Apr 5, 2015, 12:32 pm
Last edit by: ehallison
(2022 RENOVATIONS) Major reductions in service and facilities August 1 to October 31 2022 The Andaz Peninsula Papagayo will undergo renovations August 1, 2022 through October 31, 2022. The renovations will take place daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The hotel will renovate the Ostra restaurant, however, Rio Bhongo, Chao Pescao and the Beach House will be available for dining.
The hotel will expand the fitness center and upgrade the spa’s reception area. The fitness center will operate at an alternate location and spa services will be offered at that location. The adults-only pool will not be available during renovations. All guests will use the main pool area.
Overview of hotel, restaurants, menus, activities, pretty much everything you need to know: (Link)
Buildings 1, 2, 3 ,4 on higher level and will have steps or you can call for a shuttle
Buildings 5, 6, 7 will be at pool/restaurant level
Property Map (click here)
Parking: valet and self parking included in 10% resort fee
Free shuttle: was until 6pm, now extended to 10pm. Please check for the specifics. Shuttle from 6pm has a charge of $25 USD to Four Season. (2/18 - sign only spoke of shuttle to 6pm)
Vaccination:
Hepatits A and Typhoid vaccine before travel.
Mosquito repellent, especially at night and during rainy season due to Dengue fever.
Complimentary poolside and beachside sunscreen and ice water with citrus in it
Complimentary in the rooms- Sun hats and flip flops, as well as a modest minibar including chips and nuts
If you plan to drive:
1. Strongly recommend GPS, or iPhone app
2. About 30-35minutes from airport
3. 20-25 minutes from hotel to major road (route 21)
4. Road is 2 lane paved road
5. There are no shoulders, just ditches (for rain to drain)
6. Roads in small towns may be unpaved.
7. Roads are not lit. Scariest part about driving at night is not getting lost, but pedestrians walking or a cyclist right on the edge of the road.
8. Another guest at Andaz turned over a car on the first day out with a rental…and this is during the dry season!! (I have no idea how this is possible, unless the driver was incompetent. I rented a car and drove my family several times into town. No problems. Was considering not doing so based on the above sentence. if you have common sense, you will be fine.- Bikeguy)
9. Consider rent from hotel a couple of days instead of getting rental for your entire trip : $90 smaller car, $120 Toyota RAV, $190 Toyota Prado seats 7
Worthwhile activities:
1. At hotel: complimentary kayak, snorkels, paddle board
2. Golf at Four Seasons
3. Witch’s Rock: very close to hotel. Canopy (zipline- $75 pp), horseback riding, quad rental
4. Palo Verde:
• Boat tours are worthwhile
• Chose one that has sun protections or bring an umbrella for sun protection
• Best approach from the south end (eg Palo Verde Boat Tour in Ortega) since it is only an hour away from hotel (vs 2hours from the north entrance.) Stop by Guaitil and pick up some famous Chorotega pottery for souvenir/gifts.
• If approaching it from the north side, stop at nearby Llanos de Cortez waterfall for a dip.
• For bird lovers, consider a Palo Verde boat tour that includes Isla Parajos that can be seen with a tour from Puerto Humo (2 hours from the hotel)
5. Rincon de Vieja
6. Fishing, surfing in Tamarindo
Nearby dining:
At hotel:
• Rio Bhongo: great breakfast (especially for diamonds), recommend casado for lunch. Diamond can also get room service breakfast instead of at restaurant.
• Chao Pescao: recommend chicken arepas, apple cake (apple pie with crème brulee like custard and vanilla ice cream)
• Ostra
Four Seasons
Dive Bar
• at Marina
• A value for happy hour and Tuesday tacos and other specials, otherwise food were similarly priced as at the hotel and not as good.
Cambi:
• 8-5 free childcare, but with a 1 hour break at noon (so you can't do a full day trip while leaving the kids in Cambi). There is a charge for some activities
• Evening:
a. 6-10pm: $50 with meals served
b. Up to 3 hrs: $40 with meals served.
Miscellaneous:
• There is a supermarket right as you enter “larger” cities like Liberia, Playa de Coco, Santa Cruz. See if guide will make a stop if you are by a “larger” city. For example, if taking a tour to Rincon de Vieja or north end of Palo Verde, see if they will stop in Liberia for meal at Café Liberia (excellent well priced food, serving lunch and dinner but only snacks from 2- 5pm) and to pick up items at the supermarket
• Do It Center
• at 21 and 253
• Can pick up Sim card:
a. Need unlocked phone.
b. Kolbi at the pharmacy
c. Movistar in the Monge electronic store in the hardware store
• Pharmacy
• Pizza place
• Bank
d. Gas Station is across from airport, adjacent to Hilton Garden Inn
The hotel will renovate the Ostra restaurant, however, Rio Bhongo, Chao Pescao and the Beach House will be available for dining.
The hotel will expand the fitness center and upgrade the spa’s reception area. The fitness center will operate at an alternate location and spa services will be offered at that location. The adults-only pool will not be available during renovations. All guests will use the main pool area.
Overview of hotel, restaurants, menus, activities, pretty much everything you need to know: (Link)
Buildings 1, 2, 3 ,4 on higher level and will have steps or you can call for a shuttle
Buildings 5, 6, 7 will be at pool/restaurant level
Property Map (click here)
Parking: valet and self parking included in 10% resort fee
Free shuttle: was until 6pm, now extended to 10pm. Please check for the specifics. Shuttle from 6pm has a charge of $25 USD to Four Season. (2/18 - sign only spoke of shuttle to 6pm)
Vaccination:
Hepatits A and Typhoid vaccine before travel.
Mosquito repellent, especially at night and during rainy season due to Dengue fever.
Complimentary poolside and beachside sunscreen and ice water with citrus in it
Complimentary in the rooms- Sun hats and flip flops, as well as a modest minibar including chips and nuts
If you plan to drive:
1. Strongly recommend GPS, or iPhone app
2. About 30-35minutes from airport
3. 20-25 minutes from hotel to major road (route 21)
4. Road is 2 lane paved road
5. There are no shoulders, just ditches (for rain to drain)
6. Roads in small towns may be unpaved.
7. Roads are not lit. Scariest part about driving at night is not getting lost, but pedestrians walking or a cyclist right on the edge of the road.
8. Another guest at Andaz turned over a car on the first day out with a rental…and this is during the dry season!! (I have no idea how this is possible, unless the driver was incompetent. I rented a car and drove my family several times into town. No problems. Was considering not doing so based on the above sentence. if you have common sense, you will be fine.- Bikeguy)
9. Consider rent from hotel a couple of days instead of getting rental for your entire trip : $90 smaller car, $120 Toyota RAV, $190 Toyota Prado seats 7
Worthwhile activities:
1. At hotel: complimentary kayak, snorkels, paddle board
2. Golf at Four Seasons
3. Witch’s Rock: very close to hotel. Canopy (zipline- $75 pp), horseback riding, quad rental
4. Palo Verde:
• Boat tours are worthwhile
• Chose one that has sun protections or bring an umbrella for sun protection
• Best approach from the south end (eg Palo Verde Boat Tour in Ortega) since it is only an hour away from hotel (vs 2hours from the north entrance.) Stop by Guaitil and pick up some famous Chorotega pottery for souvenir/gifts.
• If approaching it from the north side, stop at nearby Llanos de Cortez waterfall for a dip.
• For bird lovers, consider a Palo Verde boat tour that includes Isla Parajos that can be seen with a tour from Puerto Humo (2 hours from the hotel)
5. Rincon de Vieja
6. Fishing, surfing in Tamarindo
Nearby dining:
At hotel:
• Rio Bhongo: great breakfast (especially for diamonds), recommend casado for lunch. Diamond can also get room service breakfast instead of at restaurant.
• Chao Pescao: recommend chicken arepas, apple cake (apple pie with crème brulee like custard and vanilla ice cream)
• Ostra
Four Seasons
Dive Bar
• at Marina
• A value for happy hour and Tuesday tacos and other specials, otherwise food were similarly priced as at the hotel and not as good.
Cambi:
• 8-5 free childcare, but with a 1 hour break at noon (so you can't do a full day trip while leaving the kids in Cambi). There is a charge for some activities
• Evening:
a. 6-10pm: $50 with meals served
b. Up to 3 hrs: $40 with meals served.
Miscellaneous:
• There is a supermarket right as you enter “larger” cities like Liberia, Playa de Coco, Santa Cruz. See if guide will make a stop if you are by a “larger” city. For example, if taking a tour to Rincon de Vieja or north end of Palo Verde, see if they will stop in Liberia for meal at Café Liberia (excellent well priced food, serving lunch and dinner but only snacks from 2- 5pm) and to pick up items at the supermarket
• Do It Center
• at 21 and 253
• Can pick up Sim card:
a. Need unlocked phone.
b. Kolbi at the pharmacy
c. Movistar in the Monge electronic store in the hardware store
• Pharmacy
• Pizza place
• Bank
d. Gas Station is across from airport, adjacent to Hilton Garden Inn
Andaz Peninsula Papagayo (Costa Rica) REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Mar 31, 2017, 12:26 am
#886
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,546
if you are a US-based Hyatt loyalist just looking for a beach vacation, Andaz Mayakoba is a far better choice. An hour or two closer, better beach, milder weather, adjacent resorts, 15 minutes to a great tourist town, better DSU suite w/ private pool.
Mar 31, 2017, 9:26 am
#887
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
Depends where in the US.
Mar 31, 2017, 1:04 pm
#888
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 118
In short getting gouged for the mandatory insurance is still better than getting gouged on taxis or shuttles. There will be terrible roads regardless. Ticos aren't the best or the worst drivers, but drive defensively and you should be fine.
Apr 4, 2017, 11:55 pm
#889
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
Costa Rica is a big yet small country so great for driving to explore. The roads are pretty terrible, aside from the main highways, and especially in Guanacaste as well as going up to Monteverde. However if you don't drive the distances are pretty far so that you will pay a good 3-5x more than if you didn't drive to get around to the places you want to go.
In short getting gouged for the mandatory insurance is still better than getting gouged on taxis or shuttles. There will be terrible roads regardless. Ticos aren't the best or the worst drivers, but drive defensively and you should be fine.
In short getting gouged for the mandatory insurance is still better than getting gouged on taxis or shuttles. There will be terrible roads regardless. Ticos aren't the best or the worst drivers, but drive defensively and you should be fine.
Apr 5, 2017, 7:24 pm
#892
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MEL
Programs: QF OWE, HH D, HGP D, Starriott Plat, AA/LM/SQ/VA/QF/AS/BA
Posts: 251
Nice property but expensive incidentals as expected. HGP 15k per night is a steal. I was upgraded to a Bay view King (3 level upgrade) from my points booking.
Apr 15, 2017, 1:52 pm
#893
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,747
Friends have been there this week. They are very well traveled. Her husband is in hotels more than he's home. So I asked about the hotel. And here is her response.
It's lovely. The place is phenomenally beautiful. And the wildlife is fantastic. Also the food is top notch. I feel silly complaining but since you DO need to know this stuff- it really depends on what you are looking for. Service is really just bad. Don't get me wrong. Everyone here is extremely friendly! You just may never actually get what you asked for. We had several lights out in our room that we asked to be fixed for three days. (the rooms and the resort are extremely dark at night) They provide a couple of sodas and small snacks in the minibar as well as the standard powdered coffee. But they have NEVER actually restocked it. And you have to literally beg for menus, food, coffee, drinks and all three restaurants. We are all about slowing things down but when the waiter wanders away in the middle of taking your order and you have to follow him and explain you aren't finished ordering every. single. time. That's a problem. Same as when you want a glass of wine and so you finally flag down a waiter and ask for a menu and that takes ten minutes then they bring you a menu. Then you realize there are no drinks on the menu so you ask for a drink menu. So ten minutes later they bring that and you are so happy and you flip through it and it is full of all kinds of drinks but no wine. Then you chase down the waiter again and he says "Well why didn't you ask for the WINE LIST?" Then you get that and it's been 45 minutes now and you FINALLY order a bottle of Sauv Blanc and your husband orders a cocktail. Then 15 minutes later they come back with TWO cocktails and no wine and you ask where your wine is and they say "WHAT WINE?" and you completely have to re-order your bottle of wine and you and your husband are SURE you have entered the Twilight Zone.
Subsequently, she shared that her husband went up to the front desk to discuss this as the family wanted to leave. They had stayed on points and were about to begin paying $625/night. They didn't want to do that given the lack of service.
T*** went up and complained about all the above (mainly because we wanted out of their draconian 7-day cancellation policy) and they were VERY nice. And lo and behold, yesterday the lights were fixed and the minibar was restocked and everyone is being very solicitous. Which honestly, I don't care about solicitous. I just want a cup of coffee without a major hassle.
And then
Update: they are doing a great job of making it up to us. They are comping dinner tonight, paying for shuttle service to the new hotel tomorrow and, in seriously my favorite cute move ever, made cookies in the shape of the twins' lovies!! Ok I like them again...
I'll still be staying there this winter though her issues are concerning. My takeaway is that should we have issues, we head to the manager in charge sooner rather than later.
It's lovely. The place is phenomenally beautiful. And the wildlife is fantastic. Also the food is top notch. I feel silly complaining but since you DO need to know this stuff- it really depends on what you are looking for. Service is really just bad. Don't get me wrong. Everyone here is extremely friendly! You just may never actually get what you asked for. We had several lights out in our room that we asked to be fixed for three days. (the rooms and the resort are extremely dark at night) They provide a couple of sodas and small snacks in the minibar as well as the standard powdered coffee. But they have NEVER actually restocked it. And you have to literally beg for menus, food, coffee, drinks and all three restaurants. We are all about slowing things down but when the waiter wanders away in the middle of taking your order and you have to follow him and explain you aren't finished ordering every. single. time. That's a problem. Same as when you want a glass of wine and so you finally flag down a waiter and ask for a menu and that takes ten minutes then they bring you a menu. Then you realize there are no drinks on the menu so you ask for a drink menu. So ten minutes later they bring that and you are so happy and you flip through it and it is full of all kinds of drinks but no wine. Then you chase down the waiter again and he says "Well why didn't you ask for the WINE LIST?" Then you get that and it's been 45 minutes now and you FINALLY order a bottle of Sauv Blanc and your husband orders a cocktail. Then 15 minutes later they come back with TWO cocktails and no wine and you ask where your wine is and they say "WHAT WINE?" and you completely have to re-order your bottle of wine and you and your husband are SURE you have entered the Twilight Zone.
Subsequently, she shared that her husband went up to the front desk to discuss this as the family wanted to leave. They had stayed on points and were about to begin paying $625/night. They didn't want to do that given the lack of service.
T*** went up and complained about all the above (mainly because we wanted out of their draconian 7-day cancellation policy) and they were VERY nice. And lo and behold, yesterday the lights were fixed and the minibar was restocked and everyone is being very solicitous. Which honestly, I don't care about solicitous. I just want a cup of coffee without a major hassle.
And then
Update: they are doing a great job of making it up to us. They are comping dinner tonight, paying for shuttle service to the new hotel tomorrow and, in seriously my favorite cute move ever, made cookies in the shape of the twins' lovies!! Ok I like them again...
I'll still be staying there this winter though her issues are concerning. My takeaway is that should we have issues, we head to the manager in charge sooner rather than later.
Apr 16, 2017, 8:49 pm
#895
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Minnesota
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,101
Pura vida! Means that no matter what your current situation is, life for someone else can always be less fortunate than your own. So you need to consider that maybe...just maybe, your situation isn't all that bad and that no matter how little or how much you have in life, we are all here together and life is short...so start living it "pura vida style".
Go to an island in the Caribbean and they have a different word or phrase to define it. Is it possible the staff at this hotel is made up of locals that just embrace this pura vida lifestyle?
Chill out mon, every thing be fine....
Apr 24, 2017, 1:06 am
#896
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
Seems like the only comment in comparison have been about breakfast. But I'd love to hear more, as rooms, beach and pool all mean more to me than breakfast.
May 21, 2017, 6:30 pm
#899
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: EWN/OAJ/RDU/ILM (Formerly BTV)
Programs: HH D i a m o n d !!!
Posts: 356
Staying here now and I can tell you that the road to the Papagayo area are 90% redone. I'd give it another week or two before full completion.
Nice property but expensive incidentals as expected. HGP 15k per night is a steal. I was upgraded to a Bay view King (3 level upgrade) from my points booking.
Nice property but expensive incidentals as expected. HGP 15k per night is a steal. I was upgraded to a Bay view King (3 level upgrade) from my points booking.
As of yesterday, the re-paving is very near completion. Although it is not 100% done, it is perfectly smooth in both directions. Just a short stretch that is awaiting its 2nd layer.
Bugs were not terrible, but definitely more at Andaz than what we experienced over the prior week further south on the Nicoya Peninsula (mostly Samara/Nosara). The hotel had several cans of bug spray at every pool and I think it was available at every restaurant, as well.
The Andaz is very nice, but expensive. Food and beverages were all excellent. The standard room was big, and we could have been comfy there for several days. All the infinity pools were very cool. The resort, overall, is both pretty and private.
Wife and I spent $230 in just 2 meals (1 dinner + drinks, and 1 breakfast). We are not from a big city, nor are we used to fancy resorts, so it was a bit of a shock to see the actual prices (high) and portion sizes (mostly quite small based on what we had).
$13 I believe was the cheapest cocktail option that I recall seeing, which does not include a 10% service fee nor the 13% taxes... aka you are paying $16 for a single drink. $6 for a Pilsenn or Imperial. During the prior week I don't think I ever paid more than 1500 colones (~$2.75) for a beer, even at the restaurants where you were literally sitting on the beach. Service at the Andaz restaurants was approximately equal to the service we got at restaurants in the surf/beach towns (which is not to say they were bad at the Andaz, but, rather, pretty good everywhere else IMO). Their hotel staff did do a great job with assisting at check-in, getting us to our room, and at check-out.
We arrived at Andaz around 4pm and departed at like 11:30am, which was barely enough time to jump in a pool, eat dinner/drinks, sleep, get breakfast, shower/pack/depart. No activities begin after 4:30pm (at least not on Friday our arrival day), so unless you show up right at 3pm, you won't get to do any of their organized activities on your arrival day. If you were motivated and organized, you might be able to do 1 morning activity on your morning of departure.
Other thing to note: at Andaz you will basically be surrounded by Americans and English. There is little other than the monkeys to make you realize you are in a foreign country. At dinner I felt like I was at a fancy country club back in the States; I felt out of place and underdressed.
Bottom Line: the Andaz is super nice but probably not worth it unless you can stay for at least 2 nights due to it being so remote. Technically the airport is only ~30minutes away, but the final ~20km leading to the hotel you basically don't pass any signs of life. Be prepared to spend a boatload of money on food.
May 22, 2017, 6:30 am
#900
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 27
Just to add another review...
My husband and I celebrated our fifteenth wedding anniversary at the Andaz the first week of April. Overall, it was an excellent experience all the way around.
I absolutely agree, though, that restaurant service is slow. Be prepared to have to get up and find your server to get a refill or to order dessert. They are in no hurry at all. The monkeys are the most entertaining part of every meal, for sure. My kids would have loved them.
The property is gorgeous and full of hills. This is not a hotel for my grandmother. The trek to the beach covers a trail with tree roots and rocks, so be aware... We overheard a family talking about how they had no idea that the beach would be completely inaccessible for an older family member that they brought along.
Rooms are immaculate, food was excellent, and associates were very kind. We ate the breakfast buffet late each morning and were stuffed until dinner. The Dive Bar at the Marina was okay... We heard that they have a great happy hour, though we arrived too late for that.
Don't miss out on taking a $10 cooking class, if you can spare an hour. We enjoyed the tortilla class with Chef Javier, and it was enough food to serve as a small lunch for both my husband and I, but beyond that, Javier was gracious and knowledgeable and simply wonderful. Also, if you're into snorkeling, go into the water and swim toward the rocks to the right. We saw lots and lots of sea life. No coral or beautiful reefs, but many varieties of fish, shrimp, eels, starfish, etc.
It's a great property, especially for 15k points.
My husband and I celebrated our fifteenth wedding anniversary at the Andaz the first week of April. Overall, it was an excellent experience all the way around.
I absolutely agree, though, that restaurant service is slow. Be prepared to have to get up and find your server to get a refill or to order dessert. They are in no hurry at all. The monkeys are the most entertaining part of every meal, for sure. My kids would have loved them.
The property is gorgeous and full of hills. This is not a hotel for my grandmother. The trek to the beach covers a trail with tree roots and rocks, so be aware... We overheard a family talking about how they had no idea that the beach would be completely inaccessible for an older family member that they brought along.
Rooms are immaculate, food was excellent, and associates were very kind. We ate the breakfast buffet late each morning and were stuffed until dinner. The Dive Bar at the Marina was okay... We heard that they have a great happy hour, though we arrived too late for that.
Don't miss out on taking a $10 cooking class, if you can spare an hour. We enjoyed the tortilla class with Chef Javier, and it was enough food to serve as a small lunch for both my husband and I, but beyond that, Javier was gracious and knowledgeable and simply wonderful. Also, if you're into snorkeling, go into the water and swim toward the rocks to the right. We saw lots and lots of sea life. No coral or beautiful reefs, but many varieties of fish, shrimp, eels, starfish, etc.
It's a great property, especially for 15k points.