Guest staying at Riu Palace Costa Rica have full access of the resort facilities at:
- Riu Guanacaste
Important Information: All of the above information is subject to change at any time without prior notice. More information will be provided upon check-in. Transportation available but not included. Please be aware that breakfast and dinner must be taken at the booked hotel.
Guests celebrating their honeymoon with us will receive the following amenities:
• Surprise welcome gift in their room
• Small bottle of Rum
• King bed (subject to availability at time of check-in)
• Late Check-out (Subject to availability at time of departure)
• Complimentary upgrade to next available room category (subject to availability and upon request)
• 35 USD Spa credit for a selected service in "Specials for couple" category (120 min). This discount applies per couple per stay and does not apply with other promotions or discounts.
To receive this offer, just enter "Honeymoon" in the Special Service Request section during check-out or call out Customer Care and we will be happy to make the notation for you.
Important Information: Proof of marriage must be provided at check-in and must be valid within 90 days.
Resort Details
- Arenal
Main restaurant with terrace.
- Capuchino
Patisserie & ice cream parlor.
- Coconut
Pool bar with swim-up bar.
- Krystal
Fusion restaurant.
- L'Anfora
Italian cuisine.
- Papagayo
Poolside restaurant - grill and steakhouse.
- Tokio
Japanese cuisine.
- Various Lounges/Bars- Daiquiri
- Flora
- Lounge 24
- Tico Tico
- 24-hour room service
- Children programs
- Children welcome
- Exercise gym
- Free high speed internet connection
- Golf,Offsite†
- Jacuzzi
- Lounges/bars
- Meal Plan Type: All Inclusive
- Pool
- 24-hour room service
- Children programs
- Children welcome
- Exercise gym
- Free high speed internet connection
- Golf, Offsite†
- Jacuzzi
- Lounges/bars
- Meal Plan Type: All Inclusive
- Pool
- Restaurant
- Shops and commercial services†
- Spa†
- Tennis court
- Water sports, Offsite†
† Fees may apply
- Beach
Free sun loungers.
Direct access to Matapalo Beach, surrounded by stunning biodiversity.
- Children's pool
- Children's program
- General †Stay at Riu Palace, enjoy Riu Guanacaste activities too.24-hour dining with unlimited food, drinks, and cocktails.Supports Costa Rica’s eco-tourism and sustainable travel initiatives.
- GymUse of this facility is restricted to guests over 18 years old. Sports shoes are mandatory when using the gym.
- JacuzziUse of this facility is restricted to guests over 18 years old.
- Non-Motorized Water Sports- Windsurfing
- Pedalos
- Snorkeling equipment
- Kayaking - Pool
There are 4 swimming pools, 1 with a swim-up bar.
- Steam bathUse of this facility is restricted to guests over 18 years old.
- Tennis courtFloodlit hard surface tennis court.
- Water activities †
Riu Splash Water World onsite, near volcanoes, waterfalls, sightseeing spots.
This attraction will offer a variety of water rides and features for all ages, including a children´s pool with slides, Aquaracer, Body Bowl, Aquatube and Kamikaze and refreshments area.
- Golf †
- Motorized Water Sports †
† Fees may apply
Guest Reviews from CheapCaribbean Customers
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
10719 reviews
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Jan 14, 2026Really good!
Location: Hot, beach, filled with animals such as monkeys, iguanas, lizards, turtles, fish, dolphins, etc., Around an hour from the airport Atmosphere: Very friendly Rooms: Spacious, good view, keycard, easy access tothe room Value: Definitely great! Cleanliness: Very clean! Noise level: It's usually quiet at night, with the exception (sometimes) of rowdy, loud guests Service: Great! We booked a charter boat and caught a tuna. The buffet chefs turned it into sashimi for us!
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Jan 13, 2026Good week, but improvement needed !
Great hotel, totally redone - stunning when compared to the Riu Palace next door which is very dated. Friendly staff BUT, 3 of the 7 days our room was not made, line up for the steak house is insane and they must have offered locals some very steep discounts to stay on the weekend(s). Totally cheapened the experience, long lines at buffet and cooks could not keep up, yelling and screaming of drunks at the pool which was only a problem on the weekend due to the discounted stay offering.
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Jan 12, 2026
Good experience/beautiful large rooms but could use some more live music during the day in different areas.
Mama/teen get away to our long awaited destination of Costa Rica was the first week of Jan after the holidays and we come back wanting to return to the country to see more! Our overall experience was pretty good but will give some specifics below with some thoughts that we thought would improve the experience. Hotel arrival was great and no issues with check in although we did it online made no difference. Fast and efficient service. Had a 5th floor room in the new section facing the zip lines which was amazing because we woke to the howler monkeys and we got to see/hear them during the morning /evenings. Overall area was pretty quiet. Room: gorgeous and newly renovated. Very large! Beautiful decor. Could use some wall hooks for things but closet and drawers were great. Double sinks were amazing with a teen!😀 Sewage smell did come thru the pipes when toilets flushed but was manageable. Had issues with no hot water the first few afternoon/evenings but always had it in the morning. They offered us another room but chose not to because we loved the area. In the end they got it working. The RIU app was a great tool to report issues. Hotel grounds were beautiful but a few things we thought would make it better. Lights around the trees near the pool area would make it pretty to take photos while walking in the evenings. Also more live music in different areas would be great during the afternoon before and while the kids show is on to give people options to watch something else. The grounds are very large and would be nice to have coffee station/cart/truck at different places during the evening. Entertainment we didn’t feel was the greatest. We have been to a few and found other RIU were better. Pool games/live music poolside/ silent discos would be great ideas to enhance. Food/restos: we didn’t find any issues as we saw many poor comments. We managed to find something with the main buffet but feel there needs to be a better system for reservations with we use the app or at a desk like other resorts. 2 hr is too long to be standing/waiting. We didn’t even bother. Pools are great and clean! Maybe would be five to have some activities/music In The evening would be nice. One thing we would like to see is a better explanation on arrival to what we have on the resort. It’s a big reset and was only thru other people we learned what we had available to us. Also if we can use the palace grounds etc. Overall we left with a good experience of our first visit to CR!
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Jan 11, 2026
Surprised
This was the first time we stayed at a RUI Resort anywhere. Our usual stays were at Barcelo/Occidental properties in Mexico. We were impressed of the size of the resort. Room was clean and spacious, but during our stay the mini bar was not restocked. The buffet was excellent, but their specialty restaurants lack organization and food preparation and taste. But really, no complaints, we do recommend this resort.
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Jan 09, 2026No frills
Traveled as a family with a 7 year old December 29th- January 5th We made the best of it but wont be returning. I was told by my travel agent that this resort was newly renovated and that was my main reason for choosing this resort. The positives: The hotel was newly renovated and looked great. But they should invest in newer towels. They smelled musty and looked really worn. The waterpark was nice, lots of slides and lots of fun for kids. There was also is a little refreshment area and washroom near by which was great. There is also an area where you can go see monkeys near the resort. Just walk along the beach towards the Palace, there is an area with some local vendors and in the trees there’s monkeys. My daughter was able to feed the monkeys! The negatives: The customer service is poor, do not expect any service! There is an app where you can request housekeeping and mini bar services. Housekeeping will come but if you require mini bar services they wont show up until the next day. Considering you cant drink their water, they should be filling the mini bar with water everyday but they don’t. Every other day maybe, if you request it. And you cant even get water bottles at any of the bars or restaurants. We were going to an excursion and called to the front desk twice and asked for water and they said ok we will send someone. They never showed up , so after 2 hours my husband went to the front desk and they said its coming. It never came! The food was lackluster and is very repetative. Same food at different stations and the food is repurposed throughout the day. The pizza tasted like cardboard as per a 7 year old. Don’t even try to get into one of the a la carte restaurants because it will be at least an hour wait. There is no pool service, they only pick up used cups. The bars are slow and make medicore drinks. They don’t seat you in the restaurant it’s a free for all. So you have to go find a table on your own. I was sitting at a table and had a lady come up to me with a plate of food to say she wanted that table, she said she was just grabbing food to come back to the table. There was nothing at the table to say that someone was sitting there, not even turned over cups. They should have a hostess bring you to a table to eliminate confusion. This no frills resort is for someone that just wants to go somewhere warm and requires no service. They just want a nice hotel room and some sun. If you expect to be serviced, you will be disappointed.
- AdvisoryCosta Rica will impose some restrictions for Holy Week. Alcohol is not permitted to be sold or consumed. This ban on alcohol starts the Thursday prior to Easter and runs through Easter Sunday. A few hotels purchase special permits to serve alcohol, but generally it is not available. In addition, most restaurants, shops, and bars will be closed for the same time period. Restaurants in the hotels will be operating. The City Tour will not be operating.
- Advisory*Important Information for Our Guest* As of April 2012, the destination of Costa Rica has gone non-smoking in all public buildings and areas. All hotel rooms are also non-smoking.
- AdvisoryStudent Groups/Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any time during the year. Guests disturbing or generating complaints from other guests or hotel may be removed from the property, at their own expense. Parties in rooms are not permitted.
- AdvisoryRiu Palace Costa Rica will undergo a complete renovation starting August 31st, 2026 and reopening on March 13th, 2027. During this period, the hotel will be temporarily closed to ensure the best possible results and guest experience upon reopening.
- Check In: 3:00 PM
- Check Out: 12:00 PM
- Minimum Check-In Age: 18
- General Policies:
Check-in Policy - Deposits or credit/debit card hold authorizations are not requested at check-in. Minimum age of 18 is required for check-in, an ID/Passport will be requested upon arrival.
Convention Policy - Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.
Hotel Spring Break Policies - Student Groups/Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any time during the year. Guests disturbing or generating complaints from other guests or hotel may be removed from the property, at their own expense. Parties in rooms are not permitted.
Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.
General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.
Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel. - Early Departure Policy
- Early Departure Penalty:1 NightApplies: Sunday - Saturday 01May25 - 23Dec26
- Early Departure Penalty:2 NightsApplies: Sunday - Saturday 24Dec25 - 30Apr26