Let’s start with what stood out - the pool was very pretty with its lush surroundings and small tree-filled islands, and a winding shape that made an already huge pool feel even bigger. And the drinks at the bar were made with real fruit! You can also play pool by the pool and ping pong.
The resort iguanas and raccoon-monkeys (Coatis) can be fun to observe, and if you venture out down the beach or towards the main road you may spot howler monkeys, or at least hear the howl.
The food and service also get high marks except for one blemish which was the Asian restaurant where the service was atrocious! There were six of us dining and after our first glass of wine was poured we were not offered a refill or offered drinks of any kind for the rest of the meal. On top of that our water did not get refilled until desert! I also didn't receive a couple of items that I ordered and one of the main courses was incorrect. When we politely mentioned this the waiter actually because somewhat rude and then unresponsive.
We tried all the all-a-carte restaurants and the French one twice because 1) it was open-air, 2) their crème brulee, and 3) the lobby bar was beside it where the bartenders were great.
For some reason the pizza place wasn't open until half way through the week which was unfortunate because it really was very popular once it opened - great for lunch or a snack at the pool.
We took surf lessons with a small operation call Point Break, and I will give a shout out to Angelo who got me standing on my board several times.
We had beach massages which actually were excellent, and inexpensive. I wish I remembered their names but there was a middle aged woman and a young woman operating straight ahead from the beach entrance. They may get shooed away occasionally by the police but will return later.
Regarding tours I booked the Miravalles volcano/waterfall tour and river tour with Erik outside the beach entrance not because his tours are cheaper (they are but not by that much) but because Swiss Travel didn't offer the tours on days that we wanted to go; some tours would only run once or twice a week. Both tours were guided by Rigo Suave who is full of knowledge.
We took a private sail boat tour and went snorkelling though the snorkelling was disappointing, I can't be sure however that we were at the best location.
It wasn't high season when we were there and not crowded so I can't comment on whether getting pool chairs or dinner reservations are a problem when the resort is busy.

Lots has been said about Westin at Playa Conchal, recently renovated, great staff, great view, one of the best beaches in the Costarrican pacific. Great white sand and little seashells to the northern section of the beach. The Thai restaurant "Bamboo" very good , so the breakfast that has a very large buffet, with lots of everything, the only thing that was not good were the pancakes.
One of shows at night was good, but the standard that you would expect in an AI, the next night's show was really good, 3 performers combining magic like presentations with aerial ribbon or drape acts. Never seen that at Conchal before.
The staff at the reception was helpful and friendly, we came in late and they arranged reservations for the restaurants, even though they were fully booked.
The drinks at the pool generous and the bartenders friendly.
The tour office there very informative , and the had large selection of tours offered, like the most visited and sold Adrenaline at Rincon de la Vieja, an active volcano. This is just under 2 hours from Conchal.
For the kids , everything that you would expect to entertain them and lots of the things that they like to eat.
If you like AI's this is the one.

This Hotel is beautiful, the wait staff are excellent, the food is excellent, the pool,spa,tennis courts,golf are all great and best thing about this place is it is all inclusive (yeh its a Westin). This is the perfect place for family get togethers or a romantic trip for two. The staff will bend over backwards to help you at every turn. The only negative I could find with this resort is the ocean. You are on the Pacific Ocean and on this coast the water is a dark blue color. The visibility in the water is very poor and the water is often a little cool. The average temp. in Jan. is about 93 degrees so be prepared to be in the ocean or in the pool. The sand is a combination of crushed shell and sand, but the beach is very nice with the hills as a backdrop. As far as trips go ie. zip lining, monkeys etc., most trips are between 1-2 hours away from this resort,so travel is required. All in All this is a excellent resort, well worth the price of admission.

My husband and I spent the week of Jan 7 - 14th at the Westin Costa Rica and had an excellent vacation. Upon arrival we inquired about upgrading to the Royal Beach Club but at $70 per night per person we decided to stay with the deluxe junior suite and it was fine. We were kind of concerened that the pool would be full of kids but it wasn/t a problem. The resort was beautiful and the staff was helpful and friendly. The food was very good at all the restaurants although our favorite was the French. Each morning we ate breakfast at the buffet and found that there was a good selection. We purchased our tours from John who works for Eric on the beach. For the mega tour John gave us a price of $135 but reduced it as the tour was filling up. We ended up paying $100 per person and the tour was awesome. It was nice because there was only 10 people in our group and we didnt have to wait in long lines to do the activities. Our tour guide, Ricky Recardo was informative with a great sense of humor. We took a 4 hour ATV tour with Rigo (again through John) to Tamarindo and it was a blast.It took 1 hour each way and we spent 2 hours at the beach and shopping. We had so much fun that we booked 3 hours the following day with Rigo to go from beach to beach with the ATV in the other direction. ($85 for 3 hours) Outside the resort to the right we found Angie for massage. I/ve had many massages in the past and must say that she was excellent. I highly recommend you ask for her. The only complaint I have is that we did nt book 2 weeks. be returning to the Westin Costa Rica but next time it will be for 2 weeks.