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    Riu Guanacaste

    PPPPP Plus

    InPlaya de Matapalo, Costa Rica

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    Based on 8243 reviews

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    ABOUT THE HOTEL

    • Official Rating
    • Free Wi-Fi

    This place lines up a tucked-away beachfront setting, loads of activities, and a clutch of high-end restaurants.

    The Riu Guanacaste is pulled right up against the ocean and backed by green-cloaked mountains. Fitting for Costa Rica, the hotel has a Spanish colonial look and feel – right down to stone plazas, fountains and archways.

    The hotel’s setting is spot on if you just want to decamp to the beach each day. But if you want to get out and about, Coco Beach – the nearest resort – is about a 20-minute taxi ride away. You can also take a water taxi – it's a slightly longer journey, but you might spot some dolphins en route.

    • Rooms: 701
    • Lifts: 6
    • Building: 1
    • Floors: 6
    TRAVELIFE CERTIFIED

    This hotel meets global standards on how it's protecting the environment, looking after staff and supporting the local community.

    Things you'll love

    • Secluded beachfront setting
    • 4 speciality restaurants
    • Huge pool with swim-up bar
    • Free Wi-Fi
    • Perfect for your wedding day

    Location

    • Located on Matapalo beach on Costa Rica's Pacific coast
    • 18km from Coco Beach
    • Next to Diamante Eco Adventure Park which offers wildlife and zip-lining experiences
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    Premier Holidays

    Swish hotels all over the world

    • Stylish 4 and 5-star hotels
    • Highly rated by you
    • 20kg luggage allowance on TUI flights
    • Handpicked for families and adults

    Find out more about Premier Holidays »

    FOOD & DRINK

    All Inclusive

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    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Evening Meal
    • Drinks
    • Snacks

    24-hour All Inclusive. Buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Option for Continental breakfast. Selected local-brand and imported alcohol, soft drinks, tea and coffee, 24 hours a day. Regularly restocked minibar and in-room drinks optic with local-brand spirits. 24-hour snacks.

    Facilities

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      accommodationData.facilities
    • Renova spa*

      There are eight treatment rooms here offering things like hot stone massages, hydrating facials and aloe vera body wraps. Other facilities include a shiatsu area and a beauty salon.

    • Liberia buffet restaurant

      Open for breakfast and dinner, with themed buffets and a terrace for al fresco dining. Just so you know, there's a dress code here - gentlemen are asked to wear shirts with sleeves for evening meals.

    • Outdoor pool

      The huge lagoon-like pool takes centre stage. It meanders into different corners accessorised by things like in-water loungers and a swim-up bar area. In the middle of it all, you'll find a whirlpool bath.

    Rooms

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    • Double Room with Balcony or Terrace

      These double rooms have a balcony or terrace and come with Wi-Fi, satellite TV, air-con, a safe and a regularly restocked minibar. You'll also have a drinks optic with locally-branded spirits. They sleep up to four with either a king-size bed or two double beds.

    • Double Room with Sea View and Balcony or Terrace

      These double rooms have a sea-view balcony or terrace, Wi-Fi, satellite TV, air-con, a safe and a regularly restocked minibar. You'll also have a drinks optic with locally-branded spirits. They sleep up to four with either a king-size bed or two double beds.

    Good for the value
    08 Oct , 2019 No N, 29220
    The food served during the day is buffet style on whick the choices change daily. For dinner it is worth standing in line to get in because its first come first serve. The restaurants for dinner open at 6pm and the pool closes at 6pm and opens at 8am. In the evening the entertainment caters to the familus with ninos. Each night is a different themed event. The best places for dinner was the steak house, the italian restaurant, and the Japanese restaurant. Overall the place had outdated rooms, good food servive, descent drinks. The front desk is not very friendly and checkin is chaos.
    Anniversary stay
    08 Oct , 2019 littlemoosqueak, 187045
    Firstly please ignore the negative comments on here. We read those and were unduly worried. Who goes on holiday to inspect the sink for limescale or check that the grout in the tiles is pristine white anyway! And as for complaining about animals in the resort, dont go to a rainforest if you dont want the locals visiting! We loved guanacaste! Right from the check in which was quick and we got an upgrade to a sea view for our anniversary, this stay was amazing. We couldnt find and fault at all. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The grounds are very pretty, great job by the team maintaining this in all weathers. The surrounding is beautiful, eaches and rainforest and mountains - pop round the next cove for a deserted white sand beach. The sea was warm, clear and full of fish just be careful as the current is strong further out! The activities on sight and also from the beach tours is great fun and good value. Even the sellers on the beach are not pushy and very polite. We loved the wildlife - monkeys, coati, raccoon, hermit crab, iguana, vultures, friget birds, toucans and puffer fish - amazing! The hotel is beautiful, we loved the pool area and foyer. Our room had the most stunning view of the sea and was very big. House keeping came in when we asked and the bar was topped up in the room every 2 days which was plenty as we didnt really use our optics we preferred the social aspect of the bars on site. Thank you so much riu guanacasta for an amazing anniversary stay, we had a great time and would highly recommend Costa Rica and riu resorts ?❤
    50th Birthday fun!
    07 Oct , 2019 DrSanabella D
    This was an excellent hotel minus the very hard beds. We had a king bed which was actually 2 full beds pushed together. There was plenty of good food and drinks. We were hoping to see monkeys but only saw a couple in the way in none on the property. The beach was nice. Could not find the monkey bar restaurant that we wanted to eat at it was very far down the beach.
    The Good, Bad & ugly
    06 Oct , 2019 jaimster916, 48503
    The Good: Great staff..shoutout to Richard & Eduardo Beautiful landscaping Decent clean rooms Building hallways and restaurants are super clean Immediate housekeeping requests Refrigerator stocked with water & soda daily Nice selection of food choices & restaurants -tasty fresh fish, fruit & sushi Awesome coffee Easy check in with sunwing PADI Dive shop with snorkel & snuba Volcanic black sand beach with lots of sun loungers Lots of animals on property The Bad: Annoying lines at 5:30 for restaurant reservations (Although we had no problems getting a reservation every night) Rooms over entertainment theater are beyond loud No birthday decorations in room after confirming 3 times Slippery, dark bathtubs The Ugly: Horrible loud room shaking bass music every night No requirement of hand sanitizer upon entering buffet Locals that order multiple omelets & back up line Locals that take food with their hands & put it back on buffet Locals face timing loudly during meals at specialty restaurants Overall, a good resort but if I went back would ask for a room facing the mountain far away from entertainment. Hygiene issues with locals at the buffet gave half our plane head colds on the way home. Staff were friendly and food selection was good. Loved the Toucan & Asian sushi restaurants. Would return if there was a good price deal.
    Fun place
    06 Oct , 2019 Keith C, 47087
    This was a great place. The food was good; the hotel and rooms are spacious and yummy. I was there with my 10 year old son. The excursions were a little more expensive than we were used to in Mexico but were very fun and safe. Costa Rica is a great country that is very clean and safe and has very kind people. The night entertainment was fun.
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    Special Assistance

    This property is generally suitable for those with reduced mobility. Having said that, we understand that everyone has different needs, so feel free to contact our Customer Welfare team if you have any questions.


    Our Customer Welfare number is 0203 451 2585. Lines are open Monday to Friday 09.00-19.00, Saturday 09.00-18.00, and Sunday 10.00-17.00. Calls from UK landlines cost the standard rate, but calls from mobiles may be higher, so please check with your network provider.

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    Items marked with * incur extra charges which are payable locally