Resort Details
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
10660 reviews
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Sep 24, 2025WORST EXPERIENCE EVER- DO NOT BOOK
WORST EXPERIENCE EVER I felt totally ripped off by this hotel. Long story short, after a mix- up with Hotels.com and Booking.com, I ended up with two identical separate reservations at this property ($4,000 value each) . I was not awear of this until check in. Upon explaining the situation the front desk made me pick which reservation I want to use and said that they will cancel the other.I immediately called Hotels.com to request a refund for the unused reservation ( because I stayed using the reservation with Booking.com). Hoels.com said that they will issue a refund as soon as the hotels confirms that I did not use the reservation. Unfortunately, they were unable to reach the hotel for 5 days which I was still there . Upon check-out I asked for a confirmation ( a printout of there system) that the reservation was canceled> The managers acted very shady and said that they couldn't give me anything. Upon pressing further I was able to get a screenshot of the system showing that they marked me as a "no-show" and charged me full value. SO SHADY!!! I have tryed to reach Riu Complaints department to work with the hotel and confirm that I did not use the reservation. Hotels.com is unable to issue a refund until they hotel confirms with them. which they are refusing to do, I have never come across such dishonesty and short- sighted view. They have lost not only out family as a customer but all of our frequent travelers friends as well. I have never experienced worst customer service. For 6 months now I have tried to reach them in different ways and they are not responding. Overall, they charged me $8500 for 4 nights ( I didn't even get $800 value out of this place) It is unfortunate that this beautiful property with so much potential is so poorly managed- everything from housekeeping, to restaurants operations and food quality to the front desk staff and upper management, Someone should flag Riu Corporate so they can fix this property before it ruins the reputation of their total brand. I am never staying at another RIU Hotel. Mistakes happen and how you handle them can make of break a business. This business is so broken.
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Aug 11, 2025
Beautiful Resort, But a Disappointing and Stressful Wedding Experience
RIU Guanacaste is a beautiful resort on the surface, but my experience — especially as a bride planning a destination wedding — was extremely disappointing. After being asked to arrive two days early to finalize wedding details, the planner I had been working with was unavailable, and I was largely ignored by staff. I received conflicting information before my arrival (such as being told I could bring extra decorations or make changes to the wedding package), only to be told the opposite once I got there. No one had contacted me to go over final details by the morning of the wedding, which caused unnecessary stress on a day that should have been joyful. The onsite coordinator, Jordi, even threatened multiple times to cancel our wedding, despite the thousands we had spent and the group of guests we brought with us. On top of the wedding issues, the rooms themselves need serious attention. While the grounds and views are gorgeous, the rooms felt damp and musty. I returned home with all of my clothes smelling like mildew, which was really disappointing after what was supposed to be a celebratory trip. I wouldn’t recommend RIU Guanacaste for a destination wedding. The setting may be beautiful, but the lack of professionalism, poor communication, and room quality make it hard to justify.
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Jul 31, 2025
Extremely Disappointing Stay – Avoid if Possible
This was one of the worst all-inclusive hotel experiences we’ve ever had. Despite being advertised as a brand-new resort, everything felt old, worn down, and poorly maintained. Our room had a strong, unpleasant odor and showed significant signs of wear and tear. The food was another major letdown — bland, repetitive, and of very poor quality. There were no specialty dining options available, and the main restaurant was chaotic. The staff appeared disinterested and untrained; service was slow and inattentive. One of the key amenities, the water park, was located at a completely different property. Getting there involved a long walk — nearly a mile — and required crossing another hotel. Incredibly, no towels were provided at the water park, so we had to carry everything ourselves. Overall, this hotel fell far below expectations and did not meet the basic standards of an all-inclusive resort. I strongly recommend looking elsewhere
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Jul 26, 2025
Not good for families
If you have a family with kids look elsewhere. This resort is a joke for families. There is nothing family friendly to do besides the pool. After dinner, if you can even get a seat, all activities are catered to adults. Save your money and go elsewhere. So disappointed. The front staff even agreed that it isn’t family friendly and catered more towards adults. Also the rooms don’t look like the photos
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Jul 23, 2025I think that the total resort is too big and the food that they serve is not that good tasting. I do not recommend this resort.