5-Star Hotels in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Just returned from our stay at the Planet Hollywood and have mixed feelings.  There were some excellent aspects… but also a few areas for improvement!  Let’s start with the good stuff: Edu (bartender at the lobby bar) was a STAR.  Trust him to make your drinks, just tell him the flavor or preference for liquor) and he will spin you up something completely magical!! We LOVED spending our nights sitting at the bar watching Edu make peoples evenings.  We also loved the included watersports like paddleboarding and kayaking ( unfortunately the big water tricycle was out of order).  The Fuel Coffee bar is also a fabulous addition and great place to escape the heat for a cold coffee.  Now, the negatives - the front desk staff was pretty subpar and didn’t seem to communicate very well - one girl was actually very rude when I was trying to sort out a room situation and I wish I got her name.  The pool drinks are SO bad.  Not sure what type of bottom shelf alcohol they use at pool bar, but we tried so many different drinks and they were all disgusting.  The only thing somewhat drinkable was the Mojito.  I ended up switching to non-alcoholic drinks after day 1 and they were much better at the pool.  Did my real drinking at the lobby bar with Edu in the evenings.  Otherwise, the room was clean - resort was nice and entertainment was entertaining.  The food was decent but the buffet was SO hot and humid without any air conditioning. Overall, this was far from the best all inclusive experience I’ve had, but, we still made the most of it and had a nice time.

A beautifully situated, large, and luxurious hotel with excellent service. But unfortunately, it's primarily geared towards partying Americans. This results in constant noise pollution. On the first day of our stay, there was a poolside party with lots of people drinking and very loud music from a DJ. On the 2nd day, a large screen was set up by the pool, showing the Super Bowl game from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. It was incredibly noisy. Our dinner in the restaurant was therefore unpleasant and disappointing. The management is engaged and positive, but they can't make up for our negative experience. Conclusion: if you're looking for a luxurious experience with lots of parties, crowds, and loud music, this is the place to be. If you're looking for the peaceful pura vida experience surrounded by nature in Costa Rica, this is not the place to be!

The staff were friendly, very polite, and always attentive to customer needs. A nice hotel with several dinner options and a good location.

An amazing experience, the place is beautiful, the service is excellent, the rooms very modern, elegant and spacious. Very relaxing!.

Located at the Peninsula with stunning views. All the activities are fun and family-friendly. What a pleasant stay.

This resort is quite a distance from Liberia Airport, about an hour and fifteen minutes by car. It's a very large property, mostly consisting of two-story buildings (each with 8 suites). All meals are included, but some specialty restaurants require early morning reservations on the same day. The food selection is extensive, but the taste wasn't particularly impressive. The cocktails were also quite weak. The service, however, was top-notch – it was quite hot, and while walking around the resort, we frequently encountered golf carts offering rides. The drivers often pointed out wildlife we encountered and would stop for us to take photos. The resort is right on the beach, and other facilities are also comprehensive. I asked the front desk for a Bala kit, which included a yoga mat and a massager, and it was delivered very quickly.