TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We really enjoyed our 5 day (4 nights) stay at Secrets Papagayo. We had perfect weather at the end of February. Every day featured picture-perfect cloudless blue skies. The property is lushly landscaped wi...th 2-unit bungalows nestled in the lush vegetation throughout the extensive property. We stayed on the spa side of the property which we enjoyed because of its peaceful atmosphere. Even though we were on the far side of the resort, we quickly discovered that a short 10-minute walk along the beach would bring us to the main pool and restaurants. At high tide and at night we used the shuttle which came promptly whenever called. There were so many things that we loved at this resort in addition to its natural beauty. First, the staff was always responsive and friendly. One driver took the time to point out a 4-foot-long green snake hidden in the bushes that looked like a vine. Housekeeping came promptly each morning to make our room while we were away at breakfast. Second, the food was abundant and tasty at all dining venues and featured a selection of well-prepared, high-quality local foods and attentive friendly service. There were sufficient seats in all restaurants so we never waited for a table. It was relaxing not having to manage dinner reservations but instead showing up to dine at a restaurant when we felt hungry. Like a home away from home. There was never a wait for drinks at the pool bar either. Drinks were delicious, not overly icy, prepared exactly as requested. The gelato and fruit smoothies were a nice treat at the end of the day. Third, the beach was calm with clear water and almost no waves. Fourth, the afternoon and evening entertainment gave us something to look forward to each day. The performers were quite talented and enthusiastic. We appreciated being a short drive from Coco Beach which is quite picturesque and has many restaurants and souvenir shops. The four days we spent at Secrets went by quickly and we are looking forward to returning next year, which we have already booked!

Resort is great. It is helpful to know basic Spanish to help with communication with some staff at the resort. Staff is very nice and attentive. Shuttle rides are basically a requirement to get around, but... are quick & easy to get. Would highly recommend.

Secrets Papagayo is located in a beautiful and idyllic setting. The resort is large and spread out which gives it a private feeling for couples. The service is very hit or miss. Some of the staff is very... helpful and attentive. The majority seemed to be very young and inexperienced. Often not knowing the menus for the restaurant or type of liquor that were available. The host at Aqua was rude and dismissive when asked questions in English. The size of the resort is often an issue. There is no safe walking path outside the beach which is inaccessible at high tide. You have to rely on the shuttle service from the resort which is spotty at best. We would often have to call several times and wait 20+ minutes to get picked up. This was incredibly frustrating on the day we checked out. We called the shuttle and took over 40 mins to arrive causing us to nearly miss our airport transportation. Another issue is the availability of restaurants. Some are only open certain days and often unprepared for service. We went to seaside and both nights were told the ceviche wasn’t ready to serve yet. Cafe Coco, which closes at 10pm, would put away all their ice cream as early as 8pm. 2 hours before closing. Restaurants also require dress code for men only which often included wearing long pants. This is a tropical resort, half the people we spoke to didn’t even bring pants so would not be allowed to eat at the restaurant or be forced to buy pants at the resort gift shop. The best part of our trip was actually through one of the beach vendors. Jeff and Carlos run an excellent touring company with many excursions available. If you are interested in jet-skis or other excursions I would recommend them over the resorts options. While I would recommend Gunacaste I’m not sure I could recommend Secrets Papagayo. There are many other all inclusive resorts in the area and I don’t believe they met the standards expected for the price you pay.

This resort is isolated , nowhere to get to by walking. Half an hour taxi ride to the nearest town. While the resort is beautiful, it is built on a hill and is spread out which is difficult to get round un...less you're fit and active. There are four mini buses available to take you where you want to go within the resort, sometimes they are quick to pick up but sometimes we had a long wait to be picked up from our room. The rooms are well laid out and clean with everything you need but could do with more storage space. Towels were just bath towels (not sheets) and the hand towels were on the small size. These seem to be changed daily even if you hung them up to be used again. Access to our room was poorly laid out with just a small pathway not accessable by transport and contained steps. Some of the rooms have a lot of steps, some with a handrail and some without which could be challenging if you have mobility problems. There are several options for dining, only the Portofino has a dress code for men (doesn't apply to women) if you want to eat inside. There is an outside area to dine with the same menu if the men aren't suitably dressed. The food in the buffet was never hot, even when freshly brought out. There was also limited choice, no chips or ice cream. Also found it odd that the buffet and Aqua closed two nights a week, leaving the only options Portofino, Seaside Grill and Himitsu. On these nights these three restaurants get really busy and there's no booking system, it's just turn up and wait for a table. Our favourite was Portofino but all food was a good standard. We were in a preferred club room but this didn't seem to be worth the extra. The only noticable difference was access to a small bar. We have stayed in several Secrets resorts and used a superior preferred club service. We aren't sure if this is a change from Hyatt who took over Secrets recently or if it's always been that way. The main pool was extremely noisy with loud music pumping out all day and daily activities e.g. pool volleyball. We found it very stressful and far from relaxing. There is a 'quiet pool' by the spa, gym and Aqua restaurant which we found much better. However, this area gets invaded by any private functions, mainly weddings although you can still use the area as it's the area between the pool and beach that is set up for these functions. During a seven day period there were six functions here, one was a wedding catering for 100 people. These functions took priority over regular guests. Not so quiet and relaxing during these times. This pool only has ladders to access the pool, no full steps and about 1.3 metres deep. There are no loungers on the beach (volcanic sand) and the water contains marine life like jelly fish. Some people did go in the sea but used water shoes for protection. There was entertainment on every night but this needs scrapping and a total rethink as the quality was very poor and detracted from our stay. It would have been better not to have it and just some quiet background music so people could talk. There are two areas for private dining if you want to splash out for a special occasion. One is by Aqua/spa and gets used for private functions so is often unavailable, the other is near the main pool above the toilet block. All staff were attentive and helpful and can't be faulted, 5 star service from everyone so it would be unfair to single anyone out.

My wife and I stayed at Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica for our honeymoon and couldn't have been more pleased with our stay! We loved our resort and the excursions we booked. We saw volcanoes, hiked in the rai...nforest, ziplined in the dry forest, rode on horseback, went down a water slide, ate well on Costa Rican dishes, and relaxed poolside and the Papagayo bay! and in a couple hot springs, and enjoyed a couple’s massage at the spa. It had a little bit everything and we wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was truly, Pura Vida! The only negatives (which weren't really big negatives) were that the bay was truly a bay so it was not a typical beach with big waves and a soft sandy shore and the excursions took a big of travel time to get to because the resort is located in a rural setting away from the closest city. Nevertheless, I truly recommend Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica! Enjoy the pictures we took!