Riu Guanacaste - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10719 reviews

• 

  Great stay!

  My husband and I stayed at this resort for our honeymoon and had a wonderful experience. Transportation to and from the airport with Amstar was smooth (a bit bumpy at times and expect about an hour, but the drivers were great). The resort grounds were beautiful and expansive, with staff constantly working to keep everything clean and well maintained. We loved the easy access to the beach from the pools. There were plenty of adults-only pool options, which was really nice. The resort felt lively without ever feeling overcrowded. I do agree with some other reviews that additional nighttime entertainment beyond the kids’ programming would have been a nice touch, even something simple like live music outside. The newly remodeled rooms were very nice, and we especially loved waking up to monkeys most mornings with our jungle view, such a fun and unique experience. It was an easy walk to the Monkey Bar, and we enjoyed walking along the beach as well. There were always plenty of beach loungers available, which was a big plus. The food options between the buffets and restaurants were plentiful. The steakhouse had a longer wait, but we never went hungry and appreciated the options. Service was great at the restaurants. The staff was wonderful and friendly. Our room was always thoroughly cleaned and the fridge stocked. Staff seemed to appreciate tipping for good service. Overall, we had a great stay and would definitely come back!

  Jan 19, 2026
• 

  Disappointing

  Dirty hotel and ground areas. The food was lacking any flavor and service was poor. All inclusive hotel but every restaurant we asked for a glass of wine they told us we have to pay. We asked for a manager and we were told there was no one on duty “at this time “

  Jan 17, 2026
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  Dirty swim-out pool, poor service, bad food, and disappointing stay.

  I am currently staying at the RIU Guanacaste (Jan 16-20, 2026) and so far this has been a very frustrating and disappointing experience. I specifically booked and paid extra for a swim-out room, only to arrive at check-in and find that the pool was very dirty and completely unusable. I reported this immediately after checking in and was told someone would come within 20 minutes. No one ever showed up. Later that same evening, I went to the front desk again and was told the pool cleaner would be sent first thing in the morning. It is now midday, and still no one has come. When I called the front desk again, the representative seemed completely clueless, said she would ask her supervisor, and then hung up on me. At this point, the lack of accountability and follow-through is unacceptable — especially considering the premium price paid for this room type. The service overall is subpar and disorganized. The room itself has a musty, mildew smell, and we’ve already encountered spiders and other bugs, which is not what you expect from a resort of this size or reputation. Another major issue is the distance from the rooms to the amenities. It is a very long walk, and the resort does not offer golf carts or transportation, which makes getting around inconvenient and exhausting, especially in the heat. The drinks are poorly made, watered down, and often not prepared correctly. The so-called 24-hour restaurant is a complete joke. The food is terrible — cold hot dogs, burgers, and nachos — and you’re expected to heat everything yourself in a microwave that is only in Spanish, with no staff available to help. No one could even figure out how to use it properly. Overall, this resort has been a major disappointment. Poor service, unresolved issues, low-quality food and drinks, and zero urgency when problems are reported. I would not recommend RIU Guanacaste, especially if you are paying extra for upgraded room options that you may not even be able to use.

  Jan 17, 2026
• 

  Nice but better places to go

  Super crowded, but strange people. It was as if they had never been on vacation before. Hotel was very nice (just renovated but no room service). Beautiful area and beach. Staff was great, polite and professional. They had no reservation system at all, so you had to wait in line for an hour plus to get into a restaurant. There was one newlywed couple that ate almost every meal offsite. No AC in the workout gym either. Avoid this place until mgmt can figure it out. Not sure why it's so hard.

  Jan 16, 2026
• 

  Really 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!

  Jan 14, 2026