Occidental Grand Papagayo, Costa Rica

Occidental Grand Papagayo

Hayes & Jarvis Rating

Average: 4 (1 vote)

TripAdvisor Review

3889 Reviews

Guide Price £1,749 per person

Based on 15 May 19 departure from London Heathrow flying with United Airlines, staying for 7 nights all inclusive in a Deluxe Room (2 adults sharing) including return transfers.

Our guide price gives you an idea of how much to budget for a stay at this hotel. The price will vary based on exchange rates, and your choice of room type, departure date, airline and cabin class, and any additional extras you’d like to add to your holiday.

Surrounded by stunning natural beauty

Boasting beautiful lush gardens with wooden bridge trails, the Occidental Grand Papagayo blends harmoniously with its tropical surrounds and showcases stunning ocean views and extraordinary sunsets. Complimented by the stunning sandy beach and the centre piece pool, this adults only property really is in a world of its own. Lounge by the pool or on the beach and discover the calm, warm bay waters for a rejuvenating holiday experience.

For those that want to enjoy activities, the area is also ideal for non-motorized water sports which are covered in the all-inclusive plan. Sports include kayaking and snorkeling among others. Scuba diving training and excursions are not included. The all-inclusive package allows guests to enjoy meals in three restaurants, unlimited snacks and drinks, including an open bar in four bar areas, a weekly cocktail party, endless daily activities and sport and live evening entertainment. Ideal for couples and newlyweds, here premium service meets spectacular surrounding and refined facilities.

Hotel Features

Hotel Category

Deluxe

Recommended For

Adults Only

Location Type

Beach

General Information

Check-in Time:
15:00
Check-out Time:
12:00
169 rooms
Transfer duration: approx. 30 minutes from Liberia Airport or 4 hours from San Jose

Main Facilities

Diving
Fitness facilities
Nightclub
Outdoor pool
Watersports
Wifi

Board Basis Options

All Inclusive

General Information

Check-in Time:
15:00
Check-out Time:
12:00
169 rooms
Transfer duration: approx. 30 minutes from Liberia Airport or 4 hours from San Jose

Main Facilities

Diving
Fitness facilities
Nightclub
Outdoor pool
Watersports
Wifi

Board Basis Options

All Inclusive

Location Highlights

Occidental Grand Papagayo

Beach
approx. 30 minutes from Liberia Airport or 4 hours from San Jose

3889 Reviews

65% of travellers recommended this hotel

Traveller ratings

Excellent 1488
Very Good 1268
Average 594
Poor 323
Terrible 216

What to Expect

Location
Sleep Quality
Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness

Reviews

Oct 19, 2018

unsatisfactory stay

Erie, Colorado

Not Very Happy. Would not come back. The two restaurants were any issue each time we went and had attitude from the help at both restaurants. We don't come to have to worry about this kind of stuff. We come to Relax and enjoy and did not feel like that is what we got

Oct 10, 2018

Our second all inclusive in Costa Rica

Greensboro, North Carolina

After staying at a much larger resort for a week and then moving to this gem of a smaller resort with some less than nice reviews- we wanted to see for ourselves what changes the Barcelo group has made The resort is on the side of a mountain with great views The resort has fantastic beds!- they are so nice that spending a day in bed is so relaxing We were concerned by the reviews of limited eating choices- but the staff and the menu always had a nice choice or two Not being late nighters- the entertainment starting early was a real nice treat The snorkeling off the reef had some great adventures But the really best part of the resort _ is the staff Harold one of the staff who would help with luggage or a ride was always there with a dime and a helping hand Omar in the lobby lounge- always has a smile and your refreshments so well prepared Carlos would run you to town with such a smile The list goes on- we hugged and cried when we left as it was as though we were leaving family While others may not rate this five stars- the people make it five star plus Thank you to this entire establishment for making us love to recommend this hidden gem

Oct 08, 2018

Heaven is in Costa Rica!!!

The Occidental Papagayo is a hidden gem in the jungles of Costa Rica located right on the beach! It is a great Adults Only resort with a palatial feel and an amazing tropical vibe. Here you will find some of the best in customer service, food/drink and activities. From the essential and excellent service and advice provided by the concierge and receptionists, to the many friendships we made with the bartenders, activity coordinators and staff I would like to personally give credit for making this our favorite vacation to Omar our Concierge! I would also like to give credit to the amazing bartenders and staff that went out of their way to making this a most memorable experience. In particular, Danny, Davis, Olman and Steven were the friendliest & most interesting gentlemen we've met in the country and provided superior service. There were several more bartenders and food service team members that were some of the sweetest people I’ve met, but I can’t recall their names :( I'd also like to mention Jesus the activities coordinator (goes by Jessie). He was such a blast to be around. We went Kayaking with him and he was so hilarious and fun. He even took pictures and videos of us with our cameras while we were kayaking. After kayaking I ended up playing ping pong with him for a while and he was such a genuine and unique individual with a great personality. I really enjoy the fact that all of the staff at the Occidental Papagayo are SO friendly and cheerful. My wife and I stumbled upon Occidental Papagayo because we were looking to go to a country that we had never been to. Somewhere that had an inexpensive direct flight from Los Angeles and was not that long of a flight away. Well Liberia, Costa Rica was only a 5-hour flight from LAX and The Occidental Papagayo was only about a 20-minute drive from Liberia airport. In addition to the ease of travel, Occidental Papagayo was a resort that was part of our Diamond International timeshare properties. In addition to all of the great things we heard about country, we decided this was going to be the destination for my 40th birthday celebration. The resort is well manicured and maintained with lush and heavenly plants and trees. The rooms are spread out and are located within several satellite buildings throughout the huge property. We stayed in building 6, which is very close to the main lobby and the spa services. The main lobby is where the main buffet, restaurants and bars are located. It does not really matter if your room is close to the lobby as there is a shuttle service that is very quick and convenient that will take you to any point throughout the property. Please don't expect a modern Vegas-style room folks. This is Costa Rica, not Bellagio. The shower pressure is not perfect. There are no marble floors in the rooms. There may even be a fly in your room! haha The rooms have an authentic cozy jungle feel to them. All you really need is a comfy bed and A/C and their A/C's are very good as well as their beds. The only other thing you need here is right at your toe-tips. It is the beautiful pools and the picturesque beach that this resort sits on. Just go to your room to sleep or recover from hangovers. Since this is an all-inclusive resort, there are some great food options. There is a main buffet which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner but may be closed on certain days of the week. The concierge will give you a schedule for the buffet and the restaurants when you arrive so you can plan your dinner schedule for the entire week. There is also a buffet style restaurant at the main pool that is very convenient for lunch. The buffets are standard to elevated quality buffet food where they serve a wide variety of food from authentic Costa Rican cuisine to American style food. What really stood out to me were the dinners we had at the restaurants. These were 4-5 star 3 and 4 course meals!!! Omar booked a few excursions for us to enjoy during our 8 day stay. Visiting the Arenal Volcano, zip lining, swimming in volcanic hot springs at Tabacon, whitewater rafting in class III & IV rapids, visiting an ecological park were all things that Omar helped us do. You should definitely book excursions through Omar and the resort. I even left a fantastic review for the Tour company and our private tour guide Santos on TripAdvisor. There were a couple days where my wife and I forgot to make dinner reservations and while we were on our excursions, Omar contacted our private tour guide and coordinated our dinner reservations for when we returned to the resort. This resort and the Occidental Papagayo team had our backs the whole time. Our vacation was outstanding here at the Occidental Papagayo. We plan to return on a yearly basis. Here are some random tips for staying at the Occidental Papagayo. Most of the staff speak English very well. If you want to stand out and receive excellent service, it's common sense to tip well. You can tip in US dollars also. You can break your bills at the receptionist. We did exchange some currency at the airport when we arrived but it was not necessary in hindsight. For those who have never been to Costa Rica or Occidental Papagayo, the country is very beautiful. The resort and country are also very safe. Some people automatically assume that Central and South America are dangerous places. Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in the world. Although they do a good job of spraying the property for bugs, please bring bug spray for when you are out and about in Costa Rica. You should also use sunscreen if you choose to, but I don’t. You are closer to the equator and the UV index is much higher. Make dinner reservations as often as you are allowed, food is yummy! The cats and racoons will follow you everywhere if you feed them. The cats are SO cute. We went September 15-22, which is during the rainy season. There are two seasons: Summer and Rainy seasons. Summer is December-April and Rainy season is May-November. When we went, the resort and other destinations were pretty empty. Not sure why, the weather was perfect for us. It barely rained and it was 85-90 degrees. We thought it would be raining the entire time but it didn't. It was perfect. The humidity was high and it was hot but the clouds would come by pretty often to block the sun. The nights were amazing with lightning shows all around the resort. Make sure to utilize and make reservations at their spa. It is wonderful and their attention to detail in their spa treatments are amazing. The ladies that work in the spa are SO amazing and sweet. The welcome special for $60 is ridiculously amazing!!! Kayaking and snorkeling are free at the resort but you have to make reservations. There are ATV’s you can rent and go on jungle tours or just drive to Coco Beach or other places. The fridges in the rooms are restocked everyday (if you use the items) so make sure you stay hydrated. The 2 pools close around 7pm so be aware of that. If you want to swim after 7pm just take a 2-minute walk to the beach and jump in the ocean. After 7pm we would usually eat dinner and then go to the bars and the nightclub located on site. Or you can just go to Coco Beach located just a 10-minute shuttle/cab ride away. This resort looks like it is set in the jungles of paradise. The food is scrumptious and the customer service is impeccable. If you want to feel like a cartel mob boss by the pool, a member of a royal family in the jungle, a maharaja prince in the spa or just an ordinary vagabond with their toes tucked in a sandy Costa Rican beach THIS is the place to be!!! Special thanks to Omar, Danny and Olman – Anisa & Salman look forward to seeing you again!!!