8.6/10 Excellent! (638 reviews)
No pool staff to serve drinks.
Pool area not clean (spilled food/drinks) were left laying around for too long.
Food left by elevators too long!
No mimosa at breakfast (I enjoy this perk on vacation).
Toilets in the rooms smelled like sewage for some reason but they were clean (guess it’s a plumbing issue).
No pull out sofa bed in rooms!
Sports bar food was subpar (need more variety) for it to be 24 hour option.
Too many flies inside restaurants and on salad bar food (totally unacceptable).
Restaurant reservations hard to get for more than 2 people.
Pool Towels kept running out early/mid day!
No Casino on site (this would be a nice perk because the resort is so secluded).
No foam party while I was there (hotel calendar was confusing).
No made to order omelet in buffet restaurant.
Staff friendly all over resort!
Low mosquitoes around (definite bonus).
Lots of chairs at the pool all day, no need to hold chairs.
Buffet food was good overall & a good variety (the flies need to be dealt with).
Tacos & burgers made at Filadelfia pool were amazing!
DJ at club kept crowd engaged nightly & was super fun for young adults!!
I went with my family late June 2026. I’ve stayed at plenty of Riu’s all over the Caribbean & I stayed at The Palace a few years prior so i have certain expectations for Riu. Overall, Guanacaste is great for the price but the things i said above need to be addressed. Some are just my preferences but to stay ahead, upgrades in services/perks are needed.
Reviewed on Aug 3, 2026
