Not 100% OT but I was in this part of Costa Rica 4-5 years ago at an Occidental all inclusive and I would go back in a hardbeat. The beaches and natural beauty were spectacular. Do the zip line, the ATVs, and a day of fishing. The Arenal region (half day drive) is also worth seeing- incredible volcano sights and hot springs.

Give some thought to Tobago
 

The Hilton Resort in Tobago may meet your needs. Low season rates are circa $119.

See http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hote...Hilton-Tobago-
Golf-and-Spa-Resort/index.do;jsessionid=
0EE8B76C7D236C33949A14CF07D886A3.etc22?brand_id=HI &brand_
directory=/en/hi/&xch=102816723,FHZKMGVZYRFZMCSGBIW2VCQ

The billboards we saw around Liberia said Dec '07

didnt know it was an existing Hotel being reflagged.

Theres a new HGI being built right across from the airport I believe thats Hway 21, but the sign said sometime late '08, wouldnt stay there unless I had an early morn flight out, or a flight that arrives after dark.

You could try this URL for the Hilton Resort in Tobago too...

http://tinyurl.com/264ffr (and delete your session ID info.) ;)

Tobago is a nice island - laid back, much nicer IMO than Trinidad, and well worth a visit. Very decent diving and snorkeling (for the Caribbean) as well as interesting wildlife and rain forest. As well, it is off the usual hurricane track (not that there's never a hurricane, because occasionally there is.)

Costa Rica has not been cheap for many years - though one can find bargains, they are a bit more off the beaten track than the resort circuit. It isn't all that crime free either - I remember the days one could go walking / window shopping in downtown San José after midnight with nary a worry, those days are also over. But it remains a spectacular destination, IMO.

oct/nov should fall within the low or transition season in costa rica. the actual dates for rate increases vary greatly from property to property.

costa rica is definitely worth a visit, and easy to get to.

i'd be glad to share experiences. PM me if you're interested.

New Doubletree Resort in Costa Rica
 

I am not that familiar with Costa Rica, but always looking for new options to burn some HH points. Looks like there is also an all inclusive Doubletree Resort that is opening in Feb (rebranded from ?). Will be interesting to see what the redemption rates are at these all inclusive properties in Cost Rica.

Anyone know anything about this property?

A rebrand, currently undergoing renovations. Previously the Meliá Cariari and very close to the airport.

I see there is a rebranded Doubletree opening near the airport, but I was wondering about the Doubletree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas. Looks like it is a 90 minute drive from the airport and used to be the The Fiesta Resort in Puntarenas. Mixed reviews from Trip Advisor.

Here's the link to the press release about the 2 resort properties in CR.

http://www.hiltonfranchise.com/Marke...ica_010407.asp

Does anyone know when this property will be available for reward reservations (normal reservations can already be made). Any idea on how many points it will be?

Of all the places to go to in Costa Rica - ¿Puntarenas? I'm assuming the name is referring to the province, not the town. ;)

You don't like Puntarenas?

I called Hhonors today, and there are still no reward nights entered in the system. I asked how many points it would be, and was told that information should be "available within the month". I'll be checking in a couple of weeks.:p

Has anyone stayed either here or at the Doubletree Puntarenas since the conversion? The reviews on both these properties on tripadvisor are very scattered and candidly I trust FT'er reviews better than anywhere else. The DT is much less expensive than the Hilton (I realize it is in a different city).

Also it looks like there are no point values assigned for awards to these properties. Any guess as to what they will be?

I was told last weekend that the reward room availability and point requirements will be loaded into their system on 02/15 - I will be calling that day.

I was in Costa Rica a couple of years ago getting major cosmetic dental work done - excellent work and less than half the price you'd pay in the states. I stayed at the Hampton by the airport. I was surprised that there was always an armed security guard standing right outside the hotel entrance.

If you're thinking about renting a car and driving into San Jose, you'd better get a really good map - I don't recall seeing any street signs in the city once you got off the freeway. I met an American couple in the hotel lobby who rented a car and turned it in after one day - they were extremely frustrated trying to find their way around. My dentist didn't have an address as we know it: 300 meters east of Plaza Mayor - that's the address on their business cards. The cabbies didn't have any problems finding it, though.

I drive in San Jose pretty regularly, since I have a house there, and it can be a bit wild. There are street signs on the buildings themselves, but are sometimes painted over, or so high up you might not notice them.

My house is another couple hundred meters away from your dentist, nearer to the small airport there. My dentist is probably about half the price of your dentist, so it does pay to check around a bit, as ones that advertise to gringos often have inflated prices.

Some addresses are just, "50 meters past the yellow garbage cans, and the across from the Chicken restaurant. Now the garbage cans may no longer be yellow, and the Chicken restaurant closed 10 years ago, but they'll usually be able to find it!