This was a tricky review. This was the second half of our Costa Rica vacation. We had just come from quiet, peaceful, spacious accommodations in La Fortuna to busy, loud and and very very small "ocean front" room at Diria in Tamarindo. It took me a day or two just to readjust to the different accommodations.
We met staff that was rude and we met staff that was wonderful. One of the waiters, Ronald, at the beachfront restaurant basically right outside of our room was one of the wonderful ones. He served us our first meal there and was interactive and attentive and accommodating. We saw him a few other times and he was also very nice.We will remember Ronald.
The tour desk employees were also very nice and helpful.
Our room was so small. It bordered the kitchen so it was also very loud. We heard dishes clattering, water running, staff talking ect. (THIS is why I cannot give the an "excellent" review)
The grounds were quite beautiful. The pools (one smaller one near our room and then a lagoon style pool across the street) were clean and refreshing.
The food in 3 of the restaurants part of the hotel including the breakfast buffet was all very good.
The location was perfect. It is located at the beginning of town and it takes 10 minutes to walk through the tourist (shops and restaurants) part of town.
Overall this was a great hotel; the rooms themselves was the most disappointing part in my opinion.

The reason to stay here is the beautiful beachfront location. The grounds, setting, beach and sunsets are all spectacular. The room was comfortable and clean although the shower was difficult and they only supplied two bath towels; no hand towels or face cloths. The public areas were quite attractive while the food was good but not great. Security was well done with a guard at the entrances to make sure that only hotel guests entered, but the town and beach both felt safe. The beach had vendors who rent chaises and umbrellas for a modest cost; they are not part of the hotel as the beach is public space, but it worked out well. The town was fun with several nice places to eat.
We took a catamaran excursion, not part of the hotel, which was fun with a very professional and friendly crew, but the snorkeling was disappointing with no coral and relatively few fish.
Overall the resort was comparable to many Caribbean resorts we have been to.

Ww really enjoyed our stay at the diria, the room was great. Poolside and great view of the pool. The houler monkeys were in the trees outside our room for a day.The views on the beach are unbelievable, hiked the beach every morning after our great breakfast at the hotel. The only down fall was the cost of everything in the town, come with a pocket full of money. The people there are very freindly and it was a real pleasure meeting alot of people. Our favorite place to eat was the Flying Bull. The steak was unbelievable and the service was great. If I was to ever go back to Costa Rica I'd stay their again.

Location, location, location is what the Diria is all about. Right in the center of tamarindo beach, the Diria rules for its location and convenience. While it is located both on the beach and with rooms across the street, this does not detract from the experience. Along with the easy beach access, the Diria also has three swimming pools, so it is easy to find a lovely spot to read and relax.

The rooms: we were first given a room in the newest building that is still under construction. While small, it was clean, with decent linens and very comfortable. (With the exception of the beds which were rock hard). When we complained about the construction noise, we were promptly given an upgrade to a larger room in the tropical poolside building. This room was lovely, with a balcony overlooking the pool, much better beds, and a mini fridge in the room. Both rooms had working safes.

Breakfast was fine. It was buffet style. There was a large selection, with made to order eggs and a waffle bar, fresh fruit and yogurt. The coffee was the bad point, very weak. Service was in attentive/slow.

Parking was in a locked lot with a guard, very safe.

Location. It's right on the main road, you can't miss it.

The purpose of our trip was to have a relaxing beach vacation, and we accomplished this at the Diria. After seeing some of the other options in town, we were very glad we picked it. At $200/night in the high season, I thought it was well worth it, and would return.