Barcelo Tambor - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

6557 reviews

• 

  i was robbed by hotel and resort. and lied to by restart management

  my kids and i went there thinking it was kid friendly. i saw a old run down facility full drunks. the rooms were old and nasty. i asked for refund and i left 2 hours after arriving. The resort refused to refund. and basically stole the money. they tried to tell me to get refund through booker.com. but the resort swiped my bank card. Barceló Playa Tambor resort in Puntarenas took my money off of my card. they stole the money. and the lady’s at counter are mean. i had tried to recover the money. i call there and they hand up. the resort is very old and the staff lie to your face. unless a miracle that place will close very soon. . the beach is nasty. for real and full of crocodiles. thieves truly. don’t go there. go to tamarindo. such nice resorts and nice people.

  Sep 03, 2026
• 

  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
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  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