Are the specialty restaurants included at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

Yes: premium & à la carte dining is included in the all-inclusive plan at Hotel Riu Guanacaste. Official page identifies 24-hour All-Inclusive service and multiple themed restaurants/buffets.

Does Hotel Riu Guanacaste include top-shelf liquor?

Partly: some top-shelf liquor is included at Hotel Riu Guanacaste, but premium options cost extra. All-inclusive drinks are included, but premium-brand exclusions were not verified.

Is Wi-Fi free at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

Yes: wi-fi is included in the all-inclusive plan at Hotel Riu Guanacaste. Official page states free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.

Are non-motorized water sports included at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

Partly: some non-motorized water sports is included at Hotel Riu Guanacaste, but premium options cost extra. Some resort activities are included; specialist excursions and tours are local extras.

Are spa treatments included at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

No: spa treatments costs extra at Hotel Riu Guanacaste and isn't part of the all-inclusive plan. Renova Spa is promoted as a wellness center; treatments were not verified as included.

Are excursions included at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

No: off-site excursions costs extra at Hotel Riu Guanacaste and isn't part of the all-inclusive plan. Rainforest, wildlife, volcano and activity tours are booked separately.

Is the kids' club included at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

Yes: kids' club is included in the all-inclusive plan at Hotel Riu Guanacaste. RIULand is promoted as children's programming.

Are airport transfers included at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

No: airport transfers costs extra at Hotel Riu Guanacaste and isn't part of the all-inclusive plan. Airport transfers are not part of the all-inclusive rate; guests book and pay for their own ride from Liberia, roughly 45 minutes away, with free transfers offered only as a RIU Class loyalty perk.

Can a family of 5 stay in one room at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

Yes. Hotel Riu Guanacaste has room categories that sleep 5 or more in one key: Superior Family Room with pool view. The largest stated occupancy is 6. Occupancy rules count most children (and sometimes infants) toward the limit, so confirm your exact ages with the resort when you book.

Does Hotel Riu Guanacaste have a kids' club, and from what age?

Yes. Hotel Riu Guanacaste runs a supervised kids' club. Hours and age bands shift seasonally, so confirm before booking.

Is the beach at Hotel Riu Guanacaste good for young children?

The water is swimmable with some waves, and the entry varies along the shore.

Is there anything for teenagers at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

Technically, yes: there's a teen space at Hotel Riu Guanacaste, but recent reports describe it as low-key. Don't book around it; the pools, sports, and beach carry that age group here.

Do you need dinner reservations at Hotel Riu Guanacaste?

At some restaurants: book the à la carte venues early in your stay and keep the buffet as the no-plan fallback for meltdown nights.

It’s All Inclusive

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It’s All Inclusive

Five starCosta Rica

Hotel Riu Guanacaste

What the numbers say

Guests rate this 4.2. It is second from the bottom of the 16 RIU Hotels & Resorts resorts we track, where the rest run 4.3 to 4.7.

10,959 reviews · Every RIU Hotels & Resorts resort we track, lowest to highest

The Palmprint

7.4 out of 10

Six fronds, six scores ·

Fly into

LIR · 35 min

Best months

Dec – Apr

Guests say

4.2 · 10,959

Under $350 pp / night

Value7.8

Service6.9

Beach8.2

Dining6.8

Rooms7.2

Pools & Spa8.3

Last verified July 2026. Dining is the weakest mark at 6.8. No resort can pay to change a score. See the full Palmprint file

Dining, pools and the beach

Dining room with white-clothed tables and black woven chairs under an arched colonnade overlooking manicured grounds and towering palm trees.

Dining & bars

7venues · 7 bars

A few venues take reservations, the rest are walk-in

Official page emphasizes themed buffets, specialty dining and seven bars; recent guest reports suggest a buffet-heavy format after remodeling.

International · Buffet · Asian · Italian · Steakhouse · Poolside snacks

Food 6.8

Turquoise pool with loungers and umbrellas lined along the deck, white resort buildings and palm trees in the background under blue sky.

Pools & waterplay

With waterpark, waterslides

Official page confirms an outdoor pool with swim-up bar and Splash Water World water park.

Pools 8.3

Photograph to come

The beach itself

8.2beach score · high confidence

Pacific beachfront at Playa Matapalo; ocean conditions can vary by swell and season, but the setting is a core strength.

Moderate water, swimmable most days
Caveat: Entry depth varies along the shore

Counts come from the resort's own published information; the scores are ours, from the Palmprint file below.

Rooms & suites

Who fits where at Hotel Riu Guanacaste

All 4 categories, from the resort's own accommodations pages. The figures are the comparison: how many the room takes, against the most this property puts in any one key. Where a category carries no figures, the resort does not publish an occupancy for it, which at villa tier usually means it is set when you book.

Hotel Riu Guanacaste guest room with queen bed, black headboard, yellow walls, patterned armchair, and glass doors opening to a balcony.

Bathroom vanity with four white round sinks set in speckled granite countertop, toiletries and towels visible.

Room categories at Hotel Riu Guanacaste, smallest first: occupancy, size, bedrooms and aspect
Suite	Occupancy	Bedrooms	Aspect
Double Room with sea view	Sleeps 3	Not published	Sea view
Standard double room with courtyard view	Sleeps 3	Not published	Courtyard view
Double Standard	Sleeps 3	Not published	Not published
Superior Family Room with pool view	Sleeps 6	2 bedrooms	Pool view

Family fit6 in one key is possible in exactly one category, the Superior Family Room with pool view · a party of 7 needs two · a true two-bedroom exists

Occupancy is the maximum published occupancy including rollaways, not comfortable occupancy. Categories and occupancy change with renovations, and connecting rooms are usually request-only, so confirm when you book.

= sleeps 2 of 6 max

Food and drink

The dining, in outline

Counts and cuisines from the resort's own pages. We have not verified this property restaurant by restaurant yet, so we are not going to print a list that says nothing.

Bars and lounges: 7
Swim-up bars: 1

Kitchens

International, Buffet, Asian, Italian, Steakhouse, Poolside snacks

Some restaurants take reservations; the rest are walk-in.

Official page emphasizes themed buffets, specialty dining and seven bars; recent guest reports suggest a buffet-heavy format after remodeling.

Hotel Riu Guanacaste is a large, lively 24-hour all-inclusive on Playa Matapalo with a water park and strong family/nightlife energy.
The setting, activities and price-to-inclusion ratio are the main strengths; food and service are the biggest risks.
Recent reviews are polarized, so it is safer for travelers who prioritize activities and budget over polish.
Hidden tips
Use the newer-room categories if available and worth the rate difference.
Read the cancellation terms closely before relying on RIU's Best Price Guarantee.
Book excursions independently if you want Costa Rica nature experiences beyond the resort.
Things guests wish they had known
This is a lively value-oriented RIU, not a refined eco-luxury Costa Rica resort.

Most loved

4 themes

Beachfront setting and scenery
Water park and family entertainment
RIU Party and nightlife
Value for a Costa Rica all-inclusive

Most complained about

4 themes

Food quality and buffet-heavy dining
Service inconsistency
Room maintenance
Pool cleanliness/crowding in peak periods

From Reddit

Sentiment: Split

Recent Reddit threads are polarized, with some travelers liking the property and beach while multiple recent reports warn about food, service, pool and room-maintenance problems.

What it costs

The rate, and where to check it

A checked price with a date on it, not a teaser. Here is the stay we price.

nights per sample

adults sharing

Taxes and fees vary by channel, so compare the final screen, not the first one.

$119pp / night

$237 for two, all in · checked 31 Jul

Cheapest month we've seen: September, around $119 pp / night.

We can place the reservation through an accredited travel agency partner. There is no separate fee for using us, and the resort looks after your stay once it is booked. If you book this way the resort pays us a commission. You are not charged a separate fee. How we are paid.

Or book direct with the resort (opens in a new tab).

Independent reviews

Tripadvisor reviews (opens in a new tab)

We earn nothing on these links. How we are paid is set out here.

Watch this resort

We check this rate on a rotating schedule. Leave an email and we'll flag a real drop, not a countdown timer.

Best time to visit

Dec to Apr

Temperature barely moves here across the year, so rain is the whole decision: the wet months run May to Nov.

Hotel Riu Guanacaste by month · average high, rain days and our verdict
Measure	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average daily high	93 degrees Fahrenheit	95 degrees Fahrenheit	95 degrees Fahrenheit	93 degrees Fahrenheit	91 degrees Fahrenheit	90 degrees Fahrenheit	90 degrees Fahrenheit	90 degrees Fahrenheit	90 degrees Fahrenheit	90 degrees Fahrenheit	90 degrees Fahrenheit	91 degrees Fahrenheit
Rain days	1 day	0 days	0 days	3 days	12 days	14 days	10 days	13 days	16 days	17 days	9 days	2 days
Verdict	Best	Best	Best	Best	Wet	Wet	Wet	Wet	Wet	Wet	Wet	Best

Getting there

35 minutes from LIR

Nearest airport: LIR · Guanacaste Airport
Transfer: 35 min · costs extra
Address: Playa Matapalo, RIU Guanacaste Route, Guanacaste Province, Sardinal, 50503, Costa Rica
Phone: +506 2681 2300

Read the Costa Rica travel guide

Airport transferAffiliate · commission at no cost to you

The ride from LIR is not in your rate.

Book it before you land and the ride is settled. The alternative is a taxi rank at the end of a long flight.

The fare: Fixed when you book. No meter, no surge, no cash at the kerb.
If you're late: The driver tracks your flight and waits. Delays don't cost you the ride.
On arrival: Your name on a board in arrivals, past customs, before the taxi rank.

Book a private car

35Minutes by car

LIRGuanacaste AirportResort

Before you fly

Costa Rica

Language: Spanish (English common in tourist areas)
Currency: Costa Rican colón – USD widely accepted
Power: 120V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US)
Driving: On the right
Main airport: Liberia – Daniel Oduber (LIR)
Flight time: ~3.5–5.5h from the US (nonstops to Liberia)

Read the Costa Rica guide: passport, visa, tipping, safety

The vibe

Who it suits

Nightlife8.5

Adventure8.4

Family8.4

Three of the 10 categories we score in the Palmprint file for Hotel Riu Guanacaste; the full set is above.

What we'd book around it

Affiliate · commission at no cost to you

Flights

Fly into LIR, 35 minutes from the gate; round trips from about $558.

Search fares

Insurance

Storms move flights in season, and the cheapest rates are usually non-refundable.

Compare cover

Data

An eSIM for the flight and the beach; Wi-Fi is included on the resort but stops at the gate.

Get an eSIM

Days out

Off-site excursions cost extra here, so price the days out of Costa Rica ahead.

See excursions

The Palmprint file

How we scored Hotel Riu Guanacaste

10 categories, scored from official sources and read against what guests actually report. Verified 19 July 2026 under Palmprint methodology 1.0.

reddit · expedia · mapcarta · official · tripadvisor · reddit_price · reddit_recent · booking_reviews

The six that set the score