See why so many travellers make Allegro Papagayo their all-inclusive resort of choice when visiting Gulf of Papagayo. Providing an ideal mix of value, comfort and convenience, it offers a family-friendly setting with an array of amenities designed for travellers like you.
You’ll enjoy relaxing rooms that offer air conditioning, and you can stay connected during your stay as Occidental Allegro Papagayo offers guests paid internet access.
The all-inclusive resort features a concierge. Plus, Occidental Allegro Papagayo offers a pool and free breakfast, providing a pleasant respite from your busy day. For guests with a vehicle, free parking is available.
Travellers looking to enjoy some tapas can head to Chao Pescao Small Plates & Bar.
At Allegro Papagayo, your comfort and satisfaction come first, and they look forward to welcoming you to Gulf of Papagayo.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
I'll start with this: this isn't a luxury resort. Every review before me has told you this. You didn't pay for a luxury resort. I wish people would realize that before they start complaining.
With that being said, I think if you're a laid back, fun person, you'll have fun. If you're one of the people who complains about animals on the resort or bugs (even though you booked a vacation in the eco-trourism capital of the Western Hemisphere), then you'll probably be miserable.
Now here's my review:
1) Location: AMAZING VIEW. The resort is on a mountain leading down to the gulf, so you'll have a great view of the entire gulf. The resort is fairly secluded. You're in the middle of the jungle and the nearest resort is a 10 minute boat ride away. This means lots of wildlife which I'll get to in a bit. The beach is not a huge hike away like some people have described. It's very near to the pool. The sand is black. I thought it was pretty cool, but I will note that the beach didn't have the same vibe as some places. I went out into the water occasionally, but I didn't have the desire to lay on the beach all day. That's okay, because I realized that Costa Rica isn't a lay on the beach all day kind of place.
Also, being on a mountain means steep hills. But don't worry, there's a shuttle that comes around every 10 minutes or you can call them from your room. There are shuttle stops with water coolers for your wait. We didn't need the shuttle other than when we needed to get to the main building.
2) Staff: The staff was great and friendly. Most everyone spoke English. Some had a tough time with English, but keep in mind you're in their country yet they're trying to speak your language. They all work harder than most people I know. From the looks of it, close to 10-12 hours a day 6 days a week for some of them. Some workers were there every one of the 7 days I was there. Make sure you tip!
3) Wildlife: We loved all the wildlife. Before we got to our room, we saw iguanas. Iguanas were all over the place. One guy seemed to love poptarts. Just don't hand feed them! On our first morning, I heard a low grunting coming from the trees on the beach. We got to see a group of howler monkeys passing by on their way to the jungle. At night, you'll get to see a family of racoons and another little guy called a Coati. They're all out looking for food and they're harmless. After a few drinks, they're a lot of fun to watch. Finally, the best part of our entire trip was on our last morning when we went down for one last look at the water. I looked up and saw about 15 white-faced capuchin monkeys. We ran for some fruit and spent the next hour feeding them.
4) The food was ok. We went in the off season, so we didn't need reservations for the restaurants. I believe you do when it gets busier. There is an Italian restaurant and a Mexican restaurant. Only one is open each night. The Italian was definitely the best, Mexican wasn't bad. The buffet doesn't require reservations. The buffet was great during the weekends because there was more variety. During the weekdays (and since we went during the off season) the buffet was moved inside and the food options were limited. Either way, there was always something to eat. During the busy season, the outdoor buffet is always open. My biggest complaint is that there was nothing to eat late at night after drinking.
I'll toss in drinks in this section too: Beer was great. The beer is Imperial which is probably the most popular beer in Costa Rica. I'd say it was a cross between Heineken and Miller Lite. Mixed drinks weren't bad. The house liquors all kind of taste the same. The bartenders will make you whatever you'd like.
Also - Water is safe to drink. It isn't like Mexico. I drank it on a regular basis, but there are water coolers all over that you can fill up a water bottle with.
5) Rooms: Our room was in building 10, third floor. I'm not sure our view could have been any better. Our room was clean when we arrived. The sheets were changed at least once while we were there that I noticed, maybe more. The air condition worked great. The bathroom was clean. One night we did notice some ants on the counter. We wiped up anything that might have spilled and sprayed a little bug spray - we didn't see them again.
6) Tours and transportation: This isn't so much a review of the hotel, but I thought it may be helpful. First, a taxi will not be hard to find at the airport. In fact two drivers nearly got in a fight over us. We went with an official taxi (red car) and it was $40 from the airport to the allegro. On the way back, we had one of the drivers from our tour pick us up for $50.
We went zip lining at Witch's Rock. This place is 10 minutes from the hotel and they will pick you up. You'll see it when you're driving in. The price wasn't bad and the guides were great. We didn't have a long trip, so we were back on the resort before noon and still had the whole day.
Charlie's Tours (down by the pool) had a special since it was the slow season - Snorkeling and Line fishing for $25. This was easily worth $50, so go for it if its offered. We snorkeled in the gulf and saw tons of fish despite the cloudy weather that day, and we each caught 3 or 4 fish. We also booked our Coco Beach trip with Charlie's. $80 for a van (split between the passengers) for about 3 hours. Our driver didn't seem to care if we took longer. As a side note, Jean, who works for Charlie's tours, was a great guy and really seems to care about his customers.
Norman from TAM tours has an office in the main lobby. You'd think this would indicate trustworthiness. WRONG. We booked a trip to the volcano three days in advance. We paid and were told to be there at 7:30 am on Friday. Friday morning comes along and we're told that the trip is cancelled because Norman couldn't get anyone else to go on the trip and it wasn't worth it to the company to stick with just the two of us. Our money was refunded, but we lost out on a trip we looked forward to for months and had to wake up at 6:30 am on our vacation without any prior notice. This pales in comparison to the disaster that followed that afternoon. We joined another couple who said they were going to see sea turtles on a tour set up by Norman. He promised a trip for four to Ostional Nat'l Park with a bilingual driver and tour guide. What we got was a small Toyota Camry with a driver who spoke no English whatsoever and was told to take us to a completely different place - Baulas Nat'l Park. We called Norman and he told us that he fixed everything, translated our problem to the driver, and we'll now be going to Ostional. Despite his assurance, we arrive at Baulas anyway. Baulas is closed. We're now two hours away from our hotel in a foreign country, have a driver that could kind of understand my limited 9th grade spanish, the sun is setting, and Norman is still feeding us lie after lie. Long story short, we call it quits, go home, have to pay the driver about $200, and Norman basically says "Oh well." TAM tours has been notified and it seems like they're very concerned with Norman's practices of arranging side deals (i.e. Calling a cab to take people to closed national parks and telling people it's a "tour").
Other Tips: -Unless you feel like buying a timeshare, avoid the "Come with us to the Grand Papagayo and get a free trip" sales pitch. Someone will ask you to go to the other resort for a 90 minute presentation, then say you get a free trip to Coco Beach after. I believe you get about 90 minutes in Coco Beach.
-Don't bother changing your money to Costa Rican colones. Everyone takes US dollars.
-Bring an insulated mug. I got one for a dollar at Dollar Tree. It holds more than the resort's cups and it keeps your drinks cold longer.
-Bring bug spray and sunblock. They're very expensive in the giftshop
-Coffee: The best coffee I tasted was Britt. We were told 1820 is the popular brand, but now that I have 1820, I kind of miss Britt.
-Souvenirs: Go to coco beach. Get coffee from the supermarket! It was less than half the price of the smaller shops. Make sure you shop around before buying and feel free to bargain.
Overall - Great trip! I loved Costa Rica and can't wait to go again. I probably won't stay at the Allegro again, but it definitely wasn't a bad place. If you get a good deal, go for it. Keep in mind Costa Rica is the kind of place where you go on a lot of excursions to see the Costa Rica. It isn't a lay on the beach and do nothing place. Enjoy!
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Date of stay: September 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:You want building 10 or 11 on the second or third floor. You're closer to the pool/beach and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'd like to think I'm an objective traveller - that is, I don't travel to another country expecting all things to conform to "western" standards. After all, we travel to experience differences.
The property: As beautiful as the pictures indicate. This is a larger feel resort & lively. We took our 12 year old daughter & she loved it. Yes, it's hilly, but this is to make use of the natural landscape and if you look across @ the other resorts, they are the same way. It is not friendly towards the physically challenged, but let's remember that not all countries are as sensitized to this. Besides, there are shuttles to help those people out & to otherwise cart around us lazy tourists. I don't understand the people whom complain bitterly about the terrain, yet choose to walk up the hills anyway.
The beach: It's black volcanic sand. If you're looking for white sandy beaches, you should be on the Caribbean side. This resort is on the Pacific. Nevertheless, the water is still blue, still warm, the beach is a nice walk & you will encounter much wildlife. We even saw monkeys! Just keep your sandals on as the volcanic sand can heat up! There IS a boat shuttle to a nearby 'white sand' beach - more like yellow. However, you can only sign up for this the day before @ the activity centre. They open @ 8am so if you are late, spaces fill up fast. We found this to be an inconvenience. How many people wake up before 8am on holidays? Keep in mind also that the shuttle does not run continuously through the day. There are set departure & return times. There IS food available there, but only hot dogs, nachos, etc. If you want a real lunch, stay @ the resort. I would go only if you have an extra day to kill, you're not on tour & you don't feel like sitting @ the pool. Don't go out of your way to schedule this in.
The food: The buffet - I'd give an average rating based on the fact that many food dishes were repeated during our 1 week stay. In comparison, we've stayed @ the Bahia Principe Tulum in Mexico which is also a 4 star hotel but the food was much better. I did however enjoy the grill - steak, chicken or pork was always available even if nothing else appealed to you. Fresh fruit was abundant & we enjoyed this very much. There is only one snack bar and it is NOT 24 hours. Generally it is open only between meal times & still close an hour before lunch/dinner. The a la carte steakhouse is a must - the steak was better than many 5 star restaurants I've been to. Again however, you can only book 1 day in advance. IMO this is a silly & inconvenient procedure since guests are going on tours, in & out of the hotel, it is not always possible to book 1 day before and in accordance to the guest counter's hours.
The activities: There were lots on schedule, in addition to a kids club. Altho we did not participate as we had taken a few tours & wanted to spend the rest of the time relaxing, we saw plenty of people who did and really seemed to enjoy themselves. The activity centre also has board games & snorkel gear available. Don't expect the evening shows to be comparable to Broadway, but I give the staff an A for effort. The entertainment is definitely better than at other resorts I have stayed at.
The service: Well, here's where we come to the hiccup. First impressions were great. We'd gotten off the tour bus all hot & sweaty, in a long line to check-in and were brought refreshing cold drinks while we waited. Then we get our keys, walk into our room & find 2 maids lying on our beds watching TV! To top it off, they don't jump off the bed in surprise muttering apologies. They nonchalantly get off the bed, turn off the TV & walk out. Next, I walk into the bathroom to find a 'dirty bowl'. We called the front desk immediately & got a nightmare of a clerk. After we relayed the 2 complaints to her she tells us she will send someone over to move our bags. We wait 1/2 hour and no one comes. We call again, same story, again no one comes. I ask to speak to the manager & she claims one is not available that night. Finally we decide to leave the room & get some food before dinner closes. Afterwards, we walk up to the front desk & deal with this directly. The woman we have spoken to on the phone refuses to come out of the back room to speak with us. At dinner, we found out from another guest that the main water pipe had burst & there hadn't been water for the entire day. This explained the 'dirty bowl', but it did not explain why we were not told this when we checked in. Definitley not 4 star service. No one has control over a broken pipe, my complaint is about how it was handled. Furthermore, despite having told more than one front desk clerk now about the maid incident, no manager steps forth that night to apologize nor for the duration of our stay. Our repeated requests to speak with a manager were stonewalled & finally we just gave up as we felt we'd already spent enough holiday time being agitated. Were it not for the good service we did receive from drivers, wait staff, bellhops, this resort would've gotten a lower rating from me.
Costa Rica is a beautiful country - I wouldn't hesitate to return. What happened to us could've been isolated incidents, but given the multitude of resort choices out there & that most people prefer NOT to be irritated on their holidays, I'd pass on the Allegro Papagayo next time around.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OK, as of posting this, I have read every single post here and have compiled a list of useful/helpful tips from others and things I have found helpful.
But first a few things…
Our Canadian friends to the north have pointed out the ‘rudeness’ of Americans while visiting abroad. I have toured all across Europe, been thru the heartland of Mexico, and several trips to the Caribbean and in each place I have encountered rude tourist. Unfortunately, it seems most have been Americans, but I have also noticed rude Canadians as well. So the Canadians bashing the Americans here can get off of their high horse. Everyone needs to remember that while traveling they represent their homeland. While traveling remember that these places are not the US and nor do they want to be. Try learning at least 10 words in the native tongue to which you are traveling (two of which should be ‘thank you’ and ‘please’). The people serving you at these resorts speak your language, at least try to return the favor. If they don’t understand what you are saying, talking more loudly or yelling it does not make anyone understand any better and in fact is just plain rude. As for me and the group I was with, we all thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Allegro Papagayo. 95% of the staff there I thought was incredible. Although this is an ‘all inclusive’ the staff here are not your personal servants. What you may not realize is that they work six 15 hour days, and even at the end of their shift are still wonderfully upbeat. Some at this site have complained about the service, yet we had no problem. It was nothing to leave a few dollars in tip for the great guys at the bar, after that they would bring us drinks all night and even have one ready once they saw me the next day. Even something as simple as returning them a kind smile will take you far. Everything outside of the states is a little more slow, a little more relaxed. So slow down, sit back and relax…remember, it’s a vacation.
With that done… The five of us traveling are ‘shoe string’ travelers and tend to do a lot of research to get the most bang for the buck. We did thou rent a car for the week. September is still part of the rainy season and all the hurricanes didn’t help the situation. We drove to Santa Rosa Nat’l Park, which with all of the rain couldn’t make it all the way to the beautiful beaches due to the flooded rivers that needed to be crossed. We also drove to Arenal volcano. This drive is not for the faint at heart, they are very rough roads. We did not, but I recommend staying the night and enjoying the view of volcano from Tabacon hot springs at night. On the way to the volcano, you will notice some really neat windmills on a hilltop near Lake Arenal. There is an entrance to go up to the windmills but the road splits and splits again and again with no signs and it’s a little sketchy as well, would not advise. We also drove to Coco for shopping and experience some of the other towns. The Allegro is great, but there is so much more to see. Also, I love to snorkel, but all of the run off this time of year makes the water a bit murky.
Ok, this is what I have collected from all of the reviews and took with us… Feel free to email if you have any questions. So…copy…paste…print. I’ve done the work for you… Pura Vida!
Hotel:
•At check-in, they may ask for a credit card. (This is fairly common in South American hotels, car rentals, etc. So don’t be surprised) •Thursdays the local merchants set up stands in Pablo's Bar to sell all the wooden stuff and jewelry etc. The prices are good and the wood products are really nice. 1/2 the price of the gift shop at the resort. •By Building 15 there is a trail, saw and heard a large group of Howlers. •Saw NO mosquitoes for the entire week, but late at night no-see-ums would bite at your ankles…keep that Skin So Soft handy. •Kayaking and snorkeling free from beach – some mentioned a $5 insurance fee
Bars/beverages: •Frozen drinks are very good and very sweet. (but not a lot of alcohol in them) •All the bars except for the disco close at 11pm. •The pool side bar closes promptly at 5:00 P.M. •Bottled water stations are located all over the compound (bring a water bottle) •Coffee makers are in the rooms (but likely no coffee)
Rooms: •The buildings with the guest rooms are numbered from 1 to 15 (the higher the number is, the closer you are to the beach, swimming pool, buffet, bars and entertainment area) •Better to try and reserve a room on the pool level •Try for building 10, 11, or 15 which are good as you don't have to take the shuttle up to your room and are the closest to the pool, buffet, and beach. •If you want a view, you MUST be on the 3rd floor.
Dining: •You have to book dining up in the hotel lobby the day before, best to make both reservations as soon as you get there. •Bars don't open till 10 but vodka available at buffet for Bloody Mary’s or screw drivers •not happen while we were there) Sunday: seafood night. Feast and I do mean FEAST!!! Lobster and jumbo prawns - FRESH!! You can ask the chef to grill you some prawns or small lobster even though they serve it all together on a huge pan. •(not happen while we were there) Thursday: Paella - full of shrimp, lobster and lots of other fish
Beach club: •For those of you who need a white sand beach the hotel offers you a 10 minute boat ride to the “beach club” •You must book this one day in advance (at the activity center ‘Water Sports’ desk) Since reservations are not accepted on Monday’s, there are no trips to the beach on Tuesday. My advice try and book at least 2 days in hopes that in case 1 is cancelled. Possible it can be booked in the morning around 8 to 830 am and when the door opens at 8 there is a line up. •You are allowed to stay there from 9-1 or 11-3 and only 38 people at a time. •You must make a reservation early or walk up to the top of hill and take the free public bus to the beach. The resort doesn't tell you this, but all beaches in C.R. are public beaches and the transportation will take you there. •Food and drinks and washrooms and hammocks are there at the ‘beach club’. •The snorkeling is excellent along the rocks at either ends of the beach, and the fish communities quite different at high and low tide. •If you enjoy sea kayaking and setting out on your own, there is a smaller more secluded and otherwise identical beach, just a 15 minute paddle away in the same direction as the Beach Club. The resort’s double-sea kayaks have considerable volume and they track very well even with cockpits full of water, which occurs when returning from the beach to the resort facing westerly winds and waves
Things to buy: •Coco beach is cheapest, girlfriend had a blast here. Several small markets and one large one. •Beer, coffee, and Rum at supermarkets. Bring back as much coffee as you can carry. •Britt coffee is what they suggest to tourist however the locals all drink 1820 or Sunburst. •They do sell calling cards in the hotel lobby gift shop. We bought a $10.00 card and had 26 minutes. This is the cheapest way to call home. Don’t get a card in the States.
Things to take: •Normal lock for the in-room lockers will not work, take locks for baggage and take a lock for tour lockers. •Extra pairs of sunglasses. •Lots of sun block •Lots of after sun lotion •Off bug spray or equivalent: The resort is surrounding by jungle and many no see-ems (bugs) but they leave a deadly welt and very itchy. The key time frame is close to 4pm just as the sun starts to set the bugs come alive. Always lather up. •Take After bite lotion and antihistamine •Drink holders/cozies (didn’t really need these) •30 in 1 dollar bills for tips •Do bring your own face towels (many people stated they did not have, we however did) •No alarm clocks in the room •Take a big (insulated if you want) water jug. We always do and get one filled with beer or favorite drink and the other with water. •take aqua or beach shoes as the sand is hard and rough on your feet: the beach is rough (not raked or cleaned up so very natural and many thorns which really hurt)
Places: (from hotel down coast)
Playa Ocotal: Snorkeling
Playa Pan de Azucar: Snorkeling and deserted
Playa flamingo: White beaches
Coco:
Getting there: •Offered through the hotel for 25.00 US per person by boat left around 1030-1100 returned around 1400. We missed the 1030 departure. Went up to the Hotel lobby asked how much it would cost by taxi it ended up costing us a lot less 10.00 each !! •Swiss Travel Services for the shopping trip to Liberia. The cost is $17/person and they take you by bus to two tourist traps and in to town •Coco beach excellent shopping place - tons cheaper than other areas and internet only 50 Colones (maybe 10 cents American) (or 500 Colones, can't remember) for half an hour compared to $6 US per half hour at resort. Resort internet slow and malfunctions most of the time. Coco beach fast computer like here at work. Papagayo Seafood Restaurant at Coco Beach is a definite must experience place....the most incredible food. •It is so cool, and so cheap!! We bought tons of stuff for very little money. •Remember to barter they are tuff but be persistent and I would recommend changing money to colons. •Beach not good for swimming
Tamarindo: •Absolutely awesome white beach with barely 10 people on it! Beach bars, swimming, surf board rentals, nightlife etc
•People have had items stolen from cars. Keep things out of site.
Playa Portrero: Beautiful beach with an island you can swim to
Misc places: Drove to the volcano and spent a day at the Tabaccon resort (which was mislabeled on our map, it’s just past Arenal on the main road past the volcano entrance) which had awesome mineral pools - all varying in temperatures from quite cool to very hot. – Great food Arenal volcano – 3 ½ hrs each way and very rough roads
Liberia Bullfighting (may want to verify times, bull fights rotate towns) - $7 (they don’t kill it, Mexico and Spain only that do)
Tours: After reading many reviews, we choose (Ricardo) Vargas Tours. (Ricardo Costa Rica tours dot com) :) Much smaller groups than others I have read about (actually for the Mega Tour it was just the members of our group). Ricardo and his wife (who will book your trip) both speak impeccable English. On the way to the Mega-tour Ricardo did not hesitate to answer any question and was very insightful in explaining details of his country. He was there for us and took his time on the way and back looking for wildlife and stopping when he spotted anything (he actually pulled over to let other tours pass us who just zipped on by). He offered to take photos of us on the zip line and waterslide and even found a sloth’s location from the local workers while we were at the hot springs and pointed it out to us on the way back. They offer many tours and in hindsight would have choose him for the volcano trip. Vargas Tours 10/10. First class, First rate. I would highly recommend him and use them again.
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Date of stay: October 2005
Value
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just came back from 9 nights at the Allegro Papagayo. I read the bad reviews before I went and I have to admit I was a bit nervous. To be honest, I almost did not stay here because of the reviews. That would have been a huge mistake.
Now, I must say, if you are a single person looking for some 'action', this is probably not your place. Stay closer town or something.
For the rest, please read on...
We have done a fair bit of traveling around the world and have stayed in a variety of accommodations from backpacker hotels and hostels to 5 star all inclusive resorts – so I feel like we have a pretty good perspective. Here is what I can tell you: for what you spend, this place far exceeded my expectations. Room with a beautiful bay view, black sand beach was great, white sand beach was amazing, water was warm and safe, food was great (fresh fruit, Swordfish, local dishes – what is there to complain about?), staff was awesome and friendly, grounds were clean and well kept. We saw tons of white faced monkeys, howler monkeys, a sea turtle and other wildlife. Lots of people playing in the water – no worries for kids as there is no undertow and you can walk out a long ways before it gets deep. Water was super warm. Some fish to see if you are snorkeling, but mostly at the white sand beach (Beach Club). At the beach club we saw tons of puffer fish, and other smaller fish. There are kayaks there for free use which was awesome; I suggest taking one and snorkeling around the rocks by the marina if you want to see fish. If you have snorkeled or dove in the Red Sea or South Pacific then realize that Costa Rica is nothing like those areas, but the snorkeling is fun nonetheless. We booked the Buena Vista tour through Memo and it was great. Do this if you have kids. We did a snorkeling and fishing trip through the hotel and it was just Ok but still fun.
As for the bad reviews, I will chalk it up to one of a couple things – either: A) Inexperienced travelers (if you want everything to be like home, then don’t leave the country, in my opinion) B) Some people have champagne taste on a beer budget: Honestly people, align your expectations with what you are paying. This is not the fanciest hotel I have stayed at, but that is because it is LESS EXPENSIVE. There is a correlation between price and amenities. Duh. C) Complainers write more reviews than satisfied people... D) Some people are not happy anywhere and this is just one more place they do not like. E) I saw more than one drunk, obnoxious western tourist while I was there (you know who you are). Here is a tip: If you are an A-hole, then people will not be nice to you. Usually does not matter what country you are in. As for the locals coming in on the weekends, this is true. The hotel goes from 100 guests to like 500 overnight. My suggestion: adapt, and hang with the locals, they are nice and laid back people. Again, if you do not want to see locals, don’t leave the country. Or if you want to spend the $$, go up the bay to the Four Seasons. Not sure about the kids club. The way I see it I did not take my kids all the way to Costa Rica to stick them in a kids club all day. So it may be good, may be bad, but I can’t comment either way. Overall, if you are high-maintenance and inexperienced in traveling, you will likely not have a good time here (or probably anywhere in Costa Rica). If you have done some traveling, have a sense of adventure and want to spend your time on Jungle tours, swimming, and having fun, the value is tremendous.
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Date of stay: December 2011
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
In March of 2005 our son 11 yrs. old,my husband and myself stayed at Allegro Papagayo to our surprise we loved it.The people are genuine, I definitely think the staff make this resort A1. Costa Rica is a natural beauty we were amazed by the beauty, the rainforest is breathtaking. Remember Costa Rica involves alot of walking so you really should be fit, it is very hilly. The excurions shouldn't be missed we did something different every day believe me there is plenty to do.We needed a holiday on our return every aspect of Costa Rica is breathtaking. The resort was incredible lets start with the food the beef tenderloin melts in your mouth. Our son ordered a T-Bone steak bigger than his plate. The shrimp were HUGE bigger than 3 fists, the lobster scrumptious.The desserts are to die for. The Mexican alacarte was TACOs was very good with great burritos and the best guadamollie and we've been to Cancun and P.Vallarta.We've travelled a far bit Barbados Dom.Rep., Italy, Austria, Jamaica, Las Vegas, Holland and U.K. We had so much fun in Costa Rica no other trip has come close to our experience here. The room was great very clean with the coldest air unit of any where we stayed in room#1512. The swim up bar was the BEST. The pool was awesome always clean with pool volleyball. There was always a friendly staff there to help.The entertainment was good very Hot HOt HOT..We are trying RIU Paradise Island in Sept will write a reveiw on our return. If you are looking for an awesome time try Costa Rica.......
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We actually met a few people that were bumped to a so-called 4+ star hotel (Grand Papagayo) but heard that the food and entertainment isn't that great. Someone actually said that their entertainment was a "movie night". Ok that's fine but dinner starts at 6:30 and movie at 6:45pm? Come on, someone do the math. By the time you probably got seated down, finish your dinner you'd miss the whole movie. And no, they only play it once.
That's really unfortunate, especially if you're only there for only a week. That could really cut down your vacation. Sad to say that the hotel was blaming sunquest and sunquest was blaming the hotel. Nobody wants to take the blame. Shame!
Our holiday at the Allegro was lovely though. Note to future travellers, because we actually know of somebody that paid for ocean view, "do not pay" extra for ocean view, All rooms have ocean view. It would also advisable to request one of the rooms closest to the pool/restaurant (if rooms are not overbooked). Otherwise, you'll be doing a lot of walking or taking the taxi. The water cooler's are there for a reason.
This hotel is great for young and old. I love the mixture of all ages. The food's excellent, the nightly entertainment was wonderful - a must see. Maybe they'll do a Michael Jackson theme. Really fantastic. The beach on this property isn't that great but make sure you go to the "white beach". This beach is amazing, very secluded and the water's warm. You have your hammock, and there's only a certain amount of people allowed to go on this beach, so make sure you reserve your spot.
We also went to Buena Vista Mega Tour that was unbelievable and highly recommended!!! This is where you zip line from tree to tree, afterwards, you may decide or not to go on the water slide and then off to lunch. After lunch, they'll take you for about an hour horse ride. If you've never ridden a horse, no worry. Then, the Spa where you can get go to a sauna and then bathe in volcano mud. After you wash off all the mud, go to the hot pool, then try the cool pool. Kinda cool. Not to mentioned, you may meet some hotties. Oh, before I forget, if you want to bring souvenirs, BUY BOXES OF COFFEE! YES! BOXES OF COFFEE! Best buy and dirt cheap in Costa Rica.
Overall, if you want fun and adventure, visit Costa Rica. Hopefully, if you decide to go to Allegro, I hope they don't overbooked. Good luck and happy travelling! PURA VIDA!!!
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Date of stay: January 2005
Value
Rooms
Cleanliness
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Overall, a great vacation. Landing during the dry season, it certainly was not what I expected Costa Rica to look like, very dry (until we went inland). I'll break it down into sections:
FLIGHT: We flew Skyservice. Seats are cramped a little bit but the flight is not too long. Return flight, be prepared to line up in the airport as everyone arrives at once on the buses.
HOTEL: Very nice. Our room was in Building 2 which is the highest building and affords an excellent view of the bay. Our AC and water worked fine, no bugs, except when we left the screen door open by mistake. Actually, our AC shut down briefly, I called guest services and it was fixed within the hour. I will say that the hotel is beachfront, although the rooms are up on a hillside. The beach is blacksand, so if you're looking for a beautiful whitesand beach this is not Cuba. However, the water is warm. It is a short, 2 minute walk down to the restaurant/pool area/beach. If you are out of shape or older you can take a shuttle bus which circles the hotel.
POOL: We enjoyed it. It's very large with a swim up bar. Lounge chairs go quickly, so get there by 7 am (you'll more than likely be up early in the morning). The drinks are good, not watered down.
RESTAURANT: Excellent food. A different buffet theme every night - fish, meat, vegetables - a mix of "North American" food and Costa Rican food. Breakfast offers omelettes, cereal, eggs, beans and fruit (the freshest fruit you'll find!). Try the steakhouse one night and the Mexican restaurant - both are good and included.
DAY 2: We took a taxi into Liberia our first day - I highly recommend NOT going to Liberia. It's about three blocks long and all shops are pretty similar
DAY 3: We did Swiss Tours Travel day tour to Arenal Volcano. We got a 10 % discount for booking the first day we were there. Our guide was Lawrence and he was great. Only 5 people were on this tour, possibly because it was early in the week. Three days later there were 40 people so it's all chance. This tour was very long - a 3.5 hour bus ride each way - mainly due to windy roads filled with pot holes (more like craters). If you get motion sick bring gravol. The rainforest portion of the tour was good as were the hot springs at Tabacon. We were lucky and got a clear day and saw the volcano erupt once before it clouded over. The food at tabacon was great. The price was about $100 US - highly recommend it.
DAY 4: We went to the beach club. This was nice and relaxing. You need to book a day in advance. We went snorkelling around the corner (they take you there by boat). There were some jelly fish stinging my girlfriend so be aware of them.
DAY 5: Mega Combo tour. This was fantastic! It's about 1.5 hours each way. You start off going on a canopy tour which is great fun. From there, you go to a 400m long waterslide - man made but through the forest. It is excellent, get lots of water built up behind you to go faster. Then you go horseback riding for about 45 minutes - this was good but the horses are undernourished and really shouldn't be carrying people. From there it's a 30 minute walk to a waterfall and then on to some hot springs and mud bath. About $100 US
DAY 6: We took a taxi to Tamarindo. We hired a taxi to take us for about $110 flat rate - so if you have 4-5 people, the cost per person is drops - it was a little high, but well worth it. We rented a surfboard for a few hours and then had lunch at the Tamarindo Diria, a nice hotel. This is a good town for excitement and, I hear, nightlife. The shopping is good as well - much better than Liberia. It's well worth spending an entire day there.
DAY 7: A day by the pool to relax.
I highly recommend staying at the Allegro. All I'll say is, remember that you're on vacation in a foreign country - not everyone will speak English (most do to some degree), there are bugs, the driving is somewhat crazy - enjoy yourselves and be aware of their customs.
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Date of stay: March 2005
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Let me start off this review by saying I did a lot of research before selecting this hotel - including reading the reviews from this site, Frommer's, etc - so I am speaking as someone with knowledge on the subject. And as for background, I am a 23 year old second-year law student who has travled extensively througout Europe, America the Carribean. (Just to give an idea on the point of view on this review) I traveled to the Allegro Papaygo with my significant other for 4 days, 3 nights out of a six day trip to Costa Rica. First of all, if you are traveling to the Allegro from San Jose, be warned...Costa Rica looks like a small country on the map, and is only the size of West Virginia, but it takes 5 hours to reach the Allegro from San Jose on very, very bumpy roads. So if you could fly into Liberia, I would higly recommend that to save you some road-sickness. Also, there isn't really much to see or do in San Jose -the city pretty much shuts down by 8 p.m., not many museums and you don't want to be walking around after dark anyways, it is very unsafe - so spend most of your time enjoying the beautiful beaches on the coasts. The Allegro Papagayo is as beautiful as the pictures you see on their website. From the moment you walk into the open-aired lobby and gaze upon the beautiful bay surrounded by bright green mountains, you know youre in paradise. The check-in staff, or any staff for that matter, didn't speak much English, and weren't exactly falling over themselves to say hello, but they were certainly nice enough and did everything in their power to accomidate us. However, we did see some families having problems checking in, but no such problems with us. From the reviews we knew we had to make reservations for the Italian restaurant and beach club so we did that right away - the reservation desk is in the lobby. We also made reservations for our tour right away - ask for Edwardo, he was very friendly and helpful. So I would also recommend making all your reservations right when you arrive to save hastle later. Our room was much better than expected- we paid very little for the trip, and were shocked to have received a room on the third floor with a perfect view of the bay! The rooms are absolutely basic...standard queen beds with flat mattresses, no washclothes, and a coffee maker with no coffee...but there was ample space, good water pressure, excellent A/C and full cable T.V. There are little ants everywhere, but being from Florida, I know its just a part of the tropics and they really don't bother anything. The balcony was a great touch - everyone room has one. I would higly recommed asking for a room on the third floor of any building, especially building 3 where we were located, since the hotel is built on hills and usually the 1st and 2nd floors don't have much of a view. Be warned the hotel is built on many different hills, and there are no real sidewalks. You really should be in good shape to get around, unless you want to wait 7-10 for a crowded van that flies around the premises with the side door open. Also, we went during the "wet season," but we really didn't experience any problems. Its beautiful all day until about 2:30 p.m. when it rains for 30 min. After that, its back in the beautiful pool enjoying drinks at the swim-up bar. The food is basic, same things basically everyday with a little variety, but there was something for everyone. And being a picky eater myself, I did not go home hungry. The meat is different there than in America - tougher and drier, but the chicken is excellent. The Italian restaurant is amazing, very fresh meats and gourmet style service. It was kind of shocking actually to find such an amazing Italian restaurant in Costa Rica! And as other reviews have mentioned, it's hard to get a reservation but empty once you get there. However, we were able to sneak in an extra night by tipping the hostess. The drinks are really lacking in the alcohol and all taste the same, so we stuck to the beer (which is actually very good) and shots. Yes they do shots, you just have to ask (you can also ask them to make your drinks strong which seemed to work) - the bar staff is friendly. The black-sand beach the hotel is located on is really cool - low tide in the early morning and late afternoon allow you to walk out pretty far. The water is very warm and there are little fish all around. The beach goes far, so you are able to walk for a while if you want to get away from the resort with your honey. The beach club is about 20 min away on the slowest boat possible, but it's worth it. There is a lot more wildlife at the beach club and it is also a white sand beach. And you are still able to get free drinks and food, so why not? But bring sunscreen!!!! I was out in the sun for a total of 2 hours and have the equivilent of a thrid-degree burn on my shoulders. Also we warned that during the weekends they bus in the locals so everything pretty much is geared towards them and the staff does negligect the non-locals at the bar. But they are polite enough and really keep to themselves. Overall, the Allegro Papagayo is an excellent destination for any couple or family wanting to have a relaxing vacation for a reasonable price. The mega-combo tour is a must!! (zipline, waterslide, horseback riding, hotsprings, tractor ride all for $115 per person). Also, catch a show at the theatre one night, its hillarious. If you go there with an easy-going attitude, ready for a few set backs, you will have the best time of your lives like we did!
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Date of stay: August 2005
Value
Rooms
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
my wife and i just returned 2-20 from the allegro & the grand papagayo. we stayed at both resorts due to the incompitent staff at the allegro. when we arrived we were told that the hotel was overbooked and we would have to go to the grand. this threw me for a loop being as i just confirmed our reservations the day before. the staff told us we would have to wait 3 hours to be shuttled to the grand because we were waiting for 4 more people(overbooking happens daily at this resort) which we found out is common. the shuttle on a little bus took 45 minutes.
The Grand is a much nicer resort and ended up being a highlight of our vacation. we saw howler monkeys that night and early the next morning. this was great because we would nt have seen them otherwise.
2pm the next day we were shuttled back to the allegro which again took 45 minutes in the middle of the day. one good point we meet some excellent people from the midwest max & kim.
once at the allegro our room was ok, nothing special although everyroom has a balcony which overlooks the GULF. the resort is on a steep hill so elderly people need not come here unless you want to walk steep hills or wait 10 minutes for a taxi. the food at the buffet is good the high point is the fresh fish at night. the fantsy restaurant is overrated and you can only attend one time. the mexican restaurant is good and the one shining point was our waiter HARLEY, he was by far the most compitent person at the resort. we couldnt say enough good things about him. the waitstaff overall was good and the bellboys were very friendly. the staff at the front desk however where incompitent and complained about you in spanish. they show no sense of urgency and dont seem to try to accomadate when there are mistakes. the manager of the resort is hardly ever around to help. at night there is entertainment at the theater and the dancers are very good. there is a different theme everynight. the beach has black sand and the water has poor visability for snorkling or diving. IF YOU ARE A BEACH PERSON THAN THIS IS NOT A RESORT FOR YOU. we travel every year and this is the worst beach by far we have ever been at. there is a stench in the air at times and im not sure but i think its the septic system although the gulf water was to blame.
excursions- palo verde is fun . you will see alot of birds,crocs,lizards and the guides are excellent
arenal volcano is ok - no volcano 90% of the time its cloudy so you never see it. the cotter rainforest is a waste and the tabacon hotsprings are excellent. basically the money you pay for this is for the hotsprings. word to the wise do not buy any raingear for the rainforest (it is free at the office at cotter) our guide (alexander) sold raingear for $5 to 4 people and then never gave them thier money back.
Deepsea fishing is excellent. just get out as early as you can.We booked through the hotel(dont do this unless you have to). they showed up an hour late and again no sense of urgency. we caught a small black tuna. the other boats in the area that went out early caught sail fish marlin , dorado. when we got back we where informed that for an extra $50 we could have left alot earlier( i guess $600 isnt enough money).
on day 5 they turned off our room keys and we had to wait almost 2 hours for them to straighten out the mess and give us new keys.
again waitstaff nice, pool was nice, food was ok, but i would highly suggest to stay someplace different. definately a 2star resort at best
all in all a beautiful country, friendly people, not entirely ready for tourism.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Prior to leaving for Costa Rica, I read (and worried about) the hundreds of reviews on here about the Allegro Papagayo. I promised myself I’d write one upon returning. I’ll start out by saying, thank God I didn’t let the negative reviews on this website stop me from staying at the Allegro Papagayo. My boyfriend and I had the most fabulous stay in Costa Rica from March 15-21st. It was utterly fantastic. On here, there are reports of people complaining about ants in bathrooms, and leaky air-conditioners, and how “ugly” the black sand beach is. Vacations are what you make of them and are about the company that you’re with. The tiny little ants didn’t bother anyone. If your air-conditioner breaks, they will fix it right away, because their service is excellent. And the black sand beach is truly the most beautiful place that I’ve seen in my life. It is NOT mud. It is soft and fine, and does not leave a dirty residue like mud, meaning it washes off with just a little water...just like white sand. The rooms are not the most luxurious, but if you’re anything like my boyfriend and me, you’re up at 6am everyday, enjoying the sunrise on your balcony and the amazing breakfast buffet. The only time you’ll be in your room is to nap and sleep. So with that, let me tell you a few things I experienced and recommend...
We flew into Liberia, filled out forms, got our luggage, and were in a courtesy van to the hotel within a half hour. We checked in at 1pm with no problem and we were enjoying lunch and sitting by the pool within the hour.
The Food – Amazing. I had French toast every morning, but there were waffles, cereal, orange juice, pancakes and breakfast meats, and unbelievable fresh pineapple, mangos, and cantaloupe. I’m leaving things out because there was so much I can’t remember. There was always pasta available for lunch and dinner, and it wasn’t bad at all. There was always some kind of fish available, each night prepared a different way – breaded, grilled, and broiled in different sauces. Thursday was seafood night, and it was TO DIE FOR – salmon, muscles, shrimp, clams! One night there was a boar on a skewer and a huge cow leg hanging up, and the chefs were just taking meat from the bone and putting it on plates…it was AMAZING. The jumbo shrimps were out of this world – they are literally the size of your fist. And while I’m not a steak person, my boyfriend raved about the steaks and meats that he had for dinner every night. The snack bar is open between meals, so if you’re hungry you can always grab some fries or hot dogs (which taste weirdly like bologna.) The waiting staff was outstanding and so polite.
The Landscape – Run on your treadmill prior to going on vacation! The hills at the hotel are pretty intense, but they are definitely doable if you like exercise, especially by the end of your stay. I’m an asthmatic, and I was wheezing quite a bit, but nothing too bad. And if you can’t brave the hills, there are vans that come around to pick you up at the water stations, where you can fill your water bottles up. Very convenient. The men driving the vans are extremely helpful if you have luggage, and I witnessed them being very accommodating to an elderly woman with a disability. But I can see how those who are not physically fit or have problems walking could have some problems. If you’re lucky, however, you’ll see iguanas the size of my Chihuahua running around in the flower bushes. They’re not too scary. You can always hear the Howler monkeys, especially early in the morning, and I heard you can see them everywhere at the white sand Beach Club, which we didn’t get to experience. We were lucky enough to see the white-faced monkeys migrating from one side of the beach to the other in the treetops. They are curious little guys and if you give them a mango, they’ll come get it. At 10:15 every morning, the Fun Club runs a hike through the hotel that goes through the trees and hills along the beach. Bring a water bottle!
Beach/Pool – Like I said…the beach was STUNNING. The mountains in the distance make for a breathtaking view. If you want a white sand beach, you could drive to Tamerindo or take a boat to the Beach Club. But the black sand was beautiful (watch out for the crabs!) and it was perfect for romantic strolls, sunrises, and sunsets. It was very natural, so there were thorns and leaves – so make sure to wear your flip flops! Some people sat at the beach, but the pool was where it was at during the day. The pool was huge and even shallow in some places where you can sit and read a book without getting soaked. The wet bar was great – you can order your choice of tropical beverage, with or without rum. I definitely miss that now that I’m home. I definitely recommend strong sunscreen and bug repellant, lots of aloe, and anti-itch cream. Those suckers bite like crazy at night! Lube yourself up in bug spray. It’s not too much of a problem – just a little itchy. And the sun is incredibly hot during the peak hours, so take good care of your skin while tanning and after tanning. I also recommend getting your lounge chair early if you want to sit in the shade, because the shady chairs get taken quickly! One of the days, staff was going around with coconuts and straws, and pouring rum into them so that we could drink milk and rum straight from the coconut!
Day Trips – The last day we were there, we took a boat to Coco Beach, arranged by the hotel. The Water Sports staff was amazing with this, because the boat wasn’t supposed to run that day, and all of the vans to Coco Beach were already taken. So they gathered up a few other people, and ran the boat ride ($25/person) specifically for us so that we could go shopping in Coco Beach for two and a half hours. It was quite nice of them. The shopping at Coco Beach was amazing. Two dollar earrings, twelve dollar gorgeous wooden tea sets, six dollar beautiful shell necklaces – you get the picture. It’s incredibly cheap. (And those of you from New York City where you pay $4.50 for a bottle of water…a glass bottle of Coke is $0.75!) Definitely blow some money over there to bring things home for your friends and family – it’s well worth it!
We also booked our tour for the MegaCombo at the Buena Vista Lodge. The bus picked us up at 8am. (Make sure you confirm your pick up time, because we had some problems with that, but they were easily fixed!) The day was AMAZING. (The last hour of the bus ride up the mountain is on gravel and it’s pretty rough. I get motion sick real easily, and I didn’t have THAT much of an issue, but just keep that in mind.) First we ziplined through the trees through 11 platforms. (I was a chicken at first, and I hate roller coasters, but it was ABSOLUTELY THRILLING. And I’m so glad I went on it!) After the zipline, you can go down the waterslide. And after a pretty decent lunch, you go on a horseback ride to the hot springs. I had some comical issues with my horse – he liked to run in the bushes, so I was getting hit in the face with plants. Everyone was laughing, but I was pretty scared! Luckily, there was this nice cowboy that helped me out...thank gosh for him! Regardless it was a lot of fun. After that, I recommend the optional hike to the waterfall, because it was absolutely GORGEOUS and well worth the grueling hike it takes to get there. Get your hiking shoes on! The mud bath left our skin feeling fabulous and the 100-degree hot springs were a perfect end to a great day trip.
A couple of things. The people at the front desk were as helpful as they could be, but it would be better if they spoke a little more English, because it was sort of hard to ask them questions. The kayaks could be rented for a $5 insurance fee, and $5 is nothing for a nice ride around the bay. The water was safe to drink, and my boyfriend and I had no major stomach troubles. This seemed like a fantastic place to go to with your families, and those who don’t mind cute children running around laughing, I completely recommend it to couples who want a fun, festive atmosphere. The kids all looked like they were having a great time. Bring singles for tips - they work hard down there! (Hi to Mark & family from Texas, Leigh from Canada, and Joe and Joselyn from Moriches!)
So in conclusion - don’t let the negative reviews deter you from going here! Have an open mind and have fun! There may be a few setbacks, but nothing that could ruin your vacation. Costa Rica is a beautiful, clean country. The Allegro Papagayo is a great place to stay. I’d go back to Costa Rica in a heartbeat, and I’d love to look at it again from the amazing Papagayo gulf.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bristol, United Kingdom225 contributions85 helpful votes
It isnt huge when the tide is out, as I recall it was relatively steep so the rising and falling tide doesnt result in 50m plus of beach being useable.
That said, it is still lovely and long.
There are more places to choose from in the Gulf of Papagayo area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
allegro papagayo hotel gulf of papagayo, allegro papagayo costa rica, allegro papagayo gulf of, allegro papagayo occidental, costa rica occidental, occidental papagayo, allegro papagayo resort
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of GuanacasteGulf of Papagayo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
300
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