Barcelo Tambor - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

6496 reviews

• 

  Needs an upgrade

  The worst resort ever! No elevator imagine walking 3 flights with luggage. Then the rooms are FILTHY! MOLD on chairs and bed covers. Even the beach towels have mold. The tub is NASTY with grime on the shower head. The toilets don't flush, huge water bugs and moths, the shower water doesn't go down with mildew tiles. Most of the staff is rude and need more training. If you take two water from the premium level (which we paid for) they have an issue with it. When I asked the staff to change the bed linens she rolled her eyes and stomped her feet with an attitude. The food is repetitive EVERY DAY no variety. The property is beautiful and they can get many people here, but they need to renovate the property and retrain the staff.

  Aug 21, 2026
• 

  Beautiful on the outside

  From the outside this hotel is stunning with manicured grounds,beautiful pool area and a decent looking beach. Unfortunately when you get into the room its another story altogether. Mold on the curtains and in the bathroom. We were with a tour group and many of our fellow travelers had to change rooms several times due to mold or no hot water. Plus the room wasnt very clean. The beach from afar looked very nice but the water was murky and the sand was rocky and dark brown like dirt. Hardly anyone was ever on the beach. Pool was always crowded. Very nice pool despite bath water temperature. They had a snack area at pool which served hot dogs,burgers,fries,popcorn,nachos...etc. Burgers had a weird taste but nachos were awesome. In the main buffet dining area squirrels crawling all over the tables while your eating you have to swat them away. Bees all in the ice cream toppings,big turn off. Food wasnt bad but repetitive. You can book dinner at the italian/sushi or steakhouse. Italian food was a good attempt and the steakhouse not bad either but their steaks are nothing like ours in the usa, much more tough. The hotel also offers excursions and they have a macaw sanctuary on the premises with a private pool by the spa. You can spot monkeys in the trees along with macaws flying around. They also have evening enteryainment but it was only in spanish being most of their guests are costa ricans. If they could just redo all the rooms it would be a great place but because the rooms were dirty with mold it came down a notch for me.

  Aug 08, 2026
• 

  Barcelona Tanbor/caravan tours

  On Caravan tours we stayed 3 nights. Great location, maybe a little older rooms (showers cold-ish) but beautiful pools and unlimited buffet (most people are all inclusive), staff were helpful and pleasant. They served beef a lot and honestly..tough! You’d think with all the natural tenderizers (pineapple juice) they’d do that; ever the Steak and Seafood restaurant dining option the steaks were tough. Great they have a bird rescue center on ground, heard/saw howling monkeys, interesting stripped squirrels, lots of iguanas and lots of families! Lots of activities for kids/families; maybe a location for adults, at night, to dance and mingle???

  Jul 26, 2026
• 

  Not the relaxing resort experience we expected

  I think it’s important for international travelers to understand what kind of experience to expect at Barceló Tambor before booking. The resort seems primarily geared toward local tourism and has a very lively, high-energy atmosphere. That may be exactly what some guests want, but if your idea of a Costa Rica vacation is relaxing with a book and enjoying some peace and quiet, this may not be the right fit. The main pool sits at the center of everything. Starting around 9:00 a.m., loud Latin party music and heavy dance beats blast through the pool area and continue throughout the day. Because of the layout, it’s almost impossible to avoid. Whether you’re heading to restaurants, the beach, reception, or just moving around the property, you have to pass through this central hub. During our stay, it often felt like walking through a crowded, high-energy scene with constant noise just to get anywhere. The resort was extremely busy, even during the week, and at times felt more like a theme park than a relaxing beach resort. Unfortunately, the beach didn’t offer much escape either. It’s close enough that the music can still be clearly heard, and during our stay it was under a red flag warning, so swimming wasn’t allowed. We had chosen the resort partly for the advertised water sports, but these were not available during our stay, which was disappointing. I do want to recognize Alison in Customer Service, who was incredibly kind and helpful when we explained that the environment wasn’t what we expected. She helped us secure dinner reservations in quieter areas and suggested the wellness pool, which was much calmer. We really appreciated her effort to listen and find alternatives. There were other positives as well. The staff, especially in the buffet, were friendly and attentive. There was a good variety of food, though we found it mostly average. One smaller issue was that drinks were served in small paper cups that quickly became soggy and fell apart. We also noticed disposable cups left around the property, which made things feel less polished. Also, expectations around dining should be clearer. While multiple restaurants are advertised, most meals are at the buffet. The other restaurants require reservations, are limited, and not guaranteed, which felt somewhat misleading.

  Jul 24, 2026
• 

  Pesimo no malgasten su dinero //It's terrible—don't waste your money.

  Fue terrible, la comida muy limitada el sabor no era rico y ademas solo hubo mariscos como por 3 dias, las instalaciones viejas , mal cuidadas , las habitaciones estaban corroidas en el baño , la mampara estaba callendose y super incomodo y peligroso el ingreso a la ducha , ademas el sanitario no funcionaba bien, nos enviaron lejisimos en las ultimas habitaciones y ni nos ofrecieron llevar las maletas, ademas el restaurante tematico solo se puee pedir un plato y no mas , el bar tenia un olor a establo y las bebidas sabian a agua todas , la musica super desactualizada, todo terrible pesima experiencia no lo recominedo , hay gente q hace tictok(se creen influencer) lo recomiendan obvio es porq les dan algo pero no les crean es pesimo no malgasten su dinero ni sus vacaciones aqui ////It was terrible—the food selection was very limited, it didn’t taste good, and on top of that, they only served seafood for about three days. The facilities were old and poorly maintained; the bathrooms in the rooms were corroded, the shower screen was falling apart, and getting into the shower was extremely uncomfortable and dangerous. Plus, the toilet didn’t work properly. They put us way out in the very last rooms and didn’t even offer to carry our bags. Plus, at the themed restaurant, you can only order one dish and nothing else; the bar smelled like a barn, and all the drinks tasted like water; the music was totally outdated. Everything was terrible—a horrible experience. I don’t recommend it. There are people on TikTok (who think they’re influencers) who recommend it—obviously because they’re getting something in return—but don’t believe them; it’s awful. Don’t waste your money or your vacation here.

  Jul 21, 2026