposed the mattress. A fitted sheet would be a better solution. Painting the walls, fixing the grout in the washrooms and replacing mirrors would make a big difference! The lounge chairs on the beach and around the pool need to be replaced. They are very dirty and saggy and there weren't enough of them. Security staff should check that the lounge chairs are being used by guests only. You would often see non-guests using them, and they were never challenged. Make sure you lock away all valuables as there have been thefts in recent weeks according to some of the reviews. We were on the ground floor two years ago, and a watch was taken from the dresser while we were at dinner. Better yet, leave jewellery at home. Resort needs a designated smoking area that is well labelled so that people know where to go. Grounds and beach areas are beautiful and the sunsets are stunning. Easy walk to downtown Tamarindo and great restaurants. Resort is small and outside areas aren't very crowded.

This is my 2nd trip to Costa Rica in a year. Last time I stayed at the Riu Guanacaste and my only complaints there were too many people and lack of pool chairs, otherwise it was great. I wanted to try something new so came to Occidental Tamarindo. This location has Lousy food with little attempt to refill option when they run out and mediocre service. Keep in mind this is coming from a no -picky eater. The resort itself is comfortable, the grounds and pool are very nice with just about enough poolside chairs to accommodate all guest and staff is someone friendly but my last visit to Costa Rica at the RIU Guanacaste was much better than this. If they can step up the meal quality it would make for a much nicer resort.

I seriously don't know where to begin. So,  if you are looking for a short review...it is terrible, although that falls way short of describing how truly awfull this place is.. if you want details read on.... we opted for the Premium package...here si what Occidentalposts as the premium option: Premium Level in the Occidental Tamarindo: a superior experience Enjoy the exclusive Premium Level concept at the Occidental Tamarindo hotel and elevate your stay to another level. Enjoy a unique experience with private zones, personalized attention, select privileges, and first-class amenities. An additional charge per person per night is required to access these services. All of this is a lie except for the part about paying extra. Started at check in, the staff failed to notice we had paid for the 'premium' package and checked us in as standard (1 p.m.). Didn't notice until we tried to make dinner reservations at one of the a la carte restaurants, at which point they informed us 'you only get one reservation for each 3 days of your stay ( don't worry though, there are no reservations available any way). Once they corrected our package they told us we could make reservations at the desk located behind the front desk. Went to the desk, no one was there, went back to the front only to be told that person left at 3 and no they could not help us.  Super! The 'premium' upgrade package comes with a very limited list of available liquors..Premium is a VERY generous description of what they offer...Johnnie Walker  Red Label, Jacks Daniels, some gin I had never heard of for example...no bourbon. but according to the bartender at the lobby bar there was a bottle of Jim Beam somewhere on the resort but he didn't know where it was. As a  side note the lobby bar did not have any glasses so all the drinks were served in paper cups.  Super! The buffet restaurant is a disaster area, although the resort did not seem to be overly full, every time  we went the buffet line was completely picked over, lots of empty or almost empty trays. Lots of sweaty meats and cheeses are available. The 'snack' bar at the pool bar is too sad to describe accurately, Soggy fries and taquitos, stale chips,  dried out sandwiches, desiccated what I am guessing were chicken nuggets. Basically just think reheated summer camp leftovers from the '80's and you are getting close. Just terrible, we ended up going across the street for pizza because after 2 days just couldn't face it again. At least the rooms are on point with the 80's theme, totally dated, not well maintained. The shower didn't drain well so every day as I tried to wash the regret off my body I got to stand in ankle deep water as I reviewed my life choices. In summation, The Occidental Tamarindo failed at every level.