My boyfriend and I just returned from a WONDERFUL week at Los Suenos. To be frank, I was anticipating a disappointing customer service experience based on some of the reviews on this site. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the staff. I spoke Spanish to many of the hotel employees and I feel like they appreciated that. They especially appreciated my boyfriend’s humble attempts to converse in his very basic Spanish. At the end of our stay, there were a number of errors on our bill, but they were quickly rectified when brought to the attention of the management. The only other minor issues were that the shuttle did not run according to schedule to and from the marina, though we quickly discovered the path, and never really needed the shuttle. Also, we were a bit disappointed that we were unable to take the Bijagual Waterfall day trip, as not enough people signed up. We found out, upon questioning, that we could have rented a car and driven ourselves to the falls and rented horses once there, but by the time we’d learned of this option we were pressed for time. Just wish the activities staff had been more proactive in helping us find a solution.

The grounds were stunning, from the gorgeous flowers to the lovely pool, no details were ignored. We never had any problems finding chairs around the pool. The bar staff, as well as the pool deck employees were friendly and accessible. The fitness room was very nice and well-equipped. I should have spent more time there, but that’s an entirely separate issue…

During our stay there were a number of very large groups also staying at the hotel and they seemed to have quite a few planned outings, which meant for quite a bit of personal service for us! We were often one of the only tables at the hotel restaurant.

As for extras we did the following:
Golf: We played the course three times and LOVED it. There were lots of iguanas and beautiful birds and we were even lucky enough to spot some monkeys. The course was well kept and truly beautiful.

Spa: We each had three treatments at the Spa over the course of the week. My experiences were all very positive. I had the chocolate scrub with the mango massage, the Pura Vida massage and the collagen facial. All of them were fabulous. I liked my aesthetician Angelica so much that I requested her each time. My boyfriend had a therapeutic massage and two Swedish massages. He was not overly impressed, in fact he was actually disappointed in two of the massages. He was specific with the masseurs about the specific areas that he’s like for her to concentrate on (his lower back), but they largely ignored that request.

Zip-line: We were the only ones on the tour. We had a great time and we loved the beach that we stopped at following the canopy tour.

Manuel Antonio: This was not to be missed! The park was stunning and thanks to Joel, our very knowledgeable guide we got to see SO MANY animals from three-toes sloths to monkeys, to things like coatis and aguites that we’d never even heard of before! We liked it so much that later in our trip we rented a car to drive back. The only drawback is the terrible road conditions. You must cross two one-way bridges on your way to the park and there is often a very long wait as they close the bridge for repairs. We saw the new bridges that were being constructed to replace the old ones and we were told that they should be completed in 2 years. Regardless, the park is a must-see. Stop and eat at El Avion on your way in our out of town, it’s such a cool spot.

Jaco: As mentioned in a number of other reviews, Jaco is a bit of a seedy spot. However, we were glad that we decided to stop there for two reasons: the souvenir shops and a FABULOUS seafood restaurant, Hicaco which overlooks the ocean. If you stop by Jaco, be sure to eat there.

A few final tips: We booked the Golf/Spa package which also included breakfast and a daily $50 credit. I would recommend doing this based on breakfast alone. There were over a dozen types of fresh fruits, an omelet station, a smoothie station and tons of hot plates as well as lots of pastries.
Bring lots of suntan lotion. The sun is intense and so is the price tag on the lotion at the gift shop… $15 for 8 ozs.!! Turns out there is 60% tax on imports in Costa Rica, so I guess we can’t really blame the Marriott. Nonetheless, avoid that place if at all possible.
For the most part, all of the dining options at the hotel and at the marina were very good. We were unimpressed by Bambu, the sushi restaurant, but we are used to Manhattan quality sushi and it couldn’t compare. El Galeon at the marina was top-notch, both in quality and presentation. The service was just as good. Finally, try the restaurant, El Pelicano. It’s a short cab ride from Los Suenos and the seafood was amazing.

All in all, we would highly recommend Los Suenos. What a time we had!

I'm having a really hard time writing this review - because I learned at this hotel - it depends on the type of person you are - and what you are expecting.

I am a nice person.

There were a lot of not nice people staying at this hotel at this time. Some day I will learn that - going some place warm in the winter time brings people from the north. That is fine. But.......I personally think it is wrong to "save" prime pool chairs that you are not going to use for the next 5 to 6 hours. In my opinion, it is just wrong, yet certain people do that and the hotel allows it.

We were turned away one night for dinner from a restaurant at the hotel because we made inside reservations ( were not asked at the time of making the reservation) they had NO ONE seated outside and we told them we would just be one hour -nope - cannot eat here - ok..it doesn't matter that my husband spends 100 plus nights at your hotel each year and that no one has reserved the tables or that no one is in the restaurant - nope.
Unlike some other people that I saw there - didn't insist on the impossible - I witnessed people returning frozen lemonades because they melted 30 minutes after they were delivered. The hotel staff catered to these sort of folks - (they also "saved" pool chairs for hours at a time without using them). But if you are just an honest, non-pushy person not looking for something for free sort of person, you are ignored.
The General Manager of this hotel does not wear a name tag - I
don't think that is Marriott policy. Actually she told me that she was supposed to - but avoids it. Does she not want to be complimented on her hotel?

I could not pay for a nicer room - I so wanted a room w/a balcony - and they didn't care that we stay so often at Marriott and that I booked the room 8 months in advance - so be careful with your room type.

It's not a typical Marriott - it's clean and safe, and that's about all I can say for it.

Our family of four stayed in one of the 2 bedroom condos in the Los Colinas area of the Los Suenos Resort the week of Christmas. We traveled with eight other members of our extended family who stayed in three other condos in the complex.

We had a very good stay there -- the private pools (2) in the complex were never crowded, there is a small workout facility with two treadmills, two ellipticals, free weights, Cybex multi station and exercise mats and ball. Everything was in good shape.

Our condo was spacious, nicely furnished with a well-equipped kitchen. We had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a good sized living room, dining area, kitchen and patio.

The residential condo complexes have their own pool and beach club separate from the Marriott. It was awesome. After staying at several resorts during Christmas week when you must get up at the crack of dawn to reserve lounge chairs, it was a great relief to show up any time during the day and get a chair. There is a swim up bar (cash only) and lunch can be delivered to you from a nearby restaurant. We thought the prices were reasonable compared to other resorts we have stayed at in Cabo, Caymans and Hawaii.

From the beach club (really a pool club because the beach is not great) you can walk over to the Marriott for meals (3-4 minutes) or to the marina (5 minutes) through a pretty arbor. The grounds are beautiful and very nicely landscaped.

We had good food at El Galeon, Bambu, Hook Up and Lanterna in the marina. There a high end food store there if you want to buy steaks or other food to cook. There's an ATM, internet cafe and coffee shop at the marina, too.

I would not recommend renting a car for your first time in Costa Rica. We had a car with GPS and still got really lost. The drive from the airport to Los Suenos is difficult and I would recommend arranging transportation to the hotel. You could rent a car once you get to the hotel, but there are many tours available with transportation, so you could get by without one.

We did the Canopy zipline tour which was awesome plus a tour of Manuel Antonio Park with a guide which I would also recommend. The guides have telescopes which make it easier to see the sloths and monkeys high in the trees.

The golf course at Los Suenos is excellent. Three members of our party played 3 times and loved it.

Jaco is not worth touring, but there are some good restaurants there. We went to all you can eat lobster night at Hicaco which was really good. It's right on the beach and there was a local band playing. I've heard good things about Hotel Poseidon and Pacific Bistro, but we didn't make it to them this trip.

If you are looking for a relaxing stay with some fun things to do, I would recommend Los Suenos Resort.

My husband and I stayed at the Marriott Los Suenos for 4 days in early December. The hotel is lovely, but a bit overpriced. The Marina (which is walking distance) is new and has some great restaurants and bars. The grounds at the hotel are well-maintained and the pool area is terrific. It's a "winding" pool and not deep, so you can get an inner tube and just do a "lazy river" thing. The beach, as mentioned in previous reviews, is nice to look at from afar, but you really don't want to spend any time there. You would think the hotel would do something to attempt to maintain it, but then again, I'm not sure it belongs to the hotel, so maybe they don't have an option. There was a terrific white sand beach at Manuel Antonio Park and in Jaco (which the town itself is pretty tacky in our opinion -- but you have to decide that for yourself). We certainly wouldn't spend any time there,

One thing, BEWARE of the cost of using the in-room phone. We had issues with our cell phone while in Costa Rica -- long story -- but had to stay in touch with the states because of family concerns (my father-in-law is in hospice care). We used the phone in the room to call and get messages at home. The minimum turned out to be $34 for just picking up the phone and dialing, it was probably a 2 minute call. We didn't realize the the exorbitant cost until we got our bill or we wouldn't have even gone near the phone. There is an "Internet cafe" at the Marina where they charged us only $2 (and we actually talked to people) for the same numbers in the same state. So, if you can't use your cell phone and need to make calls DO NOT USE THE PHONE IN THE HOTEL ROOM. I'm not sure how much of a kick-back the Marriott gets. I realize that making calls from hotel rooms is expensive, but this was RIDICULOUS. Go to the Marina and use the phone at the Internet Cafe if for some reason you actually need to make calls.