Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica

My husband and I recently spent three nights here during our honeymoon. Overall, the property is beautiful but everything is really concentrated in one central hub that makes it feel much smaller than other Secrets resorts we’ve been to. Given we were on our honeymoon, we appreciated the free champagne but the other free amenity they offered was a romantic breakfast in bed which was just normal room service. The pros - as mentioned the location is stunning. The beach is beautiful with the rocks adding to the views and the black sand beach is easy to get to from the hotel beach. The resort offers a wide variety of free activities, we enjoyed kayaking while we were there. The service was great - we were there over the holidays and everyone was so friendly and kind. Esteban and Alonso were the best bartenders and Erick was our favorite server at the Seaside grille. The food and drinks were solid. Nothing to write home about. For Christmas Eve, they did a big holiday show but you had to pay $200 extra for a special dinner that gave you front room access. They didn’t communicate what was going on that night well- only the buffet and Italian restaurant was open if you didn’t do the upgraded dinner. Thankfully we went to dinner early but many people were frustrated with how long the wait was for dinner given everything was closed. Would recommend they do a better job of communicating what the options are for holidays if they are going to close most of the options and cater mostly to those that choose to upgrade. Cons - when we first arrived, our room wasn’t ready and they just left our bags in the open for hours. It felt a little unsafe like someone could just walk up and grab them. The main pool is very activity heavy with music and dancing and the other was just far enough away that we stayed at the one. It got very repetitive by day 3. Also the shuttles didn’t seem that frequent so we just walked everywhere. The room was nicely done but the shower did not drain well. Standing water even over night. If you’re a beach person, beware that there are people selling activities and goods on the beach. All in all, we have high standards and enjoyed our stay but it wouldn’t be the first secrets I would recommend to someone.

We loved our vacation at Secrets Papagayo and will definitely be returning. The location is convenient to the airport, yet feels wonderfully secluded. The resort is beautiful, featuring a striking black sand beach, scenic bay views, and great snorkeling right off the shore.||There are two distinct pool areas: one quiet and relaxing—perfect for reading, resting, and unwinding—and another that’s more lively, with music, activities, and higher energy. We enjoyed spending time at both.||The restaurants offer a nice variety of options, and our favorite was Portofino. We were fortunate to have Armando as our waiter each time we dined there—he was friendly, fun, and provided excellent service.||The Entertainment Team truly stood out for their warmth and enthusiasm. We enjoyed snorkeling, sunset kayaking, water sports and games, trivia night, a fire show, dance lessons, and empanada making. A big shout-out to Merari, Tammy, Bayan, Josh, Winston, Belen, and the entire team for their hard work and positive energy.||We especially loved the privacy of our bungalow, which offered quiet moments and a peaceful retreat. The resort is clean, beautifully maintained, and the service across the board was excellent.

Overselling specialty wine and events. We were preferred package and had to go to one small bar. It was great but… Himitsu was great. Great staff and food. Others, Portifinio seaside etc could have been better. Did one dinner buffet and the steak was leather. Be careful where they put you. We were on the back area and so far away we asked to be moved.

We went for our honeymoon, and had such a lovely experience! The staff is super nice and the resort overall was exactly what we were looking for for a relaxing honeymoon getaway! ||If you go, be sure to be ready to walk a bit, since the resort has some small hills. If you don't want to walk, no worries! The shuttle service is great too! ||I highly recommend the Market Cafe for lunch and we really enjoyed the in-room dining for dinner! Overall, we really enjoyed our experience and would definitely recommend staying here!

We had a wonderful and relaxing vacation in Papagayo. The property was beautiful, well maintained, and the staff was always friendly and attentive. Shuttle service made getting around the hilly property very easy.|We also booked our excursions and airport transportation, and everything exceeded our expectations. The drivers were punctual, friendly, and the vehicles were very clean. We highly recommend La Leona Waterfall hike, zip lining, rainforest, and jet ski tours. It was an amazing experience for both adults and children

The location is great. Our room was clean upon checkin with a beautiful view of the bay. Checkin was quick and easy. The staff were kind and friendly. The noise level where our room was located was quiet and peaceful. Food was delicious, especially the breakfast bar at the Market Place Cafe. Service at the places where we ate were good. We ate at the Italian and Seaside Grill. The pools were great at both places (relaxation and main). We did have to 'hunt' for a shaded lounges but for the most part the other guests were kind enough to share their umbrellas. I've heard rumors that other guests who have been there before reserved the cabanas before arriving for their stay. We didn't do any of the affiliated amstar tours but we did do the excursions with the companies that were there by the resort (another great review). We loved the swim up bar at the main pool. Fernando did a great job serving drinks. Kelyse who was new and still learning did a great job catering to our needs and always asked us if we needed anything. I wish I could remember the name of the driver who took us to our room the first night cause he used his card key to unlock our room since ours didn't work and he offered to wait after we went back to get the card keys activated. We absolutely loved the fact the resort was adult only. The value of the all inclusive resort is great. We did one of the little hikes around the resort. They do bus people around the resort alot. If you want to walk from one place to another you have to share the road with the vans. The place is walkable but just no sidewalks. Be prepared to hike up and down which was no issue for us but just fair warning to those who are not physically active.

Our stay at Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica was nothing short of incredible. From the moment we arrived, the experience felt warm, welcoming, and genuinely well cared for. The property itself is beautiful and expansive, with so much to explore that we honestly did not even get to see it all during our stay. The accommodations were excellent. We stayed in a bungalow, and everything from the cleanliness to the overall comfort was top tier. Our room attendant, O, took great care of us and made sure our space was consistently refreshed and comfortable. The food across the resort was consistently great, with plenty of variety and thoughtful presentation. One standout experience was dining at the Pan Asian restaurant, where our server tía Karla truly made the night special. She treated us like family and created a warm, comforting, and joyful experience that went far beyond typical service. Girls trips can bring out emotions, and her kindness and care were deeply appreciated. Getting around the property was easy thanks to the amazing drivers. The resort is large, and the transportation team made everything feel seamless. Papi Harold deserves a special mention. He helped us with our luggage upon arrival, brought us back to the main lobby when it was time to depart, and we saw him several times in between. He was always friendly, fun, and made every ride enjoyable. The overall atmosphere at Secrets Papagayo is peaceful, vibrant, and full of genuine hospitality. The staff across the property were kind, attentive, and consistently made us feel welcome. The people, the food, the environment, and the accommodations were all 10s across the board. We also appreciated having Nexus Tours conveniently located on site. While they are a separate company, their presence made transportation and excursion planning very easy. They handled our airport transfers and helped us book an incredible off site excursion. Jeremy on their team was communicative, organized, and easy to work with, which added to the ease of the overall experience. Costa Rica itself is stunning, and Secrets Papagayo is an amazing place to experience it. This resort delivered on every level, and I would absolutely return and recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful, adults only, all inclusive escape. Shoutout to my travel advisor, Ta-Tanisha, owner of Officially Crowned Travel, who made this experience possible.

We spent the holidays at Secrets Papagayo (Christmas and New Year’s). Everything was amazing. The entertainment by the pool during the day was fun and energetic, and the evening shows were spectacular. The resort went above and beyond for Christmas and the fireworks on New Year’s Eve were wonderful (over 12 minutes of beauty in the sky). We loved the food and the staff. Can’t wait to return! Thank you for a wonderful holiday.