Just spent 4 nights at FS Costa Rica. Here is an informal TR:
First, make sure you book your flight into LIR, not SJO. We met a couple who did not know there was more than 1 International airport in Costa Rica. Booking into SJO and making a ground transfer will take at least 5 hours.
FS "donated" the baggage reclamation area to LIR airport, and in exchange they are the only hotel property allowed to have staff inside the secure area of customs. If you have arranged for the FS to transport you from the airport, you will be met right after passport control. At that point you will check in with a uniformed FS employee, who will hand you off to a uniformed airport "skycap" to manage your bags.
FS offers 2 options for airport transportation: a shared shuttle bus at $40 per person, or a private Ford Expedition at $150 total. You can also opt for a private air conditioned taxi at $75. Alternately, renting a car and driving to the resort is very easy, as there are good quality roads and excellent route markings. If we were to return, we would rent a car. The drive take approximately 35-45 minutes depending on whether or not you get stuck behind a big truck on the 1-lane road.
The FS Resort itself is part of the larger and commonly owned Peninsula Papagayo development, which is like the FS Hualalai development on steroids. The development houses the FS Resort, FS residence club, FS private estates, at least 3 other non-FS branded housing developments, a beach club, a golf club, and a Marina. The entire development is access controlled by a master gate, and it take roughly 5-7 minutes to drive from the front gate to the FS Resort.
Upon arrival you're greeted with fresh fruit juice and orange scented cold towel (though if you choose the shared airport shuttle, the arrival experience feels decidedly less Four Seasons-esque). Check-in time is officially 3pm, though most of the flights into LIR are scheduled so you arrive at the hotel by 12:30 or 1pm. Since check-out time is noon, you may have to wait for your room, as we did.
As in most FS properties, the bulk of the staff is comprised of locals, with the management being imported. The local staff is bilingual English/Spanish, and they are surprisingly well spoken in the former. There was at least one staff member who also spoke French. Not sure about other languages.
We booked a Canopy Suite at the promotional rate of $795 less a $300 daily room credit, for a net rate of $495. Because we booked via FSPP, we received a comp upgrade to Canopy Suite with plunge pool (the highest non-residence suite category), in addition to the standard PP amenities. Many of the "regular" rooms were undergoing off-season maintenance and I overheard that many guests were upgraded to Canopy Suites during our stay. I was told by a staff member that occupancy was approximately 35%, and this was considered "excellent" during off-season.
Our canopy suite, 1711, was located towards the top of the hill, right before the estates began, and provided unrestricted panoramic beach and bay views. Our bellman said the suites in our general area were considered to have the best views in the resort. I believe him, as the views were breathtaking.
Canopy Suites consist of a living room with Bose surround sound, a powder room, a master bedroom, a cavernous master bathroom/walk in closet, and an outdoor deck with chaise lounges and a dining table. The furnishings of the suites were very nice and had a local tropical feel to them, though it was lacking the impressive "rough luxe" feel of the FS Tented Camp. The Costa Rica property is decidedly for families and romantic couples as opposed to the "once in a lifetime" experience crowd.
Our plunge pool was a bit of a joke. It was the size of a 4-person hot tub and was fairly useless during the green (rainy) season. Actually, I can't imagine using it during the gold (dry) season either. I am less of a "plunge" person and more of an actual pool person. My personal value recommendation is to book a Cielo room and get upgraded to a regular Canopy Suite.
On our last night I asked the front desk if we could move to one of the private residences (gratis), and to my surprise they obliged. We were moved three categories up to a Pacifico Two Bedroom Residence. The Pacifico Residences are timeshares built in 3-unit condo-style buildings. I was actually hoping to be moved to one of the freestanding villas or estates; perhaps I should have been more specific. Nonetheless, it was a nice change of pace. The residence featured a large screened in patio that had a 6-place dining table and outdoor BBQ/kitchen area. Adjacent was a spacious living room with retractable glass door panels that opened and combined the patio space into the living room space. A formal dining room, small but complete kitchen, office, laundry room, and master bedroom rounded out the remainder of the space. The second bedroom was on the opposite side of the residence, and was much smaller than the master bedroom. The only complaint is that our view went from panoramic to limited.
Service, as a rule, was excellent. Front line staff members went out of their way to remember names (unlike Hualalai), and everyone seemed to work with a smile on their face. The only people who were not as friendly were the groundskeepers. Pool service was the best we've ever received (probably due to the low occupancy). We got Evian spritzes, cold orange scented towels, free smoothie shots, and attentive drink & food service. Restaurant service ranged from acceptable to excellent, with no clear explanation for the variation. Spa staff were attentive, though the men's locker attendant was a bit too ever-present. I felt as though he was tracking my every move inside the locker room, perhaps with the intent to provide better service - but it was a bit too intrusive for me. My 2 spa treatments were exceptional, and I highly recommend the therapist Andrea. Skip the bamboo massage, though, and just get a regular Swedish. The bamboo is gimmicky and doesn't really add anything to the treatment.
Food, on the other hand, was mediocre considering the price point and clientele served. People who frequent Michelin star restaurants will be disappointed, though people who prefer eating at chains will likely think the food is great. One caveat not told to arriving guests is that during the off-season there are only 2-3 restaurants in the entire Papagayo development open at any time. For this reason alone I would suggest visiting during the high season. We believe the best option was in fact not the signature restaurant Di Mare, but the Prieta Beach Club's restaurant (5 minute shuttle ride from the hotel). Due to the geographic nature of the resort, you are held captive on the peninsula for dining unless you rent a car or pay $50+ each way for a car/taxi transfer. I asked if we could visit the Marina to eat, but was told there is no shuttle service from the hotel. The concierge offered to bring a taxi in from town, but it baffled me that they couldn't just get a resort car to take us. After all, the Marina is part of the common ownership of the peninsula!
Food is universally expensive, and no matter how conservatively we ordered, it always added up to at least $60 for breakfast, at least $75 for lunch, and at least $140 for dinner (all figures for 2 people). We went out of our way to try as many of the menu items designated as "local favorites" as possible, but they all universally fell flat on their faces. Think of Breakfast Burritos, Chicken Fajitas, and Fish Tacos made with flour tortillas. Really? That's not even authentic Mexican, let alone Costa Rican! Mrs. Trojanman and I agreed (sadly) that the single best thing we ate was the good old-fashioned cheeseburger. The single worst thing we ate was the sushi. Incidentally, the sushi was the worst thing we ate at Hualalai as well. Is FS incapable of producing good sushi?
We participated in several activities, which were clearly marked up from Costa Rican local prices, though they were not as outlandish as food prices. All of the activities we did were good to excellent, but anything off-property seems to take at least 1-2 hours in travel time, EACH WAY! By the second day of off-property tours, we were sick of driving and just wanted to sit by the pool all day. I recommend picking no more than 1 off-property activity and then sticking close to the resort for the rest of your time. Take advantage of the free paddle boats, kayaks, snorkel gear, etc...
Overall, it was a great time, and we would return (during the high season). Considering the resort is not much of a price savings compared to Hualalai, and that there are numerous exceptional food choices outside the confines of the Hualalai gates, I would most likely choose to return to Hualalai before Costa Rica.