The main benefit of this package was the excellent hospitality and service provided by the staff. From the moment we stepped off the airport we had a friendly guide ready to receive us, take us to our hotel, and explain our trip to us in detail. Each leg of the transportation from there onwards included a friendly and responsible staff member, always very punctual as well. Most hotels chosen for us were very comfortable, and the previously arranged transportation got us to our next destination in a safe and timely manner.
6 of 6 found this helpful
From: Cleveland, OH
Age: 25-34
Travel: 1-2 trips/year
The Costa Rico trip was alot of fun. The service was excellent. We were taken to evey location without difficulty. The drivers were courteous and gave good service, even pointing out special sights along the roads. The hotel and resort were excellent. We would definitely use this company again.
3 of 3 found this helpful
From: Hendersonville, TN
Age: 55-64
My husband and I spoke little to no Spanish and on this vacation Spanish knowledge is a must! ome hotel staff knew English but the hotel in San Jose didnt and neither did our drivers/ transportation. We really enjoyed the trip none the less. San Jose did not have much to do...try not to have too much time there it costs $8 each way to go to down town San Jose and it was really just a waste of money just cheap quality shops selling overpriced goods. We loved Los Lagos hotel in La Fortuna. enjoy the hotel (its by far the nicest one!) great hot springs, animal viewing, zip lining, spa, horse back riding etc... it was beautiful! its close to the volcano but not walking distance to the town. it will cost about $8/each way to get to town. Go to the waterfall (catarata la fortuna) while your there you can swim in the water below the fall and its beautiful! Montverde is beatiful and the hotel is a quaint bed and breakfast but its not the same standard as Los Lagos; mediocre rooms and there was a scorpion in my shower but great friendly management! Its walking distance to town but no pool. I suggest that if you are the adventurous type that you go canyoning in Montverde is about $50 cheaper a person if you do it here (montverde/st elena) instead of la fortuna and its a great thrilling time! (pic included) We wanted to go to the beach but the way our itnerary was set up we didn't have time so that was a disappointment but overall the trip was great. If you dont enjoy the outdoors, hiking, and adventure this Isnt the trip for you. its beautiful, but chilly, often rainy (your in the raniforest), and there isnt much to do other than outdoor adventure which was what my husband and I were looking to do, so it war perfect for us...but dont expect to lay out and get a tan... Food in Costa Rica was a little more expensive than i expected.. its is comparable to USA prices but the portions are smaller. So if you dont want to stress over money and search for food... you might want to go for an all inclusive vacation with meals included. I drank the water at restaurants and hotels and never got sick. overall i give this trip 4 stars!
13 of 13 found this helpful
From: salem, MA
Age: 19-24
Travel: 3-6 trips/year
My friend and I loved the Hotel Barcelo San Jose, Los Lagos resort, and the Hotel Claro de Luna. The service at all three hotels was excellent. These were also great parts of Costa Rica to explore, especially if you like hiking. But, the transfers provided by Vacaciones Barcelo were always at the worst times. They picked us up so early from San Jose (8:30 a.m.) that we couldn't check in yet in Arenal, and there was no time to do anything in San Jose. Then, they told us to be ready to be picked up at 7:20 a.m. in Arenal, but they never showed up until after 9:30 a.m. and NUMEROUS phone calls to an emergency number which was never answered. FInally, for our last transfer out of Monteverde, they scheduled the pick up so late in the day (1:30 p.m.), that we were just stuck in the hotel lobby after being required to check out by 11 a.m., and again, it was so late by the time that we got to San Jose, we couldn't really do much in the city. We called and asked Vacaciones Barcelo to change our pick up time from Monteverde, so we could see some museums in San Jose, and they refused. They could be over two hours late in picking us up one day, but we couldn't negotiate better pick-up times. It was very inconvenient.
3 of 3 found this helpful
From: DeKalb, IL
Age: 35-44
Travel: 3-6 trips/year


