Azura Beach Resorts

The best part is the beach, a beautiful bay with calm water and wide, unspoiled views. The pool area is nicely landscaped too, though there aren't enough loungers or umbrellas for the number of guests. Even so, I wouldn't return, especially for what we paid. We're here now, on March 5th, and the stay has been disappointing. The airport shuttle was a nice inclusion, but no one even offered us water during the drive of more than two hours. For the first 24 hours our room had no hot water. Check-in was chaotic and unprofessional, with one employee trying to handle three groups and repeatedly mixing things up. The room is clean, but basics are missing even by two-star standards. The towels are dingy and poor quality, the pillows are awful, there's no hair dryer, and the phone and refrigerator didn't work. The balcony sliders felt janky. Food has mostly been forgettable, with problems in serving temperature and presentation. Breakfast has been the best: a decent buffet with good pastries and juices plus an omelet station. The Asian restaurant's sushi and fresh sashimi were high quality. Drinks are very basic and inconsistent. I ordered a lime daiquiri on the rocks three times, and it was wrong and different each time, even though it's on the menu. None of the bartenders seemed to know how to make it. Compared with the JW Marriott in Guanacaste, where we stayed last year, Azura was miles behind in every respect, despite supposedly being a four-star resort. They shouldn't market this as luxury. It's a mediocre experience at every level.

What made our 10-day stay this month bearable was the friendly staff, especially Larry, who kept trying to sort out the operational problems and missing basics. Thank you, Larry. The resort itself is beautiful, but the luxury, gourmet experience promised in its marketing was nowhere close, and at the price we paid, we were profoundly disappointed. There were repeated problems in the room. It arrived without a blow dryer, iron or ironing board, and we were given just three hangers for ten days. The bathroom sink leaked and flooded the floor. It was repaired three times but still leaked when we left. Shampoo wasn't replenished for three days. The TV would turn itself on at random, sometimes in the middle of the night. Service was unpredictable too. We once waited 1 hour 10 minutes for a beach drink and an hour to be served breakfast. One morning there was no bread at the buffet, and on our last day there was no coffee anywhere on the resort. The food didn't feel gourmet. L'Ardoise Restaurant is gone, and the Recife buffet at the resort next door is, at best, a three-star offering. Nikoa Restaurant is billed as a luxury restaurant but costs extra. We later learned that Air Transat Premium travelers have it included in their package. The setting is lovely, but the experience wasn't luxurious: melamine plates, plastic wine glasses, dried-out fish and flavorless ceviche. The lime for our fish came on the rim of a tumbler that still had cocktail remnants in it. The massages weren't relaxing either. No one asked about medical conditions, as therapists are required to do, and the session was basically a glorified back rub. The gym is cramped, crowded and has no view. We weren't told about the pickle ball court behind a construction site. There are no kayaks or paddleboards for hotel guests, and organized tours cost extra. We've traveled a lot and wanted to share this so others can make an informed decision. We saw some attempts to address the problems, but where is management in all this? Future guests deserve real improvements, and there's still a long way to go.

We found plenty of local restaurants in town if you have a car, and there are beautiful beaches a 10-20 minute drive away. Some local “sodas” (mom n pop restaurants) are within walking distance too. The location is decent, though the resort feels quite isolated from Costa Rica's landmark areas. The staff experience varied. Bartenders Farid and Brayner were super friendly, as was our server Alonso. The front desk, though, was unhelpful at best and rude at worst. Amenities were advertised but unavailable, or took a lot of hoops to arrange. Room service was hard to get and shut down by 10 pm. The room was fairly modern, with modern tiles and TV access to Netflix, Amazon and similar services. What bothered us was the toilet with no door. Food gets two out of five from me. The seafood restaurant was okay, while the Boccato “Italian” restaurant was absolutely horrible. My lady loved the hummus snack and is still talking about it. The bar snacks were pretty good too, enough that we probably ate more of them than at the resort restaurants.

The Chill and Grill crew made our stay memorable. Francisco, Keyla, Brian, Carlos, Jair, and Alonzo were attentive and personal, and remembered our usual orders. They'd start our Old Fashioned and Chocolate Martini as soon as they spotted us coming. The staff chatted with us about their families and culture and showed real interest in our lives too. We loved the peaceful setting and the beach, where there weren't vendors constantly trying to sell things. The resort sits between Samara and Playa Samara, with lovely sunsets and easy access to local culture and tours such as sport fishing and ATV rides. Our room was comfortable and kept clean. A few things could be better. The team was clearly working very long hours while juggling jobs, and more staff would help prevent burnout and improve coverage, especially for maintenance. There were maintenance issues like beach trash and mold on the building exteriors. Restaurants sometimes ran out of advertised items or room coffee. Even with those rough spots, the staff and the beauty of the country made this a wonderful stay. Azura Resort is a beautiful, peaceful adult-only all-inclusive, and I'll definitely come back to Costa Rica and stay here again. It's a great choice if you're after a relaxing getaway.