Riu Guanacaste - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10806 reviews

• 

  Great place!

  My husband and I just got back last week from here and I have to say it was such a great place. It was a very big resort with a lot of stuff to do. The rooms and the whole resort were very clean. The rooms were very comfortable to sleep in too. The food was good it was all mostly buffets except for the steakhouse which was excellent, but what I liked was each buffet was food that went with the title of the restaurant. So if you went to the Asian buffet you had sushi, and a variety of Asian food. Italian and Mexican buffets same thing. If u go to the Asian and Mexican try to get there by 7:30 because it gets busy and if it’s too crowded they will give you a buzzer. The entertainment was great. Loved the Michael Jackson’s show , and the show based on movies. The entertainment and staff at the pools were great too. I recommend to go to the foam party when they do it ,it was such a blast. The service was amazing. I recommend the Santa Cruz Bar by the pool . The bartenders Lizandro, Moises, Roanis,Harlen,Dayanna, and Deimer were the absolute best. They did such a great job and we enjoyed their company so much we had to go see them everyday! The American country sports bar was good too if you want to cool off shoot a game of pool and watch some sports. Lita and I believe his name was Miguel were so nice to us every morning we went in there too for a coffee and Mamosa, The tamarino bar was so nice and relaxing too. We didn’t go with kids but went to the side where they had waterslides and an ice cream place. Thought that was cool too. The restaurant by the pool where u can get burgers and hot dogs etc had such nice workers cooking the food there too and were very helpful. Love the fact that some evenings too while sitting by the pool before dark you were able to see some monkeys in the trees too. I could go on and on. All in all was a great time! Thank you for making our trip so great ! We would definitely return!

  Jun 02, 2026
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  Budget Friendly

  Riu Guanacaste is good if you traveling on a budget. It was our 1st experience with Riu brand. Most reviews we read made us almost cancele the trip because of people talking about long lines to get food especially dinner, but to our surprise we didn't experience any of that. Every restaurant we pretty much didn't have to wait except the Italian and Mexican. More on the positive the pool is huge and never feel crowded and off course the landscaping. Negative the pool water really needs to be cleaned and filtered. It was always dirty with bugs and insects. The return Jets in all the pools we went didn't not circulation water. Some i literally check they didn't work hence that contributed to stagnation. Everyday we left the pool our body was so itchy upto now 3 days after returning home. Also dont expect anyone to bring you drinks pool side like other resorts that have workers designated for that. You will have to get your butt up to get your own drinks. Food was average sometimes good I guess depending on the cooks. The downside especially if you're a breakfast guy like me, don't expect omelet and bacon. It's the 1st all inclusive we've gone as a family and didn't not have any i mean any bacon and omelet for the entire 6 days stay. So Riu I hope the change that. Will I go back maybe. Amani

  May 29, 2026
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  E Coli and staff trying to keep people quiet.

  We have all 3 people in our group test positive for E. coli, from this resort this past week. And talking to others that we have met there, also have tested positive for E. coli also. The report is taking down all the negative reviews about this, and trying to keep it quiet. I would highly stay away from place.

  May 27, 2026
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  A Bit Disappointed

  The grounds were absolutely beautiful, well-kept and clean, as were the rooms. Check-in was fast and easy. Based in the appearance, I woukd have rated higher, but there were some disappointments throughout our 5 day stay. First and most concerning, several people in our party of about 32 had dinner at Furama, Asian themed cuisine. Half of those who ate there got sick and were down for 2 - 3 days. We informed Riu management, and they did not offer any assistance nor did they follow-up to check on our wellbeing. The food overall was underwhelming. Second, there were absolutely no quiet locations to just sit and relax or read. The centrally located entertainment space eliminated any quiet spaces, every evening. There was no assistance with baggage or easily accessible baggage carts, so navigating to your room with heavy bags on a large property was a bit of a challenge.

  May 27, 2026
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  Very nice place even with few issues

  Nice place very clean inside out

  May 26, 2026