Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10878 reviews

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  Extremely Poor Handling of a Lost Item and Unacceptable Communication

  We recently stayed at RIU Guanacaste from September 27–30, 2026, and unfortunately, the way the resort has handled a very important lost item has completely changed my opinion of our experience. When we checked out on September 30, we realized that my son’s navy fleece dinosaur blanket was missing. This is not simply a replaceable blanket to our family—it is extremely special to my son. We know it was accidentally left in his bed. Within just a few hours of leaving the resort, I emailed the hotel to report it because I was never able to get a human being to answer the telephone at any time despite MULTIPLE attempts. I was told they would communicate with housekeeping, but after that, communication became incredibly frustrating. I repeatedly tried again contacting the resort and could not get anyone to answer the phone. I sent additional emails and also contacted RIU’s complaints department, yet I received little to no meaningful follow-up. Because I was getting nowhere, I eventually had to take matters into my own hands and seek help through social media just to try to get someone at the resort to look into the situation. What has been especially frustrating is that several days after I initially reported the blanket missing, I learned that reception had seen my email but had still not checked with housekeeping. That was incredibly upsetting considering I contacted the hotel within hours of checkout specifically so the room and housekeeping staff could be checked as quickly as possible. We were also later given information suggesting that a man had gone back into our room after we checked out. That statement is extremely concerning because it was not my husband, and neither of us returned to the room after checkout. I still do not understand where that information came from or why it was being used in relation to our missing item. At this point, my biggest complaint is not simply that an item was left behind. Accidents happen. My frustration is with the complete lack of urgency, compassion, communication, organization, and basic customer service that followed. In this day and age, there is absolutely no reason it should be this difficult for a guest to get a straightforward answer about whether housekeeping found an item in a room on the day of checkout. Had someone simply checked with housekeeping promptly and communicated clearly with us, this entire situation could have been handled very differently. Instead, I have spent days emailing, calling, contacting the complaints department, and trying other avenues just to get someone to take the issue seriously. As a Mom I would do anything for my kids. This blanket was given to my son by my mother who passed away last year. He's had it since he was 2 and it's priceless and irreplaceable. For a large international resort, this level of communication and customer service is unacceptable. We were genuinely hoping for help locating something very sentimental to our son. Instead, we have been left frustrated, disappointed, and shocked by how poorly this has been handled. I would strongly encourage anyone staying here to keep very close track of their belongings before checkout, because based on our experience, getting meaningful assistance afterward may be extremely difficult.

  Oct 05, 2026
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  Worst Riu resorts in Central America for services

  The hotel itself is very nice, well maintained and room are comfortable. However, the food experience is the worst of all the previous 7x that we stay at Riu hotels and resorts all over Mexico. Of the 4 specialty restaurants, 3 were buffet style with approximately the same food that you can find at the main dining. This was disappointing but the worst was the staff, nobody smile and it seems like they don't care about their clients. When it was time to return to the Liberia airport at the end of our 7 days vacation, we had to walk 2km+ on the road to meet our transportation because the road was blocked by a fallen tree. It was pitch dark, wet and a very steep road to walk. There was families and young kids on the road at 04:30; to finish a vacation it's awful.

  Oct 03, 2026
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  Avoid this tourist trap, not worth $5

  Extremely disappointing — not worth the money Unfortunately, my experience at this all-inclusive hotel has been extremely disappointing from beginning to end. The biggest problem is that the lack of quality seems to be present at every level — the service, the food, the drinks, the atmosphere, and the overall guest experience. The food is honestly some of the worst I have experienced at an all-inclusive resort. Most of what I encountered was cold, poorly prepared, and extremely low quality. There was very little that felt fresh, carefully prepared, or remotely deserving of the price being charged for the experience. I genuinely found better-quality food at inexpensive local sodas than what was being served here. The drinks were equally disappointing. The cocktails taste like they are made with the cheapest possible ingredients and very little attention to quality or preparation. In the end, beer felt like the safest option simply because it is difficult to ruin a product that already comes prepared. Unfortunately, the problem goes beyond food and drinks. The service throughout the property was consistently poor, and the overall atmosphere felt impersonal, chaotic, and completely disconnected from what you would expect from a quality resort. There is very little sense of hospitality, attention to detail, or genuine care for the guest experience. For me, this felt less like an enjoyable all-inclusive vacation and more like a massive tourist trap designed to process as many people as possible while providing the lowest possible level of quality. I would strongly recommend considering other options before spending your money here. There are local restaurants and smaller establishments nearby where you can spend considerably less and, in my experience, receive better food, better service, and a much more authentic experience. Overall: extremely disappointing and absolutely not worth the price.

  Oct 03, 2026
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  A Wonderful Stay with Exceptional Service at Riu Guanacaste

  We had an absolutely wonderful stay at Riu Guanacaste and would happily return. From the moment we arrived, we were impressed by how warm, friendly and welcoming the entire team was. The service throughout our stay was exceptional - everyone we encountered seemed genuinely happy to help and went out of their way to make guests feel comfortable. A very special mention has to go to Chef Aldo, who was absolutely amazing. I have dietary restrictions and he personally took the time to walk me through the food options and show me what I could safely enjoy. His kindness, patience and genuine care made such a difference and allowed me to relax and enjoy the dining experience without worrying. That level of personal attention is something I will definitely remember. The resort itself was incredibly clean and very well maintained. Our room was comfortable, the grounds were beautiful, and the pools and beach made it easy to simply relax and enjoy Costa Rica. We also really enjoyed the variety of food and the overall atmosphere throughout the property. What stood out most for us was the people. We have travelled extensively over the years and Riu Guanacaste is genuinely one of the friendliest and cleanest resorts we have ever stayed at. A beautiful setting, wonderful people and a resort that clearly takes pride in the guest experience. Thank you to the entire Riu Guanacaste team and especially Chef Aldo, for making our stay so memorable. We would absolutely recommend this resort and look forward to returning!

  Oct 03, 2026
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  Sandi - horrible customer service

  Just checked in - horrible customer service from Sandi - he calls himself a manager. He went out of his way to upset me instead of making my first day memorable

  Sep 30, 2026