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Mel
Petawawa, Canada

Great time

Reviewed 3 weeks agovia mobile
My family and I recently spent a week at the Riu Guanacaste, and overall, it was a memorable experience. Traveling with my husband and our two adult children (ages 18 and 21), we found the resort to be a great fit for our needs.

Accommodation and Facilities:
The hotel itself is very clean and well-maintained, and the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. We spent a significant amount of time at the pool, which was a lot of fun, especially the pool bar. However, the pool does need some repairs, but it didn’t detract from our enjoyment.

Dining Experience:
The main buffet was excellent, offering a wide variety of options and themed specialty nights that kept things interesting. However, the à la carte dining system left much to be desired. The first-come, first-serve policy meant long lines forming as early as 5 PM for a 6 PM opening, which was quite inconvenient. We much prefer a reservation system. We tried the Asian restaurant, which was just okay, and the Italian, which we found to be not good.

Beach and Activities:
The beach is beautiful, though it lacks shade, and the sand can get extremely hot in the sun. The vendors on the beach were quite persistent, which was a bit of a nuisance when we were trying to relax. I understand they need to make a living, but the constant interruptions were frustrating.

We enjoyed participating in the Kahoot trivia games before the evening shows, which added a fun element to our nights. The shows themselves were decent, with the International and Circus shows being our favorites. The White Party was also a highlight of our stay.

Excursions:
We booked our excursions with Freddy Freddy Camposand they were fantastic. The excursions were well-organized and added a lot to our overall experience. Communication with Freddy was great!

Conclusion:
In summary, the Riu Guanacaste offers a solid all-inclusive experience with friendly staff, clean facilities, and fun activities. Improvements could be made in the dining reservation system and managing beach vendors, but these issues did not overshadow our enjoyment. We would recommend this resort to others, especially families looking for a fun and relaxing getaway.
Date of stay: July 2024
Trip type: Travelled with family
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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.
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    18 - 23 of 10,131 reviews
    Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

    We booked a family trip and looked forward to an adventure filled trip. The hotel is an all inclusive which added to the excitement for the week.

    Unfortunately, we cannot tell you how their restaurants are because we could only utilize the main buffet.

    No one told us about the restaurants and how to utilize them until 4 days into the trip. Beware because if you go on excursions like our family, you will never be able to eat in any of the restaurants. You will only eat in the buffet.

    They don’t take reservations; it’s on a first come basis. If you go on an excursion or do any adventures off the property, most are all day and return after 6pm.

    The restaurants include Italian, Asian, seafood, steak, and a buffet. Here’s the catch. The restaurants are open 6-8:30pm but because they are on a first come basis, people line up to put their name on a waiting list. The list is filled immediately. If you arrive later due to an excursion or activity, then you can not put your name on the list.

    As a result, we found it very difficult to eat anywhere besides the buffet.

    The food at the buffet included a wide variety and it was excellent quality.

    Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what any of the other food in the restaurants due to an inability to try them.

    Date of stay: July 2024
    Trip type: Travelled with family
    Thank 81melindab
    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.
    Online Reputation Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Guanacaste, responded to this reviewResponded 2 weeks ago

    Dear 81melindab,

    We appreciate you staying with us.

    In our pursuit of excellence, it certainly saddens us to learn that you were left disappointed with some aspects of your experience.

    If you wish you can file a formal complaint at: complaints@riu.com
    Our After Travel Customer Care will kindly assist you.

    Your review will be passed on to the management department for further acknowledgement.

    Best Regards,

    Hotel Riu Guanacaste
    Online Reputation Manager

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 3 weeks ago

    I was hoping to give this hotel a better review, but I was so disappointed in the service and restaurants at this resort. Very poor customer service, except for maybe 2-3 employees. The Italian restaurant opened at 6:00pm and by 6:15 they were full and wouldn’t take any more guests. They only refilled refrigerator every two days. 1 bottle of water for four guests. Check in was a nightmare and they messed up the number of beds. Food was all the same across all restaurants. The Ribeye steaks are nothing like the pictures on the website. If I ever return to Costa Rica or any destination for that matter, I will stay away from RIU. 🙁

    Date of stay: July 2024
    • Trip type: Travelled with family
      • Value
      • Location
      • Sleep Quality
      • Rooms
      • Cleanliness
      • Service
    Thank Sharon C
    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.
    Online Reputation Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Guanacaste, responded to this reviewResponded 2 weeks ago

    Dear Sharon C,

    Thank you for your review following your recent stay with us.

    We are truly concerned to read about your disappointing experience during the visit and we are very sorry we did not live up to the standards that you expected from us.

    Please rest assured; your comments have been shared with the responsible department for an appropriate follow up as we truly hope you will give us another chance to welcome you soon again.

    Until then we wish you all the best,

    Hotel Riu Guanacaste
    Online Reputation Manager

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 3 weeks ago

    Horrible front desk check in was rude and i had the same person for check out and she was NASTY
    theres no 24 hour room service which suck at 9pm i asked for water and beer was told NO

    Date of stay: June 2024
      • Value
      • Location
      • Sleep Quality
      • Rooms
      • Cleanliness
      • Service
    Review collected in partnership with riu.com
    Thank HB52519
    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.
    Online Reputation Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Guanacaste, responded to this reviewResponded 3 weeks ago

    Dear HB52519,

    Thank you very much for choosing Riu and for sharing your feedback.

    We are saddened to find that you encountered the mentioned inconveniences and that this overshadowed your experience.

    Your comments will be forwarded to the responsible department for a proper follow up, in order to reassure to improve our guest’s service and we do hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome you back again for a true RIU experience!

    We remain with best wishes,

    Hotel Riu Guanacaste
    Online Reputation Manager

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 3 weeks ago

    We were there in June 2024. I have to say before starting that our room was at the best place possible. We had 3007. Far from the noise. The view was magical 😱😱😱😱😱 on the forest/mountains. We saw monkeys…. We love it. The room was out of date. The beds were double and super not comfortable. We had back and neck problems after a week.

    Our cleaning lady was extremely nice. We talk to her multiple times. She understood what we like and did it for us in our room. She was amazing. LUCRECIA 💕💕💕

    The view on the beach was magical. Wowowowowwo. We took so much pictures. The beach were the long chairs are is not very clean. But the sand in the water is one of the most perfect beaches we went. No rocks. The water was warmer then the pool. We went the the left at monkey bar to see the monkeys. So much fun.

    The water park was nice and clean. The employees were nice. You need to bring your towels before coming there because they don’t offer towels at the water park. Only at the pool and it’s far away.

    For the towels ☹️☹️☹️, it was only one a day. Well when you go to the beach, pool and waterpark. It goes wet really fast and it’s not really comfortable after 😫. Never had that issue before to other resort.

    The food didn’t had any really flavors. And we are vegetarian so not a lot of choices. The Asian was our favorite. We went twice.

    Not a lot of activities for kids around the pool except in the pool. Which other Riu like Panama had so much.

    What shock us the most is the employees. Wowow no smile. Not friendly. Like other resort. Normally, they would welcome us and talk and smile. Serouisly … very disappointed. No service in the morning. Either at the buffet. Even when I say hi and smile… the employees don’t react. Missing that huge thing….. customer service. Wowow.

    The only and I say only place that we had a bit of good service was …. At steakhouse…. The chef NELSON come and said he would make us a vegetarian burger. And wowow he did a good job. The second time we come to the steakhouse, we had GUSTAVO. He was good. One of the best for this resort. When I ask his name for TripAdvisor… then Willy, Eduardo, Arthuro, Kevin and Manuel came to me and gave us service like the other resort do.

    Date of stay: June 2024
    Trip type: Travelled with family
    Thank Gabylasouris
    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.
    Online Reputation Director, Owner at Hotel Riu Guanacaste, responded to this reviewResponded 3 weeks ago

    Dear Gabylasouris,

    Thank you for taking the time to write the review. We appreciate your kind words about our location.

    Although we are disappointed to read your reference about the staff, we are regularly complimented on the excellent customer service received by those who choose to stay with us.

    As well, we take note of your comments. It is very important for us to know the opinion of our guests so that we can constantly improve.

    We would be delighted if you would consider our hotel again for a future stay.

    Kind regards,

    Hotel Riu Guanacaste
    Online Reputation Manager

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
    Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile

    This was my first family-friendly all-inclusive and my first stay at a RIU. I had visited Costa Rica in 2016 for a couples stay. Upon booking, I was immediately worried about our trip based on reviews.

    To my surprise, they accommodated my family of 5 in two rooms right next to each other- which was super helpful and I requested it multiple times throughout weeks leading up to the trip!

    The rooms are definitely dated, but they were serviced daily by the cleaning staff (I own a cleaning company in the US, my standards are super high!)

    It was practically impossible to make reservations for the speciality restaurants, so we did buffet for meals when on resort. They had different options each day and the food wasn’t terrible by any means. Unlike other all-inclusive, the restaurants are only open for 2 hours at a time.

    Their system of manual keys and towel cards is dated and I wonder why they won’t work smarter.

    Grounds crew works so hard to keep the property and its greenery beautiful. Great work on their end!

    The vendors on the beach are expected and leave you alone upon “no thank you”. One booked a private boat for our party, stated four hours of fishing and snorkeling, and took 50% deposit- to our surprise, it was a boat trip, but none of these excursions existed on it. Furthermore, the captain never received deposit. Beware of the excursion vendors (not all are bad, we’ve had luck in the past with them. Ask for receipt before walking away).

    The pool was fun and the kids loved the activities. My only complaint is other guests bringing their portable speakers and blasting trap music over the music provided by resort. No employees stopped this either.

    Diamente eco park is right next door and the transfers run every 30 mins. There’s alot to do there and it’s beautiful.

    Biggest shout out to Franco at RiuLand! This man works tirelessly everyday, 12 hours per day! My daughter LOVED him and he’s also one of the evening performers (his Michael Jackson show was INCREDIBLE!) I would return just for Franco’s hospitality.

    If you’re looking for a resort that will blow your kids minds, look no further (especially for the price point). Our kids had the week of their lives.

    Date of stay: June 2024
    Trip type: Travelled with family
    Thank rosiey624
    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.
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