Just back from our second 7 night stay. We stayed 7 nights at the Four Seasons Costa Rica and have to say we had another awsome experience. We have stayed at quite a few Four Seasons and this one ranks right up there with our favorite (Istanbul).
The rooms are very comfortable and have amazing views. It was great to wake up and order room service on the balcony of our room and watch the monkeys strolling through the brush and the parrots flying about.
The service is amazing and the spa was awsome (had a facial and hot stone massage.....ahhhhh).
Food I would say was mixed. Congo's was the best out of the three and Di Mare was the most disappointing. Not bad mind you but just not what we had expected.
Do the canopy tour at rincon del la vieja. Great guides and lots of nature to see.
One last thing, to parents out there....quiet pool means just that QUIET. So have the kids swim in the other pool. Not everyone finds your screaming kids cute and adorable.

I've just returned from a week at FS Costa Rica. Overall, we found the service to be excellent. The resort itself is beautiful. The main buildings of the resort are flanked by beaches on both sides. Usually you are only able to hear the sounds of the ocean, which is great. There is some construction going on. They are building additional Residence Club units and single family homes. Several times during the day you will hear heavy trucks braking a mile up the hill.

The condition and installation of the guest rooms are really below par from other experience at 5 star hotels and Four Seasons. First, I would recommend that no one upgrade the category of their room. We booked a premier view room, which put us on the top floor of the '2000' building. The first room we were given had the view blocked by trees, I mean all you saw were leaves. This is true of most of the rooms, we learned. After we had to change to a room down the floor due to mechanical issues, we got lucky with a mostly-unobstructed view of the ocean and sunsets.

For being open barely one year, the rooms are beat-up already. The beautiful hardwood floors we gouged to hell, in both rooms we had. Most of this was caused by the furniture movement. A few cases of those plastic furniture glides could have saved those floors this severe a trashing. Much of the furniture was scratched and dinged already. I observed here that many complained of beds that creek. Both rooms we had were no exception. Also, faucets in the baths were installed crooked and faucet handle in our second room was loose. The first room we had had malfunctioning AC and a closet light that would not turn off. It would not be so bad to have a broken Air Conditioner, but 4 times during the first day I had to return to the room, calling he mantainance staff back and debate with them (in Spanish) what was worng before they finally dertermined they could not fix it quickly. I have never had a room at a 4 star chain, much less a Four Seasons in such awful condition. The worrysome fact is this property just opened last year.

Overall, the service was Four Seasons, the room condition was not.

We stayed at the Four Seasons Papagayo Peninsula 5/29/05 - 6/3/05. We purchased the Spa and Golf Package and while not cheap, believe that this trip was worth every penny.

Transfer from Airport: We flew into Liberia Airport and booked roundtrip transfers through the Four Seasons. We were met outside of customs by a Four Seasons Representative and never had to toil with our luggage (we brought way too much with us) again. We were greeted by a Green Suburban and a iced bottle of water. The hotel is about a 40 minute drive from the airport - a good deal of the drive is actually within the resort compound - think of the entrance to Jurassic Park. The scenery is so spectacular - during the Green Season. The terrain is lush - with lots of trees, vines and beautifully manicured grounds - not to mention the gorgeous water.

Check In: Seamless. Although I did request an ocean-view room, I was given a bay view. I don't think it really mattered except for the lack of a sunset view. We had a room on the second floor and had a nice view of the bay and surrounding area. It was nice to be met with a class of fresh fruit juice and a chilled towel.

Food: We liked Caracol at the Golf Course. The meats were USDA Choice and very tender. Also, the Macadamia Crusted Grouper was a big hit with our group. Di Mare was also very good, but we noticed that when the resort was more crowded the quality of the food decreased (Lobster tail was served partially cooked - yuck). We tried the Brazilian BBQ at Congos available on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Good food and plenty of it, although not quite as good as Di Mare and Caracol (Ala Carte v. Buffet). Papagayo or room service are your only options for breakfast. The breakfast buffet was popular with the men in our group - they loved the protein shakes and omelette bar - too many insects around the food for the ladies in the group. We stuck to the menu and also LOVED the room service - SERVICE is emphasized. It was a very lovely presentation on our patio. I concur with the previous reviewer - the food at the pool was also good - enough to share for a light lunch. Get the chips and salsa combo - it costs about $22 USD for 5 Imperial Beers and a basket of chips w/ two different salsas and to-die-for guacamole!

Spa: As part of our package, we received 1 Rainforest Rejuvenating Massage each day (normally costs about $135 for 60 minutes). The spa experience was amazing. The staff were very friendly and the facility was beautiful and oh soooo relaxing. I had Randoll and Jose Pablo as my therapists - they were great. I loved relaxing in the spa area following my treatments - try the cucumber water and frozen fruit.

Room: Hands down, the best hotel room I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. Loved the wooden floors, the screened in patio and of course, the best bed ever! Also, the bathroom was exquisite! We especially enjoyed the L'occitane products.

Service: The Costa Ricans were so nice and warm. They provided great personalized service - always addressing us with our names. English for some was a challenge, but I think it adds to the charm of the resort - also provided a nice chance to use the Spanish I learned in High School! We really enjoyed the poolside service with Costa Rican Ice Cream Pops, more chilled towels, Evian Facial Spritzes and cucumber slices. Housekeeping was great, although some days our room was not cleaned until the late afternoon - no big deal though for us.

Golf: The course is impeccable and usually empty. The views surpassed any course we have previously played including White Witch in Jamaica. Also, golf provides the chance for a mini safari with monkeys, iguanas and the most bizarre looking crabs on the course - worth a tour even if you don't play. The golf staff were very accomodating - Romona was so fantastic.

Activities: We did the canopy tour and loved it. Although it was a little bit of an endurance test for those not in peak physical condition. We were lucky enough to see a family of monkies (including a baby) in the trees.

Kids: There were plenty of kids at the resort. I'm sure that there were many activities for all ages. We found some of the children to be out of control (example: playing with the band's instruments during their break while people were dining, playing "Marco-Polo" in the pool next to the restaurant during dinner, and equally annoying, towel whipping the handrail in the quiet pool.) I'm sure the kids are not to blame for their behavior - this was the fault of their over-indulgent parents. People should, by all means, bring their children to this fantastic place, but be mindful of the tranquil setting in which others wish to enjoy.

Weather: It was very hot and very humid, but rain really did not hinder our activities as it mostly rained at night or early in the morning.

Tip: Use plenty Deet - Costa Rica during the Green Season was very buggy. However, there are lots of other creatures that Deet won't handle like tarantulas, lizards and purple crabs with orange claws. Of note, this is NOT a caribbean beach type resort. The beach has many ants, green worms and crabs. As long as you go there knowing this you won't be disappointed. It is still very beautiful - just really natural. Also, the water was very clear and very warm - perfect for enjoying a day playing in the waves!

We would return in a heartbeat and probably will soon! Enjoy and pura vida!

I just wanted to help the next person who is looking for a beautiful getaway in Costa Rica. The Four Seasons was absolutely wonderful. The people were so hospitable. You'll have everything you ever needed at this resort.

Our first day there my allergies got the best of me. Allergy season was over for me in Florida so I did not bring any medication. The concierge realized that I was having problems and called the doctor. She was actually on the premises. I went down and in 5 minutes got medication that took care of my allergies. Which allowed me to enjoy a full week there.

My husband wanted to go on the Canopy Tour in Monte Verde. Let me just say, DON'T DO IT!!!!! It ended up being the only day that I absolutely dreaded of my stay in Costa Rica. The ride was not worth it. After we came back from Monte Verde we ended up doing the Witches Rock Canopy Tour just 15 minutes away from the resort and it was AWESOME!

We had a breakfast package which helped us out. Dinners were never under $100.00 a night for us. The 23% taxes will get you every night. I thought the dinners were average. If you ever get a chance to take the boat or shuttle over to Coco Beach do it. When you get there go eat at Louisiana Seafood. The meal is great and the prices are dirt cheap! There are souvenir shops, restaurants and a supermarket. It was a nice three hour getaway from the resort.

If you are worried about having an ocean view DON'T. All of the rooms have a view. You have the Playa Blanca on one side and the Playa Virador on the other. The rooms are unbelievable. (Note: If you like taking baths bring bubble bath).

The grounds are beautiful and the Sunsets are breathtaking. Definitely do the Sunset Hike. I can go on and on over this place. So let me just say that this place was definitely worth it!