Hotel Rincon del Llano

The hotel looks decent and has potential, with a convenient location just 5 km from the airport. But I found the staff and management disappointing. By Costa Rican standards, the staff weren’t friendly or helpful. We had food and drinks in our room and asked for silverware and glasses, but were told hotel policy wouldn’t allow it. I offered to buy a meal and a bottle of wine from the empty restaurant if we could take them upstairs, and that was refused too. I rarely leave negative feedback, but I thought other guests should know.

Our group of ten ended up here when weather canceled our flight out of Liberia, Costa Rica. It’s close to the airport, and the price was reasonable. We could buy beer and water in the lobby, but there was no food at the hotel or nearby. The room was okay for a short night before going back to the airport. After a stressful day, the small pool was just what we needed to cool down. The air conditioning was cold and the shower was nice. The front desk guy was only somewhat helpful, and wouldn’t move us after we found a strong chemical smell when opening the door.

The restaurant makes fresh, home-style meals to order at reasonable prices. Don’t miss the fresh tortillas. I spent time by the pool until my next flight, and this was a great place for my 24-hour layover in Liberia, just minutes from the airport. For a short stay at this 3-star hotel, the clean, air-conditioned bedroom and very comfortable bed were just right. The shower had great hot-water pressure.

The taxi rides cost an outrageous $20 even for a mile or two, and the tap water at this hotel isn’t safe to drink. If you do end up here, there’s a local restaurant down the road with great food and friendly people. My husband and I missed our flight back to the US because the airline counter wouldn’t issue tickets unless we were there 61 minutes before boarding, even though the airport was empty. The Hilton was full, and after the American Airlines hassle and rebooking fees, I was already irritated when we reached Hotel Rincon del Llano. I tried to buy a beer from the cooler by reception, but the man said it was “too early.” It was around 4 or 5 pm. The room was miserable. You need a key card to run the air conditioning, there was no hot shower water, and the bed was really uncomfortable. After spending $600 in unexpected costs that day, all we wanted was to relax. If you don’t speak Spanish, being stuck here for 12 to 16 hours is especially rough. The TV channels are in Spanish, and either there’s no Wi-Fi or it doesn’t work. It might be okay just to crash for a bit, but I strongly disagree with reviews calling it comfortable.