DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas Review

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R
3 years ago

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L
3 years ago

Located in the outskirts of central Puntarenas, th...

Located in the outskirts of central Puntarenas, the hotel fiesta has activities throughout the day to keep the whole family entertained! And it's all inclusive is a plus.
The rate is around 215 per night.
Staff is friendly, good evening activities for the adults
They have a kindergarten is your need some private time with your spouse

D
3 years ago

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M
3 years ago

Been trying to get ahold of your resort do discuss...

Been trying to get ahold of your resort do discuss our reservations and no one answers and your voicemails are full. No one responds to emails either. Would really like someone to contact us ASAP!

Y
3 years ago

Past reviews might reflect when this used to be a ...

Past reviews might reflect when this used to be a Hilton. It certainly isn't anymore -its just run-down. Don't ever compare this place to quality top-level "all-inclusives" if you have been to others. You'll know what we mean as soon as you step into the foyer.
Also you'd better have *some* fluency in Spanish, since few associates can communicate in English.
We were here just before Covid. We paid the "premium" all-inclusive, but still didn't get the ocean-view we booked on-line. The "Ocean view" premium building is the "U" shaped building on the far left if you view in Google satellite view. Just a partial view from the balcony at the far internal end of the U, is still considered ocean view in premium price. Next, the balcony walls are too high and all-brick. You can't really sit down and enjoy *any* view. We decided to just go with it instead of arguing during the late evening check-in after a long tiring trip from Arenal.
The rooms in the premium building are best 2 stars back in the US. Pretty basic and functional - like a good motel room, except with 10' high ceilings (see pix online).
The kids wanted to enjoy the game/teen room, but it only opens a few hours everyday. Once we did get in, it was a laugh. The room has a "dance floor" in a corner and the music is unbelievably LOUD throughout the play room (huge speakers blaring away) - no matter there is no one there! If management is reading this - please realize that there is something called "sound pollution" and just because the room-admin/coordinator who is sitting there can tolerate it does not mean that we have to SUFFER (even the admin didn't stick around one day and simply left us to our own devices). We are in the resort to RELAX. Tone the volume it down to 10% of what it is now and people can still dance in that area - and if no one is there, why is the music playing at headbanger levels? Just Ugh ridiculous.
Next about the game room - they run HTPC/Windows Game machines with Xbox and other other PC games. This is another joke. We could get to the start menu and other options on the screen and found expired versions of McAfee and maybe one or two anti-virus running. Looking at task manager, we could tell that the machines were infected (I'm a IT security guy). For anyone reading this, please under no circumstances login to any of your own (or kids) xbox or other game or internet accounts. Your creds will be stolen instantly. Play the onscreen games as much as you can without performing *any* login, and leave. The second night there was a group of kids hogging the air hockey and table tennis who were very belligerent - even at the adults! - and unafraid to bully. The room admin/coordinator cannot be bothered for anything and didn't speak English anyways. YMMY -we'd suggest you hang around with your kids if you see anything untoward.
Then we tried to check out the "evening entertainment" (on certain days). These are "only in Spanish" affairs and NOT FOR KIDS. So we had to leave.
Next the food. Yes there are always lines and you should get in early before they close. Best we can say about the food is that is was OK. Tons of fried stuff, carbs and sugar if you are into that. They also lay out a small afternoon break, which is coffee, cookies and such.
Any silver lining? It has a private beach area outside the premium building. Of course anyone from elsewhere can keep walking into this area, but the premium-only restriction was largely followed and the beach was sparse - perhaps they do police it occasionally and ask others to leave. The premium building also hast its own (OK) pools which are actually policed and access is verified.
Else the rest of the facilities are jam-packed (at least before Covid) and mostly with natives.
In conclusion, this is definitely a cool place for the natives (or Spanish speakers) who enjoy a day there. If you are not a native and OK with the low standards since Hilton left + paying a premium price on top, then go for it. Sorry but we come here spoiled by the Moon Palace and others that are a far better quality "all inclusive".

D
3 years ago

The check in too late .....at 3pm same time all i...

The check in too late .....at 3pm same time all inclusive lunch ends so you can't have lunch .... you can't stay in the hotel before check in unless you pay $30 all inclusive or $20 j u s t to have the right to stay in the hotel until your check in.....this is too much abuse. Same thing when you check out at 12 MD...they give you tickets for lunch but if you want to stay and spend the afternoon you have too pay extra $30 and you get all inclusive until 5pm.There are much better options around for same or less amount of money.

C
3 years ago

I booked here with a girls' high school soccer tea...

I booked here with a girls' high school soccer team in January-February 2019 for one week. The staff was amazing in keeping all rooms together and in moving the team to the second floor as per our request. The rooms were clean despite needing a bit of updating (which management was in the process of doing). Food was good at the buffet and the a la carte restaurants were delicious. Lots of activities for people around the pool, friendly staff, and evening karaoke and dances were fun. It was safe for our team to be walking on the beach and throughout the resort. The beach was nice but the water was rough so we didn't enjoy the beach as much as we did the pool. The location was far from our planned activities, but we knew that when we booked with our Sport Travel Agency. The staff here was excellent in helping to coordinate day trips for our team and worked well with our Sports Tour Operator Peter Cardo from PLC Sports Travel (who was excellent). All in all, great staff and good value for your money as a 3 or 4 star resort.

J
3 years ago

It was our first time and we really liked it. The ...

It was our first time and we really liked it. The food is very good and rich. The facilities are well kept, the pools spotless. The beach is kept very clean and green. We loved it, it's definitely on our tour list. We only lacked water in the room.

g
3 years ago

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Y
3 years ago

I went with my family, the place is very nice, clo...

I went with my family, the place is very nice, close to the GAM, and very good customer service. The show at night is excellent, in fact it's what I liked the most. The food is normal and very repetitive, they have 4 options to choose from but it does not vary much between meals. Now with the issue of the pandemic they follow all the protocols, you can travel with confidence, but it is horrible to be with a mask everywhere even next to the pool and have to queue up for drinks (half an hour for 1 drink). Now in the room the tap water was dirty and we reported it but they told us that it was going to be removed and it got better but then it came out again dirty. They have an option to acquire a vacation club and they harass you to buy one, those two points were the ones that I disliked the most.

A
3 years ago

Black mold in room. (Pictures to include) Room was...

Black mold in room. (Pictures to include) Room was wet and gross. Food was terrible, my family went without eating. The alcohol is cheap and the staff at the front desk took over 30 min to check us in. I would of rather slept in my car. Will be contacting my attorney and disputing this stay. I am worried for my health and my families health.

M
3 years ago

Good but not Great Resort good to bring the family...

Good but not Great Resort good to bring the family to and relax. It has a number of pools on the property. There is number of bars open thru the day. Plus a shack in the center of the various pools to get snack food like hot dogs, hamburger, pizza and etc. The staff was courteous and very accommodating to the guest with BAD Spanish!!!

J
3 years ago

The food quality could improve, variety could also...

The food quality could improve, variety could also improve for coffee time and snack bar. They make it complicated with reserving for the specialty restaurants. However overall the service at the restaurants was very good. The kids pool needs more attention on behalf of the staff and the kidzone could use more qualified entertainers. It attracts middle class people. Worth mentioning is the kid pool is a beach type, so no edges and gradually deeper with a maximum depth of about 50cm, making it very convenient for kids. The adult pools are spacious, they also have large chess, croquet, pool games/contests, Zumba, etc. Their pier is a good option for watching the sunset.

i
3 years ago

The service is very good, the menu too.

The service is very good, the menu too.
Varied offer of seafood and meat, good presentation. The architecture is welcoming.
It has a view of Panama City and a cool breeze atmosphere. The yachts are very close, however this is not a problem.
Nearby there are several more restaurants that you can visit in the future.
Enjoy the experience.

k
3 years ago

We just return home from our stay at the fiesta re...

We just return home from our stay at the fiesta resort and both me and my girlfriend were very disappointed.

We arrived our first day to find the resort was still under construction dispute the website stating all construction was completed in October. We take one vacation a year to escape our 70 hour work weeks to relax and all we heard from 8am-5pm was saws going off and banging. This was pretty annoying Considering we did a good amount of research before committing to this resort. Besides the general construction going on throughout the resort, one of the two listed restaurants was closed our entire week leaving only 1 restaurant And the buffet as our available options.

During our first day we noticed a large amount of people using the resort however it didn t appear they were on vacation. It wasn t long before we discovered the hotel does day passes for locals. This shortly became annoying due to all the facilities being used. The pools were so packed it was uncomfortable and when the buffet s opened, the lines were outrageous. We were seated for multiple meals in the kids section.

Like I stated before, one of the two restaurants was under construction all week only leaving the one By the ocean. Probably one of the most irritating parts of our week was to find out you are only allowed one reservation every 3 nights you Stay at the resort. This was never stated to us at any point Prior to booking nor was it advertised on the website. When we inquired about additional nights, it was stated it would be An additional $40 USD per person. The restaurants were never full and without a reservation, you could not go. When it came to the buffet food, All I can say is horrible. The Breakfast was by far the best meal of the day. One of the nights the food was so unbearable we had to wait until 9:30pm when the snack shake opened up to get a slice of pizza and French fries. It was geared towards the Costa Rican culture which was fine however same foods used for the restaurant was considerably better then the buffet. Lastly they advertised two buffets but both buffets had the exact same foods and half the nights one of the sides was closed. I assume this had to do with the amount of people they had staying at the resort that day.

The room was very clean however it was dated. Our biggest issue with the room was how thin the walls were. You heard EVERYTHING. Due to the day passes, we spent quite a bit of time in the room trying to relax and catch up on sleep. This wasn t possible due to the noise and it wasn t just the construction but the locals and other guests running up and down the hallways.
The rooms also didn t have a mini fridge. We have done all inclusive trips before and this was a first for us not to have a fridge.

The Appearance of the resort was nice however Much like the rooms it was dated. The beaches were covered in drift wood but no garbage. The staff was good. Friendly especially Jimmy at the pool bar. If you are planning on going to this resort please tip the staff. Due to it being more of a locals resort I did not see one person tip the entire week. It says gratuity s included but it doesn t hurt to throw a few bucks down when leaving a table.

They have a gift shop at the resort which has pretty much anything you would need which is nice. It also shows that they have access to good foods, beers and liquors just don t include them in your package(once again very irritating).

All in all it was a vacation and we got to check Costa Rica off our bucket list. We went to the Dominican Republic last year and the resort was significantly better. Probably wouldn t go back to Costa Rica but if we did we would NOT be staying here.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

j
3 years ago

I just got back from a week vacation here and i co...

I just got back from a week vacation here and i could not be happier with my stay , the rooms were lovely entertaining was great service was good very friendly, food especially Marcondos one of the a la carte restaurant s was Amazing....a bit of a language barrier with some of the staff it just made my stay even more fun lol ...but other then that i would recommend this amazing location to anyone... i do plan on returning....
Miss it already lol!!!
Marie lerno

P
3 years ago

Great resort that includes all food and drinks! Bu...

Great resort that includes all food and drinks! Buffet was good but the restaurants were wayyyy better! All staff knows English very well and were amazing (Kinsley checked us in, Randolf and Bryan at the front desk helped us out with an issue, and Juan the restaurants were all great!). Rooms could use a bit of a tune up, but the pools and all of the grounds were very well kept!

T
3 years ago

A very beautiful hotel, friendly and all of the st...

A very beautiful hotel, friendly and all of the staff made us feel very welcome. The hotel has several swimming pools to relax in and it has it's own private beach as well. The room was a great size for the two of us although the bathtub was a bit small for two people. There was an extra double bed so this was essentially a double room. The restaurant which was a buffet style for lunch, breakfast and dinner had a good variety of food everyday and the quality was also good. The bed was very comfortable to sleep. My wife and I had a great time here and the next time we visit we will go on a few of the excersions. On our last night we went to the seafood restaurant, which we had to book in advanced for, my wife and I weren't particularly impressed with the food as we didn't think it was that fresh and had high expectations as we had to reserve a table. However this didn't sour our overall stay and was just a minor downpoint to our overall excellent stay.

H
3 years ago

(very) long queues in the food lanes. Paying the p...

(very) long queues in the food lanes. Paying the premium allocation won't help with the crowded restaurants area. Worst part is the other restaurants stay closed no matter how long the queue gets...

Update #1
Premium service is, in fact, way better than the common areas service. But since the premium area has no restaurant, we have to go to the common area where service is terribad and queues are unending.

Update #2
the bar in the premium area closes at 6pm, so those who paid a higher price for premium have to walk all over to the common area... Again: why pay premium if there's no food or drinks close?
Service is better yes, but there's no food close and this is supposed to be all-inclusive...

C
3 years ago

By far the worst all inclusive resort I have visit...

By far the worst all inclusive resort I have visited. I travel often to release and relax this resort is not the place to do so. Check In is at 3pm however they required you to wait in a waiting room as a group before issuing keys.
After checkin was shown a dated room nothing like what was pictured on the booking site
Switched to a premium room like the ones picture
Cool Right
NO! Went to dinner max time 45min BUGS EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!
They were everywhere they had crawled in the bed the lamps the bathroom the were crawling in from under the main entrance door the further inspection were coming out the vent over the entry door
A NIGHTMARE!!!!!!!!!
The manager for the night offered no relief and we moved out the same night
After two room switches and a bug infestation
It s a no from me

M
3 years ago

Very rich food .... service by the waiters of the ...

Very rich food .... service by the waiters of the restaurant very good. On the other hand the worst, we left drying a dress and stolen it at hours. We wanted to enter an extra person in a room with 2 double beds (we were 3 people), so if one more person came in, they didn't let us because they were hotel policies and blah blah blah I SEE SUPER SUPER ILLICIT ..... the hotel prefers to lose that Have an extra income. The super bad show .... I prefer milll times when that hotel was HILTON ..... now they even steal and don't satisfy the customer.

s
3 years ago

Beautiful resort with multiple swimming pools, ama...

Beautiful resort with multiple swimming pools, amazing food and right on a private amazing beach. Diverse facilities for kids, teens and adults, clean and maintained well. Location/Surrounding of the resort are a bit off and Spanish is the preferred language (although a lot of employees do speak English) which are the only reasons for not giving them 5 stars .

S
3 years ago

Good evening, all very well, I accept Mr. D the to...

Good evening, all very well, I accept Mr. D the too unfriendly snacks with my blind daughter and with my grandson, also a young man from the theater who told my daughter that he was sorry but that if he refused to put on the mask despite She was walking around with a mask and I explained to her that it made it difficult for her to breathe ... very arrogant he told me that if we did not unblock the room, it seemed very rude and not very delicate. distance d almost two meters to other people (chairs)

B
3 years ago

Rooms are spacious and nice, the grounds are well ...

Rooms are spacious and nice, the grounds are well kept, and the all inclusive food options are great. Service is friendly and responsive. We reported a problem with our shower and it was fixed quickly. Activities are available in the main swimming pool area, but if you want quiet and relaxing pool experience, stay in the premier building. Sunsets with the pier in the foreground and the mountains of the nicoya peninsula in the background are stunning. Very nice place overall.

S
3 years ago

My family and I really enjoyed our trip to Costa R...

My family and I really enjoyed our trip to Costa Rica. It was our luck that we came during a Tico vacation week at this resort and we felt like we were part of a gigantic family vacation which really was what made this place worth it. The staff were very courteous and I would recommend anyone stay here. Just remember to lay back and be one with the Ticos.

L
3 years ago

I went with my wife and daughter of 2 and a half y...

I went with my wife and daughter of 2 and a half years. We had to make an hour and a half in line every time we wanted to eat something. It is not a place to go as a family. I complained and they told me that because of the pandemic they were with half the service. Of course the rooms were full. If we add to that that we pay the premium part, I want to tell you that queuing in the regular part was even worse. When Don Abel complained, the manager responded with the empty promise that they would call me, something that never happened. He also told me to put my complaints in the satisfaction survey that never came to me either. It was redeemable by the show of the night. I do not recommend the place at all

M
3 years ago

Great price for an all inclusive experience. Good ...

Great price for an all inclusive experience. Good location to layover when flying in and out of San Jose. Plenty of pool space and lounges. Great buffet and plenty of food options. Poolside juice bar was a plus.

A
3 years ago

This was our first time to Costa Rica, and our fir...

This was our first time to Costa Rica, and our first time at an all-inclusive resort. Both were incredible. The people at Fiesta Resort were all very friendly and very accommodating. We don't speak Spanish, but most people speak at least some English, and those that don't still manage to communicate with us.

The food was varied, plentiful and very good. We really felt taken care of. As for the resort itself, it is always clean and very well maintained. Being right on the beach is also a plus. The room we had was very clean and comfortable, with a great view of both the pool and the ocean.

We also booked 3 full day tours with the on-site company. Each tour was personalized and our tour guides were very informative and accommodating. We were not disappointed with any of the tours. We just wish we were staying longer to go on additional tours.
.
Since being back home, we are looking back on our trip to see what we thought could have been better...and we can't think of a thing. This was all wonderful, and we look forward to returning as soon as we can

J
3 years ago

This was are 1st time out of country and at an all...

This was are 1st time out of country and at an all inclusive resort. Our room was great and staff was very nice and helped anyway that they can. Food and drinks were too notch! We were part of an 8 person group. We all had a blast with no problems

N
3 years ago

Excellent hygiene measures, everything very organi...

Excellent hygiene measures, everything very organized, very friendly staff. The buffet food can improve (the staff are splendid in them and in the bars). The shows are great, they present one at 8 pm and repeat at 10 pm to avoid crowds in the theater, they are for all audiences, Frozen, Aladdin, The Joker, comedian Nuni, you can see the effort to present something of quality. The a la carte restaurant Macondo was the cherry on the cake, both Elias and his team gave us a phenomenal treatment, the food was the best we had in our days of hosting, all on time, served wonderfully.

Many thanks!

A
3 years ago

Sorry if I didn't give you my review before, but I...

Sorry if I didn't give you my review before, but I can't find the right words to synthesize my opinion of you and the 5 stars seem to me to do little favor to such an excellent place.
When you go to a place where you can appreciate that the staff who take care of you, feel in their chest the ability to perceive and share so much interest and emotions in their service, quality, value and courtesy, those impressions become an infinite echo of fond memories and it is , when one understands why having a sea of offers you want to frequent the same ocean of good experiences
No embarde is one of my daughter and my favorite places in Costa Rica (which I hope to visit soon)

M
3 years ago

Well most of the treatment of the staff very good ...

Well most of the treatment of the staff very good attention. If I am a little concerned about the covid protocols, for example they use buckets with water and disinfectant and a cloth that passes the tables and chairs (error) I think they should have cloths of 2 colors and that everyone knows that red chairs and yellow tables. The place is big and when I entered there were the people who left and those who entered together and there were many of us and the place was very closed. I told the young man who attended us that they should separate the two actions and when we left it was like that. When entering the restaurants, they should put a sink, do not put gel, it is safer to wash their hands, as a suggestion to those who stay in a premium building, they should allow to save space in small pools of the pool and even more if there is an older adult

B
3 years ago

Excellent treatment of national tourism, a demandi...

Excellent treatment of national tourism, a demanding sanitary protocol that gives a lot of confidence, the facilities are too clean and the rooms very clean, the staff very attentive to all needs and with a lot of education, I would return without a doubt.

d
4 years ago

From 06/13 to 06/14 we stayed at the hotel with al...

From 06/13 to 06/14 we stayed at the hotel with all my family. I had previously come here when I was Hilton, it is my first time under the Fiesta administration. Even in the midst of this pandemic, I think the protocol that the Hotel has for the care of both guests and employees is great, however something that if I noticed and we were all unhappy was the meals (breakfasts, lunches and dinners). The hotel was known for its delicious taste with food and variety, however this time they had no flavor, and were not labeled, making it difficult to know what was going on and what the dynamics would be. I do not know if this is due to the pandemic or what, but we consider whether it is a great point of improvement, since as a client of the past, when comparing the before and after the hotel, we see a great difference in this matter. After this, the entertainment and snacks were super good, which has always characterized the hotel.

K
4 years ago

The first time I went with my family, it was a ver...

The first time I went with my family, it was a very cool experience. We decided to go again because of that, but this time almost everything that could have gone wrong to make the Service experience worse, happened. The outlets in the room were in very bad condition, a cloth was missing, 2 lamps did not turn on, the toilet valve decided to be damaged at 2 am and we had to ask twice that they go to fix it because the water would not stop flowing and the tap incidentally it also seemed to be either damaged or almost useless, since we could not stop the flow of water until they decided to send someone for maintenance.
The treatment of several of the employees was less than cordial and in reality they do not ensure that their same internal rules are followed (such as the fact of not being able to store chairs or tables with personal objects, but not finding a single empty chair or table that does not it was directly under the sun, that it did not have any object without anyone around) nor were they ensuring that people maintained social distance, only in the areas near the entrances of restaurants or bars, then it was a no-man's-land.
Today at breakfast time, we requested a table in an open area, for health reasons, they told us that of course with all pleasure, and at the time of the hour they put us at the bottom, without further explanation that "I can fix one on the terrace , but they have to queue again ", which was very long and we ate for about 15-20 minutes the first time. No more to the Fiesta, thank you.

S
4 years ago

Beautiful resort, not so quiet up to date with a f...

Beautiful resort, not so quiet up to date with a few things however they're working on it. New owners for 2019 so big and better changes are coming along. Overall the resort is very clean and safe! Very friendly staff. Food at the snack bar gets very boring same things served everyday all day long. ( a breakfast sausage used for burger patty?) Why? Fries taste days old no matter what time you go to get some. Also it would've been nice to have some real orange juice or any juice for that matter while at the resort
After all it is Costa Rica, country of amazing fruit! All breakfast juices are powered unless you go to the juice bar by the beach.... thank God for that!

S
4 years ago

So, for one side, is a all included hotel, so that...

So, for one side, is a all included hotel, so thats nice, a lot of food 24h a day, a lot of drinks, and nice rooms and pools, on the other hand is in probably the worst and ugliest beach Costa Rica has to offer (I'm a local). So theres that

J
4 years ago

Good

J
4 years ago

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b
4 years ago

My family and I stayed at Fiesta resort for one we...

My family and I stayed at Fiesta resort for one week we booked regular rooms from beginning when got there upgraded to premium building 3. Despite B3 pool under construction we still had a good time here with endless entertainment even though mostly in Spanish, customers service excellent, foods were good no body in our family got stomach issues. Night shows very good really enjoyed it. The day of departure we left at 3 am front desk clerk really warm our heart with packed breakfast and water for us to bring to airport. We definitely return to Costa Rica in near future.

G
4 years ago

1st go with the guys by the pier for tours! There ...

1st go with the guys by the pier for tours! There cheaper and make it personal and the driver was A+++! 2nd TIP !! Breakfast,lunch, dinner Bartenders and maids!! Once you get to know everyone it's great! You only tip 1,2,3 not a big deal! 3rd learn or ask what is going on. They have theater and stuff going on that you wouldn't know about and was fun! The neg. it's big so you walk a lot! Food doesn't change and get bug spray but only 2 of 6 got ate up! Rooms are just ok but espresso a plus! I won't go back to that hotel but overall was good. The people is what was nice, everyone was super friendly!

S
4 years ago

A little pricey, But the property is beautiful, a...

A little pricey, But the property is beautiful, a tropical paradise! The restaurant and facilities maintenance staff is very polite and courteous. Dont miss eating at their specialty restaurants Macondo and Mackerel, simply delicious! These two restaurants require reservations and get filled up soon so suggest you make dinner reservations when booking the resort. Rooms are very basic though, could have been better, need better equipped entertaining areas for teens; but the overall experience is great.

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas

DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas

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