JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa
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What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitized in high-temperature wash
- Face masks required for guests in public areas
- Face masks required for staff in public areas
- Floors marked for social distancing
- Hand sanitizer available to guests & staff
- Stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
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Updated 07/18/22 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
A note from JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa
Updated 07/18/22 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
Location
3.9
Cleanliness
4.7
Service
4.3
Value
3.8
GreenLeaders GreenPartner
Live an authentic Costa Rican experience in a luxury hacienda style resort in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa is surrounded by the splendors of Costa Rican rich biodiversity. This resort & spa sits oceanfront and is the only international branded hotel close to Tamarindo town. The resort is located right at Mansita beach and guests can choose from four other beaches within Hacienda Pinilla. Next to the resort you will find an equestrian center, tennis courts, and an 18-hole golf course with coastal layout. Enjoy surf beaches with excellent year-round waves and warm water, visit turtle nesting sanctuaries or observe a great variety of wildlife. All guestrooms have balconies either with garden, pool or ocean view. In-room amenities include LCD TVs, soundproof windows, alarm clock with mobile docks, streaming speed internet, total blackout curtains, plush pillow-top mattresses, rich woods, and marble bathtubs.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Beach
Bicycle rental
Babysitting
Valet parking
Paid private parking on-site
Wifi
Paid wifi
Hot tub
Pool / beach towels
Infinity pool
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Yoga classes
Fitness / spa locker rooms
Fitness classes
Sauna
Coffee shop
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast in the room
Complimentary welcome drink
Kids' meals
Outdoor dining area
Snack bar
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Poolside bar
Bicycles available
Game room
Golf course
Hiking
Horseback riding
Bicycle tours
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Patio
Tennis court offsite
Walking tours
Water park offsite
Board games / puzzles
Video game console
Children's playground
Indoor play area for children
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids club
Kids pool
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Highchairs available
Car hire
Taxi service
Business Center with Internet Access
Conference facilities
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Photo copier / fax In business center
Spa
Body wrap
Couples massage
Facial treatments
Foot bath
Foot massage
Full body massage
Head massage
Makeup services
Manicure
Massage
Neck massage
Pedicure
Salon
Steam room
Waxing services
24-hour security
Baggage storage
Concierge
Convenience store
Currency exchange
Gift shop
Newspaper
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Picnic area
Shared lounge / TV area
Shops
Sun deck
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
ATM on site
First aid kit
Umbrella
24-hour front desk
Express check-in / check-out
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Blackout curtains
Soundproof rooms
Air conditioning
Desk
Dining area
Coffee / tea maker
Cable / satellite TV
Walk-in shower
Bathrobes
Housekeeping
Interconnected rooms available
Private balcony
Room service
Safe
Seating area
Separate dining area
Separate living room
Sofa
Telephone
VIP room facilities
Wardrobe / closet
Bottled water
Clothes rack
Iron
Laptop safe
Private bathrooms
Tile / marble floor
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Minibar
Electric kettle
Flatscreen TV
On-demand movies
Radio
iPod docking station
Whirlpool bathtub
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Ocean view
Pool view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
Full view
Contact
Hacienda Pinilla, Playa Avellanas, Tamarindo 50309 Costa Rica
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Playa Avellanas rental cars
3296Reviews268Q+A100Room tips
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Let me begin with what really sets this place apart from other resorts, and that would be the staff, all of the staff. From the front desk, to the restaurant servers, and poolside attendants, each interaction with the personnel here was the best we have had in all of our travels. We had an exceptional guide there, Owen Morales with Destination Services, that helped us plan multiple adventures while we were there. Without his guidance, I am not sure I would have ventured far off the property, but Owen handled everything for us. 100% recommend him, and don't forget to take the ATV tour! The hotel was beautiful and the ocean front room did not disappoint. Our room was spacious and well maintained. The grounds and pool area were exactly what I would expect from JW Marriott. Highly recommend this property!…
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip: Spend a little extra for the ocean facing view!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Hotel's Favorite
To be clear, we are Marriott people, so we start with a high degree of familiarity and satisfaction with the hotel chain. With that said, this was a first-rate destination for our first trip to Costa Rica. PEOPLE: The staff is very professional and downright friendly. We had more good "chats" with staff who were knowledgeable and seemed eager to teach and showcase their beloved Costa Rica, it made the stay all that more enjoyable. Cristian at the pool explained the green coconuts are eaten differently and called "pipas." Maria showed us where the biggest iguana on the property lives (he's 3 feet long!) and explained that the critters are indigenous, plentiful, and beloved features of the property -- the biggest ones get names. Yolanda explained that the delicious hot sauce we kept getting with our breakfast eggs was a local specialty and a house recipe. AMENITIES: We took advantage of some of the amenities, including free use of mountain bikes to explore the property. On one day we took a free guided bike tour and saw howler monkeys, deer, and a huge blue crab hilariously trying to hide from us by tucking itself under the parked wheel of one bike. We also got massages in the spa and they were some of the best we've ever experienced. SERVICE: Pool service is good, as is restaurant food. The quality of the service is excellent -- several of the staff said they love working there and love engaging guests. So don't be afraid to strike up a conversation. COVID TESTING: You will be required to produce a negative COVID finding from a proctored (witnessed) COVID test administered no more than 24 hours prior to your return flight's departure. Marriott provides these, and their team comes to your room to administer them. They are $65 apiece, but well worth it. WILDLIFE: Critters are everywhere. We were in a suite with a plunge pool, which attracted all sorts of little guys -- lots of insects, crabs and geckos that would come to eat them, an *enormous* flying water bug that we learned is nicknamed a "toe biter" that we did not enjoy seeing, and iguanas, who seem to frequent it in the middle of the night and poop on the deck! BEACH: The immediate beach is ... okay. The sand quickly gives way to a rocky shore, but there is't much in the way of life in the tide pools at low tide. If you walk south (left from hotel) down the beach, just past a bluff you will find a beautiful beach, deep with shallow water, that goes on for miles. It's not visible from the hotel and therefore easy to miss. Don't miss it! Decent shell collecting and crab watching. GETTING THERE: Getting to Guanacoste was a bit of a pain -- it's a 5-hour drive from San José, so if you can fly into Liberia, do so. We didn't and sorta regretted it, because the drive there was harrowing. We got in midday and after clearing customs, renting a car (watch for the dirty trick there -- stories of attempted swindles were all around us, and we have our own), we hit the road just in time for the afternoon (torrential) rains to start. Between that, the local driving customs, and impending darkness at the other end of the trip, we were stressed out and exhausted when we came dragging in at around 7 pm, well past the 6 pm sunset. They drive on the right side of the road there, which is good, but the standard speed limits are lower (max of 80 kph, which is about 48 mph), and the road is shared with cars, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, and the occasional domesticated animal. Motorists pass in harrowing acts that we would never do in the US -- but it works, even though it takes much adjusting. Be patient and vigilant behind the wheel. Gas is expensive. The last mile of road before you hit Marriott property is a bone-jarring mile and a half of dirt road that is in such terrible shape you can't just say it's a washboard road with big potholes. It can take 10-15 minutes to drive that mile and a half. We learned that the Marriott and local governments each contend that the other is accountable for this road maintenance, so neither tends it. As a result, tour drivers refer to the "car massage" one gets with every crossing of this stretch of road. NEARBY: The JW is outside of the beach town of Tamarindo, which is a 15-30 minute drive from the property, depending on the condition of that dirt road. It's a cute beach town, but a little junky and kitschy to some people's tastes. It does have a beautiful beach, with lots of waterfront establishments ideal for watching sunsets, and lots of great souvenir shopping. Along with the standard gifts for our kids, we got ourselves a beautiful mango wood bowl for a very reasonable price. This is a great property!…
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Ocean views are great, but so are pool views. It's a beautiful property.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
4 Helpful votes
Helpful
I felt very comfortable at the hotel and the staff (people) were the best part of our trip, however be very careful using the vendors that they recommend! TAM Tours are not honest and are unreliable! I have seen (unfortunately too late) other negative reviews of JW's vendor TAM, but they're still occupying space in their lobby, so it is obvious that JW doesn't care too much of what their guests think or experience with the vendors they promote. The rooms are small and the building is very old, but comes with a homely and private feeling. This could have been because this is the low season and there weren't too many guests there. I expected much more from this hotel since I've stayed at multiple JW's in various locations, but this hotel, in my opinion would be more of a 3 star because of what it lacks when compared to a true 4 or 5 star hotel. The bath towels appear to be clean, but dingy. Furniture covers stained and needs cleaning or new covers. My husband and I paid extra for an ocean front room only to be terribly inconvenienced by children banging and making loud noises into the night in the room above us ( we didn't even bother to report it). We just tried to get in late hoping they would be in bed y that time. TV reception is horrible and no good options. Breakfast options are good and the waiters and waitresses are the best! Reception staff are okay...most are friendly and helpful.…
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Date of stay: September 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Ocean Front rooms offer a better view.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Beautiful, relaxing, great pools , great service. Beautiful weather and just enjoyable business trip with company. The beach was amazing along with the planned zip line event, mud springs bath / experience and food was very good too.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Traveled on business
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
The hotel was ok. The check in was the worst I have ever experienced. The check in person who was named German was horrible! We had to ask him about making reservations at the restaurants and where the Gym was. He literally said "is there anything else I can do for you" without giving us our key or room number. We stayed in 5 total hotel and stayed in Costa Rica for 12 days and the food was the worse here. We ate at the steak house and my wife's food was completely cold and had to be replaced. We asked for the bill and after over 30 minutes we finally just got up and left.
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Date of stay: August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Truly a breathtaking property. When you walk in you feel like you are in an oasis in the jungle. Lizards are climbing on the walls and there is an amazing outdoor lobby. The employees are super helpful and incredibly friendly. They will help you fill out your schedule with excursions and resort activities. But that is about it, the food is hot garbage and crazy expensive, a shared quesadilla and two cocktails by the pool cost as much as 2 entire meals in town at Tamarindo so if you go, rent a car, and eat at some of the amazing restaurants the town has to offer. Food is so much cheaper and 10x better. I expected better as I have stayed in JWs and Ritzs in the US plenty of times. There was a standard that was not met. One thing that brought my review down from average to poor was the fact that shoes were stolen from our hotel room. We accidentally left them behind when we checked out of the room, (didnt pack night before because they were wet from an excursion) and they are somehow magically gone when the staff went to check in the room to see if they could find them. Now I am no expert on hotel procedures but I believe the cleaning crew comes in after a room is vacated to clean, then a new guest gets to move in. The shoes were not in our bags like the hotel claimed, so where did they go? That is the question.…
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Date of stay: August 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
The rooms were lovely, everyone who worked there was incredibly kind and thoughtful, and the food was delicious!! The waiters asked about food allergies before any meal and made sure to provide food options. The location is amazing - right on the beach (which is rocky, but there’s a swim area; bring sandals to wear in the water and you won’t even notice the rocks). The sunsets at the beach are incredible. Shoutout to Daniela, Karen, Adilla, and Michelle who made our stay so welcoming!
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Bring an umbrella if you come in the rainy season, and sandals for the rocky beach bottom.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
My family stayed there for 7 nights, and from there we took a couple of little adventure trips to see the rainforest, zipline, and more. We also drove around nearby to explore beaches and restaurants in the area. (Our favorites close by were Il Rustico and Pokeviche. They were about 10 minutes from the hotel). My husband and I started each day with coffee outside by Mansita and then our family had delicious breakfasts at Sabanero. We also took advantage of some of the resort activities, trying some relaxing yoga, a bike tide where we saw more monkeys than in the rain forest, and had great food and drinks in the cooking and mixology classes. We truly enjoyed the pool, beach, and the Asian restaurant for dinner one night. Overall, it was a super relaxing place to be, with gorgeous views and sunsets, and also a really nice staff. I don't know why anyone would think otherwise about the staff. Every single person we encountered was extremely friendly and helpful. Special shout-out to Mary Paz, who teaches yoga and water aerobics (which we saw but didn't do) and from morning to night seems to wear many "hats" and is a cheerful presence all over the resort! Gracias!…
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Date of stay: July 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip: ocean front, as large as possible
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
The property is really huge and beautiful. The online pictures don’t give full credit to the property. The pool is huge. So, I would say this property is more of a pool resort property, located ON the beach. The beach itself is located in a very dangerous rip tide area, so swim at your own risk. But there is a nice set up for lounging on the beach for the perfect views of the sunset. We are elite Marriott members and received a super amazing suite and connecting room. I was really happy about the room and mainly bc the hotel ensured we had connecting rooms (which is crazy important when travel as a family). The hotel staff was top notch! The hotel is located about 20m away from the closest ‘town’ so you really don’t want to leave for dinner, just your daily excursions. The food was really great. The sushi restaurant is the best! Make a reservation as soon as you arrive. My only negative is that it seems like the pool area was under staffed. We had to hunt down the attendant multiple times to get served. I’m sure it’s a problem everyone is dealing with post COVID.…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
+1
Last minute trip to Costa Rica and found a great deal through Costco for this resort. It’s really beautiful! The grounds are amazing and the hotel architecture is really nice! The pool is huge! The service is impeccable, at breakfast, Sabanero and Tamarine. The beach is very relaxing and the water is clear. The swimmable beach is to the right of the hotel about 10 yards or so. The beach directly in front has rocks that appear during low tide. Either way, it was an excellent beach. The only drawbacks were the inconsistency in housekeeping and the check in process. Some days housekeeping was excellent and thorough and on others, it was not. The check in process is very personable but after spending hours on a plane and driving 1.5 hours from the airport, I want to just get to the room, not wait 30 minutes plus to get the keys. I think they would benefit from a text messaging service option. Overall a fantastic stay at this beautiful hotel!!…
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: If you rent a car, they have free parking. Check in process may take 30 minutes or more.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
PRICE RANGE
$410 - $683 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
jw marriott guanacaste resort & spa costa rica hotel santa cruz, jw marriott guanacaste resort and spa costa rica, jw marriott santa cruz, marriott santa cruz
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of GuanacasteTamarindoPlaya Avellanas
NUMBER OF ROOMS
310
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa
Which popular attractions are close to JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
Nearby attractions include Black Stallion Eco Park & Estates (4.9 miles), Papaya Con Leche (3.6 miles), and Spa Maya (3.5 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
Is parking available at JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
Yes, free parking, paid private parking on-site, and valet parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
Conveniently located restaurants include HiR Fine Dining, Black Stallion Ranch Style BBQ, and Antichi Sapori Sicilian Cuisine.
Are there opportunities to exercise at JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness center, and a sauna during their stay.
Is JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.5 miles away from the center of Playa Avellanas.
Are any cleaning services offered at JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Does JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers a business center, meeting rooms, and a banquet room.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at JW Marriott Hotel Guanacaste Resort & Spa?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.