We recently spent three nights at the Andaz Papagayo Hotel & Resort in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica.  The trip was an awesome break from the Minnesota winter!  Read my trip review here for details on how and why we planned this short, delightful vacation.  Experiencing the 90+ degree weather and the luxurious Andaz Papagayo was awesome in and of itself.  Paying only $150 for a $1,541 hotel stay was even more awesome!

Jump to section:
Overview
The Room
Amenities
Dining
Cost and Value
Overall Thoughts
Tips for Your Stay

Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort Overview

The Andaz Papagayo opened in late 2013, which made it just over 3 years old at the time of our stay in February 2017.  There are 153 rooms, 3 restaurants, multiple pools, 2 beaches, a spa, and a kids’ center.  The architecture is all naturally inspired and blends in to the surroundings.  The resort is located on a steep slope and is positioned lengthwise so that most of the walking is across the slope.  Even so, you will definitely stretch your calves at the Andaz Papagayo; ramps and stairways are needed to access most locations.

Guanacaste is on the dry, Pacific side of Costa Rica.  The weather is heavily dependent on the time of year.  They rainy season is May-November and the rest of the year it is very dry.  The vegetation is very different from the rain forest only 75 miles away.  The forest on Peninsula Papagayo is classified as a “dry tropical” forest, and it becomes mostly brown during the dry season.  Despite the thick forest cover everywhere we looked, we saw more cacti than palms!  Click here to learn more about the climate in Guanacaste.

The Room

We booked 2 nights with our anniversary free nights from our Chase Hyatt cards, and one night with Hyatt Gold Passport points (15,000 pts).  Anniversary free nights and award stays can only book into the standard room, called the “Andaz Double” or the “Andaz King” depending on the bed configuration.  We got an Andaz King in building 7.

I was a bit disappointed we didn’t get one of the many rooms with views of the bay I had seen in reviews.  Our room looked out into the forest and we could just barely see the ocean through the trees.  As our stay progressed I came to realize my disappointment was undeserved.Yes, the view would have been nice, but our room had two advantages the higher up buildings and rooms didn’t have.  One advantage was the monkeys!  We got very close and personal with the white-faced monkeys that roamed the property.  The rooms with balconies above the forest canopy didn’t have our front row seats for the monkey show.  The second advantage to our “no view” room was the privacy.  In three days I didn’t see a single soul from our balcony or bay window.  By the end of the stay I was comfortable changing into my swim trunks anywhere in the room.  It also allowed us to fully utilize the walk-through open air shower without fear of being creeped upon.

The rooms at the Andaz Papagayo have a very contemporary, clean design and utilize native wood in the cabinets and other decor.

The bathroom and shower has a contiguous river pebble floor which we really liked.  It felt like a mini foot massage with every step!  As I mentioned before, the shower has an open design, with a glass door to the vanity area at one end and a large folding door opening onto the balcony at the other end.  There’s a removable shower head and a large rain shower head.  There was ample space on the vanity top:

Our one complaint about the bathroom was the toilet closet.  The frosted glass door between the toilet room and the main bathroom area doesn’t seal at the top, bottom, or side.  And the frosted glass doesn’t provide adequate privacy.  As my long time readers may know, I’m a sucker for sleek design and aesthetics.  But there are some cases where function needs to trump design.  The poor planning on the toilet enclosure is one of those cases.

The quality of the soap, shampoo, and body wash was a nice surprise.  The shampoo was some sort of tingly minty stuff, and the body wash smelled like an entire citrus grove smashed into a tiny bottle.

Like the Andaz Maui where we stayed for free in September, there was a small bonus amenity kit on the bathroom vanity with q-tips, make-up remover, and other such things.

Speaking of small bonus surprises, when we arrived there was a hand-written, personalized note on the desk welcoming us to the Andaz.  There was also a plate with three fresh oranges and another plate with biscotti and Nutella.  In my book, those little extra touches are definitely worth the resort’s cost, as they make guests feel that much more welcome and special.

The king bed was very comfortable, with a nice firm mattress.  The lighting options and brightness controls in the room were mind blowing, although with everything on full blast it was still not very bright in the room.  We also noticed that two of the light controls in the bathroom (for the vanity sconces and the shower) had their labels reversed.  One final nit pick about the lighting is that the snack cupboard light didn’t automatically turn off when the door was closed, as it was supposed to.  Being the manly man that I am, I was able to fix the switch in short order. 🙂

That snack cupboard with the broken light switch is one of the trademarks of the Andaz brand.  Well . . . the complimentary snacks; not the broken light.  Every day the cupboard is refilled with coffee, several kinds of chips, Diet Coke, Coke, Fresca (a citrus soft drink – not the early 90s American Fresca), and bottled water.  Like the Andaz Maui, this fridge is not a true fridge, but a cooling cabinet.  Drinks get cold but it takes a long time.  Unlike the Andaz Maui, this “fridge” was actually large enough to store some of our own drinks.

The clock/alarm/stereo also came in handy.  The little unit actually had really good sound with the “Mega Super Bass Enhancer” (or whatever it was called) turned on.  It has an iPod dock but can also be used with any 1/8″ headphone jack device (bring your own patch cord).  While I’m on the subject of cords, I’ll also mention that the TV has VGA and HDMI inputs, but again: bring your own cord.

Overall the room was awesome.  We used every feature of the room: the small table and lounge chair overlooking the bay window, the closets, both balcony doors, the balcony furniture, and the desk.  The shower was wonderful and besides the complaint about the toilet closet, the bathroom was functional and convenient.  Room service was wonderful.  Despite the lack of an ocean view, the monkeys and their antics made us very happy with our room location!

Amenities

Non-award bookings at the Andaz Papagayo Peninsula pay a resort fee which seems to fluctuate with the price of the room.  A few sample bookings on the website just brought up nightly resort fees of $37-75, depending on the time of year.  The fees cover use of all the facilities (this should actually be considered part of the room rate) and the included beach activities.  Award bookings and free nights have the resort fee waived.

Aside from the food and drinks, it feels a bit like an all-inclusive resort.  Most of the beach activities are included with the resort fee.  At all the pool areas there are towel stands with complimentary fruit-infused ice water and 3 different types of sunscreen.  We ended up with some sunburn despite frequently re-applying copious amounts of sunscreen from these stations.  There’s a reason why all the locals wear long sleeved shirts and shaded hats; the Costa Rica sun is strong!

Swimming Pools

I am in love with the Andaz vision for swimming pools!  Like those at Andaz Maui, the pools at Andaz Papagayo are incredibly beautiful.  They contribute equally to both the beauty of the resort and to the potential for tropical relaxation.
Andaz Papagayo has two main pool areas.  One is a family-friendly pool complex (pictured above) and the other is a single infinity pool in another area, for adults only.  The family-friendly area consists of a smaller pool on the highest terrace, with a larger zero-entry pool below it.  Another pool is around the corner, directly under Rio Bhongo restaurant.

The adults-only area contains a single swimming pool and is located under Ostra restaurant, at the far end of the resort from our room.  We didn’t swim in this pool until our last morning.  The distance from our room and the lack of obnoxious kids at the family-friendly pool area gave us little reason to swim here.

During our stay there were a few little kids in the family-friendly area, but it certainly wasn’t overrun.  We spent most of our time in that area since it was right next to the building with our room.

All swimming pools have infinity edges.  None are heated, from what we could tell.  The signage says the pools close at 9:00 p.m. but upon checking in, our host told us they were open 24/7.  Major points for having 24 hour pools!  We were however disappointed to find out there is no hot tub on the property.  It would have been the perfect place to hang out in the cooler evenings and meet fellow travelers.  In fact, the lack of a hot tub was our biggest single complaint about the property.

Beach and Activities

Prior to our trip I read multiple reviews decrying the lack of a good beach.  Knowing this ahead of time helped us avoid disappointment, but I have to agree with those reviews.  The two beaches at the Andaz Papagayo are small (virtually nonexistent during high tide) and the ocean floor is far from pure sand. On top of that, the water was as cold as a Minnesota lake!

However, what the beach lacks in swimming potential it makes up for in interesting flora and fauna.  We found tons of little hermit crabs on the sand and on the rocks.  During low tide the beach, which is a beautiful blend of tan and black sand, is littered with shells.  From the beach we got a good look at many types of lizards, including some 3-4 foot long iguanas.  They would scurry up into the woods a second before we would get close enough for a good photo!  As a forester, I was interested in the hundreds of different tree species in Costa Rica.

We signed up for a snorkeling tour the first morning of our trip.  When we got to the meeting place on the beach, the guide told us she had to cancel the tour because the bay was full of jellyfish.  No arguments here!  She told us they might be out to sea by early afternoon, but that the wind might be a problem.  The danger was getting blown into shore where the rocks are covered with spiny urchins.  There were also sharks to watch out for, and tiger eels, and poisonous sting rays, and occasionally deadly sea snakes. . .  We decided to sign up for a kayak tour instead, and see the sea life from above the water!

The kayaking tour was pretty fun.  They use plastic 2-person kayaks and the tour moves at a leisurely pace.  I told Nicoleen not to paddle and I don’t even think I broke a sweat.  The tour goes south along the coast and then back.  We saw puffer fish, a blue heron, an osprey, and several other kids of fish.  The guide talked about the peninsula and Costa Rica in general, focusing on the climate and biology of the area.

Stand up paddle-boarding was also an option and there was some sports equipment on the beach during low tide.  Wave runners were also available for rent: $75 for 30 minutes or $150 for an hour.  We considered renting one but decided to get in some more swimming pool time instead.

Neither of us used the fitness center or the spa, so I can’t comment on them.

Dining

The resort sits in a fairly remote location on the Peninsula Papagayo.  Therefore, guests are pretty much forced to eat at the on-site restaurants.  I call this kind of situation “hostage dining.”  There are restaurants at the nearby marina and beach club, but online reports indicate they are similar in price to the Andaz restaurants, with slightly less food quality.  I can’t imagine a scenario where resort guests didn’t eat at least some of their meals at the on-property restaurants.

The Andaz Papagayo offers three dining choices:

• Rio Bhongo is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Chao Pescao is open for dinner, tapas menu, bar is open late.
• Ostra is the signature restaurant, open for dinner, reservations recommended

Having known about the hostage dining situation before the trip, we packed a carry-on sized suitcase with snacks, pop, and booze.  I used to make fun of people who brought their own food on vacation, but we didn’t do it to avoid local or cultural foods.  We did it to avoid $15 drinks and $100 restaurant breakfasts.  It did feel a bit lame though, but it did save us a lot of money and more importantly: time.  Quick breakfasts in the room meant more time to relax by the pool!

All that being said, we did end up having some meals at Rio Bhongo, so this review will cover the food and service at that restaurant only.  The restaurant is next to the kid-friendly pool area and gift shop.  Like all of the public areas at the resort, the building is open and airy.  Our first night at the Andaz we had a light supper.  Nicoleen had pasta and I got the patacones (fried plantain) appetizer.  We were both slightly underwhelmed by the food but I was pleased with my first taste of the Costa Rican beer they served.

Rio Bhongo also services the pool area during the day.  Our second day we split a poolside chicken quesadilla.  (I don’t mean to say it was made with poolside chicken; I mean it was served to us when we were by the pool.)  The quesadilla was enough for both of us.  It was served with the same awesome fresh pico and guacamole I had the night before with my patacones.  The quesadilla was above average.  But having food delivered right to your face while drinking beer and sitting on a lounge chair by a scenic swimming pool is what really made the small lunch worth the ~$20 charge.

The third and last time we ate at Rio Bhongo was for dinner.  I had been craving seafood and Nicoleen wasn’t up to the octopus I had been eying on the Chao Pescao menu.  So we returned to Rio Bhongo to discover it was “special grill night.”  Two of four selected sides were included with any grilled entree.  I got the salmon and Nicoleen got the steak.  It was probably the best grilled salmon I’ve ever had.  The rice and plantains in maple honey were wonderful as well.  In Costa Rica I learned that good pico and guac go with almost anything.

Our only dining regret was not checking out the bar at Chao Pescao on our first night, when we heard the live music from our balcony.  Without a hot tub on the property, the live music and evening bar crowd seem to be the only after-dark opportunity for socializing.

Cost and Value

When we planned this trip in late November (3 months prior to traveling) the published rate for our room averaged $405 per night.  After adding the resort fee and taxes, the total cash value for our 3 night stay was $1,541.32.

By using anniversary free nights from our Chase Hyatt cards (full review of this card coming soon!) for the first two nights and booking the third night with Hyatt Gold Passport points, we paid $0.00!  If you want to include the 2x $75 annual fees we paid on our Hyatt cards to get the anniversary nights, you could say it cost us $150 for a $1,541 stay.  Not bad at all!

Rooms at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo cost 15,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points.  This category 4 resort is a definite sweet spot in their redemption table.  In contrast, the comparable Andaz Maui at Wailea costs 25,000 per night.  The Andaz Papagayo is also relatively easy to book with points.  There are minimum stay requirements on some dates, but they are far less restrictive than some other Hyatt properties.  With only a three month notice, I was able to find three nights in a row during a peak season.  Each night I searched was individually available for a points or free night redemption.  No minimum stay requirement blocked my search.

Hyatt Gold Passport is a 1:1 instant transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards.  You can get 59,000 Ultimate Rewards with the sign up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred.  That’s almost enough for 4 free nights at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo!

Click Here for my review of the Sapphire Preferred and a link to the application page.
(I earn referral bonus points through the application link, which help to support this site.)

I am very confident this was a worthwhile use of our Chase Hyatt annual free nights.  The value of paying the $75 annual fee to get the annual free night is likewise a pretty easy case to make, considering one night here would normally cost over $500.  For 15,000 Hyatt points it’s also a steal.  A points redemption at the Andaz Papagayo puts Hyatt Gold Passport points at around 3.3 cents each; higher than most commonly assigned values for these points.

Whether or not a stay at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo is worth the published cash prices is not for me to say.  It’s largely up to your personal finances and travel budget.  However, I hope this review helps to inform your opinion on how valuable staying here would be for you!

Overall Thoughts

This was our second stay at an Andaz brand resort and we continue to be impressed.  Hyatt has really nailed their goal of creating a chic, luxury, boutique experience with this chain.  Overall we received excellent customer service.  The grounds and facilities are as amazing in person as they look in the photos.

Although this trip was as close to the equator as either Nicoleen or I have ever been, we didn’t get the typical “tropical vacation” feeling we’re used to.  Three factors gave the Andaz Papagayo a different feel than any other tropical location we’ve visited:

1. The brown vegetation.  As you can see from my photos, it’s a beautiful landscape but don’t expect many palm trees.
2. The low humidity.  Relative humidity percentages dropped to the 40s and 50s during the day.  Nighttime recovery was barely into the 80s.  Despite walking up steep hills in the heat and paddling for two on the kayak tour, I think I barely broke a sweat the entire time.
3. The bay view.  The resort is located in Culebra Bay so you can’t see the horizon on the open ocean.  Instead, you get what could be described as a lake view.

Although we visited during the dry season and much of the natural vegetation was brown, the resort landscaping did a good job creating a lush atmosphere.  Around the resort there are lots of planted trees, shrubs, hedges, and flowers.  This landscaping is irrigated so it stays green all year round.  The builders must have taken great care to protect the existing vegetation.  The resort is only three years old but the mature forest comes right to the edge of many buildings.

During our stay the guest demographics were pretty varied.  There were couples in all age groups and a few families with small children.  Over half the guests seemed to be American, but we encountered people from Costa Rica, Germany, and Russia as well.  This was in sharp contrast to the guests we met at the Andaz Maui at Wailea, who were almost invariably affluent, 20-somethings from either L.A. or New York.  The Andaz Papagayo seems to attract laid back travelers of all ages and, of course, fellow points and miles aficionados!

Tips for Your Stay

If you have an upcoming stay at the Andaz Papagayo, here are some tips Nicoleen and I came up with, based on our stay:

• There is no hot tub on the premises.  Don’t expect one!
• There aren’t any publicly accessible ice makers. We called the front desk to have ice delivered and it never came. If you need ice, the bartenders by the kid-friendly pool will fill up any container you bring them.
• The sun in Guanacaste is not like the sun in Florida or Southern California.  At 10 degrees north latitude it’s very strong.  Apply more sunscreen than you think you need!
• If you’re on any sort of budget, don’t hesitate to bring some of your own food and alcohol.  It seems like a common thing to do at this resort.
• All restaurant and bar prices will have a 13% tax and a 10% service charge added to them.  We never figured out if the service charge was supposed to cover the tip, so we added a tip anyways.  If anyone knows the standard tipping customs in Costa Rica, please explain it in the comments.
• The whole beach basically vanishes at high tide, so mind the tide chart provided at check-in when planning beach activities.
• Scenery, prices, wildlife, and weather all vary a lot depending on the time of year.  Plan accordingly.
• Anything left on your balcony is subject to search and seizure by monkeys!  Thankfully we realized this without learning the hard way.
• Have a back-up plan if you’re signed up for any activities involving the ocean.  Weather and sea life conditions may cancel your plans.

🙂 Thanks for reading my review! 🙂