Margaritaville Playa Flamingo sells the meal plan as an add-on. The other four include it. Secrets Papagayo is adults-only, so it stays on the country list. The family score sets the order.
October 2026 review: 5 open family resorts in Costa Rica, all of them open. Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo sells the meal plan as an add-on. Sampled two-adult From rates ran from $234 to $1,023 a night, median $426. The Westin Reserva Conchal led the family scores and sat at $1,023. Hotel Riu Guanacaste sat at $234. The table's From price is per person.
Quick facts
Counts and the price span use every resort that qualifies. The table uses the same order as the cards below. A missing price or feature reads Not listed.
- Qualifying resorts
- 5
- In this table
- 5
- Adults only
- 0
- All ages
- 5
- From price
- $117 to $512/night pp
| Rank | Resort | Area | Audience | Score | From | Key feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa | Playa Conchal, Costa Rica | All ages | 8.7 | From $512/night pp | Swim-up bar, 2 pools, 5 bars |
| 2 | Planet Hollywood Costa Rica by Royalton, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort | Culebra, Costa Rica | All ages | 8.4 | From $260/night pp | Swim-up bar, 2 pools, 11 bars |
| 3 | Hotel Riu Guanacaste | Sardinal, Costa Rica | All ages | 8.4 | From $117/night pp | Swim-up bar, Waterpark, 7 bars |
| 4 | Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo | Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica | All ages | 8.1 | From $213/night pp | Swim-up bar, 1 pool, 2 bars |
| 5 | Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica | Sardinal, Costa Rica | All ages | 8.1 | From $168/night pp | Swim-up bar, Waterpark, 4 pools |
Chains on this list
Loyal to a brand, or curious how the rest of a chain stacks up? Each profile ranks every resort the chain runs.
Plan the trip
Picking the resort is half the work; our Costa Rica travel guide covers the rest: when to go, weather month by month, safety and entry requirements, and how the areas differ.
How this ranking works
Every list on this site uses the same resorts, with the all-inclusive fine print read so you don't have to. The order weighs verified guest ratings, what's genuinely included at the base rate, and how each property performs on the thing this list is about: here, costa rica family.
The seal next to a resort is its Palmprint: a 0 to 10 grade for how well it delivers on this list's promise, the same mark you'll find on its full profile. The details of what we weigh, and what disqualifies a resort outright, live in how we score. Lists are re-reviewed as ratings and policies change; this one was last checked October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which Costa Rica family resorts have a waterpark?
Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica and Hotel Riu Guanacaste. Both include the meal plan. Riu Guanacaste is about 35 minutes from Liberia (LIR), and Riu Palace about 45. The Westin, Planet Hollywood, and Margaritaville do not record a waterpark.
Is Secrets Papagayo on the family list?
No. Secrets Papagayo is adults-only. It is on the Costa Rica list and the five-star list. This page is resorts that welcome children and record kids' activities.
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