JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa

We enjoyed a great stay at the JW Marriott. We loved the private beach with sunset views from our oceanfront balcony that were spectacular. The beach stretches out for miles with almost no other people and great swimming. You can borrow bikes from the hotel and ride all around the area, including about 20 minutes to another beach that is even more expansive and private. The food and drinks are above average with good room service. The breakfast buffet was a daily highlight with so many fresh and local options. ||The location of this hotel means you are fairly remote, so you will be adding 30min in each direction and some extra $$ to go on any tours or to get to Tamarindo from the hotel, but that is why the beach and grounds at the hotel feel so private.||There are lots of options for tours and they were all good experiences. We booked through our hotel, through online tour providers, and through a local guy named Erik G. Erik was great to work with, and we enjoyed 2 fun tours through him that were some of the highlights of our trip. We also really enjoyed the horseback riding tour through the hotel that ended with a ride on the beach.||Overall, it was a great experience for our first stay in Costa Rica!

We had a fantastic stay at the JW Marriott Guanacaste! Every meal we had was delicious, but our favorite by far was the food at the Rum Bar – highly recommend trying it out. The staff throughout the resort were all friendly and attentive, but we have to give a special shout-out to Elian at the pool. He was exceptional – always making sure we had cold drinks and tasty snacks. He was always checking on us to make sure we were okay. ||||We also really enjoyed the included bike tour, which was a fun way to explore the area and even spot some monkeys in the trees!||||Check-in was smooth and easy, but unfortunately, check-out was quite slow. After a long wait, we ended up just dropping off our key and didn't receive an itemized bill, which was a bit inconvenient.||||Overall, though, it was a wonderful experience and we would definitely come back!

Spent a beautiful awesome 4 nights / Sara here last week! |The resort is located in a HUGE private property and is a 10 min ride from the entry gates! |The beach is absolutely gorgeous with clean white sand. ! |Very private attached to the hotel and LOVED waking there ! |A multi pronged leaf- shaped pool adds to the beauty of the atmosphere of course! |The pool bar and grill were great and service by the poolside was excellent! |The rooms were comfortable and clean with the balcony overlooking the ocean ! |A WORD OF CAUTION! |Do NOT leave balcony doors open ! |RACOONS come into your rooms for candy and snacks etc ! |Staff were courteous, friendly and helpful!|Karin who was housekeeper for us was excellent too !

We just returned from a great week at this beautiful property. ||Pros - The hacienda style hotel is beautifully designed, easy to navigate and the property is directly on the beach. The staff were all courteous and friendly (shout out to Gabriel in reception). The hotel was clean. The pool is enormous and very kid friendly. The food was excellent, particularly the breakfast buffet. ||Cons - You definitely need a car unless you don’t want to see anything local. The hotel is a bit dated so don’t expect perfection. The beach wasn’t that nice (small and very rocky). ||Overall, I would say this is a great place for a family vacation. We rented a car and drove into Tamarindo several times to swim, surf, shop and eat. There are horse stables within 10 mins of hotel and we enjoyed a great ride through the land and on the beach. Each morning we walked or rode the free bikes to see the monkeys and other nature. ||For context, we traveled during the rainy season so the occupancy was quite low. When this hotel is fully booked the experience is likely less chill. ||Pura Vida!

We had an absolutely wonderful stay at the JW Marriott in Costa Rica! From the moment we arrived, the customer service was top-notch—every staff member we encountered was kind, welcoming, and eager to help. One moment that really stood out was when we were running late returning from an excursion and showed up over an hour late for our reservation at the steakhouse. We expected to miss out, but they graciously accommodated us, and the meal turned out to be incredible. The food throughout our stay was amazing and surprisingly well-priced, especially for the quality. The breakfast buffet offered a wide variety of options, and everything we tried was delicious. Our room was clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed. The pool area was stunning—spacious, relaxing, and well-maintained. Overall, our stay at the JW Marriott felt like a true luxury experience without the inflated price tag. We also stayed at Secrets Papagayo during this trip in their honeymoon suite, and honestly, the service and overall experience at JW Marriott were far better—even at a fraction of the cost. We would absolutely return and highly recommend this resort to anyone visiting Costa Rica!

The JW Marriott Guanacaste is a beautiful, secluded property. During our stay, we found the staff to be attentive, the rooms were clean, and the food was good. The pool is spacious with meandering borders, so they can fit many chairs at the poolside. We were there in June, so the property didn't feel too crowded. Some of the cons for us included the cost (hotel and food), lack of an authentic Costa Rica experience (which we did not expect by staying at a large chain), and the extreme seclusion (it takes 10-15min just to get from the hotel to the front gate of the property, so all excursions are at least 30min away). We selected this property because our friends were staying there also--while we had no major complaints, we would probably pick something that suits our own family better in the future.

I love this place. Been coming here for over 15 years and it still doesn't disappoint. Everything about this place is just beautiful. The Breakfast buffet is a must. Massage is another must have when you visit here. Honestly there's nothing I can say that will be anywhere near the experience of enjoying sunsets in the pool with a cool breeze cocktail in one hand and your loved one in the other.

Amazing! One of the best resorts I've been to. A bit of a drive from Liberia but absolutely worth it. Beautiful, clean, great staff and wonderful views. I can't wait to come back!