Address - Playa Buena, Gulf of Papagayo 485000, Costa Rica
Location - Beach
Distance to airport - 35 minutes
Reviews posted on this page - 6 review(s)
Description: At the Occidental Grand Papagayo, you'll sample every primal indulgence that a luxury all-inclusive holiday should offer... From exquisite a la carte dining at D'Oriental & The Italian fine dining restaurants to our white-linen International Buffet.
Are you the owner of this property? The link to your website could stand here. Please, contact Debbie.
I will say that I truly enjoyed our week in Costa Rica, I cannot say enough about the people, fantastic. Hotel needs to change management due to incompetance but staff more than make up for it.
Your Arrival
Arrival was normal for that area of the world. Get used to it.
Rooms
Room was ok, sure it lacked items that we are used to in NA but it was ok.
Restaurants and Bars
Food was as good as to be expected in this type of country. We have visited Cuba a lot and find that Costa Rica food is that much better, more flavour.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
I saw a lot of complaints about the beach but enjoyed snorkeling and just walking the beach. It is a paradise.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
There is unlimited tours available, everything I heard from fellow travelers was the "guys" on the beach were trustworthy and collected their payments after the trip. Marvin was a special mention.
Other Comments
Hotel didn't supply minor things as promised in literature but how crazy can you get when you don't have a beer in your fridge when you can walk 50 paces to get unlimited supply. It was very difficult to get change for American dollars so you could give tips to bar/restaurat staff which seems crazy so I would suggest bringing $100 in singles.
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nice stay
Grand Papagayo by Occidental
User Rating:
Kevin >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2010 | Leisure | Family
2 people found this review helpful
Overall the resort was nice,quiet and very scenic. The food was good and flavourful, I will say we upgraded to the Royal Club and found that there is no difference and would not do it again if we go back there. We went with a guy on the beach for day trips his name is Marvin we used him twice and both times he took the payment at the end of the trip, he is personable, knowledgable and spoke good english I would use him if I go back, also he did come down on his prices. It was a nice relaxing vacation.
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The arrival to Costa Rica was like any other Carribean country - You have to wait in long lines in the heat to get through customs, pick up your luggage and then head off to your resort. I recommend bringing a change of clothes either before you arrive or while you wait in line to get through customs. Air Canada Vacations had a bus waiting to pick everyone up and take you to the Grand Papagaya. The whole process takes about an hour. Once there you have a cocktail waiting for you as you wait in line to check in. Overall a smooth process and as I said before no different from any other all inclusive set up.
Costa Rica though is an extremely beautiful country and I highly recommend people to explore the countryside as much as you can. The best tour company bar none to go with is Avispa Adventures to book all your excursions. They are an excellent tour company. You can book in advance by emailing or calling the owner, Amy and she will see to your every need. She provides not only the tours but any other things your would need to know about in Costa Rica. She is an US expat who fell in love with Costa Rica and stayed.
Rooms
The rooms were fine. Clean and spacious with good beds. Though not all the rooms have a safe as advertised. Air conditioning works so that really is the most important thing for when you are in the room. Otherwise we didn't spend much time in the room except to get ready and sleep. The rooms are set up in about a dozen buildings spread out throughout the grounds of the resort. So depending on where your room is, you could have a bit of a hike to get to the main building where the restaurants are. But they do have a shuttle to drive people around. Our room was in building 1 so nothing was far away.
Restaurants and Bars
The Oriental and Italian restuarants are very good. The meals we had there very good. It is a la carte but you can order as much as you want. No issues with that. If you are a large party (greater than 6) the Oriental restaurant puts you in your own separate room where you sit close to the floor and it is excellent. The Buffet was good for buffet. However they don't have as much of a selection as some other places I've been. But the food overall was fine. This is the Carribean so you shouldn't be expecting five star here.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool was nice to swim in to cool off from the heat. The grounds were well kept and the view from the hotel is gorgeous. The hotel is situated on a hill so from the main building to the beach it is quite an elevation difference so be aware that at this resort there are a lot of stairs to climb. But it is a good way to build up an appetite for dinner. The beach isn't like the carribean beaches with their white sands - darker volcanic sand. And with the tide in there isn't much beach but that is usually late in the day. The water is warm and nice to swim in.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
On the resort, we did some diving with the Dive Company situated at the Resort. The visibility was poor when diving. You would be lucky to have 25 ft of visibility. I am not sure if it is because of the location in the Pacific or the time of year we came. But it was not as good as what I have seen on the Carribean side. But you do see some great sealife (white tipped reef sharkes, lots of eagle rays, manta rays if you are lucky). It is just too bad that you can't spot them until they are up close and even then it still isn't nice and clear. Th resort dive company could have been better. They aren't very accomodating (their dives leave late as far as dives go - 9 am and they weren't very happy to move it to an earlier time so that you could do some other tours in the afternoon). Also their boat is old and needs repair. The dive master and boat captain were very good though and helpful.
For off the resort activities, I went on tours with Avispa Adventure and as I had mentioned above, they were excellent. I would go with no one else and when I go back I will book everything I want to do next time with them. What was really nice with them is they are quite flexibile with your schedule. As I mentioned above, the dive company wasn't very flexible and so we would come back later than I wanted from the dives but Amy made sure to be ready for us once we got back so that we could do other things with her to maximize the day. Very excellent with that. Again, I can't say enough good things with this company. Avispa and Amy are the best. The Miravelles Tour is absolutely great with Amy. Fun and lots to see and do. Whitewater rafting is a lot of fun. Palo Verde is great to see especially if you are into nature and wildlife. Hidden Treasures takes you to the Llanos de Cortez Waterfall and it is beautiful. If I had more time, I would see more of the region but that will be for another time with Amy.
Other Comments
Overall, we enjoyed the hotel. Good service, Staff are super friendly there and everyone has a smile there. My best recommendation is where ever you are staying go with Avispa for your activities.
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It is quite hilly
Grand Papagayo by Occidental
User Rating:
Karen from Toronto >
2 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2009
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival
We flew with Air Canada. The flight was uneventful. Bags came fairly quickly at the airport. Immigration was pretty quick also. The Air Canada Vacations representative was visible immediately upon clearing immigration and we were quickly taken to a waiting bus. The ride to the hotel is only about 30 minutes away.
Rooms
We booked the Grand Romance Package as it was the only package available at the time of booking that guaranteed an oceanfront view. We loved our room. It was in building #24 with a beautiful view of the water. It was spacious. We were told that the Deluxe Rooms in our building were larger than the ones in the stacked building closer to the main building. The only complaint is the bathroom. I expected more from a 4+ star hotel. The bathtub had flaking enamel & the soap and shampoo dispensers were broken and falling apart. Included in our package were some nice touches: a bottle of champagne on the first night, a plate of chocolate covered strawberries the second night, nightly turn-down service, bathrobes (though they were a little small!), a beautiful bouquet of tropical flowers mid-way through the trip, and two 30-minute massages outside. That was heavenly! I'd highly recommend this package. We were also to get continental breakfast in bed, but we were always too hungry in the morning to settle for a small breakfast & instead got the buffet. A romantic dinner is also included which we also ditched.
Restaurants and Bars
The buffet was fine. It's much smaller than ones I've been to in other all-inclusives, but the food was fairly tasty. After a few days, it gets a little repetitive: each night, there is the same beef, chicken and fish in a different sauce. The snack bar is ok by the pool. As others attest to, the bars are far from the rooms, and with the 'hilly-ness' of the resort, makes it inconvenient to go out and get drinks. As well, only the lobby bar is open after 6, so went we wanted drinks in the evening, we'd go to the lobby bar and order 2 each and take them back to our rooms we knew we were not going to make the long trek back to the main building to get any more drinks.
We had been told that there were 2 a la cart restaurants: the Oriental and the Italian. We could only get reservations at 9 p.m. for each of them on the days that we booked. They were both OK. The Oriental restaurant had sushi and sashimi which were not high quality, but not too bad. The teriyaki dishes were on the sweet side, but OK -worth a night away from the buffet. The Italian restaurant had nice main dishes: we had beef tenderloin and mahi mahi. Very nice. Tiramisu dessert was terrible.
We found out on our last night that there was another a la cart: The Grill Restaurant. We were ticked off that the business centre staff had never mentioned it, not was this restaurant mentioned in any of the hotel literature. We tried to book on our last night, but it was totally booked up.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is not fantastic, but we knew we were on the Pacific side, so not the whiter sands of the Caribbean side. The sand is brown, so if you're looking for pristine white sands, this isn't the place for you. However, we enjoyed ourselves on the beach. The water isn't as clear as in other countries I've stayed, but still, the salt water was nice and it sure beats Toronto in February! The pool was nice, but too small for the size of resort. It was often difficult to get beach chairs after about 10:00 a.m. It was difficult to actually swim in the pool because of the activities happening in and around the pool. It was extremely annoying when the 'college-boys' engaged in games of football across the whole length of the pool making it impossible for people to relax in the pool or on the chairs surrounding the pool. It would have been nice to have a lap pool or another pool where people could relax without activities going on.
The grounds were beautiful - well maintained. Beautiful tropical flowers. However, when researching this hotel, some sites had spoken of bird-watching and wildlife. While the birds were plentiful, there was not much variety - maybe 3 or 4 different kinds. We saw one monkey from a didstance. There were occasionally quatimundi's (like racoons) walking about the resort - they're harmless.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Activities on the Resort: almost non-existent. The 2 or 3 Fun Club staff, while energetic, didn't do a lot - at least not in comparison to other places I've stayed. They did a very quick AquaGym class in the mornings and a quick dance lesson in the afternoon - 1 song only! They sometimes started a volleyball or water polo game in the pool, but that's about it! There is not much entertainment in the evenings. There were only 2 shows while we were there and you don't find out about them unless you're hanging out in the lobby and the Fun Club staff happen to tell you about them. The lack of entertainment was disappointing given that the hotel is isolated and there's nowhere to go in the evenings.
We went on 3 tours. Two were with the Air Canada Vacations tour operator: CRT. The third was with Avispas Adventures. We had researched Avispas on the internet prior to going to Costa Rica, with the intention of calling when we got there. However, they found us - one of their reps was selling tours on the beach. We went on the Avispas Miravelles Volcano Adventure. I can't say enough about Avispas as it was a fantastic trip & they are a far superior tour operator to CRT. I talked with Amy on the phone before booking as I wasn't sure if I should try the Arenal Volcano Tour or the Miravalles Volcano. She highly recommended Miravelles as there is a lot packed into the day and the travel is not very long. She advised that the Arenal Volcano is not always active or visible and is a 3 hour drive. She said that customers are often disappointed to travel a total of 6 hours to not see the volcano. The Miravelles trip was awesome! First we went zip-lining. Very scary, but after the first line, the rest is easy. The zip-lining crew was amazing. They kept our spirits up with their jokes all morning. Then we went to a Costa Rican restaurant. This was the best food that we had the entire week in Costa Rica! Amazing! Then we went to the volcano. We first went horseback riding for about half an hour part-way up the mountain, then we hiked for another half an hour and saw some beautiful waterfalls and the lush forest. Then we rode the horses back and toured the crater of the Miravalles volcano. At the end of the tour, we had a mud bath right there in the crater! Then we bathed in the hot springs. The Avispa tour guide, Mario, brought us a bottle of wine to drink while we were in the springs. Heaven! This trip was $145 and there were only 4 of us. The personal attention was worth every penny. We were able to go to souvenir stores and stay as long as we liked. I would absolutely recommend Avispas Adventures to anyone wanting to tour in the Guanacaste Region.
The CRT tours were lackluster in comparison. First we went to Santa Cruz & Guaitil to see where the beautiful Costa Rican pottery is made. CRT first charged us $75 as only 2 of us wanted to go, but when they found 2 other couples, they dropped it to $50. Thank God, as this was not a $75 trip. It was barely worth the $50. Santa Cruz is a tiny little town. The town centre is interesting as is the church that the guide took us to, but this only took about 10 minutes. Guaitil is interesting, though the pottery demonstration is only about 15 minutes and then each pottery shop is pretty much the same as the last. However, we did meet a lovely woman potter and bought a few things from her and her family. The CRT guide was very impersonal. We weren't too impressed. We did see a tree full of howler monkeys along the way and he let us out to take pictures.
The second CRT trip was to the Monteverde Cloud Forest and Don Juan Coffee Tour. Again, paled in comparison to the Avispas Adventure Tour. There were about 40 people on this tour, so there was zero personal attention. The bus was crowded and cramped, and this was a long trip, so these conditions made it very uncomfortable. We joined up with a group who were doing a 2-day Arenal Volcano/Monteverde Tour. They said that they didn't get to see the Arenal Volcano go off the night before, so I'm very thankful that we took Avispas' advice and didn't spend the money to go to Arenal. The coffee tour was interesting. The cloud forest was beautiful, but again, with CRT, there's no personal attention, so we were pretty much left on our own. The walk through the cloud forest is about 3 km and we did it ourselves with no guide to point out plantlife, wildlife, etc. Very disappointed. I wouldn't do the Air Canada tour again.
I was disappointed that I didn't see much wildlife on the tours. If I was to go back, I'd do the Palo Verde boat tour as the people who went on this one said that they saw crocodiles, monkeys and lots of birds.
Other Comments
Overall, I would say that the Grand Papagayo is a beautiful hotel with some really nice staff. Ana Mary in the buffet & snack bar is particularily lovely and remembers everyone's names. Even though I've been a little critical, I do think that the hotel is a good value and if I was to come back to this region of Costa Rica, I would stay here again. As many travel sites state that this hotel isn't appropriate for those with physical disabilities - take this advice seriously! It is quite hilly. My travelling partner had a sprained ankle and it was unbearable for her often on the hills and steps. However, the shuttle bus is available to take you around, so don't let the hills stop you.
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We heard from other guests that thefts had occured
Grand Papagayo by Occidental
User Rating:
Heidi and Bob >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2008
2 people found this review helpful
We're still waiting for our insurance claim to be honored. We had an expensive camera and cash stolen within an hour of our luggage being put in the room and when we filed an official report the management accused us of telling lies, suggested we had lost the camera on a tour, but after three days of wrangling finally agreed they'd have their insurance company pay for the loss. Two months later, we're still waiting despite several e-mails. We heard from other guests that thefts had occured prior to ours but the management denied it, said their security system is failproof. Aside from the uncooperative attiutde of management, there was no attempt to move us to another room and we never felt safe in that room again. The rooms themselves are very basic, mold in the bathrooms, definitely not a five star, but more like a three star. We've stayed with the Marriott and Hyatt chain many times and know the difference. The spa cold and uninviting and th eworst pedicure I've ever had. The staff aren't trained properly. The grounds also are so so and the beach almost a waste of time as it's so small with no real way to swim safely in the ocean. Food was very good as was waiter service, but the rest of the hotel left much to be desired, a very quiet, boring place without any dancing or evening activites. We were very disappointed in our stay there.
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All the employees were excellent
Grand Papagayo by Occidental
User Rating:
Tracy >
1 contribution(s)
Nov, 2007
2 people found this review helpful
My boyfriend and I are in our late 20’s and are frequent travelers. We stayed at the Occidental Grand Papagayo Nov 3-10 2007 and had an AMASING time. This was classified as their rainy season but we had beautiful hot weather with only a few showers. I would highly recommend this resort.
Staff
All the employees were excellent. They spoke good English and always went out of their way to help you. They make approx. $1/hr so if you decide to tip, it is extremely appreciated!
Food
This resort has 1 buffet, 1 pool-side snack bar, and 2 a la carte (Oriental and Italian) restaurants. The food was good but is more of what I would call traditional “Costa Rican” style. Lots of beans, rice chicken and fish - you will never go hungry though!! I would highly recommend the Italian restaurant A++
Tours
Avispa’s Tours - www.avispasadventures.com we read about Amy before we left Canada and booked the Miravalles Volcano Adventure and Arenal Volcano Adventure and had a FANSATIC TIME! I would highly recommend booking with them– you won’t be disappointed!!! Her tours are smaller groups (2-4ppl) so this way you get a more laid-back adventure as it’s up to you how long you want to stay at each site. Miravalles is a must do tour which includes zip-lining, horseback riding (or tracker ride), nature hike with water falls, sulfur springs, hot springs, and mud baths. Arenal includes a nature hike, the volcano, hot springs and we added ATV’ing. We did not see the volcano the day we went it because it was cloudy – still worth the trip! This tour is a long day 13+ hours so if you want something closer to the resort go with Miravalles, its only 1 hour away. All food, snacks, beverages are included in the price (which is comparative to what the hotel is going to try and sell you). The van is safe and secure so don’t worry you wont lose your personal belongings. I recommend you bring rain gear and a change of clothing just in case. I won’t go into much more detail but if you want more info check out her website or email me! TOUR WITH AMY – AVISPA’S IS THE BEST!
Mario Tours
There are a few people on the beach operating tours. They are usually much cheaper then the ones offered through the resort. We did a 2 hour boating trip with Mario which included snorkeling (2 different sites) caves, and whale/dolphin watching for $25. It was safe, and we had a great time.
Sunset Walk
This is arranged by the entertainment staff and is worth doing!
Wildlife
My big concern before I booked this trip was scorpions. I heard stories of people finding them in their suitcases, in their rooms etc. I didn’t see one my entire trip. If you get up early (animals feed in the am) you can see all kinds of wildlife on the property. If you are not into the wildlife, don’t worry, unless you are out looking for it you probably wont come across much on the resort
If you have any questions or want more info, please feel free to email me tracybug@hotmail.com
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