Pura Vida: Vacationing in Costa Rica, Pt. 1 | Heather Bowman, Sojourney Travel

I’ve traveled all over, but I don’t think a place has ever held a piece of my heart like Costa Rica has. I recently had the opportunity to take a trip to Costa Rica hosted by Delta Vacations and I completely fell in love with the country. If you have never considered a Costa Rican vacation, keep reading to see why you need to put it at the top of your list. 

The flight to Costa Rica from Atlanta is fairly short, so that is a great benefit. I am one of those people who love to get to my destination as quickly as possible so I can get in vacation mode fast. After smooth sailing through customs, I was on my way to Planet Hollywood Resort.  This place has been at the top of my list for a while, so I was really excited to see it. Upon arriving at the security gate at Planet Hollywood, I was greeted by none other than Batman! Now that is security! They have superheroes guarding the property!  

Planet Hollywood Resort  

I stepped off the bus and onto the red carpet where a welcome cocktail was waiting! Planet Hollywood’s motto is “Vacation Like a Star” and they strive to make you feel that from the moment you step onto their property. After a brief welcome reception from the staff, we toured the property. The first thing I noticed were the absolutely gorgeous ocean and mountain views. Planet Hollywood has some pretty high elevation, so you can see for miles.  

Touring the property, I found their rooms to be spacious and quite luxurious. I do recommend upgrading to the Star Class level as it comes with its own private pool, private bar, preferential dinner seating, and other great amenities. The activities calendar at Planet Hollywood was something I was really excited about. They always have something going on. From silent discos, cultural nights, 80s & 90s night, to Oscar’s night where you get to dress in formal wear and walk the red carpet, the activities calendar is stacked. They also have a dance club and karaoke bar on site which was a major hit.  

Planet Hollywood Resort has multiple dining options from buffet to a la carte and all of it is delicious. Burgers, sushi, Italian, Mexican, teppanyaki, steaks, there is something for everyone and they can accommodate dietary restrictions, which is great. I think my favorite meal was dining in the private wine cellar enjoying my perfect steak. The ambiance and the food were five star.  

Planet Hollywood was our base camp for the trip, but we had the opportunity to visit several other resorts in the area, so I want to make sure to include those.  

RIU Guanacaste & RIU Palace 

 Both of these resorts are on the same property. They are good, budget friendly choices. If you stay here, I recommend RIU Palace because that way you have exchange privileges with RIU Guanacaste. Guests of RIU Palace can partake of the pools and restaurants at RIU Guanacaste, but guests at RIU Guanacaste cannot use any of the amenities at RIU Palace. This means that RIU Palace will have fewer people, be more private, and give you more access than RIU Guanacaste. The property grounds are beautiful and the pools are great. I will say that there are a lot of people on the property. It was very crowded. If that kind of thing doesn’t bother you, great. However, if you are someone who like smaller crowds and a quieter resort, then this may not be for you.  

Secrets Papagayo   This adults-only resort is gorgeous. What I really like about Secrets is that while they have a large property, it is not overly developed. With only 202 rooms on their sprawling grounds, they are not cramming as many people as possible into tight quarters. The vibe is very private and luxurious. If you are looking for an adults-only destination that is not overcrowded and is 5 star, this is it. Their pools and spa rooms have incredible ocean views. Getting a massage in my own private hut overlooking the ocean?? Yes, please! The accommodations here are amazing- large spacious rooms with complimentary upscale spa products. Some have a plunge pool in the back yard. I stress that it was in the back yard, not just on a patio. It was a fenced in yard that overlooked the ocean. I could not believe the large amount of space allotted to each room. Down by the pool they had an events calendar that had activities such as a fire show in the evening as well as live music and their theater performance are pretty impressive. Secrets Papagayo is definitely a great choice, especially if you are looking for an adults only destination. 

Dreams Las Mareas 

 Dreams is the sister property to Secrets, so it is very similar. However, Dreams is not adults-only. This makes it a great family friendly option. Again, I really like how they did not overcrowd their resort. While having a large property, everything was really spread out and it felt very secluded. They have swim up suites which are so beautiful and their pools are pretty incredible. The resorts offers a kids and teens club, so parents can take a break and spend time together if they want. On their events calendar you will see everything from hiking to kayaking to dance lessons and in the evening, they have live entertainment. I was able to try the food here so I can verify that it is delicious. I had ceviche bites which are my new favorite. I also had their teppanyaki with a Costa Rican flair. You definitely don’t want to miss that. Overall, this is one of my top choices for family destinations.  

Want to learn more about the stunning resorts that Costa Rica has to offer? Reach out to me or your Sojourney Travel Advisor and stay tuned – next week’s blog will have even more insider information!