JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort and Spa - Pinilla

Overall a very good place to stay but getting there is not fun

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

My husband and I were on our honeymoon and had a wonderful experience. The hotel offers everything we could have imagined. The staff really goes above and beyond to create a perfect experience. We will definitely be back in the near future.

Genuine Expedia guest review

JW Marriott provided a wonderful experience during my stay. It started with a wonderful greeting (cool towel and drink), peaceful surroundings and superb service. The staff went out of there way to ensure my stay was comfortable. They would great me by name, remember my orders and provide excellent service. From any where on the property, the grounds […] were outstanding. The pools were picture perfect! Having an oceanfront room made for a nice experience. The bed was extremely comfortable, the entire room was clean and the housekeepers also provided great turn down service. If there was something that was lacking you could obtain it by simply dialing the front desk. The hotel restaurants offered a variety of dinning options. Manista's was my favorite. The breakfast/dinner buffet was great and ordering from the menu was also devine (You MUST try the shrimp and salmon with risotto#. Whether it was room service or one of the restaurants they always inquired about dietary needs. I did treat myself to a spa treatment and it was great. I also utilized the gym while vacationing and the equipment/facility was up to par. I have to give a special thanks to Juan Carlos #best bell hop), Daniel from room service, David who assisted with my tours/activities, Allan and Ilvanna from Manista's and the entire JW staff along with Andrew from Vacaciones Barcelo who provided our transfers. Bueno...I will be back! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel is beautiful and very well kept. The pools and staff are amazing. The drawback is the food. Considering it is not an all inclusive resort, the food is somewhat pricey and there isn't much variety. I traveled with two children and there was limited choices for them to eat. Overall the hotel is beautiful, but be prepared to spend on dining. […] Three meals a day for about $100 a meal, for a family of 5 gets a little expensive. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Room was very comfortable, clean and large. The staff is extremely friendly and always willing to make your stay comfortable and pleasant. I recommend this hotel for couples who want to get away and relax. However, I do recommend getting out of the resort and exploring Costa Rica. The people are all very friendly. I recommend going to Avenal Volcan […] o. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Very large beautiful pool, with bridges for crossing. The way it is designed allows you to even do laps without interfering with those just having fun. The lay in and sit in the common areas are unique and very comfortable. Courteous and friendly staff.

Genuine Expedia guest review

An absolutely gorgeous property, cared for with love and concern for tourists and the environment. Our oceanfront room was a thing dreams are made of, with a slightly diagonal view down the coast of grass, sand, volcanic rock and the perfect sights and sounds of breaking waves. The food was incredible, no matter which meal, which restaurant, it was […] a treat for the palette, and for the eye, as they were artistically presented as well. The pool is a perfect temperature for lounging in all day, if one should choose. If I were to have anything negative to say, it would be the distance that the hotel is from the things to do - canopy ziplines, water slides, hanging bridges, mud baths, hot springs, river trips, snorkeling, a little town etc. The only thing nearby was surfing at the Beach Club, and horseback riding, a five minute drive. However, for myself I like the isolation, as a sweet place to come home to at the end of a busy touring day. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

To big Everything is very far. No sense of scale. Quality of restaurants not what we expected. Terrible bath design (Shower and toilet in the same space). The landscaping is terrible

Genuine Expedia guest review

The staff is friendly and all service staff spoke English. The property is very nice and above average among luxury properties. I would have liked more attention at the pool and they really need to invest in cabanas by the pool and beach. Food was good, the fine restaurants on property were very nice while the general restaurants were just adequate, […] all were expensive. The transportation services were prompt but also expensive. Overall, the rateing of 4.5 is accurate. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel was very comfortable and the pool very relaxing. Hotel was very out of the way and if you do not have a car it is $10 round trip per person to town. There is nothing to do at the hotel at night. Beach was not exceptional and needed to be be aware of high tide our otherwise you could not walk much of the beach. Lots of sand fleas so insect […] repellent a must. Food at hotel not anything special and pricey. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The staff, grounds, and rooms of this resort are very good. The beach by the hotel was good, but a little rocky. The food... was a disaster. We took nearly all of our meals during our five night stay at the resort. There were only two dishes that we would consider ordering again. To make matters worse... the prices of the dishes are ridiculous - even […] for a resort in a remote area. The steak at Sabanero is good, and the drinks throughout the resort are made with fresh ingredients (though extremely watered down). In short, I will be returning to the area.. but not with this resort. If you like a nice pool and grounds, this is a great spot. However... You'll spend a lot of time traveling to/from Tamarindo (25 minutes each way) to get a decent meal. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Service was GREAT! Beautiful location. One thing to consider - It is about 4 hours from some of the major attractions (e.g. Arenal and Monteverde).

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

JW was just what the holiday needed. Extremely helpful staff, great location, private beach and lots of relaxation. Just a wonderful nature getaway

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel itself is beautiful as is the location along the beach. The pool is amazing. The service was friendly, although at times it could have been more professional. The location of the hotel is very remote, about 1.5 hours from Liberia Airport and 20 minutes by shuttle to Tamarindo, the nearest town. I personally prefer something located a bit closer […] to civilization, but those who want to be away from it will enjoy this hotel. Because it's so far from the airport, most guests take a shuttle. The shuttles recommended by the hotel are very expensive. With minimal effort I was able to negotiate shuttles to/from for less than half the hotel price. The food at the hotel is also very expensive and given the remote location you don't have any alternatives unless you take a shuttle over to Tamarindo. We also had a few issues with the concierge folks in booking activities. A few mistakes were made about the days that different tours were to take place, and this really messed up our schedule. The prices quoted by different people working there also tended to change which was frustrating. All in all it was a great experience, but we did have a few issues that I would not have expected to have at a JW Marriott property. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Everything about the hotel was top notch. My only complaint was that I needed 2 double beds and got a king with a cot.I prefer to be guaranteed what I need. The hotel and restaurants were a little pricey but I felt enjoyable.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Overal we loved our vacation. The staff was wonderful. They were great about giving information on the country and wanting to ensure that you were comfortable. I loved the grounds of the hotel it was very in keeping with natural look of the area. My only complaint would be the food offering. A bit high in price for a family and while the food was good […] not sure of it was in line with the price. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Room,amenities,staff all excellent. Food very expensive.Car required to access grocery store.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Post card like facility. Classic j w marroit.

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This has to be the nicest Hotel in the area. However, it is quite a drive to Tamarindo. The roads to Tamarindo are full of pot holes but well worth the trip. You definetley want to rent a car to go back and forth for the week as taxi prices are unbelievable high. The hotel itself was simply amazing! If you want to relax then this is the place for you. […] From the swimming pool to the private beach, you can't help but get caught up in the pura vida vibe! The food was definetly on the high priced side, but sometimes you have to pay a little more when you are this far out from town. Room service seemed to be the best way to go as far as price. There was a little fridge in the room that we kept stocked each day when we went to the market in Tamarindo. The fruit was unbelievalble. The hotel concierge was phenomenal! Any information you need they will and can help you out. Definitely do the horseback riding on the ranch. It is an amazing trip with lots of photo ops. We are already making plans for the next trip and will definetly stay at the JW for our next trip just due to security, and the whole 5 star theme. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This was my second trip to Costa Rica, and I was looking to spend a few days relaxing after a business trip in San Jose. I was not disappointed. Being a female, solo traveler, I selected an inclusive resort because I knew that you needed a car to get around in Costa Rica. Everything was right there. The property is beautiful, the rooms very comfortable, […] the food quite good. Plus, I went during low season, so I got a good deal on the room and the resort was not over crowded. A few things to consider, though. First, the market is definitely the upscale traveler, not necessarily someone looking for a cultural experience. They didn't even have the traditional casado on the dinner menu, almost unheard of in Costa Rica. They must assume that people who stay at the Marriott aren't interested in Costa Rican food or culture. The food I had was quite good, but it's not traditional. Also, it is far from everything. So, if you're looking to relax and get away from it all (as I was) it's great. But it's a long trip from the Liberia airport, and is even 1/2 hour from the local town. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

GREAT HOTEL.

Genuine Expedia guest review

I went with my family, 2 daughters ages 10 and 7. The kids loved the porperty, the pool, walks on the beach, riding horses at the nearby stables. The beach itself is rocky and the waves are rough, but the beach club on the property is nearby and provides for a long sandy walk. the staff was courteous, food was good quality and they accomodated my daughter's […] food allergy very graciouslly, yet it was limited in variety and expensive. We went in the green season, which was lovely since it wasnt too hot or too crowded. The hotel was at 60% capacity and we felt we had the space all to ourselves most of the time. It's propbably more hectic in peak season. It was so peaceful and pretty and relaxing. we would go again. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The JW Marriott Guanacaste was beautiful! We had a nice welcome with complementary mango drinks and warm towels. The bell hop showed us around the entire hotel. Our favorite spot was the patio in the hotel room. We spent every night out there drinking cocktails, talking and listening to the ocean waves. Housekeeping was great! They even lined up all […] our toiletries when they cleaned our room. We ordered room service a couple of times and the food was good, and the prices would be comparable to what you'd pay at a sit down restaurant. But you definitely have to order their pineapple juice, it tasted like just like a smoothie. You'll have to drive to Tamarindo if want to do anything at night, because the hotel dies out around 8 pm. Perfect for honeymooners who what a remote and quite vacation. We thought it was a lovely place, it's just the drive that was a bit of a pain. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

First time in Costa Rica and won't be the last! This hotel is situated in a beautiful secluded area. Great grounds and great service from all the staff. Concierge was very helpful in setting up and recommending activities. I highly recommend on renting a car/SUV if you plan to stay here, closest town is about 25 minutes away. For good inexpensive meals […] plan on eating off site of the hotel. Hotel prices are a bit high. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We recently went to Costa Rica for a week, and stayed at the JW Marriott Guanacaste. The hotel itself is beautiful, with well kept grounds and clean, nicely appointed rooms. Checking in and out was a breeze, and all the staff we interacted with the entire week were very polite and attentive. We flew into Liberia and rented a car. Talking to people […] we found that if you didn't have a car it was about $10/pp to go into Tamarindo, the closest town. If you were planning on staying in the resort the whole time this wouldn't be a problem. There are 4 beaches which you can go to if staying at the JW Marriott, but again, without a car they are a bit of a hike to get to (if not going to the one right at the resort.) The biggest down side we found with the resort was the expense of food and drinks. The price for a drink was about $10, and our average dinner was $70 for two people. Going into town was easily 50% of this cost. The food was excellent, but just a little pricey if you are staying at the resort and eating there the entire time. Overall, staff were excellent, the rooms were very nicely appointed and no complaints. I would come back without hesitation. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Worth it. Amazing property and view. The Asian fusion restaurant was fantastic.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Hôtel d'excellente qualité, seul bémol pas de réelle prise en compte de la situation de l’hôtel très venté et peu de protection contre le vent et le soleil

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

El hotel en términos generales excelente, el servicio es fuera de este mundo, es decir, si existe una calificación en servicio debería estar por encima de excelente.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review