I am a diamond member and travel a lot so I have a good understanding of what to expect from a hotel/resort and this was more than I expected. We spent 7 days there from Feb 12th thru the 19th. We will go back first chance we get. The resort is a very nice size now while there are shuttles running every where we only used them checking in and checking out. We walked everywhere at our age when all the food and drink is very good and free we felt we needed to burn calories not just consume. The workout facility was very nice with all new machines in fact so new I have not seen them anywhere else yet and contrary to another post next to nobody there in the morning. Everyone there was very friendly and helpful. The Spa was reasonably priced I've paid more and my masseuse had magic hands and the spot by the beach was very quiet. Interesting wildlife to see if you look around. The only activiity we did was the sunset cruise and it was very nice there was a total of three couples on it. The only suggestions I have are the bartenders should be a little more proactive as opposed to reactive. They also need to know their drink menu a little better and/or add a number to the menu to help them understand what you are wanting.

Wonderful location and staff! We stayed there for four days and loved it. The staff was top notch, allways kind and helpfull. When my husband was not feeling well they sent up fruit and tea for him. I thought the inclusive service was a great value, the food and drink was very good. It added to my experence that we could try different foods and not worry about paying for something we didn't like. I highly recommend staying here.

I booked three nights here with my wife, 5-year old son, and infant daughter - after much deliberation.

Whenever I see a big split in ratings on TripAdvisor with half saying "excellent" and a vocal minority screaming "terrible", I usually chalk it up to people's mismatched expectations - and found this to be very true with the Hilton Papagayo.

So I'll make this simple. It's a perfectly acceptable 4-star all inclusive. Not 5 stars. Not 3 stars.

If you want sparkling marble, crisp service, perfectly appointed rooms, uninterrupted power, and top shelf liquor - 4.5 or 5 stars - you'll be disappointed here. You should be staying at the JW Marriott Guanacaste, or better yet, splurging at the Four Seasons further up the coast. However, you'll be paying for this privilege with rates that are double that of the Hilton.

On the other hand, this property is clearly not as bad as some reviewers make it out to be. Compared to the Occidental Allegro, which is a true 3-star all-inclusive just down the road, the Hilton's bungalows feel like Buckingham Palace, the food looks like it has Michelin stars, and the wine tastes like Chateau Lafite. Plus you don't have to wear a cheesy wristband. Of course, the Allegro is one-third the price. You get what you pay for.

LAYOUT
The resort is a nice size, not too big or too small for its limited number of rooms. It is, however, extremely hilly and with little kids, we made frequent use of the shuttles that ply its pathways. When we did decide to walk, we found it cooler and more direct to walk down to the beach and use that to cross the resort. The beach itself is nothing spectacular, but it is secluded and private. Most guests seemed to prefer the main pool area, which never seemed to get very crowded. We especially liked to relax under one of the many little palapas dotting the grassy hillside between the pool and beach areas.

ROOMS
They're older and in the process of being renovated. But they're also cool, comfortable, spotlessly clean, and nicely spaced away from each other. The minibar restocked daily with soft drinks and beer is a nice touch.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE
The food service was fine. You get about as much variety as you can expect in a 200-room property, with fresh ingredients and a little bit of flair, served promptly with a smile. When we asked for a special smoked salmon plate to be put together for our little boy, they were happy to oblige. The house wine was perfectly drinkable, mostly table fare from Chile and Argentina, served from the bottle. Let's put it this way - at a truly "bad" all inclusive, you get house wine poured from a gallon milk jug, and you won't find any smoked salmon at all. This was clearly not the case here.

SERVICE
Attentive enough, if a little casual and spotty. We had great waiters, bartenders, and housekeepers, but mediocre service at the front desk. Don't expect too much from the events staff - the kids' club was just a glorified playroom with a babysitter, and no one even bothered with many of the planned activities. Mostly, this is the sort of place where you just keep to yourself and chill with your loved ones. That was fine with us.

In summary, if you want a luxurious, over-the-top destination resort, look elsewhere and be prepared to pay for it. But if all you're looking for is a quiet place to chill with space, seclusion, attentive service, fresh food choices, decent drinks, and the convenience of an all-inclusive, this might be the place for you.

My boyfriend and I had planned to stay at the Hilton for 5 nights ending out 10 night Costa Rican vacation. We chose the Hilton based on the location (we wanted to relax on the beach) and the great experience Ed we have had at Hilton's in other places.

We ended up switching our reservations after being at the hotel for 2 hours. We arrived around 2:00pm, which was early for check in but luckily our room as ready. We had to wait for a shuttle to take us to our room because the resort his HUGE and located in a mountain. We were crammed on the shuttle with about 10 other people. Once we opened the door to our room we immediately knew this place was not for us. The room was dirty, VERY small, had a terrible view (even though we paid for an ocean view room) and was not close to any of the amenities.

We returned to the lobby and asked to switch our room because we were not satisfied. The only solution they could come up with was a room that was exactly the same and two rooms away or our original one.

We tried to go to the beach to just relax and breathe for a minute, the beach was filthy with cigarette butts and was hardly a beach, mostly dirt and there were no chairs. We then tried to go to the adult pool and wouldn't even get in because the water was filled with dirt and leaves etc.

After two hours of being extremely disappointed we cancelled our reservation and switched hotels.

Do not waste your time and money at this place. Cost Rica is a beautiful country and an amazing place, don't ruin it by staying here.