Occidental Papagayo

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

This is a beautiful, well manicured resort built on a hill. The builder left as much nature and original land as possible. Lighting was just enough to be safe walking and going from place to place, thus allowing the stars and sky to be seen at night. The beach is...

This is a beautiful, well manicured resort built on a hill. The builder left as much nature and original land as possible. Lighting was just enough to be safe walking and going from place to place, thus allowing the stars and sky to be seen at night. The beach is wonderful! One has to walk down a stairway to get there, but well worth it. Soft sand, shade, lounge chairs, plenty of space to walk, throw the frisbee, and look for shells. The swimming pools were refreshing, clean and in beautiful locations. Great place to hang out, visit, meet people and enjoy cocktails! Staff were very attentive, always courteous and willing to please. Our few problems were quickly resolved. Due to the location of our room, building 14, we used shuttle services a lot. Most of the time, we waited less than 5 min for a shuttle. The drivers were courteous and helpful. We went on two excursions-to Coco Beach and rafting. If you want to shop or just have a change of scenery, Coco Beach is a good choice. It’s less than 30 min away and there’s plenty of shopping and restaurants. The beach at Occidental was preferred by our group over Coco Beach. The raft ride was thrilling! We are so glad we did it!! It’s worth the time and money. JJ was very helpful in getting us signed up for the all day excursion. I highly recommend the raft trip if you’re physically able and meet age requirements. The food was fine, no complaints. The Italian restaurant is a must! Delicious food. The Grill aka Steakhouse was above average , plenty of selection. The tuna was wonderful. The Buffet was good, too. Plenty of choices with fresh fruit and veggies at every meal. One has to appreciate Costa Rica and all its beauty. The citizens take care of their country so that they remain sustainable and economically prosperous. We found the people there to be gracious, kind and gentle. Adjusting to “Costa Rica” time as soon as possible will serve you well.

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

This was our first visit to Costa Rico. We arranged airport shuttle through the resort. He was waiting for us and drove us to the resort with no problem. Carlos checked us in. He was outstanding. Very curtious and helpful. Checkout was just as seamless.

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

This was our second time at this resort and will not be our last. I can say that each time we have went, it has been for 2 weeks or more. We have been guests here for over a month in total and unlike some reviews, we have never had...

This was our second time at this resort and will not be our last. I can say that each time we have went, it has been for 2 weeks or more. We have been guests here for over a month in total and unlike some reviews, we have never had a bad experience. We have been Premium (red bracelet) guests each time and luckily received an amazing suite each time in 701. Our experience is based on the Premium package so I can not comment on any other experiences. I think it is extremely important for anyone to know…..this resort is beautifully located on the side of a mountain……there is an exceptional amount of hills and stairs which can be seen in the pictures. They do not hide this fact and we actually appreciated the physical part of it for exercise. There are shuttles but they do service everyone so patience is key for any guest, if depending on them. The specialty restaurants were incredible quality, service and variety. Us and our friends enjoyed each one from the Grill, Asian and Italian. I could not comment on the restaurants without pointing out how incredible David, Alanso and Harry were at spoiling their guests. All had amazing senses of humour, catered to us and ensured each experience was top notch. While mentioning meals, the buffet was pretty basic, but enough variety to satisfy us every visit. Breakfast was the best with the made to order egg station, coffee machines (stay or to go cups), and efficient service. If you go and have Carlos tend to your wants, you will feel spoiled when you leave. Carlos ensured absolutely anything we needed or wanted was taken care of, but he also had such energy and kindness. We looked forward to seeing him each day. The Premium lounge on the second floor of the main lobby had top shelf liquor and skilled bartenders to make elevated cocktails Steffany was there every night after dinner for our nightcaps of Baileys, Jack Daniel’s, and Tito’s. My wife would take her Baileys to go, keep it in the fridge, then add it to her coffee in the morning. Steffany had a very professional manner, but also a great sense of humour. The lounge had a television, specialty coffee machine, appetizers, board games and an incredible view. There are 2 pools, the activity pool is actually quieter than the swim up bar pool closer to the beach. We enjoyed both and liked they offered completely different experiences. If you want to socialize more, the furthest pool is the best option with a swim up bar, tiled loungers in the pool and several monkeys that visited most afternoons to eat the flowers in the trees. The reception front desk was always helpful and friendly. The Concierge desk, where you get the reservations for dining, was incredible. Mariana and Ismail……went to every possible level bending over backwards to ensure guests were satisfied as well as happy. These 2 really elevated our experience and we can not thank them enough. We had room service included and it was exceptional, so if you don’t feel like a buffet one day, it is a great option. Our suite was exceptionally clean and the beach was great for a walk. We will be back. Thank you so much Raul! You made our 24th anniversary and winter vacation amazing. Your resort feels like home and your staff like family. See you next time.

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

Due to an early morning flight, we arrived at the resort at 9:30AM. Our travel agent had verified with the resort in advance that we would be able to get in and drop our bags. Unfortunately, neither the sentry at the gate nor the folks at the check-in desk had...

Due to an early morning flight, we arrived at the resort at 9:30AM. Our travel agent had verified with the resort in advance that we would be able to get in and drop our bags. Unfortunately, neither the sentry at the gate nor the folks at the check-in desk had been advised of this. After several calls between our transportation company and the resort, we were finally able to proceed to the lobby. When we spoke to the person at the check-in desk, we were advised that the check-in time was 3PM but if we wanted to check in early (although we could not go to our room) it would cost $35 per person. Then he said that if we wait until 11AM, we could check in for free. (although we still could not go to our room) We decided to wait in the lobby until 11. When we were finally able to check in, our room was not ready until almost 4PM. (3PM check-in?) He also told us that the breakfast buffet opens at 6:30 but then we found out that it actually opens at 7AM. This made it tight to catch the 7:30 shuttle. After we checked in, we went to the snack bar for lunch. The food left quite a bit to be desired. There was a fish casserole dish that had good flavor, but it was barely above room temperature. The spaghetti and red sauce were both cold, the pizza was cold and the cheese on top was hard. All these foods were under the warming lamps. For the other meals we had at the buffet and snack bar there were almost the same selections every day and most of the dishes had way too much salt. Even some of the specialty meals were very salty. Now, on the issue of the AC in our unit. To begin with, when we entered the room, even though the display showed “17”, the air coming out was just slightly cooler than the outside air temp. The first night we were there, the AC quit blowing air at 1AM. When the AC quit, the ceiling fan and all the lights in the bathroom lost power. When this happened, we could hear a scratching noise like a rat inside the wall behind the closet, directly beside the card reader. (The card reader mounted on the wall requires a magnetic strip card to be inserted for the AC to run.) We called in the morning and a maintenance man came over and played with the card reader on the wall until the AC started blowing (slightly cool – not cold) again. This happened many times in the first 4-5 days until even the maintenance guy couldn’t get it to reset. He disassembled the card reader and bypassed it. After this it kept blowing cool (not cold) air until we returned from a tour Saturday afternoon. When we entered the room, the AC was not blowing and there was an error code displaying on the AC unit. The room was HOT and MUGGY. The maintenance guy went around behind the unit and reset something to make it start blowing slightly cool air again. The maintenance guy insisted that it was “FIXED” and would not listen when I said it’s “BARELY COOL, NOT COLD”. The resort is situated on the side of a hill with paths up and down the hill to go between buildings. They do offer a shuttle which we were told runs 24 hours a day. Several mornings I called to request a shuttle from our room to the lobby (due to a knee injury that makes the walk up the hills very painful) and I was told that the driver was at breakfast and would be back in 20 minutes or so. The fact that the buffet opens at 7AM and our transport was scheduled to pick us up at 7:30 eliminated the option of waiting. On the positive side, without exception, the bartenders were very friendly and efficient. I sent an email to the GM of the resort after we returned home but I have received no response.

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

We had a fantastic stay at this resort! The service was excellent, and the staff was incredibly welcoming and accommodating. Despite being an older resort and older buildings, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable. The food selection was great and the three on-site restaurants offered outstanding food and top-notch service....

We had a fantastic stay at this resort! The service was excellent, and the staff was incredibly welcoming and accommodating. Despite being an older resort and older buildings, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable. The food selection was great and the three on-site restaurants offered outstanding food and top-notch service. As someone with allergies, I was especially impressed by how attentive and accommodating the staff was to my dietary needs. Overall, a wonderful experience—we would definitely return!

Travel Date: March 31, 2025

Entertainment was awesome and so friendly. Yasniry was sooo frivken fun!!!! Volleyball, pool party and great food and ocean time pura vida Costa Rica amazing beach and pool disco happy happy happy see you son Costa Rica puta. Vida occidental

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

Contract # 201-01-1790 We stayed at Occidental Grand Papagayo February 12-19. We had invited 2 other couple's to stay at the resort under our club membership. I will point out that we have NEVER had issues like we experienced at this resort. This was our 4th stay at the resort...

Contract # 201-01-1790 We stayed at Occidental Grand Papagayo February 12-19. We had invited 2 other couple's to stay at the resort under our club membership. I will point out that we have NEVER had issues like we experienced at this resort. This was our 4th stay at the resort in Costa Rica ( last one was 1 year prior to covid) Previous stays were wonderful. This one was absolutely the worst experience we have ever had. I am appalled at the response of the "manager" about the bad reviews, obviously the response is the same for all of them and nothing is being done about these issues. Check in: Normally we would go to the first club for check in. We did, we waited and finally the bartender said maybe we should go downstairs and get someone. We went down and were told "Just Wait". The young man then got up and walked towards the stairs?? I said, " Should we follow you? His response was " If you want to be checked in". This was our entry greeting. I want to point out that when I made the reservation I had requested that we NOT be put into building 1 or building 2 because of the stairs. (two of the people had leg injuries and the stairs would be difficult for them) The very nice reservation representative I spoke with said I should call the resort directly as to be sure we would get the rooms that did not require stairs (they sit on a hill with no stairs) I called three months prior to arrival, two months prior to arrival and again a few weeks prior to arrival. After check in they took us to building 1, I said to the driver there is a mistake this is not our building. He said yes it was and the luggage was in our rooms. It was very late at this point and I decided we would deal with a room change in the morning. When I asked to be changed Emanuel said there were no rooms available where we wanted to be and his notes said I requested high floor rooms, I explained maybe there was a miscommunication, I would not request high floor rooms for the simple fact 2 of the guest had issues with stairs, His response was, "well look here that's what the notes say" as he's pointing to his computer screen. My husband and I walked up and there were empty rooms....everyday for 3 days!! We were still in Building 1, rooms 132, 133, 134. on day 2 we noticed a foul sewer smell in our room (very strong) as did room 134. We had to open our doors it was so bad. The showers in all three rooms had visible mold. We reported it and were told someone would be right up to fix it. We were scheduled for an excursion and thought it would be fixed upon our return, it was not, and now our toilet wasn't working properly and the light in the shower was also not working. By day 3 we realized they do not answer the phones if the calls are coming from guest rooms. Several people had told us that but I was giving them benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately we had to walk to the lobby to tell them, however nothing was ever done to fix the issues with the bathroom or the rooms in general. The refrigerator in room 134 was not cold or restocked. It had one beer in it the first night. When they called for water they were told it was to late for re-stock if they wanted water they could get it from the bar or lobby. None of us had our refrigerators re-stocked the entire stay. We would have at least like the water we requested. In the past we were always able to make reservations for the reservation only restaurants in the first club upon check in. This time I was told to see Maria downstairs, she would be there at 8 AM. I arrive at the desk at 8 AM, Maria I will say was very kind and nice. She was unable to make reservations for us earlier than 8:30 PM because the restaurants were booked. We made the 8:30 reservations. When I walked away I was approached by a woman who said the restaurants were not only, NOT booked but her and her husband had gone to the Italian the previous night and there were only 4 occupied tables. I decided to check it out that night. When I walked in at 7 there were only 5 tables occupied, I asked if we could possibly get a table since obviously either they were not booked, or a whole lot of people didn't show up. Quite rudely I was told no, only what was on my ticket. Because the food was exactly the same, and terrible every night at the buffet we were forced to go into cocoa beach if we wanted a decent meal. I will say none of us are fussy eaters, but this was bad. The young ladies in the lunch buffet were nothing less than rude. Our first day a lot of people were complaining, and we thought .......It can't be that bad why complain when you are in such a beautiful country. Well I am here to say it was the worst, most horrible stay I have ever experienced since we have been with Occidental since we purchased in 2007. My husband and I were embarrassed that we had subjected our family member and very good friends to this experience. Check out: We were told someone would come and get our luggage and bring it down to the lobby. We called, nobody answered. I went down, was told someone would be up soon. Nobody ever came. We ended up carrying the luggage down the stairs and dragging it to the lobby. At this point we just wanted out of that resort. My sister in law forgot her makeup/medicine/sundry bag in 134. She called as soon as she arrived home, she spoke with Carlos, he said call back in an hour . She called back and was told Carlos had gone for the day, she was speaking with Stephanie who told her the same thing. She called the next day and reached Emanuel. He was extremely rude and would not help her at all. He basically told her he didn't care. I am simply appalled at this resort. If I could I would ask for the return of the money we paid for this horrible vacation stay. I feel like I literally wasted valuable vacation time, as did our family and friends in exchange for what can only be considered a nightmare stay at Occidental Papagayo ( I will purposely leave out Grand!) It was beyond disappointing, The staff was rude, the rooms stinky and broken. The food was terrible and reservations impossible to get even though the restaurants were practically empty!! This is unacceptable.

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

We had a wonderful week! Beautiful grounds, amazing flora & fauna and very friendly staff. Shout out to the yoga teacher Charlie & the Aquafit team as well as the excellent Japanese dining experience. If you want a restful but active vacation and if you love nature, birds, monkeys etc...

We had a wonderful week! Beautiful grounds, amazing flora & fauna and very friendly staff. Shout out to the yoga teacher Charlie & the Aquafit team as well as the excellent Japanese dining experience. If you want a restful but active vacation and if you love nature, birds, monkeys etc book now!

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

Great experience! Clean room. Wonderful pools. Quick and easy walk to the beach. Beach not busy and chairs available and ready to go. Good food and drinks. Entertaining live music every night. A ton of amazing excursions to do off the resort. Service was perfect at the diners, desk, and...

Great experience! Clean room. Wonderful pools. Quick and easy walk to the beach. Beach not busy and chairs available and ready to go. Good food and drinks. Entertaining live music every night. A ton of amazing excursions to do off the resort. Service was perfect at the diners, desk, and rooms. Lots of monkeys to see. What a deal! We so appreciated our time here. Thank you Occidental Papagayo!

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

Arrived in the middle of February to take a break from New York winter. Before I write my full review. My wife and I would like to thank the full staff for making our stay wonderful. Yasniry who guided us on our walks and resort activities was wonderful. Same thanks...

Arrived in the middle of February to take a break from New York winter. Before I write my full review. My wife and I would like to thank the full staff for making our stay wonderful. Yasniry who guided us on our walks and resort activities was wonderful. Same thanks to Ken, Roger and Lizbeth in entertainment. Now for my review about the place. We are in our early sixties and very fit. There are lots of stairs here-76 steps from the pool to the lobby. The food is delicious but very limited. We've been on other inclusive resorts and this is 3/5. The staff is great as I mentioned earlier however the equipments are not. The bicycles cost $10 to rent which is fine with us except they are in need of repairs or replacements. There is no entertainment after 11pm. Everybody goes back to their room. Would we come back here? Maybe but for what we paid, there are other resorts we heard that are better.

Travel Date: February 28, 2025

The Occidental Papagayo gave us everything we were looking for in a resort, great beach, great pools and the peace & quiet to enjoy them. As well, our room was a good size, with an excellent bathroom and nice deck. It was also well located in the resort itself. The...

The Occidental Papagayo gave us everything we were looking for in a resort, great beach, great pools and the peace & quiet to enjoy them. As well, our room was a good size, with an excellent bathroom and nice deck. It was also well located in the resort itself. The Entertainment Team, especially "Yasniry" deserves a special mention. Yasniry took us on a Kayak tour and shared her enthusiasm with us for nature in the Gulf of Papagayo. She is an outstanding teacher who is always smiling. As we got to know her we could see that she shared her enthusiasm in everything she does, from teaching water aerobics, dancing, rifle shooting, karaoke... she does it all with patience and a smile. Management, take note... Yasniry is truly an asset and you should be very proud of how she represents your resort to the customers. I would recommend to all guests to get to know the Entertainment Staff they really make a difference at this resort; especially on Valentine's Day which they made very entertaining and special. The only negative thing(s) I would say of the Occidental Papagayo is the restaurants. Although we could always find something to eat at the buffet restaurant, the hot food was sometimes cold and with not much variety to choose from; we always found something to eat but it was a little underwhelming. As well, the service and standards at the "a la carte" restaurants could be improved. We found these restaurants lacked some "basics" in customer service like asking "how we are enjoying the meal?" or even refilling the water glass. As well, there is a dress code at the a la carte restaurants (which we followed) but that wasn't followed by other guests and/or enforced by the staff and that took away from our experience on a special occasion. But... we didn't go to Costa Rica to eat, we went there for sun, sand, pools & beaches... and we found just that at the Occidental Papagayo!