Andaz Costa Rica Resort At Peninsula Papagayo

“Beautiful!”

Before arriving, we had read mixed reviews about the resort, but needed a relaxing stay after a week of activities in Costa Rica and as Globalists figured this would be good enough. Our experience was so good that it made me wonder whether the bad reviews were of a different resort! The service a… more

Before arriving, we had read mixed reviews about the resort, but needed a relaxing stay after a week of activities in Costa Rica and as Globalists figured this would be good enough. Our experience was so good that it made me wonder whether the bad reviews were of a different resort! The service at the resort - from check-in, to housekeeping, to the poolside - was prompt, enthusiastic and polished. The waiter at Gaio remembered the names of everyone in our party by the second day! We booked a Cabana experience for one day at Casa de Playa, which I highly recommend - there were so many amenities included that it honestly felt like a bargain. We stayed in an Andaz Bay suite, which was beautiful. The room was spacious, with a king size bed, queen sleeper sofa, dining area, and MASSIVE bathroom, and of course the view from the balcony of the bay as well as the resident howler monkeys and capuchins was fantastic. The resort is not cheap, especially during spring break when we were traveling, but this room was a worthy splurge. The pools at the resort are gorgeous, and I appreciated that both sunscreen and bug spray were provided. The hotel provides shuttles to other resorts on the peninsula - we enjoyed dinner at the Four Seasons one evening. I also had a great massage at the spa. All around, just a fantastic experience and I can't wait to return.

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“Amazing Beach and Outdoor Adventures”

The beach is stunning, perfect for swimming and water activities, with warm, calm water. Everything else was excellent too: the cocktails, the food, the rooms were impeccable. This hotel is ideal for relaxing, fully immersed in nature. I would definitely return. For our outdoor adventures, we heard… more

The beach is stunning, perfect for swimming and water activities, with warm, calm water. Everything else was excellent too: the cocktails, the food, the rooms were impeccable. This hotel is ideal for relaxing, fully immersed in nature. I would definitely return. For our outdoor adventures, we heard about Gabriel from Nomadtourscr and booked our tours in a self-drive style. It was super easy to reach all the destinations. Gabriel responded very quickly on WhatsApp and helped us plan the itinerary. We did the Rincón de la Vieja hike to see volcanic activity, the La Leona waterfall tour, which was amazing—and a private catamaran trip. Everything was smooth and well organized. I highly recommend Gabriel and Nomad Tours for travelers with a rental car. Pura vida, see you next time!

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“Fantastic Long Weekend Stay!”

We just returned from a fantastic stay at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo. We had such a relaxing time lounging by the beach and the pools watching the wildlife, particularly the monkeys at dusk. (Love the boat ride over to Casa de Playa! The guys who operate it are great.) The resort has plenty of sh… more

We just returned from a fantastic stay at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo. We had such a relaxing time lounging by the beach and the pools watching the wildlife, particularly the monkeys at dusk. (Love the boat ride over to Casa de Playa! The guys who operate it are great.) The resort has plenty of shaded chairs and lounging options that you can find at all times of day throughout the property. The availability of high-quality lounge chairs at the pools and beaches is a major plus here, as you can relax and use them when it works for your day. There are also so many fun activities to do too if you prefer a more active stay. The rooms have been kept in great condition for the climate, and housekeeping does a nice job keeping things clean and tidy. Love the shower design and the beds and bedding are very comfortable. Also appreciated the positioning of the AC vent on the ceiling, as it keeps the bed area of the room the coolest. Little details like the blackout shades throughout (including in the shower), well-positioned light switches, motion activated light in the WC, included mini-bar (Andaz brand standard), and always refilled glass water bottles make the room experience even better. The hotel also has some fantastic included fun amenities during your stay that make the experience memorable. Our favorites were the coconut water at check-in, fresh popsicles and smoothie shots at the pool and beach, and granadilla to try in the room when you first get there. The service was always excellent, and the team really sets the resort apart. I wanted to especially recognize Edgar at Chao Pescao, Jaffedh at the Ostra pool, and David at Ostra. These three all go above and beyond to provide personalized service and made us feel welcome and valued. We enjoyed all of the food that we had at the resort, particularly dinner at Chao Pescao, and thought the variety and quality was a highlight. The breakfast buffet is fantastic. Also had one meal at the nearby Four Seasons and would recommend to others to check it out for a meal using the complimentary shuttle. We used the WhatsApp communication a lot, and it is managed very well by the hotel. Thank you to that team for all of your help! Also recommend the Onda Spa. Our spa treatments were great, and the spa design is so cool. The treatment and locker rooms perched up on the mountain are worth a visit! Finally, the property is good about recognizing and valuing Hyatt status. Looking forward to returning again in the future! Thank you to the whole team for a great stay.

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“3 Star Property at 4.5 Star Price... just 'meh'”

After a bit of a pain to get through the double security checkpoints (not fun waiting after a 3 hour drive) you have a pretty beautiful entrance area. Friendly check-in staff. Then you get to the room - we got the full bay view king. Tip: skip the extra cost bay view--it's so far away and not tha… more

After a bit of a pain to get through the double security checkpoints (not fun waiting after a 3 hour drive) you have a pretty beautiful entrance area. Friendly check-in staff. Then you get to the room - we got the full bay view king. Tip: skip the extra cost bay view--it's so far away and not that special. The room fragrance was almost overpowering. I'm not sensitive to that kind of thing, but it was almost choke-worthy (woke up next morning with almost a sore throat from it). The property itself is really only about a 3-star property, not too different than any typical Hyatt in the US, but it's marketed as a 4 or 5 star luxury resort -- but that's only the price point, not the actual experience. The howler monkeys on the property were cool, though! The "beach" is a "mangrove beach" (i.e., yes, there's some sand kind of, but it's all completely overgrown by trees. No waves (it's a bay facing beach), so nothing really to spend time at unless you like reading under a shade tree, but you can do that in a lot of places. If you like loud latin music, eat at the tapas place. We found Ostra (southeast asian) far nicer--classy, little quieter and great service staff. Most eat breakfast at the Gaio restaurant, which had all the luxury feel of a mid-range Las Vegas casino buttet--decent food, super busy and with tons of kids/families everywhere.

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