Costa Rica All-Inclusive Resorts (2026): 7 We'd Book in Guanacaste and Beyond

The Westin Reserva Conchal is the all-inclusive we would book first in Costa Rica, mainly for its beach. Playa Conchal is made of crushed shells, with lighter sand and clearer water than most of Guanacaste, and the resort sits inside the large Reserva Conchal development with a golf course, a spa, a kids' club, a very large main pool and golf carts that shuttle guests through the grounds, where reviewers regularly spot wildlife. Trip.com guests score it 9.1 of 10 and Expedia guests 9.0 from about 1,000 reviews, and July 2026 reviewers name individual staff members for their service. The weak spot is food: several 2026 reviewers found it average and the cocktails weak, specialty restaurants need same-day early-morning reservations, and service can be slow. One family reported that an accessible room was not as promised. The drive from Liberia airport is about 1 hour 15 minutes. Book the Westin if you want the best beach of any Costa Rica all-inclusive with family-friendly facilities; skip it if fine dining is your priority.

Secrets Papagayo is the adults-only all-inclusive we recommend when couples want Costa Rica rather than a Caribbean beach. The 202-suite resort, part of the Hyatt Inclusive Collection, climbs a hillside above the Gulf of Papagayo, roughly half an hour from Liberia airport by our estimate, with Preferred Club upgrades, a spa and a quiet, no-kids atmosphere. It holds 4.5 of 5 on Tripadvisor from about 6,250 reviews, the highest score of the Papagayo all-inclusives we checked, and recent reviewers single out the service. Be realistic about two things. The beach has darker sand, and some May 2026 reviewers found the water murky while others enjoyed how quiet it was. And food draws mixed reviews: an August 2026 reviewer called it average and the restaurant service disappointing. The hillside layout also means walking or waiting for shuttles. Book Secrets Papagayo for a honeymoon or couples' week that mixes resort time with volcano and wildlife day trips; skip it if a white-sand beach is non-negotiable.

Hotel Riu Guanacaste is the big, busy, good-value family all-inclusive of Costa Rica. It runs 24-hour all-inclusive, a free Splash Water World water park, seven bars, themed buffets, a steakhouse and nightly shows on long Playa Matapalo, and Trip.com says it was renovated in 2025. Guests score it 8.3 of 10 on Kayak from 1,234 reviews and 8.4 on Trip.com, and 2026 reviewers praise the grounds, the bar and restaurant staff, food variety and entertainment. The problems are those of a resort Trip.com lists at more than 1,000 rooms: crowded buffets, first-come seating and restaurants closing early, plus repeated 2026 reports of sewage or sulfur smells from drains and bugs in the pools, and one group that blamed a restaurant for illness and found management unresponsive. Its adults-focused sister, Riu Palace Costa Rica, is closed for renovation until April 2027. Book the Riu for a lively, affordable family week with a water park; skip it if you dislike crowds or want quiet and polish.

Planet Hollywood Costa Rica is the most convenient all-inclusive in the country: the resort says it is about 30 minutes from Liberia airport, and its package includes taxes and gratuities, suites, à la carte restaurants and buffets, 24-hour room service, movie-themed entertainment, fitness classes and a kids' club. Star Class upgrades add a butler, a private lounge and private beach and pool areas. It is family-friendly with no minimum age. Kayak shows 8.3 of 10 from 1,192 reviews, with staff the standout: 'great and helpful' comes up dozens of times, and the buffet gets praise too. The beach is the consistent complaint, with several reviewers calling it unpleasant, and Kayak's own breakdown rates the restaurants far below service and cleanliness. A 2023 review on Petit Futé also criticized the food and shuttle delays. Prices on Kayak ran from $316 to over $1,000 a night for late-October dates. Book Planet Hollywood for a short trip, a first visit or a family that wants entertainment and a quick transfer; skip it if beach quality or food is your top priority.

This is the resort most guides still call Dreams Las Mareas, and the name matters. In October 2026, Hyatt's Dreams page for it no longer loaded, Google listed the Dreams business as permanently closed, and Kayak was selling the same Playa El Jobo property as JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa, All-Inclusive. We could not confirm the official rebrand date or how much has changed on the ground, so check Marriott's site before booking. What the listings describe is a large all-inclusive with 444 rooms, eight dining venues including five à la carte restaurants, pools with a water slide and kids' and teens' clubs, on a sheltered bay near the Nicaraguan border. Kayak shows 8.3 of 10 from 495 reviews, many from the Dreams era, praising the facilities, rooms, pools, restaurants and friendly staff; negatives include price, slow or poor service, food quality, the secluded location and plastic washing up on the beach. It is about 1.5 hours from Liberia. Book it if you want space and quiet and are happy to stay put; skip it if you want short transfers or easy day trips.

Occidental Tamarindo is the only all-inclusive in the Tamarindo area, according to Barceló, and that is its selling point: you get a beachfront all-inclusive on Playa Langosta about 2 km from Tamarindo's restaurants, surf schools and nightlife. The 198-room resort, formerly Barceló Langosta Beach, has three restaurants and a wellness center, and Barceló advertised rates from $195 a night. It is about an hour from Liberia airport. Guest scores are middling, with 3.9 of 5 on the Tripadvisor widget Barceló displays (6,078 reviews) and 7.5 of 10 on Kayak from 1,896 reviews. Recent Tripadvisor reviews shown on Barceló's site praise friendly reception staff, lush grounds, clean rooms and a quiet atmosphere, while one notes that nobody is in a hurry here, which reads as slow service. Barceló says the rooms were renovated in 2010, so expect dated decor. Book it if you want an affordable all-inclusive with a real town on your doorstep; skip it if you want modern rooms or a big resort scene.

Barceló Tambor is the cheapest all-inclusive we found in Costa Rica, advertised from $154 a night, and the only one on this list outside Guanacaste. It sits on the calm bay of Playa Tambor on the southern Nicoya Peninsula, 5.6 miles from the Cóbano airstrip and 11 miles from Curú National Park, with 402 rooms including 56 Premium Level rooms and four suites, pools, a golf course and a casino. Barceló says it was refurbished in December 2012, and that shows: the Tripadvisor widget on its site averages 3.8 of 5 from 6,521 reviews. The two most recent reviews it displays sum the place up. One, from August 2026, calls the grounds and pool stunning but the rooms 'another story', with mold; another, from July 2026, likes the location, pools and unlimited buffet but notes older rooms and lukewarm showers. Getting here takes planning, usually a flight to San José and a long drive with a ferry, or a domestic flight. Book Tambor for a budget all-inclusive near Curú National Park's wildlife; skip it if room condition matters to you.