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Resort Details
Hotel Advisories
General Policies & Fine Print
Convention Policy - Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.
Hotel Spring Break Policy - This hotel cannot guarantee a spring break-free environment.
Transfer Policy - A price may display when children stay free, if your vacation includes transfer to your hotel.
General Information - Room taxes and service fees are included in vacation price. Minimum night stay restrictions may apply. Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
Customer Ratings & Reviews
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
819 reviews
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Jan 09, 2025LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT MARGARITAVILLE, PLAYA FLAMINGO!!!
Margaritaville, Playa Flamingo BEST TRIP YET – Let me start by saying that my family has been taking a 2 week trips every Christmas Holiday at all-inclusive resorts for 17 years (minus 3 for COVID and after) somewhere in the tropics - Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Dominican, Turks and Caicos, Curacao, Barbados, St. Thomas etc. There are now 17 of us who all meet and each family has their own room. This was a third time in Costa Rica and Margaritaville is definitely a favorite for all of us – it was my favorite of all time. How we spent most days: Wake up and meet family for breakfast which was easy because the place is so small we couldn’t leave our room without running into family. After buffet breakfast we played pickleball from 9- 11 (we booked the courts daily) then beach time in the waves followed by lunch, more beach/pool time, pickleball before sunset beach time, then family wine in the room, dinner then family board games. PROS - SO MANY PROS: • BEACH IS FANTASTIC: Beautiful beach – best we’ve experienced in the area. Water was very rough, fun to play in the waves but you have to be strong swimmer, ready to get thrown around. We made great use of the boogie boards they had available to check in and out. • SMALL: We LOVED how small this resort is. I think they said at max, there’s 320 guests and at max, it didn’t feel busy. The beach and pool are steps from your room so if you forget something, it doesn’t take forever to retrieve it, then find your party again like the other big resorts. • STAFF: Staff was so kind and helpful from the front desk, to the maids, to Andre, the clerk at the souvenir shop, and the waiters and waitresses. Everyone smiled and went the extra mile, always. They really made you feel like they were happy you were there – like they enjoy their jobs and are treated well. • ROOM: Initially we had a room with 2 beds for our family of 4 with 2 teenagers but we moved to one of the family rooms with a sofa bed and kitchen which was huge in comparison and more than enough room for all of us. We missed the balcony but the extra space was necessary. • FOOD: I’m going to put food in both the PRO and CON column. We did not drink the tap water – they had bottled available everywhere and it was plentiful except the morning after New Year’s we had to searching for it because the bar was out. There’s a buffet for breakfast with an omelet station which worked for us. There were a few buffet options at all meals which my parents appreciated because it was bland food like rice, chicken, fish and vegetables. Lunch and dinner are sit down restaurant style and its mostly bar food but once we found our favorites, we were good. It gets repetitive though. The big positive with the food is that no one got sick – I carry sanitizer at all meals and make sure everyone gets some before they take a bite after touching the tongs, or the menus or ketchup bottles etc. I think the food being served helped keep everyone healthy. The coffee and cappuccino were delicious. • SUNSET ON THE BEACH: Most nights it was clear enough to experience the most amazing sunsets over the water. The glowing orange colors were like none I had ever seen – we would plan our day around being down on the beach with a bottle of Champagne so we could take pics of everyone in the water with sunset behind. It made for the most fabulous photos. • PICKLEBALL: We are a very active family and LOVE pickleball – we were able to reserve the courts for 2 hrs. in the morning and 2 hrs. each afternoon. They have 1 tennis court with 4 pickleball courts on it, but only 2 nets so 8 would play at once. If you book the court you have all the pickleball courts for that time. We had an awesome time playing and the courts are right across from the lobby with a bathroom really close by in the lobby. • NO BAD BUG BITES: There was the occasional very large grasshopper but they stayed away from people so they weren’t a bother other than picturing them landing on you. No-one was hugely impacted by mosquitos like at other destinations – many of us wore those citronella bracelets but even if we forgot, we weren’t impacted. My son sat out on the deck one night without the bracelets and got a couple bites, other than that, mosquitoes were a non-issue. • NOONE GOT SICK: When we started these trips 17 years ago, it was for 7 days but found that with stomach sicknesses that seemed to go hand in hand with All Inclusive Resorts, 7 days went by way too fast so we moved to 14 days. Over the years however, and through COVID, we are learning how to stay healthy. Because this place is small, and the food is mostly restaurant style, coupled with our own strategies around staying healthy (no tap water, no ice cubes, I always stay away from the fruit and uncooked veggies, lots of hand sanitizer etc.) only 2 people said they had mild diarrhea but felt fine and only for one or two days, no one else got sick. THIS IS HUGE!! On other trips EVERYONE would get violently ill for a few days – that became normal. On this trip, no one got really sick AND many of my family did eat the fruit and veggies and some even drank tap water. CONS – I honestly don’t have anything I’d call a real CON but these are things that might be helpful to know going in: • NO PLACE TO HANG WET STUFF: The family rooms don’t have decks so it’s hard to find a place to hang wet stuff. We brought a clothes line and hung it from the TV to the bedside lamp which worked, then the staff moved it over by the window which was helpful. – side note: There’s a portable, collapsible washing machine on Amazon for $60, I got it for $30 on black Friday – this was a game changer because we played 3 – 4 hrs. of pickleball a day and were able to wash the sweat soaked clothes immediately and hang them to dry. • FOOD – The food options were limited. Restaurant style made for long waits. You can order lunch at the pool bar and play in the pool as you waited which helped keep hungry kids entertained. You need a reservation for the Italian place which was a nice change of pace but the pizza wasn’t great either, nor were the desserts. Buffet for breakfast worked for the kids – they’d either have pancakes or waffles every day. The adults mostly had omelets in the morning and the coffee and cappuccino were delicious. • ROUGH WATERS: This was a huge PRO for 95% of my family of 17 but my mom LOVES swimming in the ocean and wasn’t able to because it was too rough. There were a few days I even stayed out of the water because it was too rough and I love big waves. The kids (all teenagers) loved it every day. • LACK OF NIGHTLIFE & ENTERTAINMENT: At a lot of the big resorts there are nightly shows – Michael Jackson, Dancers etc. There is no nightlife here if you stay on resort other than the big party they put on for New Year’s which was awesome, or Monday night Karaoke at 5 O’clock Somewhere which was fun. Although many of the adults were okay with this, some of the kids missed the entertainment at night. We brought a lot of board games however and all piled into one room for every night so we make our own fun. • BUSY BEACH: It’s not bad – on New Year’s Eve and Day the beach was busy because it’s a public beach but it wasn’t bad considering how NOT BUSY the whole resort was. There was always room in the water for our family though. • LESS WILDLIFE: I LOVED the sound of howler monkeys on the morning at other Costa Rica resorts, or the monkeys who would open your purse and steal your phone and run up the tree – other than some lizards, Oreo, the resort pet racoon and a cat that lives on property, there’s isn’t a whole lot of wildlife that we saw.
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Jan 09, 2025Subpar stay
December 2024 We just got back from spending 7 nights at Margaritaville in Playa Flamingo. We stayed in the family suite with the bunk beds, other family members of ours stayed in a King suite, as well as a junior family suite. Although we had a nice time exploring Costa Rica and this area, we had some issues with the stay. CONS: 1. There were ZERO hooks in the bathrooms or room to hang swimsuits, towels, or beach towels. We ended up hanging as much as we could over the shower but things would be wet for days. No balcony or outside option as our window overlooked the parking lot. 2. As another reviewer mentioned, "the staff was friendly, there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm in their service. They often seemed bored and indifferent to our presence." The reviewer hit the nail on the head here. Front desk staff never had a smile on their face and we felt as if they were annoyed when we asked for anything or had a question. 3. Took 3 attempts at the front desk and 3 phone calls to extra blankets for the bunk beds as they only had sheets. 4. The Jr. Suite room another family member stayed in was cleaned ONCE the entire week. Despite them asking the front desk for it to be cleaned several times and leaving the 'please clean' sign on their door they just would not show up. 5. Food got repetitive ordering from the same menu. The day we left we were getting picked up at Noon. WARNING - there is NO food available at this all-inclusive between the hours of 11am-Noon and they will not accommodate. 6. The exclusive Italian Restaurant you had to make reservations for the day of could have held more people. Our group of 12 were the only ones in there the day we went. When we tried to make reservations again on our last night they said they couldn't because another group of 12 were 30 minutes before. Would have been nice to be able to eat there more than once in 7 days. 7. Racoons are everywhere at night on the property, as was a stray cat. 8. Upon check out the front desk said they would email us our receipt along with a customer service and feedback survey link. We received the receipt right away but no survey link. I've emailed twice now to follow up on the survey but have gotten no responses. (And yes I emailed real people as well as the info and reservations email addresses). PROS: 1. Staff at the License to Chill bar were great and very friendly. The live music we heard was good too. Lunch would take up to an hour to get which can be tough with hungry kids. There is a buffet at the downstairs option. 2. Nice pool and close to the beach. 3. NYE Party and dinner were good. Something to consider - this resort is far from everything. Plan for a 90 minute ride to the airport, and 2.5-3hrs one way to rain forest excursions. There are a few tiny stores within walking distance otherwise you will have to be driven everywhere. There is a golf cart rental across the street. If we go again we will spend several days near La Fortuna before heading to the beach.
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Jan 03, 2025Not worth the money
**Review of 30 Safari** We recently stayed at margaritaville as a family and, unfortunately, our experience was quite disappointing. The rooms were very average, with several items not functioning properly, including the safe. When we asked to switch rooms due to an unsatisfactory view, we were initially told there would be a $20 charge per night for an upgrade. However, after speaking with the manager the next day, we were offered a better room for free, which was a small relief considering the high price we had already paid. While the staff was friendly, there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm in their service. They often seemed bored and indifferent to our presence, which was quite disheartening. The restaurants were another letdown. Having traveled extensively, I can say that while Costa Rica is beautiful, this place did not meet expectations. The restaurant staff was not welcoming, and the food options were disappointing. On one occasion, we ordered dinner and waited an hour only to find out that our order had been forgotten! Additionally, there were often no towels available in the morning, and the beach area was shared with the public, which detracted from the overall experience. Overall, I would rate this as a two-star place. I recommend looking elsewhere for a more enjoyable stay in Costa Rica.
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Dec 25, 2024
Incredible Costa Rican vacation!!
What an incredible trip we just had! I had organized a group trip of 10 people to Margaritaville and we had an amazing trip! The resort – the resort is smaller than most others that we have stayed at, which was nice because everything was in close walking distance and it was easy for our group to stay in contact, however also convenient if some people wanted to go to the beach, the restaurants or relax by the pool. We could easily find each other. Everything was very clean, the staff was great, the food options have lots of variety and were VERY good! My group loved the steak, but I was a big fan of the thai curry chicken bowl. The shrimp or fish tacos and chicken fingers were hits as well. A few of the staff that really stood out were Roman at the Banana Wind restaurant; Yulian, Elias and Nadaka at the pool bar. (Sorry I’m misspelling her name!). Tours- I had researched before going on the trip and saw that Major Tours Costa Rica with Minor Gonzales had been mentioned with very positive reviews at many of the resorts reviews in the area so we booked our group of 10 for the waterfall/Celeste River/sloth/suspension bridge/coffee and cocoa bean tour and it FAR exceeded our expectations!! Minor had brought his touch of luck with him and we were able to experience a crocodile in the river on the way to our first stop; We all enjoyed the waterfall and mountain river swim followed by a wonderful Costa Rican lunch with killer views! The highlight for my daughter and I was being literally 12 inches away from a baby sloth that had made its way down to eye-level. I will remember that forever! We also saw a Tapir (Costa Rica’s largest mammal which also happens to be endangered and usually doesn’t come anywhere near people); We saw a viper snake and toucans. During our jungle hike and suspension bridges the views were incredible and we saw a capuchin monkey and walking trees! The last stop was a coffee and cocoa bean plantation tour and It was very interactive and our guide Andres was very informative and kept the tour super interactive. Very interesting to be able to taste the coffee and the hot chocolate as well as see the plants. Of course all with a stunning backdrop of greenery and mountains! Minor put together a fabulous tour and I would ABSOLUTELY highly recommend this one. Minor also set up a zip lining tour for 4 of us the next day that also had a really great time. Minor can be reached directly at WhatsApp +506 6091 1417 and was easy to communicate with. The beach – aside from our resort there were only locals and people that were renting vacation properties that seemed to be at the beach. It was never busy. Lots of families setting up for a day at the beach with a tent and barbeque and the kids playing soccer… Very lovely and very safe. The shoreline was very very sandy but a little more wavy than the Caribbean side. It was still great to boogie board and jump in the waves. I believe we offered up four pairs of sunglasses to Poseidon! Beautiful long beach for beach walking. The sunsets though were absolutely phenomenal every single evening. The beach is located across a very small road from the resort. One of the days we rented a couple of golf carts from Pablo right across from the entrance to Margaritaville and went on a coastal tour which was so much fun. We stopped in a couple of towns and also checked out several of the beaches along the way, each stunning and beautiful! We stopped in Protero At Hemingway‘s on the beach (Wednesday night there is a night market in the bar and it was pretty cool) and the Shack (Live music and happy hour two for one drinks 4 to 7 PM daily)-Had a great time! Our last full day we had rented the Margaritaville boat (we emailed the resort ahead of time) and our crew were Jonathan and Gerald. They were amazing! It was the only overcast and rainy day however it didn’t make a difference we had a fantastic time! On the way to our private beach to go snorkelling my son had asked if he could cast a line… He ended up catching a mackerel tuna! I think that was the highlight of his trip! Gerald and Jonathan cleaned it and served it up deliciously wrapped around pineapple with a soya sauce/wasabi dip. Our crew caught wind that there was a whale sighting nearby and next thing you knew we were on a chase to catch a glimpse! There were a few sightings but one of us caught the whale partially jumping out of the water on video! Very very magical! Overall the whole trip was one to remember for a lifetime! We loved the resort, our tour guide Minor, exploring the area which felt very safe, the golf cart rentals, and our snorkeling/Sunset cruise. I would not have changed a thing! We all felt very very blessed to be so lucky to have so many amazing experiences! I can’t wait to come back! Pura Vida!!!!
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Dec 14, 2024
Amazing hotel - chilled vibe!
We're at this hotel now and it's great. The location is perfect - right on the beach of playa flamingo. 5 minute walk to the marina. The hotel has a real chilled vibe about it which is just what we wanted, it's not too busy which is perfect. All the staff here are fantastic and do an amazing job! The food is delicious we haven’t had one bad meal at all. You can order from the menu in banana wind, license to chill bar or 5 o clock somewhere bar and the menu varies in each slightly. The buffet in banana wind is soooo good! They also have an Italian restaurant which you can book which is good too. Plenty of pool tables and live singers on some nights. The only one thing I’d change is the annoying Jimmy Buffet playlist - it’s on repeat and starts to drive you slightly insane after a while. Other than that it’s a perfect little spot!