Playa Conchal

Warning: this is going to sound like a sales pitch for this resort, but this was one of the best resorts we have been to (including the much more expensive resort at our honeymoon in Australia).

We concluded our trip through Costa Rica with a 5 day stay in this resort at the western coast. We booked it all-inclusive and sort-off expected a bit tacky cliché all-inclusive standard buffets and that sort of thing. We were wrong!

First of all, this is a 5-star resort (and rightfully so) with spacious luxury hotel-room-type appartments with a large very comfortable bed (and I am spoiled on that account), bathroom and minibar (included in the all-inclusive, restocked every day). On the resort terrain there are a golf course, large irregular shaped swimming pool, a buffet restaurant, 3 a-la-carte restaurants and various other facilities.

We expected to get bored after a few days, but in stead we came in a mode of full relaxation. Let me try to explain this by giving an overview of a typical day (in fact of every day):

We get up at a comfortable time, shower, etc. Then we walk to the breakfast buffet. This buffet contains (and I am not exaggerating) everything I have ever seen at any hotel breakfast: different types of bread, muffins, pastries, fruits, cereals, yoghurts, drinks, a cook baking eggs the way you want them, another cook making pancakes and waffles, totillas, beans, and more. The first few days our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we loaded our plates with way too much...

After our breakfast we would walk to the pool, select a parasol and sunchairs. We would read a bit, swim a bit, until a band starts playing music and lunch is served at the outdoor buffet restaurant. Lunch selection was a bit less abundant, but good quality nonetheless. After lunch we would take a short nap and go back to the pool. By that time the poolbar would be open. So, if and when we would feel like getting a milkshake or cocktail we would swim/wade to the bar and get one (yes, all of it was included in the all-inclusive deal). At dinner time we had the choice of going to the buffet restaurant or reserve a table at one of the three a-la-carte restaurants: oriental, italian or continental. Each of these restaurants were full-service and included in the all-inclusive deal, including (alcoholic) drinks. The first day, after a sushi meal with saké, we felt uncomfortable just to walk out without paying or having to sign a receipt or anything, so we left a good tip to soothe our consience...

The only 'drawback' of this resort is that there are quite a few large Americans. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Americans, but in this resort quite a few of them were of the size of 2 or 3 normal people. And you can't help shaking your head when you see them loading their plates with so much food that you no longer wonder how it is possible that someone can become that big.

So, this place is definately a recommendation. Although it has been quite a few years since we were there and I don't know if and how it has changed over the years.

Play one or both of these video's to get an impression of the pool and our mood, and/or scroll down to see the pictures