Costa Rica honeymoon help!

[Fatmike92]

Hey everyone! Long time no see. Hope everyone's reefs are thriving!

So my fiancé and I are trying to plan a wedding and when I get tired of everything I start looking at where we are going to honeymoon.

The plan is Costa Rica! Does anyone have any experience with any of the resorts down there?

Here's ones I've looked at.

Occidental royal grand papagayo

Occidental allegro papagayo

Paradisus playa conchal

Hilton papagayo

Doubletree Hilton *****renas

Westin playa conchal


Thanks!

 

[Jay6363]

tagging along, trying to plan a last min honeymoon myself!!

 

[TonsOfun]

So my wife and I actually went to the Westin playa cochal from June 3rd to the 10th. Hate to say it, but it was probably one of the worst resorts I've ever been to. They got our room wrong upon arrival, over charged us for everything, buffet was closed the entire week because this is apparently the slow season, and didn't even give us the honeymoon package as promised. I actually just finished writing a letter to the co-president of the starwood americas hotel explaining my extreme disappointment. I strongly recommend against staying there. On another note I heard from a couple staying at the Hilton that it was absolutely beautiful but it was just kind of far from everything.

 

[Mrfresh]

I did the Dominican Republic at a all in one resort.... Amazing time

 

[Jay6363]

Me fresh anymore details?

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

Hey Mike any reason why Costa Rica? I've been all over Costa Rica, Belize, and the Mexican Riviera as well as A majority of Caribbean Islands. might be able to help depending on what style of honeymoon (relaxation, party, adventure, diving) and experiences you are looking for.

 

[Mrfresh]

My sister got married here and then me and the wife stayed a week after.
All u can eat any time
Drinks r free all day everyday.
Has a nice little casino.
It cost a lot but its all inclusive. S they take care of everything. If u want to leave the resort and do other things it will cost some money...
We did a private tour to a secluded island and it was great.
The hotel has shows every night.... They love there micheal Jackson out there.
It's better to upgrade to the nicer rooms where they will bring u food every day.
They have nice high end shops in the resort
Or u can leave it and find some little knick nacks for cheap....
Things are real cheap there and people are really nice.
Everyone speaks English for the most part.

I stayed at the Barceló Hotels Dominican
It's one of the best resorts out there....
I will use there barceló hotel when we go to Mexico...

Anything else u want to know?

 

[Fatmike92]

Thanks everyone!! Well we like the whole rainforest thing. We want to be out and about adventuring! Waterfalls. Pretty birds. All that fun stuff. I am in no way attached to Costa Rica. Because we would be going I'm the "green" season which i guess is the off season so the resorts are doing as much like stated above about the Buffet. I also want to do some fishing. Then of course at night some dancing and drinking would be fun! Not to concerned about price.

Thanks for the info on the westin good to know

 

[Wdsurfr]

If you like adventure do the water slide it is a riot. Costa Rica 1200ft water slide - YouTube,
You have to keep running back up the mountain but when we were there they let us go as many times as you wanted in a 1/2 hr. we stayed at the Paradisus playa conchal it was nice but I hate standing in line to make a dinner reservation so we didn't have to eat from the buffet

 

[Fatmike92]

If you like adventure do the water slide it is a riot. Costa Rica 1200ft water slide - YouTube,
You have to keep running back up the mountain but when we were there they let us go as many times as you wanted in a 1/2 hr. we stayed at the Paradisus playa conchal it was nice but I hate standing in line to make a dinner reservation so we didn't have to eat from the buffet

Sent you a pm! That's the place I've liked the best so far

 

[-Logzor]

Hey Mike I think you've made a really good choice going to Costa Rica, it's an amazing country! My wife and i went there in 2007 and had a blast! We were in the Guanacaste Province and saw Mount Arenal with flowing lava, pretty amazing. We stayed at an EcoLodge near the rainforest. It was a small resort and not very busy, not an environment I thrive in on vacation, I like lots of activity and people around. The sights were well worth it to me, though.

What I think you want is a combo trip potentially, where you spend a few days in a rainforest location and then move to the coast for some beach and water activities. I think it might be difficult to do both from the some resort as some of the transit times to remote areas take a very long time. You might have to book through a travel company like we did to do this, we used Apple Vacations.

We stayed at the Barecelo on Playa Langosta, which is a really solid mid-range all inclusive resort. It was clean, good free drinks, decent food, nice beach.

Keep in mind the beach on the Pacific side is NOT going to be what you expect, it's much more turbid and there is not a lot to see. If I had to do it over I would visit the opposite coast and see the Caribbean side.

 

[Fatmike92]

Thanks! Ya I have heard that from everyone. I really think it will be the best place for us.

The only thing I worry about is we are going in September of 2014 and September is the "green" season. Which is like the off season. My next move is to start contacting resorts and seeing what they have to say.

Keep the suggestions coming!

 

[danka-cedium]

Wow. Never though I'd here that name again. My wife and I spent our honeymoon at paradisius playa conchel. Very very nice.

Just don't open the pullout sofas. Lol
We did and a gentleman came by to beat it closed with a wrench.

 

[crislegrand04]

Costa Rica is my best place! Been there in 2007, 2008, 2010 and now live in the country!
Wildlife, climate, people, food...everything great here!

You can go at any popular hotel, of course, like Marriot, Papagayo, etc.
But I discover a small Costa Rica Villa: Ocean View Villas & Hotel Guanacaste Costa Rica-Cristal Azul.
4 cabins, in a remote place, with everything for vacations...at the beach.
The hosts Zene and Henner are amazing. They got married in Costa Rica and they can help you with everything you need about that.

For a Costa Rica Honeymoon, I highly recommend it!