Riu Guanacaste - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10888 reviews

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  Resort was great but Jefferson ruined my experince.

  Hotel was nice. Bartenders and waitstaff were excellent. Only issue I had was with supervisor at the front desk named Jefferson. I misplace my room key and he gave me a one time use to get in. I thought I had left my key in the slot to activate the electricity for the room but when I went in to the room it was not there. So I went back to the front desk and Jefferson told me I needed to pay $2 for a replacement key. I told him I did not have $20 on me and to add the charge to my room. He said "You need to give me $20 cash for a replacement key" I told him I did not have it and needed to get back into my room to get the $- he then told me "That is your problem!" I asked to speak to a manager and he said "No". I then asked to speak to his boss and he said "No" I finally got in touch with one of my friends and got the money and got a spare key. The customer service person told me I would get it back if I found my old key- which I did. When I went back to Jefferson to get my $20 USD he gave me Costo RIcan money. I told him I could not spend that in the US and asked for the $20 USD that I gave him and would like it back and he told me it was company policy that you only get Cost Rican money back- which I believe was a lie as I did not see this anywhere on the website. I never give reviews but in this case I needed to. Experience was nice but Jefferson left such a bad taste in my mouth I will never go back there. Costa Rica was great but next time I will be at a different place. I do customer service for a living and have won many awards- Jefferson did a terrible job and especially as a supervisor. Jim B

  Nov 09, 2026
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  Girls trip…..Amazing!!

  My favorites!! I had the best cups of coffee I have had in my life made by Joshua in Tamarindo lounge. Besides making the best coffee is an amazing bar tender and just such a nice guy to chat with. Will miss him! Brian in the pool bar in front of main resort was fantastic so much fun kept us laughing and also amazing bartender! We found the food at furama the best so good and the main buffet very good also. Steak house is ehhh at best and the Italian restaurant was pretty good okay. Maryella at the front I hope I got her name right (she wrote it down I lost it) is a beautiful gem she checked us in to rm 3084 10/31/26. There was a bit of a mix up with our room situation she fixed it made it great no worries and put us in a dream of a room. She was such a sweetie and we are all so thankful for her. Down at the beach we found lots of awesome souvenirs and as every trip here booked our excursions with Alan on the beach and had a wonderful time felt safe and enjoyed seeing more of Costa Rica!! House keeping was great also very quick for our needs!!! Fantastic girls trip get away!!

  Nov 07, 2026
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  Best vacation ever!

  My husband, myself and another couple travelled to this resort October 26 to November 2, 2026. We have travelled to several countries and this was the best vacation we have ever had! 1. Food: The food was amazing. Always something to eat (I'm a picky eater but never went hungry). There was something for everyone. From chicken wings to nachos in the American bar, Hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries at the Tiki Taco, fresh fruit everyday at the buffet and the food at the Steak house was enough to feed a crowd! 2. The Rooms: First resort I have been to that has liquor set up to make drinks in your room. Bar fridge stocked every 2 days with beer, pop and water. Fresh towels every day and the cleaners left the rooms emaculate. 3. Grounds: Beautifully manicured and maintained. Monkeys everywhere! As well as cotis. One person did say they saw a very large boa one morning but the grounds keepers made sure to move it right away. 4. Beach: Beware....it is very hot as it is made with volcanic rock. Water was so warm with some waves coming in. NEGATIVE part....many pushy verdors who harass constantly (it is a public beach we were told), not very many shady areas, chairs are not put out you have to get your own, no beach bar. 5. Check-in/check-out: Was very quick and well organized. They are trying to get people to use phones for digital room keys but we only travel with one ohone so requested to have actual keys. 6. Water park/ splash pads: Lots for the kids to do. Even us adults went to the water slides!!! We are already planning to return with more friends next year!!!

  Nov 03, 2026
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  Not a true 5-star experience

  I'm giving two star because the air conditioning in my room made an intense, constant noise. Maintenance was supposedly sent to try to fix it, but the noise continued, and I honestly think it's just a strategy to keep giving out rooms with defective A/C. I came here alone, and the spa was closed. The gym was also closed, or so I thought. The hotel now claims it wasn't closed, but all they did was set up a tiny gym in a very small room. On the fourth day of my five-day stay, the A/C stopped working altogether, and there was nobody from maintenance available to repair it. Since I was leaving the next day, I decided to live without it. If you're a light sleeper, you simply won't be able to sleep in these conditions. For a 5-star hotel, it falls well short. If you're used to Royalton, Planet Hollywood, Palladium, four season, club Med or Secret, this is not a real 5-star. It deserves 3.5 stars at best, maybe 4, but certainly not 5. The staff also seemed overwhelmed and understaffed, and many services were self-service. There was no morning mimosa at breakfast, which is the first time I've seen that at a 5-star resort. Dining was also very difficult. The à la carte restaurants are mostly buffet-style, and there are no reservations, only first come, first served. Even so, over my 5 days, it was hard to get a table at any restaurant other than the main buffet. I want to be clear that the staff are clearly working very hard, and my review is in no way a criticism of them. My concerns are directed at senior management and the decision-makers, who are the only ones with the power to change these things. The people working at the hotel every day cannot fix the issues I'm describing. The only real positive was the beach, which is beautiful. But a beach can be found at any hotel, so it's not a reason to choose this one. If you have a choice to make, I personally wouldn't pick a Riu. I had a good experience at the Riu in Jamaica in the past, but after this stay, I'm not sure I would want to go back to a Riu. Finally, I expect management will reply with the same generic response they give everyone: that they're very sorry and will do everything to improve the guest experience. But I don't think that's the reality. The same complaints keep coming up in the reviews, which tells me they don't truly want to fix the problems.

  Oct 29, 2026
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  Riu Guancaste

  Accommodateions were excellent! Very clean! Great pools! Food generally only fair! Eat at pool locations for lunch! Steakhouse only good for the great hamburgers!! Riu call center is very difficult to deal with! Email notifications are confusing! Riu included airport transfers needed to be booked 7 days before arrival but this information was almost impossible to execute from routine messageing! Staff were excellent and restrooms very clean! Overall 4****!

  Oct 29, 2026