Occidental Tamarindo

My wife and I were here for our honeymoon, and we had a wonderful time. Our booking included three dinners at the restaurants on the property, and Kioto, the sushi restaurant, was our favorite. Ximena and Martha looked after us so well both times we ate there. They remembered our names and made us feel welcome. The service was immaculate, and everything was wonderful.

The gym needs work. If you want to exercise here, go early or bring your own towel, since there were only about six for the whole day. There are quite a few machines, but most of them don’t work, so stick with the dumbbells. I also felt unsafe after seeing a man climb up to the second floor by the back door around 10 a.m. one day. He broke part of the wooden divider with his foot, stayed about five minutes, then disappeared through the bushes. Security came a couple of minutes later, but he was already gone. I’m uploading a photo of the damage as proof. Don’t leave clothes or shoes at the back of your room. Housekeeping didn’t clean the sink, refill the shower gel, or change the bar soap this year. And a room we’d requested weeks ahead because we liked its location had already been given to someone else when we arrived. The person who booked the trip said they’d leave a note for reception, but the request still wasn’t honored, even after we explained it. It’s honestly sad to write this. This was my fourth visit, and the hotel used to be a solid option for us. 2025 wasn’t a great year, and now I’ll think twice before coming back.

The pool, beach, and grounds were the best parts for us. The property is beautiful, and we had a lot of fun. We’d absolutely come back and stay here again, though we’d probably compare other options too. This was the best price, and it delivered for what we paid. We’re laid-back people and didn’t have any major complaints. The buffet was okay, nothing special, but the omelet station was great and the juice and smoothie station was solid. You can’t get coffee before the buffet opens at 7 a.m. The snack bar was like gas-station food, which honestly matched the price. Our room was nice, though it could’ve been cleaner. Staff were a mixed bag, some very friendly and some less so, but we didn’t have issues. If someone wasn’t helpful, we just moved on. The pool bar was good, but they’ll escort you out of the area if you’re wet. In our 10-day stay, there was pool drink service after 4 p.m. on just one day. The rest of the time there wasn’t poolside service. What we experienced was pretty much in line with the reviews we’d read. Go in with low expectations and you’ll be happy.

They say there’s poolside service, but there isn’t. Premium liquor runs out every day and they don’t restock it. There are only two bars, and once the “pool side” bar closes, you can wait 30-40 minutes for a drink because there’s just one bartender on duty. You won’t get a hangover since they won’t over-serve, and if you’re worried about eating too much on vacation, don’t be.