Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica (All-Inclusive), is located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica on the edge of the beach of Matapalo.

This hotel, fully prepared to provide the best service to its customers, has four swimming pools (one with a wet bar), jacuzzi, gym, sauna and a wellness center "Renova Spa" with different treatments and massages. Everything you need for maximum comfort during your stay.

The quality of the cuisine offered at the different restaurants of the hotel is exceptional thanks to our chefs, who prepare a variety of dishes, from classic to the most exotic. You'll want to to try each of our menus and, thanks to the All Inclusive service, you will be able to enjoy the buffet restaurant or the four different theme restaurants of the hotel.

Being on a privileged environment, the hotel offers a variety of activities on the beautiful beaches such as diving or fishing in the Pacific waters, ecotourism in the volcanic areas, and during the day several programs of entertainment for all ages, whether in family or friends. The hotel has a gym, table tennis, volleyball, tennis court, windsurf, sailing, snorkeling equipment, kayaks and other water activities. If your favorite sport is golf, the Four Seasons Golf Club has fantastic views over the sea.

Guanacaste is less tropical, humid and lush than the rest of the country. Its plains and dry forests sometimes remind you of African savanna landscapes. Inland you can see the savanna, local cowboys on their horses while driving their flocks, which are authentic figures of popular culture of this destination. From the hotel, you can do several excursions, such as the visit of the National Park Rincon de la Vieja, the Safari Park or the capital of Guanacaste: Liberia.

Location

Guanacaste
Liberia, Costa Rica - Liberia (LIR) : 33 miles
San Jose, Costa Rica-Juan Santamaria Int'l(SJO) : 146 miles

Property Information

Year Built: 2012
All rooms non-smoking: 538
Floors: 6
Total rooms: 538

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Resort Details

Amenities

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Activities

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Hotel Advisories

Advisory Costa Rica will impose some restrictions for Holy Week. Alcohol is not permitted to be sold or consumed. This ban on alcohol starts the Thursday prior to Easter and runs through Easter Sunday. A few hotels purchase special permits to serve alcohol, but generally it is not available. In addition, most restaurants, shops, and bars will be closed for the same time period. Restaurants in the hotels will be operating. The City Tour will not be operating.
Advisory *Important Information for Our Guest* As of April 2012, the destination of Costa Rica has gone non-smoking in all public buildings and areas. All hotel rooms are also non-smoking.
Advisory Student Groups/Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any time during the year. Guests disturbing or generating complaints from other guests or hotel may be removed from the property, at their own expense. Parties in rooms are not permitted.

General Policies & Fine Print

Check In: 3:00 PM
Check Out: 12:00 PM
Minimum Check-In Age: 18
General Policies:

Check-in Policy - Deposits or credit/debit card hold authorizations are not requested at check-in. Minimum age of 18 is required for check-in, an ID/Passport will be requested upon arrival.

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 Policies - Student Groups/Spring Breakers (either groups or individuals, regardless of age) are not allowed at any time during the year. Guests disturbing or generating complaints from other guests or hotel may be removed from the property, at their own expense. Parties in rooms are not permitted.

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.

Early Departure Policy:
  • Early Departure Penalty: 1 Night Applies: Sunday - Saturday 04Jul24 - 23Dec26
  • Early Departure Penalty: 2 Nights Applies: Sunday - Saturday 24Dec24 - 30Apr25
  • Early Departure Penalty: 2 Nights Applies: Sunday - Saturday 24Dec25 - 30Apr26

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_4.0 10259 reviews
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 4.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Stay from Nov 9 to 18th

    The resort was a typical resort which you put as much into the experience as you get out. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. The parties like the foam and white parties were very generic but was a great attempt to get people socializing outside of their groups. Rooms were musty as the air conditioners have barely been drained or cleaned which leaves a rotting smell in the rooms. This also may not be a fair assessment as they did receive a ton of rain that caused issues at the airport. The roads coming into the resort need major work. We had to stay at another resort due to the issues in costa rica our last night and the roads were actually maintained.

    Nov 22, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 4.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Great vacation at Riu Guanacaste

    Great vacation! At first I was a little worried about the reviews about this hotel but we always stay at Riu hotel and always had a good time. Riu guanacaste wasn’t different Food was great Service was great Restaurants was a little bit work to get a table but at the end we were able to eat at the restaurants 6 nights of 8. Staff were so friendly Transfer to and from airport worked great Weather wasn’t great but we still did lots of fun activities outside the hotel.

    Nov 16, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 2.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Would not recommend

    First of all the wait staff especially Sara gets a 5 out of 5! The rest of the experience was not good! The music at night does not end till 11pm and you can hear it better in your room than at the event! Had to ask for toilet paper and drinks for room.

    Nov 10, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 2.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Fine if you're satisfied with bottom shelf everything

    Three good: grounds are pretty, the pools are nice enough, and pool lounge chairs are ample despite the place being packed at off/rainy season. Balcony in room appreciated. The bad: where to start? Food and drink were the most minimal quality imaginable. If what you want is lots and lots of that, you'll be satisfied. One choice of red and white wine, almost undrinkable cabernet & sav blanc from Spain which is not known for french varietals, and beer like Budweiser. Cocktails and juices watered down. Bottom shelf liquors. Food, on the other hand: endless choices, almost every bite bad, sometimes unfathomably so. How can you manage to make grilled shrimp in the consistency of mashed potatoes? Meats and fish and eggs overcooked even when to order. Once even twice: medium were rare > medium well. Huevos rancheros to order complete with eggshells. Pastries and cakes dry as a bone. Fruits overripe on the verge of rotten. Salads with bagged shredded lettuce and underripe tomatoes. The sailfish carpaccio at the gourmet restaurant we had to wait 2 hours to get into was not like sashimi, but lightly smoked and fresh out of the freezer. The plating was pretty but the flavor profiles didn't work, sauces overly sweet or clashing, like they hired the very best culinary school drop outs. Costa Rican food and drink I would have liked to try (chifrijo and aqua de sapo) they didn't have and when asked made no indication they might even be able to try. (They certainly had three ingredients for three drink.) Service "con gusto" with a grimace. (Staff were friendly, just overworked and bothered by annoying gringos.) One request to housekeeping took 4 separate attempts (in person, via app, and 2 phone calls) before delivery. Room was generally fine, save for a big moth smashed on the wall over the bed. The beach had few places to sit in shade, and the water at the shore was murky to rocky. Friday disco night seemed fun, if you're in your twenties or sufficiently drunk.

    Nov 10, 2024
  • TRI_LOGO_ANCILLARY_ 3.0 star tripadvisor rating
    Pros and Cons

    Hotel is as people say…somewhat dated. Manageable by far. Beds in Costa Rica are hard so if you are looking for plush, this isn’t the place. We did however, get a mattress topper for ours so it was semi-firm. Food was great. Always able to find something to eat. Pool was wonderful. Most of the bar staff were friendly. Restaurant staff were efficient and generally friendly. They did an amazing Halloween haunted house🧟‍♀️👻 If you want bottled water daily or a particular pop in your fridge, you will have to fight hard for that privilege. They provided 1 x 1L bottle of water for 2 people every 2 days. The elevators broke constantly as well because people were overloading them (they could only handle 5 people at a time). So as with anything, pros and cons.

    Nov 09, 2024
Prices per person based on double occupancy including round-trip airfare via U.S. certified air carriers and round-trip airport/hotel transfers when arriving at airport closest to destination (for exceptions see Frequently Asked Questions), hotel taxes and baggage handling, fuel surcharges, and all pre-collected U.S. and foreign taxes. In some instances, pricing may specifically apply to one of multiple flights on select departure days. All packages are based on the lowest hotel/air classes available at time of publication, capacity controlled, subject to availability and change without notice. Promotional pricing may only be available for a limited time. Fees may apply for carry-on and checked baggage-view Baggage Policies. Some resort fees, environmental levies and departure taxes are not included and may be payable in resort. View Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Apple Vacations is not responsible for errors or omissions. Cancellation policies apply. Bookings are subject to the Fair Trade Contract. All public charter flights are operated by ALG Vacations Corp: Allegiant Air: PC 18-231, A319-156 seats or A320-186 seats /PC 18-234, A319-156 seats or A320-186 seats; Miami Air operated by TUI Airlines Belgium N.V. : PC 19-085 & PC 19-117, B737-800, 180 seats/PC 19-091, B737-800-183 seats; Swift Air: PC 19-092, B737-400-150 seats; Viva Aerobus: PC 18-228, A320-180 seats/ PC 19-079, A320-180-185 seats/PC 19-094, A320-185 seats. CST2139014-20 120319