Occidental Papagayo - Adults Only

Occidental Papagayo - Adults Only - All Inclusive

Costa Rica , Pacific North Coast / Guanacaste
Golfo de Papagayo, Playa Buena en Golfo de Papagayo
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100 reviews shown

6/10

Pleasant

16 Mar 2026

Lois Ann

Pool yes

Friends

8/10

Excellent

16 Mar 2026

Barbara

Buffet at dinner time needs a major overhaul. Property is starting to show its age and needs work. Check-in was okay but the individual who checked us in did not convey slot of details about the resort.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2026

Michelle

We enjoyed the swim up pool. The oriental restaurant was by far the best. Even though the buffet looks rather small they do a nice job of changing up the food. Take advantage of the excursions they were amazing

8/10

Excellent

14 Mar 2026

Neil

Room was clean and the property is generally well maintained. There are very few activities to keep the visitors entertained so there's not much to do at the resort except hang around on the beach or at one of the pools. The food is uugenerally average. The buffet is the best of the options but the specialty restaurants are below average. The alcohol seemed to be of inferior quality and generally substandard. Some staff members were friendly but most did not acknowledge guests. I would not return to the resort and do not recommend it to anyone expecting memorable experience.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

13 Mar 2026

Mark

Rooms looked tired, noisy ac, leaking shower and basin. Food was good.

2/10

Poor

08 Mar 2026

Verified traveler

Are first couple nights the air conditioning did not work. Rooms needed updating. The cleaning ladies were the only one reliable, they came everyday. As far as rooms being stocked that was hit or miss. When they did come you were allowed 2 bottle of water, 2 sodas and 2 beers. You couldn’t even offer a few dollars for extra water. You could walk up to the lobby and get a bottle or 2 if they have it. I wasn’t a coffee drink however heard from others that coffee was hard to come by (in the rooms).
Food, was good; however, options limited. Specialized restaurants food, staff, everything very good. Emmanuel, (front desk) was awesome. Great communicator and helped us when we had issues with our stay. Sergio (manager) was kind enough to give us premium privilege because of the issues we had.

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

07 Mar 2026

ROBERT

There is no wait staff at any of the resort except in the restaurants. In bars and at pools you have to go to the bar yourself. There is very limited shade at the pools. Only loungers and no sitting tables. Seats in the shade get towels on them as early as 6am. The food is limited in selection although the wings, burgers and fries from the grill at lunch were great. 3 out of 4 of us got diarrhea and puking at some point over the 2 weeks there. 2 got very sick for a few days. Not alcohol related.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2026

Tammie Stoddard

Loved everything about this place!!!

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2026

Michael

Clean room

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2026

Lynda

There is the buffet and snack bar. Snack bar is not open for dinner, its the steak house then. We ate most meals at buffets, and while small, food was not too bad! Snack bar does have made to order burgers! Oriental and italian were great with great atmosphere! You do have to go to the front desk to make reservations.
We did premium so did get premium lounge which had better alcohol, and had room service which we did once.
Drinks were only okay. We could not find a good margarita all week, anywhere!
Tried both white and red wine which were both good, and loved the Imperial beer!
While old, it’s beautiful and quaint. Lots of walking, but there’s also a shuttle running all the time too.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2026

Michael John

Clean rooms, friendly people, great tours

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Feb 2026

Jesse

Clean rooms, great staff, great location !

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Feb 2026

Christine

It was a good sized room and a comfortable sleep. But, to be honest, the room was dated and perhaps not spotless, yet everything else made up for it. The beach is wonderful, you do need to go down stairs to get to it. The grounds are hilly and steep but amazing and the tram was always available to pick us up. The food was okay. No one went hungry. The Italian à la carte was delicious. I would definitely go back. The staff was wonderful.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Sheryl

This was the perfect resort for us. Beautiful, clean and friendly. Very easy going, so much to do for anyone! I cannot say enough good things for this resort!! We can’t wait to come back.😁

4/10

Poor

13 Feb 2026

Susan

The buffet at night was poorly done every night it was cold and the same items.
Urber is the way to travel as the locals take advantage of tourists by triple charging.
Rooms were only cleaned if we asked.
Staff are very friendly and shuttle drivers are awesome.
Costa rica is beautiful but would not return to Occidental papageo
If your looking for a budget place not picky about food and want unlimited drinks this is the place for you…..
Bartenders are well versed and Christian in lobby bar was great

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

11 Feb 2026

Dawn Elaine

On the first day of our trip, I slipped and fell coming out of the lower pool bathroom and cracked my head on the cement. I was taken by ambulance to a hospital and Had to have a CT scan. The hotel was really good about calling an ambulance and making sure it was comfortable when we got back to the hotel.I had a concussion so I ended up not being able to really enjoy my vacation for four days they did however, upgrade our room and gave us a beautiful new room, but we had upgraded with the premier package which included premier drinks and stuff and then after my fall, I thought they should’ve given us the upgrade for free as I actually didn’t drink much after that accident which happened on the first day. I am kind of disappointed that they didn’t offer to take that charge off our bill. We were mostly concerned about them putting in some mats or something so the area wasn’t slippery for other customers because I wouldn’t have wanted that to happen to anybody else.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

11 Feb 2026

Anna

In my opinion. The resort is 4*, food, 3.5*, room cleaning 2.5*.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

10 Feb 2026

Jacques

This resort was a small one. We arrived at 230 pm and the staff made everything smooth for us to get our room immediately. The place is clean and only 30 minutes away from Liberia airport. We have room 606. Awesome location. View to the ocean bay. Just one level complex with 6 rooms. It needs some updating. The food is average. Could be more selection in the buffet. We made it work. Steak house was terrible, the Italian and oriental we’re good. The staff was really good. If you are looking for a small adult resort 4 star. That’s your place.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Feb 2026

Carolyn

Staff at the Occidental were fantastic! Rooms vary in sizes and layouts and widely spread out throughout the hillside Food was nothing to complain about- not a huge variety compared to other resorts but staff would accomadate by request - (room service has bacon, Buffett does not) We celebrated a couple birthdays and they brought mini cakes to the room, and for dinners Twi pools and swim up pool was near the beach. Beach has excellent options for group tours at discounted rates as well as excellent massage by local therapists - $30-49 US for a hr. Be prepared there is a LOT of walking and many steps. If any mobility issues I would choose another resort. However we loved it and also recommend the premium upgrade. For the premium lounge access and extra perks tgropoolsafternoon.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

JAMES

Food was excellent. Staff was very friendly.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2026

Yolanda R

Our stay at the Hotel was fantastic. The weather was great, the staff amazing, and the property immaculate. Our first time to Costa Rica, and we took advantage of the beach access at the resort. We went with friends, and the ladies enjoyed the snorkeling right from the beach area.

The restaurants were good. Our favorite was the Oriental. By day three, the staff reconized us, went out of the way to treat us well, such as having coffee poured and ready for us by the time we sat at our table for breakfast each day. The bar service was good. I do miss having poolside service.

Our room was comfortable. In building number 1, which was central to everywhere. At anytime, you could have the shuttle take you anywhere on the resort.

I must call out a few staff for being excellent to our group. Thomas (The Omelette guru) was charming, and very engaging. He'd hi-5 us every day. Jill, Kimberly, and Noesti (sp?) always smiled, and made us feel like royalty. Finally, a big thank-you to Sandra at the reservations desk, she was so friendly, kind, and accomodating. Even on short notice when a member of our group had to cancel.

Our only small complaint was with housekeeping, and it may been more of a communication mixup, but we had a couple of days, where there was nothing done to our room, despite asking them (in person) to do so. Carlos, David, and the wonderful Henrique (Manager) made our dinners so memorable.

We are already discussing booking for next January.
Cheers!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

02 Feb 2026

Bethany

The location is stunning with amazing views and so much wildlife on the resort. All the staff is friendly and hard working. Tip: go to the snack place before 5 and get a burger if you want a dinner before 6:30. Also, walk down main driveway resort entrance and take the left into public access of beach to avoid crowds of vendors. Although the beach massage by Rosa was amazing. Howler monkeys walk down the white fence to the beach everyday around noon and if you want to see hermit crabs in mass walk down to beach at night and look by the trashcan at bottom of the stairs. The resort is has hill after hill with many stairs.. not friendly for individuals with mobility impairments. Ultimately a great resort could use some love.. updating, new plumbing.. but worth it.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Feb 2026

Matthew

Occidental Papagayo is a great adults-only, all-inclusive resort. The location is beautiful and relaxing, the staff were consistently friendly and welcoming, and the beach was wonderful. We definitely felt like we got great value for our stay.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Jan 2026

Petra

We liked the hotel and the room we got. The premium upgrade is a must,We loved the bar tender at the premium lounge, Yenileisi, she is awesome. For the room service of the minibar You just need to call almost every day to get water bottles and coffee. The hotel areas are really nice developed. Watch for raccoons though. They want to sneak in your room. The beach is great. You can kayak or have a wonderful relaxing massage from Rosa.
The only disappointment is the food. The specialty restaurants have good meat but the chefs don’t know how to cook it properly.. we could get a decent meal at the Oriental restaurant. But the Grill and Italian need more training of the chefs.
All in all it was a great stay and we will come back.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jan 2026

Vincent

Outstanding staff and beautiful location make this resort stand out. This is the second year in a row we have stayed for a week. All inclusive, nice clean rooms, 2 pools, good food. Live entertainment most nights. Pool aerobics are fun. Great birds and iguanas. Monkeys, white squirrels, friendly raccoons and magpies at your door step. The ocean view and beach are amazing. Best food at the regular buffet—the restaurant option is more private, the the food and selection is really the best at the buffet.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2026

kevin

Fantastic place good food, nice activities, best place in the area

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Jan 2026

Joshua D

We took this trip for our honeymoon. Overall, it was a good experience. The room was kept clean but a bit dated. The property was beautiful. The food was good and the dining areas were clean. Some of the male staff members were not the friendliest but we didn't let it ruin our trip. We are willing to try other Occidental properties but will most likely not return to this one.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Jan 2026

Ion

The standard of the resort it is maybe exagerate for 5 star resort.
Definitely need a little renovation...
The services doesn't exceed expectations.
We encountered small problem from the check in...The problem was solved,but in a slow motion speed and in not a realy professional way...Only one mention name:Paul for the entertainment team...Very professional guy and very nice talking...He is a big plus for this resort,this man,Paul Congratulations.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2026

Susan

Staff, location, variety of food, quiet and clean comfortable,

Bathrooms should be modernized.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Jan 2026

Craig

It was a good stay. Wasn't a fun place. Adults only place it more like a senior place.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Jan 2026

Karen

Room was clean - overlooked the pool - building one. Food was delicious in buffet, grill, Asian and Italian

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2026

Michael

The staff was extremely polite and saw to our every need. The meals were wonderful and the amenities were great!

4/10

Poor

04 Jan 2026

Kyle

Food:
Breakfast consistently felt below standard. Nothing extraordinary.
Lunch options were okay but not fantastic. We much preferred the snack bar.
Supper meals were enjoyable only at the restaurants Orient and Italian. The buffet options were consistently disappointing.

The New Years Supper was excellent!!!
I did wish there was additional celebration elements like fireworks similar to other resorts we seen. Would have elevated the experience.

Beach (2/10)
My major complaint is the beach size and atmosphere.
The beach itself is extremely small.
For an adults only resort the environment on the beach did not reflect that at expectation at all. Included a large amount of local children which made the area extremely loud. We’ve been lucky to visit many resorts and they have designed separate areas for resort guests and public visitors. The beach situation was the primary reason for my low rating. I personally love the beach and I think we were at the beach only twice out of our 7 days because we couldn’t enjoy it. I would not stay at this resort again.

Resort:
The grounds are well maintained though the property is quite large requiring lots of walking and stairs. Shuttles are available which helps but good to keep that in mind.

Activities:
Maria, JJ, Larry were amazing for booking excursions. Ricardo was great at taking us to the places we wanted to be!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2026

Dawn

My first time in Costa Rico and Occidental Papagayo was a good pick. Was able to enjoy all the resort amenities without overcrowding. Staff were friendly, professional and attentive to guests.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

31 Dec 2025

steve

Rude staff and horrible food and drinks. Give this place a 1 out of 10. So disgusting service. I can’t believe we paid over 400.00 for 1 night.

6/10

Pleasant

31 Dec 2025

Anthony

Better variety food choices for the buffet. Make the ambiance a little adult sexy. Staff was good. Rooms are okay but its the wildlife that was crazy. You cant leave ya doors open that much they have raccoons and coati's running around.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

30 Dec 2025

darin castallo

Room had crabs, spiders, ants daily. Room shower not very clean. I paid for ocean view premium room and asked to pay for a suite upgrade. They don’t even look at system or days your stating and just say no, yet I saw empty ones the entire time we were there. I asked if I could get refunded fur last two days of my stay so we could relocate and I was told to email the manager who never responded with multiple attempts. Getting coffee refills in am was so hard to get. Food was disappointing at best. We ate off property last day because we couldn’t do any more meals there. Even reservation restaurant food was just edible. Fruit was only thing good. No pool side service or water . Swim up bar is dingy. As soon as you step on beach you get asked about paying for messages . Locals can use beach chairs so they fill up fast. Pool needs work was foggy and dirty. No yoga classes at time it says , I showed up at 8 and nothing. No one at beach to help with kayaks. Drinks are not good and barely any alcohol in them no matter what you order you can have multiple drinks without noticing any alcohol. “No liquor before 11am” apparently but this changed depending on who you asked. “No champagne” yet they have mimosas at one location but not the others. It’s Costa Rica and coffee was out of a machine and tasted awful. I would not stay here. American cancelled our flights and we were a day late and hotel could do nothing, they couldn’t refund day we missed, or add day.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

30 Dec 2025

Joseph

The food was not that good. You only get two English tv stations. And you are charged for everything they can. Air not that great. But people where very nice

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2025

Tina

Everything was great. Lots of steps and walking but the scenery was beautiful for it.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2025

Terri

Staff

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2025

Aleksandr

Everything was pretty good, except a funny smell in the room (we were in the building 2)

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Dec 2025

Edilio

Linda vista hacia el mar, el personal muy amables y atentos a las necesidades de los huéspedes,
Excelentes frutas.

8/10

Excellent

24 Dec 2025

ryan

Staff was great. Amenities

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

24 Dec 2025

Brad Marshall

Check-in was unorganized. it felt as if nobody really knew what to so. No supervisor or manager assisting or guiding staff. I was advised my room was ready. traveling companions waited another 1 1/2 hours to get their room- 5 doors down. corrective action- clean the rooms that you have customers waiting in the lobby first! Communication was HUGE issue the entire stay. 1 1/2 hour wait to get bathroom towels. TV remote batteries dead. Electronic safe batteries died with safe locked close. Food service in main buffet low quality. NEVER opened on time- watched staff look at watch while sitting around table with other staff at opening time and ALWAYS waited 5 minutes or so before they decided they would get up and walk to unlock the door. EXTREAMLY bad optics. Snack Bar staff- very friendly and helpful- same quality of food but at least much better staff. Upper pool- more attention to keeping the pool clean of debris. Lower Pool bartenders very friendly- very welcoming. Drinks quality changed from bartender to bartender. Most were good- one particular was not at all. Grounds were nice- however after cutting and trimming, the debris would sit on the walkway for a couple of days. Leaf blowers and weedwhackers running at 0700 DONT Come to relax- won't happen. Travel Companions have the same opinion-- WE WONT BE BACK. I am General Manager of VERY high end customer service related business. This was NOT even close

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

24 Dec 2025

Donald

Room service (Cleaning) was spotty, at best, check in took forever (Room not ready). Staff was sometimes rude or did not follow through with what they said they were going to do. Antonio from the restaurant was completely unprofessional and rude when we brought fish back from trip to have prepared (a service they offer, but it seems like a service they do not wish to provide). Bartenders were not all trained, depending on who was working the bar made you decide if you wanted a drink or not. Thelor was an awesome host! Bottom line is that you never knew if you were going to get consistent service or not, except for the ladies serving in the restaurants, they were very consistent and pleasant.
If you have ever stayed at a Barcelo property, this would disappoint...

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Dec 2025

HILDA

Clean rooms, great staff. Selection of alcohol not
So great. Cocktail paper cups not a good experience.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Dec 2025

Marvin

The service the staff the safe was first class.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Dec 2025

Terry

It’s an old resort. Nothing to keep you busy. Activity staff reserved as all staff. Might be what some look for.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2025

EWELINA

Beautiful grounds nice people and delicious food

10/10

Exceptional

12 Dec 2025

Sergio

Excellent service. Adorable staff.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Dec 2025

Joel

A wonderful experience overall. The resort was very beautiful. The rooms were maintained well. The staff was extremely courteous and helpful. The resort is very hilly and spread out, so prepare for some good cardio. The restaurants were limited but the food was solid. Outdoor gym to lift, indoor gym for cardio. Pools were nice with plenty of chairs available. Bars had good drinks. Liquor wasn't top shelf, but was solid. Overall a great time.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Dec 2025

Stephanie

Coming to this resort I think it’s important to keep in mind where you are at. If you are looking for a 5 star resort in Mexico or the Bahamas, this is not for you. The resort itself is clean. There are some areas that could use some upkeep, but it is overall wear and tear. The rooms are pretty spacious overall and again kept clean. We had some minor issues in our room, such as never having hand towels or floor towels and the tv and phone were broken. Overall, staff were pretty receptive and able to fix issues right away. The mini fridge was not kept stocked either. This is not a big deal for us, but for some it seemed to be an area for concern.
We had a second floor room and had zero issues with any type of critter getting into it. I was initially skeptical about the amount of reviews stating that scorpions, lizards , crabs and raccoons were getting into their rooms, but this was never an issue for us. We did hear people talking about raccoons on their patios though. The resort does have tons of wildlife. There are iguanas by the pool and in the trees. We saw monkeys in the trees by the pool and grill. There are raccoons around dusk. We heard howler monkeys a few times over our stay. There is also a variety of birds on the daily.
We also saw a lot of reviews about the food. Overall, we thought the food was good. The buffet upstairs is limited for options. We never had an issue with breakfast but, it is repetitive. For lunch, we did the grill everyday. The chicken there is

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

07 Dec 2025

Lacie Ranae

Room was clean, fridge was stocked every day. No wash clothes and sometimes only had one hand towel.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Dec 2025

Jennifer

Everything was fantastic. The food, staff, rooms and view

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

30 Nov 2025

Anne-Sophie

The room was clean and cleaned everyday, the staff was great, beautiful resort, the food was great. Had a wonderful time there. It is a very quiet resort.

Leisure

6/10

Pleasant

30 Nov 2025

Garry

Needs more umbrella for shade at pools, pools need more cleaning then just scooping leaves out. More staff is needed around busy areas for cleaning during the day. Should have hotel shuttle to Coco Beach daily, and more change on had to help break larger bills we come with to we can tip more often.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2025

Travis Jerry

Food was excellent! Every night was a different theme meal and the elacard were fantastic!! Highly recommended this for the food alone!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2025

Derek

The staff is wonderful! So friendly! The property and views are stunning! We loved all the animals we saw everyday! Monkeys by the pool were my favorite!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Nov 2025

Kyle

The staff were all super nice and friendly

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2025

Shannon

Gorgeous property with a quiet beach great for snorkeling! Great staff, lots of food and drink options and very comfortable beds. This was my second time staying here and I’ll definitely be back!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2025

John

The staff are great ....work with them and be respectul ....it was a great getaway for the purpose it served! I would definitely go back!

Leisure

6/10

Pleasant

18 Nov 2025

Robert

Positives
The staff are all friendly and helpful and work hard. They had to deal with many issues we had and did their best to remedy the problem.
Food is good only. Staff tried to make sure our food allergies were accommodated.
Grill restaurant was good. Italian restaurant had a lot more options and food was better. Oriental was the best Beach is good but sand is black and water is not clear so there was nothing to see snorkelling. The water was super warm and waves were mild. Kayaking is offered which we did and enjoyed.
Wildlife is everywhere and you’ll see iguanas, coati, raccoons, tons of birds and howler monkeys. The howlers act like roosters and start howling at 5am for wake up call!
Negatives
Oh dear we had a lot of problems between the 6 of us and when speaking with other guests, we found out that we were not the only ones.
One couple in our group was given a room super far away and was given a new room much closer to ours. But then that room a/c caught on fire and the room filled with smoke yet no smoke detector went off. They were moved to yet another room with two beds instead of one and often didn’t get clean towels or the room cleaned during the week. Our room had a repaired ceiling that leaked to the point that I had to put 3 buckets underneath to catch the water so it didn’t flood the floor. Someone came on day 3 to fix it at 1030pm (!) yet it took another day for the leaking to stop. Beach towels often ran out so we had to keep wet and dirty towels.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

16 Nov 2025

Jeff David

The staff was wonderful but the property is a little warn. Pura Vida makes it for Cista Rica. Food was hit and miss but that is personal preference. I recommend this place for an overall experience.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Nov 2025

Timothy

Bed was uncomfortable, even had springs in bed break from just sitting on it. Couldnt get coffee before the buffet opened at 7am and could only get it at that buffet.

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

16 Nov 2025

Denise

Friday check in … hotel was full.. gave us a villa for the night, which was fine. No golf cart offered, waited for shuttle, finally just took our bags and walked up to unit 11. No cards given for beach towels. Shower was cold, crab in tub when I turned the water on. Next morning s scorpion was near my husband’s shoes.
Great start? Not…

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Nov 2025

Sathiyadevan

Great holiday resort. Great guest and nice food and good service

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

14 Nov 2025

Alex

The food was always terrible, I stayed for 12 days and I was sick the whole time. The only time I was no was when we went on an excursion outside the hotel. They blasted music by the pool from 10 am to 5 pm, making it impossible to read or relax in the room. On the 8th day, they cleaned the room and left soapy water on the ceramic floor, I slipped and now have a gigantic bruise on my hip and on my elbow. I really regret booking this trip, I will never go there ever again.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Nov 2025

Moriah

Property was very nice, staff was friendly, great service. However, the food at the buffet was not good and guests are only able to dine at the specialty restaurants every 3 nights. We had dinner at 2 or the 3. The Asian restaurant was good but the Italian restaurant was not. Also very limited entertainment. The disco was empty most of the time. They had bingo, karyoke, & a dj at the disco at various times and there were never more than 8 people there (and 6 of those were traveling together). They had a live saxophone player in the lounge one evening & a flute player another evening. Definitely not the resort to visit if you are looking for night life, live music, or dancing. Many other resorts have silent disco or white parties; something like this would be a good addition. The beach & pools were lovely, although pools close at 8PM and there is no hot tub. There were restaurant & shopping areas within a 10 to 15 drive from the property. We used Uber to get around off property. The food at nearby restaurants was MUCH BETTER than the resort offerings, which is disappointing considering we were paying for an all-inclusive resort, planning on having most of our meals there.
We booked 2 excursions through the tour company at the hotel, On the Beach. The excursions were great but On the Beach kept giving us different prices for the excursions. Prices I received prior to arriving were lower than prices given once there and not honored. Definitely negotiate prices on tours.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

11 Nov 2025

Steven

Room was nice but the safe broke and they never returned to repair it.

8/10

Excellent

09 Nov 2025

Arron

Overall great resort. Housekeeping a little inconsistent day to day (had to keep asking for basic room supplies; coffee, bottled water). Staff were very friendly and went out of their way to help though. (We received an extra restaurant booking to make up for it). Important to note that a lot of guests were overhead voicing some minor disappointments with the size / available options of the resort, comparing it to Mexico. Costa Rica is a very different country, and this was a smaller resort with a different focus, overall a more relaxed resort (however that’s what we wanted). That being said, there’s a lot to do (for free) and multiple options for day trips / tours from 3rd party companies onsite. Decent gym (albeit smaller), but due to the resort being built on a hill, the constant stair climbing (including getting to the ocean) is an alternative.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2025

Karen E

Service was awesome and the place is beautiful. Highly recommend.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

06 Nov 2025

Sathiyadevan

Great view and great people we met specially staffs and people

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2025

Mirtha

Staff was very attentive. Wide variety of food choices.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Nov 2025

Tatjana

The resort was nice and the food options were great!

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

02 Nov 2025

Kymbyatta

There is was no food or snacks available after 9:30pm not even room service nor at the premium lounge. When it rained water leaked in our bathroom from a window or ceiling not quite sure. Adult only but more like a retirement location than a place to vacation for a good time. Needs upgrades.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Nov 2025

Daniel

Room was great and kept clean everyday. Seemed that the resort was a little under staffed. Was sometimes difficult to find someone for help/questions. Resort was beautiful. Pools and beach area were great. Not a friendly resort to those with infirmaties, lots of walking and stair climbing.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2025

James

It was a very nice resort. Everything is easy walking distance. They do have a shuttle if you do not want to walk. Very close to the beach. Not a big beach but it is nice. It you want a massage their are people on the beach to do it plus if you want to do a tour there is someone on the beach who can arrange them. They are much cheaper than the hotel tours. Food was good and specialty restaurants were very good. Two pools and they were very nice. They have activitives arranged throughout the day for things to do. Leaving the resort is a little costly. Uber is the cheapest but can make arrangements through the hotel or on the beach if you want to go somewhere. Cocoa Beach is not too far and is ver nice and tours can be arrange there also. Shop around for tours to get your best deal from the above places. Airport about 1/2 hour away.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Oct 2025

Pamela

Was hit and miss with getting towels replaced daily once they took towels. Did not follow there own policy of hanging towels to save environment.

Rooms where very well cleaned and air cinditioning was great amenity to come back to the room to daily.

Loved to hang out on balcony in morning. High regards to Oscar in lower pool bar, Enrique and Jill at Buffet and Alexando in disco bar as top customer service for our week stay.

We loved to be able to walk the grounds and beaches daily as well as our excursions out on the economy.

Would have liked to have a couple bottles of water daily in fridge vs one.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2025

Yvette

I felt the shower was a little disappointing. Since there was only a half door the water kept getting all over the floor and the towel that was provided was not absorbate enough to keep the floor dry. Also, I don't think there was enough light in our room. Too dark.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2025

Steven William

Great.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

21 Oct 2025

Tamiko

Unfortunately, my experience wasn’t what I expected. While the room was clean, I had issues with unable to enjoy my premium stay due to racoons on the porch daily, phone in room didn’t work unable to call for pick-up or room service, breakfast quality was ok they served basically the same thing everyday [need more meat options]. After hour food options need to be available. The staff tried to assist, but overall it didn’t meet the level of comfort or convenience I was hoping for.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2025

Trivia

The hotel's aesthetic appeal was remarkable, and the staff provided exceptional service throughout my eight-night stay. While the tour options offered through the hotel are somewhat expensive, the overall experience was highly positive.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2025

Barbara

Overall the property was great. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The grounds were well maintained and I felt safe walking the property at all hours. Occidental is a smaller more intimate resort for adults only and I enjoyed my stay here very much. I will say that this is the first time I have stayed somewhere that did not have at least one snack or food option 24 hr. This did become an issue when we participated in the all day tours and came back after 930 PM and we missed dinner.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

20 Oct 2025

Ayo Parrish

The staff was pleasant and responsive...when we were able to reach them. The extensions listed for various departments (housekeeping, guest services, etc.) were never answered when called, so it was always necessary to dial 0 to reach the front deck. While the food was good, there was limited variety and I found myself eating the same things daily. The raccoons on the property have apparently been fed by guests because they were fearless and seemed eager to get close to guests/rooms. The main reason I liked the resort is because it was quiet and not overcrowded. Overall, my group enjoyed ourselves.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

18 Oct 2025

Joshua

Property was nice, we stayed in the 2000 building. Shuttle was lousy, slow, never came at times had to call again. Dinners in the buffet area, worst food at a resort in my life, and I am well traveled. Breakfast at the buffet, was good. The Itailian restaurant and the Oriental restaurant were good.

Resort was ok for the price, spa service was over charged for what you received. We went to the beach for spa for $40 and tip, and it was much better than the resort spa.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2025

Akil

Didn't have enough bottled water

10/10

Exceptional

16 Oct 2025

Jose Angel

The location was comfortable and nice. All around good service and staff was helpful and friendly. This isnt neccesarily a high volume party location it had a little more of relaxed vibe to it. Beach was nice but again quiet which is nice if you just want to relax. Massages on the beach were very nice and affordable. Food waa good with a few different options would recomend for a nice couples getaway.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Oct 2025

Steven

The resort is in a beautiful location. The staff was great. The food was also very good. I would definitely stay there again.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2025

Luisa I

It is a beautiful property wo

6/10

Pleasant

12 Oct 2025

Teresa

Staff should give you a tour of the facility when you arrive. Show you where the other pool is, explain times for bars and food. Tell the guest about the transportation to and from their room. They just checked us in and cut us loose. We knew nothing. I had to ask “how do I get myself and my luggage to our room”.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2025

Tesa

The property was georgious! The staff was fantastic and the views were absolutely amazing. I went on the catamaran tour and it was absolutely amazing.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

01 Oct 2025

Aaron Boyd

This was the resort equivalent of a cruise ship; that is, you have ala cart restaurants, as well as a buffet, you have swimming pools, and lounge chairs, and of course, you have the option for excursions! Do as little, or as much as your calendar and pocketbook allows! A great experience overall!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Oct 2025

Kassidy

Relaxing and clean rooms.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2025

Zoraya C.

The hotel was absolutely wonderful!!! The staff was organized and professionals. The area and beach was fantastic.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Sep 2025

ALISON CATHARINE

Had an amazing week at this resort. The property is absolutely beautiful the staff was friendly and always helpful. The food was great. If you are looking for a quiet spot with beautiful views this is the place for you! Highly recommend Occidental Papagayo:)

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2025

David

The whole experience was amazing. I flew in solo and I felt safe the entire time. The staff was accommodating.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2025

Nhan Phuoc

We Liked 98% Staffs are Friendly, so nice, always smiling, fast service... Except one guy, his name is \"Carl...\" who is \"Asian Stigma\" & not nice in service...
My room is always very clean by good cleaners.
Landscape is so beautiful & clean. Garden are pretty, multiple colors. Coast is clear. Beach is blue & so calm....
Food in buffet restaurants are so allure, good taste & safe... But Asian Restaurant is salty & staff are not friendly... food not Asian taste.
The Team Tour \"On The Beach Tour\" is Friendly & Nice Service. We know and say big thank you Mr. Lary as abook tour guy; Mr. Joe as Tour Guy for our tour, and a driver tour guy, on Wednesday 17/Sept/2025

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

23 Sep 2025

Angie

The staff were exceptionally helpful and polite. I wish more people spoke English because there were many Americans on the property. I was extremely disappointed with the DJ at the disco! He never played American music, or bothered to take requests for other music that wasn’t Latin music. He was very rude and whispered nasty remarks about the guest. I understood many of his comments and disgusted by his negative behavior while on vacation. My friends said they would never return to the hotel!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2025

Cole

Wonderful Beach Destination! Good value!

Really enjoyed our stay! The hotel is closer to the airport and Liberia which really matters for excursions. If you are going to the national parks like Rincón, Tenorio etc you are much closer than if you stayed in Tamarindo. The resort was nice clean and located right on the beach..We only had the basic food package level and I thought the buffet food was pretty good. Other guests were sour on the food quality the best way I can describe it is good quality wedding catering. It is good but food mad is mass batches is also not quite restaurant quality. If you are picky about food you can upgrade and eat at the sit down oriental or Italian restaurants which were amazing! Overall really good value for the price.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2025

Tammy Veronica

The staff were very helpful and friendly. The property was beautiful. The food was amazing. Lots of activities and the off site excursions were amazing!!

Leisure Family