The Westin Golf Resort and Spa, Playa Conchal - All Inclusive

The rooms and the grounds of this hotel were absolutely beautiful, but the rest failed to meet my expectations. I thought the food was just average and staff was below average. I had to ask multiple times to get drinks at every meal and the waiters were not very attentive. Waiters would forget orders, bring the wrong food and had major problems describing the cuisine. My other major problem with the hotel was it seemed like it was not easy to get to other places in Costa Rica from there, unless you had a car. I think this would be a great place to stay for part of my trip to costa rica, but I would not spend my entire vacation there again. However, the Westin was a good value. It cost me $1800 for airfare and seven nights at the Westin (which includes meals, drinks, room service and non-motorized sports equipment). That said, you should still expect to spend money to do other activities in costa rica. You can book everything though the hotel, but I think it is cheeper to walk just off the hotel property onto the beach and book with one of the local companies. There is a guy named "Eric" who runs a company that will take you on any tour you could possibly want to go on (you can recognize Eric and his employees because they are wearing t-shirts with marlins on them). Final Tip: Bring lots of cash. If you plan to stay at the hotel you will just need cash for tips. If you plan to venture outside the hotel most vendors only accept cash, or if they accept credit card they usually offer a discount for paying in cash. Tours booked through the hotel can be billed to your room and paid for on credit card, but many credit cards have an international fee (it may not be much, but it is something to think about). American dollars are totally fine. I did not encounter one place that did not accept dollars, in fact, I think most places prefer dollars to the local currency, colones. Finally, there is a $28/person tax to leave the country. You can use a credit card to pay the tax, but it is billed as a cash advance.

The food was pretty good at the buffet and really good at the specialty restaurants. We did not have any issues getting reservations. The pool was fantastic! Plenty of chairs. The drinks were ok, typical of an all inclusive.

very friendly staff, food was ok. room was good

Amazing time - everyone there focuses on making sure you, the guest, have a great experience. This was clearly not America. No attitude. Nothing too much hassle. They just aim to please. Rooms were great - spacious and clean. Activities kept you busy if you wanted to keep busy. Otherwise, the pool and beach are there for your relaxation. Food and drink was great. Not a complaint. The Asian Fusion, Italian, and Mexican restaurants were great. Mitra, the buffet, was good as well with a lot of choice.

The hotel is beautiful and the staff was great. We had an amazing time and would highly recommend Costa Rica as a travel destination and this hotel in particular. The golf course was AMAZING with iguanas, Pizotes (they look like big racoons) and monkeys as part of the scenery. we did one excursion that included zip lining, horseback riding, mud bath and a swim at the hot springs and to end it all, a water slide that was 1/2 a mile long through the rain forest. I highly recommend the travel guys that hang out on the beach by the resort, they saved our group A LOT of money and our tour guide was fantasic. I would go back tomorrow if I could :)

Great time, good food and helpful staff. I would recommend the staff to better explain the package in more details.

It was absolutely amazing! The place was beautiful and the people were the best!!!

I have taken a lot of trips over the past couple of years and this one was my favorite. The resort couldn't have been any better. The service was impecable. The same servers that would serve you your room service in the early morning might be your bartender that afternoon at the pool, or may be your server for dinner and they remember your name and would always find a way to please you anyway that they could. They always have a smile on their faces. The room was very nice and roomy. There were so many different things to do that you can't do any where else. I would recommend this trip to anyone. It was worth the money!

The Playa Conchal was awesome. [...] We could not believe the easy check in and out with Royal Service. We had our own butlers. Can you believe it, butlers! They were so nice. [...] took care of us like we were the only guests in town. While speaking to other guests, it turns out they were great to all who stayed at the Conchal. The concierge, [...], were amazing. AA had lost my luggage and without their help, I don't know if I could have enjoyed the trip as much as I did. We did 2 excursions while we were in beautiful Costa Rica. We went to Nicaragua to see an active volcano and learned so much about their culture and history. The tour guide, [...], from Swiss Tours was like a walking encyclopedia. Beware, the trip takes all day. From 5:30am to 8:30pm. The kids at the shopping area will break your heart. Take lots of fruits from the hotel to give them. And try to give it to the smaller children since the older ones are bigger and stronger. The Mega Combo tour from Swiss Tours included zip-lining (which was awesome), water sliding with a tube (watch your elbows), lunch, horseback riding (cancelled due to torrential rain which made the ground too soft and muddy for the horses and made it unsafe for us), tractor ride to the hot springs. The tour guide,[...], was so nice to us. He made sure all of us were having a great time and experiencing all the beauty of Costa Rica. I could not stop raving about the hotel to my family and friends. The private pool for Royal Service members was so cool. [...] who provided us with towels, drinks and food was fantastic. With his great service, hanging out by the pool made it fun.The food at the hotel was great. Make sure to make your reservations as soon as you get there with the concierge or your butlers. They will provide you with a ride or you can opt to walk 3-5 minutes to the restaurants. Also, the free internet service provided at the royal service lounge made it easier to stay in touch with family and friends back home.In conclusion, I have nothing but great praise about my experience at Costa Rica. The hotel was the best part of it. Make sure to sign up for Royal Service. It will be worth it.

The hotel and location were beautiful. The service was excellent!