Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10673 reviews

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  A wonderful experience

  Honest Review of the Riu – One Week in Costa Rica We travelled from Toronto on November 11 after a delay and a plane swap, but once we landed in Liberia, everything moved like clockwork. Customs took less than five minutes, bags came out quickly, and there’s even a duty-free shop if you want to grab your favourite liquor before hitting the resort. We waited about 30 minutes for our Sunwing/WestJet shuttle due to the flight delay, but once onboard, our rep Charlie made everything worth it — she was warm, knowledgeable, and easily one of the best reps I’ve ever had. After a 45-minute ride, we arrived at Riu, where check-in was surprisingly fast (I’d recommend using the Riu app to check in online). We were first placed on the ground floor, but after mentioning my husband’s love of monkeys, the front desk kindly upgraded us to a 5th-floor mountain-view room — the perfect spot to hear the howler monkeys in the morning. The standard king room impressed us: comfy bed, stocked minibar, pullout couch, big bathroom, and great AC. After a long day of travel (including a Toronto snowstorm), we kept it simple with burgers and wings at the American restaurant — perfect comfort food. We grabbed a drink at the lobby bar, admired the resort at night, and headed to bed early. (Tip: the resort uses a towel-card system worth $25 USD, so don’t lose it!) ⸻ Pools, Drinks, and the Beautiful Jungle (Days 2–3) Jet lag had us up early enough to watch a breathtaking sunrise from our balcony. The jungle around the resort is stunning — honestly, I preferred our garden/mountain view over an ocean view. Breakfast at the buffet was delicious with tons of variety (no bacon though — a recurring theme). Fresh eggs, great juices, and the best prosciutto I’ve ever had at a resort. We staked out a spot at the adults-only pool where we met Lita — an incredible bartender who makes very generous drinks and had us wobbling by noon. The Tiki Taco Bar and snack bar open at 11 a.m., and they serve some of the best quesadillas and tiny-but-mighty chicken nuggets I’ve ever had. I ate an embarrassing amount, and I would do it again. We spent the afternoon on the beach — yes, vendors will approach you, but they’re polite and not pushy. The sand is unbelievably hot (wear shoes), the waves are strong (lifejackets for kids are a must), and while the water isn’t Caribbean-blue, it’s still beautiful and full of action with jet skis, catamarans, scuba classes, and boats. In the evenings, we attempted the à la cartes. The system is chaotic, and you’ll wait a long time if you’re not early enough. After 90 minutes waiting for the Japanese restaurant without getting in, we gave up and hit the buffet. Decent food, great pizza, tasty chicken drumsticks, and an excellent Caprese salad. Day three included a walk to the famous “monkey bar,” which quickly turned into an adventure. Wear sandals — you’ll go through mud and puddles. We fed a group of cheeky capuchins fruit (no bananas — they were covered in chocolate at the buffet). They took food right from our hands and were hilarious. A free, one-of-a-kind experience. The monkey bar itself is pricey but worth a drink and some cuddles with Frodo, the resident dog. Back at the resort we relaxed by the adults-only pool, enjoyed more tacos and nuggets, and tried more drinks. The pink-pussy shots, mimosas, prosecco, dirty monkeys, Tom Collins, and gin & tonics were all hits. Mojitos are made with Sprite unless you ask otherwise. That evening we lined up early and made it into the steakhouse. The ribeye was delicious, sides were tasty, and dessert was great. Totally worth the hassle. ⸻ Coco Beach, The White Party, and Resort Life (Days 4–5) We booked the shuttle to Coco Beach ($18 USD roundtrip), but honestly, Uber is cheaper and easier. Coco Beach is gorgeous, full of shops (all selling similar things), and we enjoyed a delicious but pricey lunch by the water. We visited Pura Vida Tattoo (the owner also owns a shop in my hometown) and got tattoos before heading back for the Riu White Party. The White Party was incredible. While the app says 6–10 p.m., it really kicks off at 8. The live singer was phenomenal, followed by dancers, bubbles, balloons, and a DJ. It was two hours of nonstop fun, and my feet paid the price — worth every second. Day five was… a hangover day. We floated between the pool, beach, and shops, relaxed, and hit the buffet for dinner, while our friends enjoyed the Italian restaurant. ⸻ The Catamaran + Final Days (Days 6–8) Day six was the day I was waiting for: the sunset catamaran cruise. They picked us up on the beach, stopped at Coco for more passengers, and then we went snorkeling. I swam with sea turtles and beautiful marine life, ate, drank, danced, met amazing people, and — the best part — watched dolphins swim alongside our boat at sunset. Absolute magic. And yes… still no bacon. On Day seven, BACON FINALLY APPEARED at breakfast. We soaked up every last hour by the pool, and dinner at the Japanese restaurant was easily the best meal of the week. Fresh, flavourful, and I’m still thinking about the sesame peanut chicken. Day eight, we packed up, checked out (quick and easy), returned our towel cards, and headed back to the airport. ⸻ Final Notes & Tips • There is VERY little bacon. Treasure it if it appears. • The sand is scorching — wear shoes to the beach. • The beach has a slight smell in the morning but it goes away quickly. • Shop with the beach vendors first — cheaper than the stores. • USD is accepted everywhere and often easier to use than colones. • There is no conditioner or lotion in the rooms. • Weekends get BUSY — tons of locals come for day passes.

  Nov 22, 2025
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  Stay away

  We are on the van leaving as I type this. This was our first and last Riu. The grounds are lovely. Our check in and check out process was fast. The room was good no complaints with that. The buffet was terrible in my opinion. The restaurants don't take reservations. They all open at 6. The Steakhouse line starts forming at about 4 or so. We never got to try it. The Asian restaurant was great. Ate there twice. On our last night every restaurant was at capacity by 8pm. So we ended up at the buffet 🤦🏾‍♀️. The staff was great. The people staying at the hotel was another story. Very rude and no manners excuse me goes along way. Even if you don't speak the same language. Will not EVER go to another Riu again.

  Nov 22, 2025
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  Enjoying the resort experience

  Great atmosphere, clean and up to date rooms. Staff were friendly and helpful. Good value overall. Food was okay. Almost all restaurants were buffet style so you would typically be able to find something. It was very frustrating that you had to wait in line to make a reservation and they didn't offer a better booking system. Asian and Italian restaurants were the best. Buffet by the lobby is typically less busy then the main buffet for breakfast. Beach was nice as you can get about a 45 min walk in. Mid November capacity was about 60% fron what we were told so beaches and pools weren't overly busy... I can't imagine it at full capacity. Allan on the beach is a trustworthy source for excursions. We enjoyed the river boat excursion the most, but also did fishing and an atv tour. A good time had by all!

  Nov 21, 2025
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  Pura Vida at Riu Guanacaste

  After 5 days of staying at Riu Guanacaste, I wanted to give a short review of our stay. First the facility and staff are amazing! The staff work very hard and it was most appreciated. The facility is huge! We loved our sea view room 3031 which was a corner room that also gave us a view of next door with Diamante. Loved the shower in the room. Our favorite people were our friends who worked at Tamarindo in the evening Jennifer, Harlen, and Francis. They always had smiles on their faces and we enjoyed meeting them. As for excursions we book through Frank Tne-Tank CR! His company is first rate and all the previous reviews were true…we had memorable trips zip-lining, hiking and riding horses, mud bath, cold water falls, and suspension bridges. Our guide for everything but zip-lining, was Maurice! A true professional and very knowledgeable about Costa Rica. You will have a day to remember with Maurice! For zip-lining we went to Canopy tours at Congo Trail. Felipe, Coco, and Jose helped us enjoy zip-lining the rainforest. The only downside for us was 2 things…having to constantly ask for bottled water and the Steak house (not worth the wait and the food was alot less than choices at buffets). Loved the Asian and Mexican the best.

  Nov 18, 2025
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  Serviceable Stay!

  ​We recently stayed at RIU Guanacaste to celebrate our belated honeymoon and my birthday. Overall, it was a good experience, but I would shop around for other properties if we were to return. The physical grounds were exceptionally well-kept; people were always painting, cleaning, and sweeping. The staff across the resort was also extremely courteous, making service a true highlight of our stay. We spent a lot of our time at the pool bars, which were excellent. On my birthday, the resort was thoughtful enough to decorate our room, and the spa experience was excellent; I thoroughly enjoyed my one-hour aroma therapy treatment. The view they provided was also excellent and ocean facing. ​However, there were specific areas where the resort failed to go above and beyond. A significant concern was the beach cleanliness. Each morning, the shoreline was littered with trash, including cans, RIU cups, paper goods, and bottle caps. This seriously distracted from the beauty of the area and raises environmental worries about avoidable plastics entering the ocean. Another disappointment was our accommodation; despite indicating our preference and the occasion at the time of booking, we spent our honeymoon in a room with two queen beds instead of a king, which the resort could not accommodate due to being fully booked. While the accommodations were clean and monitored, housekeeping staff was inconsistent with necessities like replenishing towels. Additionally, the resort app was frustratingly difficult to use. ​The food was generally serviceable, falling into the not great, not terrible category. The buffet was okay, and the Mexican specialty restaurant was decent. However, the Japanese restaurant was terrible, and the steakhouse had a line that could practically reach the front desk every day it was open. The selection of fresh fruits was excellent, but we were disappointed by the lack of native Costa Rican cuisine to try; you can only eat so many French fries. The taco spot and the ice cream stations were welcome and enjoyable surprises. The standard resort coffee was serviceable, but the coffee from the speciality shop was excellent, though we paid $14 for two lattes, which is on par with specialty pricing back home. While we had a good overall experience, the combination of inconsistent detail execution and the beach trash issue leads us to believe we would explore other options before rebooking here.

  Nov 14, 2025