Occidental Tamarindo — Hotel in Tamarindo

My wife and I recently stayed at the Occidental Tamarindo as part of our anniversary trip to Cost Rica. Based on the reviews and ratings - we expected a five-star resort experience, but we were sorely disappointed. This place felt more like a very bad timeshare than a luxury hotel.

We booked the place for 4 nights using credit card points and as it was available on our credit card travel platform (which we've always had great experiences with in the past) and had great reviews - we thought it would be just fine for a few days... but when we got in and saw the reality versus the online appearance - we immediately went out into the town to try and find a more suitable place to spend the rest of our vacation.  This place was not it.  It was deeply apparent right off the bat.

First and foremost, the food was just bad. Like a middle school cafeteria experience. A lackluster buffet was on display the night we arrived - and we opted to head into town and pay for dinner rather than eat that food for free. The quality was far below what you would expect from a "resort" claiming to be five-star. We had breakfast the next morning before departing - and all I opted for was the eggs because everything else looked unpalatable - nothing tasted fresh or well-prepared.

The rooms were another major letdown. They were outdated and in dire need of renovation. The furnishings were old, the decor was tired, there was rust and mold and damages on the walls.... the overall ambiance was so very far from luxurious. To make matters worse, the air conditioning in our room didn’t work properly. As it was pushing 35C/95F that was a deal breaker as the room was hot and stuffy despite putting the A/C temp as low as it would go.

The pool area was decent - but the beach was rough.  Very rocky, small area in the shade with very used and abused chairs.

AND - on top of all that - they require you to give them this card they provide you with every time you want a towel - and if you lose the card they charge you $35.  They have no keys for the room - they make you wear a bracelet that opens the door which they provide when you check in and that they tell you they will charge you $100 for if you lose it.  That kind of weird behavior just doesn't happen at a "five star" resort.

The entire resort had a tired and worn-out feel, reminiscent of a really bad, rundown timeshare rather than a high-end resort. The amenities were subpar, and the overall service was lacking. The staff, while generally polite, seemed indifferent to the issues we raised and offered no solutions or compensation for our inconveniences.  We explained to them that we were leaving early and would discuss with the manager about having some of our points reimbursed...they gave us a form to fill out that they had on hand and it seemed like it was totally normal that people regularly left in disgust.

We ended up having to spend more money and move hotels and waste time on our vacation - and I'm still fighting with them about getting a refund for the wasted experience. I truly advise avoiding this place.

We ended up at Tamarindo Diria - and while it was a slight price increase - it was worth every penny.  It's 5 minutes from here - the beach is gorgeous, the property is lovely, it's easy walking distance to everything in town (Occidental is farther away), parking was in a secure lot across the street and it's just a million times better.

The Occidental Tamarindo failed to live up to its "five-star" rating in almost every aspect. From bad food and outdated rooms to poor air conditioning and a general feeling of neglect, this resort did not provide the luxurious and relaxing experience we had anticipated. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a quality stay in Costa Rica.  Avoid...

My recent stay at Occidental Tamarindo, an all-inclusive resort, was nothing short of a nightmare. I had high hopes for a relaxing vacation, but this hotel managed to disappoint in every imaginable way.

Let's start with the food. The quality was abysmal, especially for an all-inclusive resort. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner consisted mainly of cold cuts, leaving us craving for something more substantial and appetizing. The sushi restaurant was a complete disaster. Not only was the food disgusting, but it also gave us severe gastrointestinal issues. On top of that, the prices were exorbitant, adding insult to injury.

The beach area was far from the idyllic paradise portrayed in the hotel's marketing. It was unswimmable and downright gross. As it turns out, the beach was public, not private to the resort, which was not made clear during the booking process. The lack of cleanliness and the overall unappealing state of the beach left us utterly disappointed.

While the room itself was passable, there were several issues that tainted the experience. First, we experienced a power outage during our stay, which left us in the dark and inconvenienced. Even worse, we discovered black mold in the bathroom, possibly extending to the mattress. This was not only unsanitary but also potentially hazardous to our health. It's unacceptable for a hotel to neglect proper maintenance and hygiene.

The staff at Occidental Tamarindo were friendly, but it was clear that they were constantly occupied with cleaning up the mess that surrounded the resort. The hotel seemed to be in a perpetual state of filth and disarray, which was disheartening. Additionally, the resort was overrun with kids, making it a less than desirable destination for those seeking a peaceful and relaxing getaway.

The pool, touted as a relaxing retreat, was anything but. The water was scorching hot, more akin to a hot tub than a refreshing pool. It was practically unusable and a missed opportunity for enjoyment.

To make matters worse, the drinks served at the resort were undrinkable. They tasted like gasoline or lighter fluid, completely ruining any hope of enjoying a cocktail or refreshment. The quality was unacceptable and a clear reflection of the hotel's lack of attention to detail.

Occidental Tamarindo seemed to have a serious wildlife problem. Raccoons and stray cats freely roamed the premises, further adding to the unsanitary and unappealing atmosphere. The breakfast bar was no exception, as my portion of fruit came with an unwanted side of flies. It was truly revolting and inexcusable.

The poolside snack bar was a disappointment as well. The food offerings were reminiscent of low-grade water park fare, consisting mainly of nacho cheese, fries, and hot dogs. This was far from the culinary experience one would expect from a supposedly luxurious resort.

While the online pictures may seem decent, they fail to capture the crusty, musty vibes and pervasive odors that permeate the entire hotel. The air itself felt sticky and unpleasant, causing me to break out in acne during my stay. It was far from the refreshing atmosphere promised in the promotional materials.

In conclusion, Occidental Tamarindo is a complete letdown. The dismal food options, unswimmable beach, room issues, poor drink quality, wildlife infestation, and overall uncleanliness of the resort made it a truly miserable experience. I strongly advise against staying at this hotel if you value your comfort, health, and sanity. There are undoubtedly far better options available...

Our stay was nice, although we felt that the hotel should be much more organized with some of its functions and with it's on location restaurants. The Japanese Restaurant was good, The buffet staff couldn't be nicer and more professional especially the breakfast cook gentleman and Adina (one of the servers); Both of these employees are capable of much higher positions. At the Italian on site restaurant there is a particular server which has no personality, never smiles, she takes your order as a machine and just creates an awful customer experience while someone like Adina which is so gracious and professional would help to provide the customer with a wonderful experience. I had to drag my husband to the Italian restaurant a 2nd time because our 1st experience there was so distasteful. One of the ladies there is very sweet, but the other should really not be around customers. The hotel also has a great Huge theatre and states it offers nightly adult shows which are supposed to begin at 9:00pm, but we went 2 times and were upset there were no shows while we were there. The 1st time -the large screen showed a band playing music for 30 minutes, and on the 2nd time- a game with people's shoes went on till about 9:45 when we got tired of waiting and left. We do not know if a show actually began at some point after we left. The theatre could be a great addition to the hotel but it would be much better if they would post the actual times and events on a chalkboard at the theater or at the front desk so we could decide if we are interested in attending or not. One of the dancers happened to stop by the buffet area one evening and informed us that there would be a show starting at 9:00pm that evening. I asked her if it would be punctual and if it was a real show or if they would be playing games or showing a band playing music on the large screen or games, she said it would be an actual show and would start punctually at 9:00pm. We gave it one more time, and they truly put on a great show, it is just unfortunately not advertised or posted anywhere with correct times and type of show. I usually do not enjoy buffet foods but they did a pretty good job and always had the gentleman grilling meats or making eggs of your choice and waffles/pancakes to order. I would have preferred if the type of buffet dinner was posted somewhere for us to be able to make a decision if we wanted to go downtown for dinner or not, because on 2 occasions they had the most amazing to order grilled seafood which we just happened to be there for since we tended to go downtown more for dinners as opposed to staying for the buffet dinner. Overall, I think the hotel has a lot of potential and natural charm with the beachfront jungle which howler monkeys go across in the mornings, the beach could have have a little more charm with colored tables or lounge chairs but it is very natural which is also fine. The staff is wonderful, but the Italian restaurant and the theater were upsetting to us. Location is pretty good, with about a 12 minute walk, a $5-6 dollar taxi ride, or a $1 dollar bus ride to the downtown area, overall we had a nice time, very relaxing. The room keys also stopped working a lot and the internet was not...