My boyfriend wanted to go to Tamarindo for surfing. I researched for weeks for a decent hotel to stay at. There seemed to be a lot of mixed reviews for the hotels in Tamarindo. We got a really great packaged deal through itravel2000 for $1250 (for both of us!). It was all-inclusive so we decided to take a chance and hope for the worst! When we arrived, we had a brand new mercedes coach bus waiting for us. Compared to some of the other vans people were getting into, we were very impressed. It was a long drive but we had a very nice young man who talked most of the way and gave us a nice history lesson of Costa Rica and gave us some nice tips and what to expect which made the drive to the resort seem much shorter. We did stop off at a store where you could buy beer/snacks/etc and use the rest room. I advise to quickly jump out and use the bathroom first and then grab a few things if you want in the store because everyone seems to make that same stop at that same store so it gets really crowded and it's not a big store.
When we arrived at the resort, I jumped out first to the front desk so i could check in while my boyfriend waited for our luggage. The gentleman at the front desk was very nice and polite. Everything was waiting for us already so we just had to put our bracelets on and get our room key. We first got a room on the second floor in Building # 1 which is right beside the front desk and close to the pool/beach area. I walked in and it was just barely ok, it had 2 beds in it, older bathroom, and a damp smell which was bothering me. You could tell it was an older biulding. We dropped our stuff and went for a quick walk around and to get something to eat. It is actually a really nice resort overall. When walking back to our room we stopped off at the front desk to buy an internet card and I asked the same gentleman who checked us in if there was a newer building and he said yes, the ones further away were new, just built 2 months ago. He did say that the rooms were all the same (didn't believe him). I asked to be moved there into a king bed instead and he was nice enough to give me a room on the third floor, building #4. I had to now go and move our stuff into the new room. I will admit it is a bit longer walk, but only by 90 seconds. When I got into the room, I couldn't figure out why nothing was turning on, no lights, no A/C. I tried calling the front desk but no one answered so I had to run back to the front desk and ask. He told me that you had to keep a room key in the entrance way, there is a little slot that needs to have the key in order to turn the power on in the room. Luckily I still had the room keys from the first room so I just stuck one of them in the whole time which worked out great because we both still had a key for our room. I also learned that when the balcony door is left opened, it turns the A/C off, guess it's supposed to help remind you to keep the door shut or don't waste the A/C. This room was a million times nicer, you could tell it was brand new. There was a very comfortable king bed and the bathroom was a lot nicer as well, very new and modern and no damp smell. We were very happy we moved rooms.
There was construction going on next door for the new stage they are putting in but did not bother us at all. There is security everywhere so we felt totally safe. They really made sure no one came in unless they had a bracelet on.
The food was better than we expected, some repeat things but there was always rice, breakfast, lunch and dinner. They do try and keep the flies off of the salad bar/cheese trays which the cheese trays don't look that edible anyways. There was also chicken,seafood/fish, beef dish. You could always find somethig to eat. The snack bar by the pool has hambergers/hot dogs, nachos, fried chicken which was pretty good, etc. We did have the a la carte one night which was really not that great. The food was better in the buffet I think. We did enjoy the fruit everyday especially the mango. The desserts were great, lots of choices/varieties. The also have ice cream which they don't have a cover for so it ends up more like ice cream soup sitting in the heat, not sure why they do that.
The resort does get a bit busy during the weekend. When we arrived on Sunday it was great, it seemed really empty so you could find a pool chair, etc. By Thursday, it was insane. Lots of people and lots of people with kids! We did not spend much time by the pool after that.
The best part for my boyfriend was that you could walk right out to the beach and he brought his surf board and surfed twice a day. He loved it. We did not know this when we booked so it was definitely a great surprise for him. He thought he would have to walk down the beach to catch some waves but they were right in front of him.
We did go into town twice, once in the day to walk around/shop and once during the evening to check out one of the local bars/club. $5 cab ride each way. Not much in town, just suvenirs really. The bar we went to just opened not that long ago so it was nice and modern.
One last thing, I just happened to look at the stamps in my passport the other day (not sure why) and noticed that the entry stamp I recieved in Costa Rica is dated 2007! I guess no one has noticd yet and it was at the end of April 2008 when I went. Not sure if it really matters but maybe someone should let them know.
Overall, I would recommend this resort especially for the price, you can't go wrong. Just make sure you ask for a room in the new buildings.
