My husband and I just got back from Guanacaste on an Apple Vacation. We have taken several Apple Vacations in the past and have NEVER been disappointed! This vacation was absolutely no different! I read the reviews before we left Ohio and was just a little hesitant but we went with an open mind and were never unhappy from the moment we stepped off the plane. Our driver picked us up at the airport and took us to the hotel - about a half hour ride. We were very tired from traveling most of the day but when we woke up to sunshine and 90 plus degree days, it was definitely going to be fantastic. We went the first day to sign up for the Italian restaurant and waited until Sunday to sign up for the Mexican. The other two evenings we ate in the main buffet. The employees in the buffet were always smiling and helpful with aqua and wine or any other drink suited your interest. The pool was cleaned every day and so were are rooms. The room was a superior room overlooking the pool. The people we met were from Canada, Argentina, Minnesota and Arizona. We hope to keep in touch with the couple from Arizona...

On arrival at the resort after a long flight from Scotland. My wife and I were met by a wave of friendlness by the manager super ? Mario and his staff which set the tone for the next two wks. Nothing was to much trouble our rooms were bright, clean, well maintained etc. The gardens were immaculate too. There was wildlife everywhere in abundance. The restaurants and including the themed ones were well presented. The meals and snacks went from exotic to plain and at times mouthwatering. We liked the swim up bar and sampled the entire cocktail list just for research of course! All the staff were friendly. We went on seven excursions taking in a lot of Costa Rica, including live volcanoes, rainforests, etc. The guides who took us on these trips knew their stuff inside out . Would we go again? you bet!....... Costa Rica was good value for money.

Everyone was so friendly, even all the other guests and the staff did everything to make you enjoy everything about your stay! I will definitely be going back as soon as I can

Swiss Travel that has an office at this resort was fantastic. The tours, especially the evening bull riding, cultural dancing, dinner event was wonderful. We even got to learn some traditional Costa Rican dances.
Our tour guide was fantastic. A biologist and university professor, he was knowledgeable and kind. Patient considering all the questions we asked.

Was really let down from arrival to departure throughout the trip. I would never go here again.

Our group of 11 on our pre-announced arrival was greeted by a counter staff that was rude and unhappy that we all arrived 40 minutes before check in time and while we waited were told by the bar staff that they hear that a lot.

When we finally got to our room we found it still in it's "used" state from the last guests and were told we had to go back up the hill to reception for another room and when I say up the hill, I mean up the hill it's got to be a 10% winding grade and is a work out especially with luggage.

When I went to the Manager directly he was attentive and solved the problem immediately. We did come across many great individuals but overall it just seemed like a bad cruise the food was blah and entertainment was blah.

Did a 1/2 day fishing tour caught Dorado and 1 rooster, the sunset cruise which sucked when we were offered free liquor but had to buy beer for a negotiated price starting at $6 US and the ATV tour..

Charlie's Adventures runs the best operation (shame they don't run the hotel).Great staff that made fishing and ATVs awesome but the sunset cruise leaves alot to offer.

Bottom line if your getting a good deal and getting the rate on the cheap go, you can do other stuff outside the hotel but if your looking for a quality experience look elsewhere.

I had my wedding at Allegro Papagayo on February 8th, 2006 with my 'husband'.

When we arrived the wedding was planned, the day day before the wedding we were advised we had no photographer all of a sudden. because of this we had a friend take photo's, although they were not professional quality.

At the dinner we did not receive a wedding cake, as was also in our agreement and part of our payment.

On top of all this we were advised during the ceremony by the lawyer that married us that we would soon receive our wedding certificate. One and a half years later, many guest services co-ordinators and general assistants, and a huge run a around later, I was advised by the most recent general assistant that we should just get married here in Canada as they cannot get our license from the original lawyer who married us.

If this isn't bad enough, we never received one phone call back after making many expensive calls there, we rarely received an email back and when I enquired as to getting just the wedding portion of our vacation back ($1200 US), all communication halted completely. Even though we were not requesting anything huge such as a refund for the forty people that stayed at the resort with us to see us getting married!

So I will not recommend this hotel to any of my friends, family, co-workers, etc. I am saddened and disheartened by the treatment I received by the staff and hotel (since staying there), and the lack of response I have received from anyone working at or for this hotel. All I would like is a refund to get re-married legally, and get on with my married life.

I would not recommend this place to anyone. Next time I will pay extra to stay at the 4 Seasons or Villa Sol in Condovac, the beach is also much nicer in Villa Sol.

Recommendation, I took a day trip with friends to the city Tamirindo, which is a bit more developed and has some nice hotels. This was a highlight and would recommend staying at the nicest hotel they have as an alternative to Papaygayo.

Occidental Allegro Papagayo hotel is a wonderful resort in a beautiful country. It has great weather, beautiful pool, high tower to look out into the ocean, fun filled tours, and a great New Year's Eve party.

A report was made about the Occidental Allegra Papagayo in Costa Rica, but the operations manager thought there was nothing to complain about. Maybe he likes par-boiled rice, green chicken, leftover seafood medley, and much much more. I did not expect such poor quality, nor did the other members of our group of 40. They are way out of touch with good food and beverages.

Costa Rica has great treats elsewhere, but not at the Occidental Allegro Papagayo.

Allegro Papagayo by Occidental in Costa Rica
Pat & Reece, Newmarket, Ont
December 2004

We have traveled extensively all over the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America for over 35 years now and now feel compelled to finally write a review. This is our second trip to Costa Rica and this trip confirms what we felt the first time we were there.
This country has the largest diversity in landscape we have ever seen, one hour you can be laying on a beach, next hour be in a rain forest or at any number of completely different valleys or mountainsides. There are a tremendous number of different eco-tour options which you can take to fully experience all of the natural beauty of this unspoiled country.
We had a smooth check in when we arrived at our hotel and were in our room within the hour (on Dec. 28th the busiest period of the year, not bad) .the room was fine as were all the facilities. The hotel is on a Cliffside so you use shuttles to move up and down the hill. We never had to wait more than a few minutes for a ride. The food is as good as we would expect for a hotel in this category, always lots of choice. Neither our friends nor we experienced as much as an upset stomach and that's a first with me. We had brought down our own liquor and wine after our unfortunate experience at the Santana Beach hotel in D.R. last year where both were of such poor quality that they were undrinkable. No such problems here, Brand name liquors, and the wine was Concho Toro from Chili which I drink at home, needless to say we were happy campers.
The dance troop type of entertainment is typical; they entertain the kids for an hour beforehand and seemed to have a good turnout
We believe what can make or break any holiday is the people you have to deal with. At this hotel the staff is friendly, your servers smile and seem to enjoy their jobs and the facilities are clean and well maintained. What a pleasure.
The extent of our complaints would be no facecloths some days or the maid forgetting to reload the coffeemaker in the room. There is only one ale carte restaurant which can be booked the day before. The tenderloin steak we had was excellent; others ordered huge lobsters for a $20 up charge.
We thought the water excursions were expensive seadoos were $90 per hour, the sunset cruise was $70 in a small boat. We took their boat to coco beach at $25 a person and then were told to stay together as a group and our escorts would take us into stores they recommend, supposedly
For our safety (commissions or kickbacks anyone?!), this is baloney and an insult to the Costa Rican people (ticos) who are the nicest and most honest people you will ever meet. We went our own way and spent time in the local bars and stores. As on our previous trip to this country no problem anywhere anytime with the locals who never bother you.
Costa Rico is excursion country and you can go on your own or by large bus arranged by the tour operator. We recommend you use someone like True Tours. Best eco tours of Costa Rico. Luis used to drive transport truck in Ontario so we felt very safe with him at all times, speaks English well. His trusty sidekick's name is Danny who you will act as your guide all day long. The best part is it costs less than a bus excursion. $120 a day! $150 a day with guide. This is for your own 12 person bus!.
I am not talking per person so get a group together; you pay your own way into the sights you go to see.
We had Luis take us to Hotel Borinquen, an upscale spa (www.borinquenresort.com) we spent the day there with Danny. They have a rain forest trail where we saw monkey etc. then to the steam baths, mud spa and hot spring tubs, pool and Jacuzzi. All for $40 per person, they serve an excellent 3 course lunch for $10. Afterwards our guides stopped wherever we wanted for a beer or a picture. You cannot beat this for value and we highly recommend these amiable guys.
In closing I will relate our experience on new year's eve. The hotel was packed so we were sitting in an overflow area having arrived late for the festivities. The area we sat in was served By a kid who must have been brought in from "inland". We just couldn't get any service out of this boy, because every time some young thing came walking by wearing a halter top and micro min skirt with pierced navel he would seen halfstep, jaw open, in frozen animation, mesmerized. Rather than bitch and complain we just cleaned up our own dishes, poured our own wine and watched the kid. It was hilarious. Thank you Allegro, we had a great trip.

The Resort has more of the traditonal Tico "flare". I stayed with 8 other people, 2 parents, a newlywed (son and his wife), 2 younger brothers (16 and 18), my best friend (girl, 20), her boyfriend (Tico, 23) and myself. This resort has things to offer each one of us. The FOOD was amazing, both the buffet and restaurant. The staff was FRIENDLY and had an interest in getting to know you. The entertainment was great, always wanting you to get involved. We all wanted to just have fun and relax. It was the best trip we had ever been on. Dani, the Tico, was amazed by the quality of the resort. He is even a "high class" Tico. The resort also offers massages (basically a full spa), which we all took advantage of. The prices were standard but what you got for you money was amazing. A++++ . There is 4 sets of families meeting there in June again. We can't wait...OH by the way...we got to see micro organisms that glowed in the ocean at night, they light up the ocean like there was a glow stick in it. It is something that happens only once in a while, it was truly a blessing.

Overall, I would recommend the Allegro Papagayo for a great family vacation. I would return to this resort. By American standards, it is about a 3 star resort. However, by Costa Rican standards, it is a 5 star. Many of the hotels in Costa Rica do not have a/c or hot water, but the Allegro did have all of the modern amenities such as a/c, hot water, cable TV, hair drier, and daily cleaning. If you just want to relax on the beach, Costa Rica is not the place for you. This country is a great place to go for adventure. I would recommend the super mega tour, which included a canopy tour, horse back riding through the rain forest, a water side down a rain forest mountain, and a mud bath with hot springs. If you have trouble walking, I would also not recommend Costa Rica. At the tours and the hotel, you will walk a lot (mostly up hill!). If you like wild life, you will love Costa Rica. While swimming, we saw different types of fish, a sea turtle, rays, crabs, and sand dollars. Big iguanias were every where, and monkeys even came down to the beach/pool area one day! Cows, chickens, goats, horses, and pigs roam free on the sides of the roads. The Allegro had a buffet style restaurant with daily themed dinners. Some of the food was very good; some of it wasn't that great. But you could always find something that you liked. The steak restaurant was very nice. I recommend the sword fish (the beef in Costa Rica is not so good). Before going to Costa Rica, do your homework. Make sure that this is what you want!

I had so much fun in Costa Rica and I can't wait to go back. In fact, the Occidental Allegro Papagayo made me feel so welcome, I think I am going to work there too. I can't wait to go back. I miss all the stuff, like my banana bungees and so much more. The beach is so warm and the pool is really big. I like the swim up bar too. This was the best!!!!

My fiance and I stayed at the Allegro Papagayo on February 21-28, 2004. It was both of our first time in Costa Rica. We're both in our late 20's, and we were traveling with just the two of us. We were looking for a relaxing hotel, with a decent beach and decent food.

Overall, we were not pleased with this hotel. I'll summarize the good and bad issues we experienced.

Bad Points:

The food was pretty much terrible. With the all-inclsive package, the hotel provides a buffet-style meal. Were it not for the great fruit and Costa Rican coffee, we would not have eaten much at all. The meat was usually of poor quality. The pastas were routinely over or undercooked.

The resort is arranged so that a stage is situated right around the pool and dining area. Everyday at 3pm, the hotel's "Fun Club" would blare music, and some Rica Suave looking fellow would come out and do his rap routine for 20 minutes or so. Every night from 8 until 10 or so, the hotel would put on shows that were largely aimed at entertaining children. I'm all for entertaining the kids, but the level of noise at placement of the stage disrupts the whole resort. It was impossible to sit around the beach or pool and have a normal conversation when these activities were going on.

The staff, although usually polite, speaks limited english, so be prepared to brush up on your Spanish before staying there.

Our room had a continual smell that was hard to describe.

Good Points:

The hotel has a decent black sand beach. It also had a "Beach Club" located about a 10 minute boat ride away from the hotel. The Beach Club was gorgeous. Be aware that in order to go to the Beach Club, you must sign up one day before at 8am in order to reserve a spot on one of the three trips the hotel provides.

The pool and other grounds were picturesque. Unfortunately, one could not enjoy them at all times due to Rico and the others.

The all-inclusive package includes one visit to the hotel's "steakhouse." The food was actually pretty decent there. Be aware that you must make a reservation to eat there as soon as you check in or you won't get in.

Overall, the hotel just did not work well for what we were looking for. Travelers with small children may really enjoy the Allegro Papagayo, but those who are traveling with just adults will likely be annoyed by the intrusive nature of the "Fun Club" activities.

Luckily, while we were in Costa Rica, we had the opportunity, to hook up with some excellent tours arranged by Michael Mills and Ricardo Vargas. We went sailing, took a trip to Mount Arenal, and also another trip to Palo Verde. Each of those trips were excellent, and well worth the money. I would highly recommend taking the tour with Ricardo. He is Costa Rican, very fluent in English, and knowledgable about Costa Rica in general. The tour groups through Ricardo will probably be around 6-10 people, vs. 50-75 through TAM/Swiss Travel. Their website is located at: http://www.costarica-realestate.com/Allegro%20Papagayo%20Tours.htm

Over all I would recommend the Occidental Allegro Papagayo to friends and family. Just make sure you are ready to be in the middle of nowhere. ALso, bring plenty of bug spray because the bugs bites look like chickenpox!

All stayed at the Allegro Papagayo Jan 14th - 21st 2004 Trip Report for Costa Rica. Guanacaste Region. 6 of us traveling together. Husband and myself are 26 & 24 years old. Both sets of parents are around 50 years old. . Via Apple Vacations.
What a beautiful country! I would live there in a heart beat. We had an excellent time.
Day 1 Thursday - Half day costal Fishing with Resort Divers. Arranged prior to arrival via email with owner Viviane. Captain and First Mate - negro picked us up on Black Sand Beach in front of our hotel at 8:30. The resort they are based out of is across the bay. Covered 28 foot boat - no bathroom, equipped with outriggers. Rather uneventful morning. No live bait on board. We fished for live bait - which was caught late in the morning, then trolled for Rooster Fish. No luck. Water was calm in the bay, rougher when towards ocean. Enjoyable way to spend first morning. Staff was pleasant. 4 of us were comfortable on boat.
Day 2 Friday- Local Diving with Resort Divers. Again all arranged prior to arrival in Costa Rica. Again picked us up in front of resort at 8:30. First Dive was not so good, in comparison to the rest of the trip - cant remember the name - vis was 20 feet or so. My parents first Ocean Dive (they got certified in a quarry in Pennsylvania in Sept '03). Dive Master Sergio - was excellent, attentive - reassuring. Second Dive - Monkey Head. Excellent - white tipped reef shark, lots of life, large sting ray. Better Vis.
Day 3 Saturday - Upgraded to Catalina Dive. Took 45 minutes to get there. 2 of us went - others stayed at resort pool. Excellent! On way there - we came across 4 humpback whales, attempted to snorkel with them, but they weren't interested. First Catalina Location - great spot for Manta's. Saw 4 or 5. One came very close, other sea life as well - interesting star fish, etc. Second Catalina Dive - kinda drift dive. Went with current - boat followed over head. Again Sergio with Resort Divers was excellent.
Day 4 - Sunday - Local Dives. All 4 of us went. Excellent Day. 1st Dive Spot -2 Lagerhead Turtles,2 White tipped Reef Sharks, abundance of sea life. 2nd Dive Spot - Monkey Head - excellent again. On surface interval we saw a HUGE manta glide out of the water. He stayed relatively shallow under boat. My mom snorkeled with him, as did others from another dive boat nearby. We descended for dive - and saw him 2 more times overhead. Huge and graceful. GREAT! More turtles, etc. Great diving day, calm water .
In evening we grabbed a taxi - to head for Playa Hermosa. 45 min drive from hotel. $50 for 4 of us round trip. They stick around the area and wait for you while you do whatever. We wanted to watch the NFL game. On Saturday we contacted Mike Mills via cell - owner of Puesta Del Sol at Playa Hermosa, to ensure game would be on. Nice set up with 4 ft screen & projector. Food was excellent - minimal cost - Burgers & Fish nuggets were $5.00. Local Beer - Imperial, minimal cost as well. Good way to spend evening and visit another location - besides the resort.
Day 5 - Day Trip with Ricardo Vargas - private tour operator. Excellent! Arranged prior to arrival via email & internet. Visited Rincon de la Vieja - semi active volcano. About 1 hour 30 minute drive to private resort location. I think it was spelled Bolinquen. Beautiful! We had resort to ourselves - no real guests. 1st we did the Canopy tour - 11 platforms. 800 feet in the air. So much fun! Very safe. Lunch at the resort - excellent beef (raised in area). They we headed over to the natural Spa. Suana, mud treatment, then different temperature pools of water to relax in. Wonderful - and completely private. Ricardo was very attentive speaks perfect English, very nice. We stopped at souviner shops on the way back to the hotel. We left at 8:30 am, and returned around 5:30 pm. Wonderful day - I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Day 6 Tuesday - Palo Verde River Float with Ricardo Vargas. Excellent again! 1 hour 45 minute drive to river location - in Air Conditioned Taxi - there were 10 of us that went from the Hotel. Wonderful day. We saw : Howler Monkeys, False Coral Snake, White Faced Monkeys, White Ibis - many other birds, 15 Crocodiles, long nosed bats, turtles, Iguana's tons of wildlife. Would do it again in a second. The boat held about 15 people, came with a local guide and motor. Local guide spotted a lot of things we missed. We stopped for local lunch on way back to hotel with group. Enough can't be said about Ricardo Vargas and his wife Lupita - they are running an excellent operation. Much better than Swiss Travel Mega tours with 75 or 100 people. Very personalized.

Hotel: Built on Hill Side - terrace style. We were in building 4 - hard walk back to room in evenings. Shuttles run around the hotel every couple of minutes. Hard walk for older persons, or those with join problems. Food in Main dining area was buffet style. Prompt seating - good attention from wait staff - being that it was peak tourist season for them. Drinks were excellent. Swim up bar in pool was great. Black sand beach - was okay. Good for sea shells, and morning walks. Staff didn't speak very much English - be prepared with Spanish basics. Steak Restaurant - full service. Make reservations as soon as you arrive in Hotel. Only seats 30 persons per night. Better cuts of steak, fish etc. great service. Dress here is a little more upscale, than the rest of the resort which is very casual.

Liberia Airport - very small, 35 minutes from resort. Delta is flying in there, in addition to Canadian Skyy Service, an Apple Charters. Lots of construction when we arrived.