Planet Hollywood Costa Rica by Royalton, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9136 reviews

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  Planet Hollywood - Costa Rica

  First key point to note if you are flying into San Jose Airport the hotel is about 4 hours away by ground transportation. The hotel is fairly new, the buffet is generally good but the restaurants are not good at all. The beach is of volcanic ash (black sand) so if you’re not open minded it could be an underwhelming experience. Unfortunately for me I had cash stolen from my bag which was in my room during the stay and which I only discovered on the morning of my departure but before this horrible exit I rated my experience 8/10.

  Aug 29, 2026
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  Experience of a life time!

  10+ STARS! A big shout out to Antonio. He made our stay a most memorable experience. Food was amazing. The buffet ended up being my favorite restaurant because there were so many traditional dishes available. Upon checking in we were given a coupon book. The only negative was the number of exclusions on the coupons makes them nearly impossible to use. Staff went out of their way to ensure we wanted for nothing!

  Aug 29, 2026
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  Fun Resort With Great Entertainment, But Food and Service Need Major Improvement

  We recently stayed at Planet Hollywood Costa Rica and had a mixed experience. There were definitely some positives. The entertainment staff around the pool and beach were excellent and really helped make the resort fun. A huge shoutout to Terry from the entertainment team, who was amazing, incredibly friendly, and one of the standout employees during our stay. The beach was very clean, the monkeys on the beach seemed well controlled, and the golf carts were a huge help for getting around the property. That said, this resort is built into a mountain, so be prepared for a lot of hills. You are either walking uphill quite a bit or waiting for a golf cart, which is something to consider if anyone in your group has mobility issues. The biggest disappointment was the food. It needs a serious uplift across the board, including both the buffet and specialty restaurants. Our dinners at the hibachi restaurant and steakhouse were especially disappointing because the food was very overcooked. The cooking quality really needs attention. The other thing they hand you is a coupon book upon check in but make it VERY difficult to use the book throughout your stay. We were denied using it at dinner twice. Restaurant service was also not very attentive. At hibachi, we waited about 45 minutes just to get a beer with dinner, which is not what you expect at an all-inclusive resort. Room cleanliness and housekeeping also need to be reviewed. Basic things were missed, including not even having the shower bottles refilled during our stay. For a resort at this price point, the room should be consistently cleaned and fully stocked. Another major issue was the bees around the pool. They were honestly insane. If you have a serious bee allergy, I would think very carefully before booking this resort because there were so many around the pool area. The birds were also a nuisance and very aggressive about taking food, so you really had to watch anything you were eating. Unfortunately, we also had a water bottle stolen from our pool chair, so I would recommend not leaving personal items unattended. Overall, the resort has a beautiful setting, a fun atmosphere, a clean beach, convenient golf carts, and an excellent entertainment team. Terry in particular deserves recognition for how friendly and engaging he was. However, the food quality, restaurant service, housekeeping, and cleanliness standards need significant improvement before I could give this resort a higher rating and kind of shocked by the 4.5 stars it holds.

  Aug 28, 2026
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  The Worst Hotel Experience I’ve Had in My Travels — Absolutely Not Worth the Price

  I have traveled to more than 20 countries and stayed at hundreds of hotels, including countless Marriott properties, and I can honestly say this was one of the worst hotel experiences I have ever had. We paid over $1,000 per night for our stay, and unfortunately, the experience was nowhere close to what you would expect at that price point—or from a property advertising itself as a 5-star resort. From the moment we arrived, we felt like we were constantly being harassed about upgrading our experience or being sold something. It seemed like every corner we turned, someone was trying to sell us an additional service, package, upgrade, or experience. Instead of feeling like valued guests, we felt like walking wallets. The “$500 Resort Credit” — Seriously? One of the things advertised when I booked through Marriott was a $500 resort credit. Imagine my surprise when I was handed a coupon booklet. This was NOT a $500 resort credit. It was essentially a collection of discounts that required you to spend additional money first to receive the discount—for example, $25 off a $100 purchase at the resort store or $50 off a massage. Calling this a “$500 resort credit” is extremely misleading. A resort credit implies that you actually have $500 to use toward eligible resort expenses. Instead, we were given coupons encouraging us to spend even more money. I honestly laughed when the booklet was handed to me because I couldn't believe this was what they were referring to as a $500 resort credit. Check-In & “Star Class” Our check-in experience was equally disappointing. We had paid for their “Star Class”, which we understood was supposed to include a more elevated arrival experience, including a private check-in area and access to our own lounge. Nobody explained any of this to us during check-in. In fact, the valet attendant was the person who eventually told us about the Star Class area and lounge—after our check-in was already completed. If a guest is paying for a premium experience, the hotel should be proactively explaining and delivering those benefits from the moment they arrive. The Room The room itself was extremely underwhelming for what we paid. It was nothing special and certainly did not feel like a luxury experience. If we wanted a better view, we were simply told we needed to pay even more money. At over $1,000 a night, I shouldn't have to continuously pay additional fees to make the room feel worth the price. The Food The food was, at best, one-star quality. To make matters worse, the portions were so unbelievably small that an individual would need to order three or four portions just to feel like they had eaten a normal meal. For the prices being charged, this was unacceptable. Marriott Elite Treatment I am a Marriott Elite member, and one of the reasons I remain loyal to Marriott is the expectation that my status will be recognized and respected. Unfortunately, that was not our experience here. Every time we tried to book something where our membership benefits or discounts should have applied, we were either given incorrect information about what discount we would receive or had to argue with staff about it. Having to repeatedly fight for benefits that should have been straightforward made an already disappointing stay even more frustrating. The “Private Dining Experience” This was probably the most ridiculous part of our entire stay. We paid extra for a private dining experience featuring steak and lobster, along with an expensive bottle of wine. We were specifically told that our host would be there to “create an experience” for us. Instead, approximately 30 minutes into the dinner, our host demanded payment. After that, he essentially disappeared and never came back to properly serve or host the experience. We paid a premium for what was supposed to be a special, elevated dining experience and were left wondering what exactly we had paid for. It was honestly embarrassing and felt like a complete joke. Is This Really a 5-Star Resort? After this stay, I have no idea how this property considers itself a 5-star resort. In my personal opinion, this is at best a 3-star property, and I would personally rate it 2 stars, with the only reason I'm giving it those two stars being that the pool and cabana were nice. Everything else fell dramatically short of what I would expect from a 5-star resort—especially at more than $1,000 per night. Overall During our stay, I genuinely wanted to leave and go to the Ritz-Carlton instead. The biggest problem wasn't just one bad meal, one disappointing room, or one employee. It was the overall experience of constantly being pressured to spend more money while simultaneously receiving a level of service and quality that did not justify the price. At more than $1,000 per night, I expect exceptional service, attention to detail, quality food, transparency, and staff who actually understand and honor the benefits associated with elite status. Instead, we experienced poor service, disappointing food, constant upselling, misleading resort-credit advertising, confusing information, and a lack of attention to the premium services we had already paid for. I have traveled extensively, and stayed at hundreds of hotels across many brands. This was easily one of the worst hotel experiences I have ever had. For the money, there are far better luxury properties where you can actually feel like a valued guest rather than a customer being constantly pressured to spend more. I would absolutely not stay here again, and I cannot recommend this property to anyone looking for a true 5-star luxury resort experience.

  Aug 28, 2026
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  Amazing 2-Week Vacation for 3 Families! Don't Believe the Bad Beach Rumors!

  We just got back from an incredible two-week stay with a group of three families—six adults and six teenagers in total—and there was so much for everyone to do! Honestly, all the staff at the resort were so friendly, especially the animation team. There are just too many names to mention them all, but they really made us feel welcome. Before arriving, I was really worried about the beach. Looking at TripAdvisor photos, I was scared it wouldn't be swimmable, especially during low tide. I'm happy to report that wasn't the case at all! You can absolutely swim at any time. Low tide was actually a blast—it was the perfect spot to just hang out, cool down, and chat in the water. We also did the organized morning kayak tour one day, which was great. Huge shoutout to Nestor, Phillipe, and Paola at the beachside pool bar! They were so incredibly friendly and mixed up amazing drinks for us. Another big worry of mine was the rainy season, but we barely saw any rain at the resort. It only rained lightly for about 20 minutes one day, and we just stayed in the pool and enjoyed it as a fun change of pace. It did rain during our excursions, but hey, you're visiting a rainforest! We came prepared with rain jackets and rain pants. It actually got quite cold and windy during our sloth excursion, so definitely pack for that. On the bright side, seeing the monkeys around the property was so much fun! We spaced out our excursions nicely, which gave us plenty of time to just relax and enjoy the resort. The resort is extremely family-friendly. Our teenagers always had something to do and met tons of other kids their age. They stayed super busy playing water polo, pool and beach volleyball, and participating in the pool kayak and paddleboard races. They loved the foam parties and hit up karaoke at the sports bar before 10 PM. I only have a few suggestions for the resort to improve since we did stay 14 nights: Room Maintenance: One morning, water came into our room all the way up to the couch. It must have been from the sprinkler system, which was definitely a stressful way to wake up as we were heading out for an excursion (Buena Vista Mega Combo) and our bags were wet. Bar Hours & Staffing: They really need to keep the lobby bar open past 10 PM. One night was Mother’s Day in Costa Rica, so the resort was packed. We finished dinner and ran to the lobby bar, but they had already shut down by 9:45 PM. We headed to the sports bar instead, but there was only one server working. The line was a solid 20-minute wait, so we just gave up and drank beers from our room fridge. Food Variety: The burger joint by the pool was nice, but by the end, I just couldn't eat another burger. It would be amazing if they did a beach BBQ some days to mix things up, similar to what some Royalton resorts offer. Buffet Fruit: I found it really odd that fruit is only served at breakfast. It would be great to have fresh fruit options at the lunch and dinner buffets for guests who want a healthy dessert. Overall, it was a fantastic trip and we would definitely recommend it for big family groups!

  Aug 27, 2026