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Reviews of Azul Hotel & Retreat

4 out of 5
Azul Hotel & Retreat
3 km South of Marbella, Santa Cruz, Cuajiniquil, Guanacaste

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 238 out of 426 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 109 out of 426 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 42 out of 426 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 20 out of 426 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 17 out of 426 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

hilel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Michael, Westlake Village

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Clean beach front property with great staff. Room was 1 of the best I have experienced in th 20 years I ave been coming to Costa Rica
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

emmanuel

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

emmanuel

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Emil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excelente hotel
El hotel es hermoso, perfecto para relajarse y disfrutar del sonido del mar. El personal del hotel es sumamente amable y atento en todo sentido. La playa al frente del hotel no es una playa apta para estar pero playa San Juanillo que queda a solo 15 minutos en auto es preciosa. Solo un detalle no relacionado al hotel en si, tener en cuenta que la calle no está en las mejores condiciones y es recomendado usar un carro alto.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

4/10 Poor

G

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disappointed. Road to get there are treacherous.
Phone to room is not connected. Cannot call front desk. The Safe in our room … batteries expired after putting our passports and valuables in and could not get into the safe. No one at front desk. Called via WhatsApp. No message Center. Had to email. Still no response. Had to find someone to open it. Spoiled our day trip to see the Turtles migration in Ocional . Missed this once in a year phenomenon. The whole reason we booked this location. No coffee table to place any drinks, coffee or a plate. Awkward. Never have seem this before. TV did not work. No refund or expression of empathy. Manager would not allow later check out time even after all of this hassle. Very difficult to get to. Roads are treacherous. Grounds are lush. Only nice part. Never again. Ever.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Azul on 14 Aug 2023
We are sorry for the inconveniences that occurred. The cashier's report was made at 10:20 p.m. and it was already resolved before 11:00 p.m. Regarding the turtle tour, we notified you in advance of your arrival that the arrival had already ended, it is a phenomenon that occurs once a month and it is something that we cannot control. On the other hand, you reserved the simplest room we have and we gave you a free upgrade to a larger room with a balcony and hammock. Additionally we apply a 20% discount on restaurant consumption.

10/10 Excellent

Clara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful experience all along!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Marty

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gary

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location to the beach is great. The pool and restaurants are very nice. The staff are very friendly and helpful.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sreekrishnan, Toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent Hotel. Quiet and clean. Super helpful and nice staff.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2023

2/10 Terrible

GIL

Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gregory

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
If you want the soundtrack of the surf in the background of your next stay then the venture to the Azul Ocean Club is worth the trip. A little off the paved path but well worth the adventure. The rooms are designed to enjoy the setting. The food is excellent, though a little pricey, and the beach is right there.

6/10 Okay

Cristina

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
he place is beautiful and delicate, the staff was never present to see if we needed anything, the bar was not open during our stay and we went in for a Coke without permission thinking that we were obviously going to pay for it, when someone from the staff finally showed up We told what we did and she told us "that's forbidden" with a grim face and she immediately went through the dataphone, what we expected was for her to tell us "oh what a pity, calm down, you need something else, the bar opens at such a time, I offer you cocktails etc" and As a second point, there is no access to the beach due to garbage and logs.

10/10 Excellent

Geoffrey

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

santiago

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Property was too isolated from shopping areas and did not have a place to purchase souvenirs, etc. Everything was hours away on very bad and bumpy roads
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2022

4/10 Poor

Darian, brooklyn

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Looks very dated. Roads are horrible
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Alba

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022

8/10 Good

Ana Serrato

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice facility at a beautiful location. Very quiet. Food and drinks expensive, and no other restaurants nearby, so almost no option but to eat/drink at the hotel itself.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

6/10 Okay

Xuan

Liked: Staff & service
Beware that to get to this hotel alone, is an adventure. You have to drive on 10 miles worth of dirt/unpaved/potholes to get to this hotel. The resort was nice, but our room was a little outdated. Also, expect bugs to drop in and out when you open the door. We went when it was raining and little critters kept coming in and falling on top of our beds.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

2/10 Terrible

Urvil

Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

8/10 Good

Jonathan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our first time to this resort. We would return without hesitation.
Stayed 8 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth, Tampa

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The perfect couples weekend getaway. Hidden treasure.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kary

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This property was a nice surprise. I was skeptical at first after reading the reviews, but took my chances anyway. It is definitely off the beaten path - a dirt road with a lot of washboard leading to the hotel, but well worth it for us. But I would bring snacks/drinks if you don't want to travel after getting there (Marbella isn't much of a town). The food at the restaurant was very good and the pool bar was kind of more like pub food, but fine. The staff were all friendly and polite. I loved the room - spacious, clean and comfortable. The outside shower was great for those sandy days on the beach. The essential oil diffuser was a nice touch too! It is very quiet and private - unlike Tamarindo where we went after this - wishing we had stayed longer at Azul instead. I would return to this location.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Troy, Fredericton

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The beach was absolutely amazing! We had the while beach to ourselves for hours. Food and service were perfect. Really clean place. If youre looking for a quiet resort type place, this is it!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic Place to Stay! 😀
My husband and I stayed here for 10 days on our first visit to Costa Rica. Azul Ocean Hotel was awesome! All the staff were amazing and so friendly! Being right on the ocean was like a dream come true! The pool was fantastic and so relaxing! All the grounds and rooms were so clean and maintained. My husband used the fitness room daily. I enjoyed relaxing on the beds listening to the ocean. The black sand beach was beautiful and we loved going there daily. The sunsets were absolutely gorgeous! Our daughter who lives in Nosara came to visit and stayed at the hotel for a few days in a suite. The food was great! If I had to suggest one thing, it would be if they could offer desserts at the restaurant…I have a sweet tooth 😊. I highly recommend this hotel! 😊
Stayed 10 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nathalia

Business traveller, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
AMAZING AS ALWAYS :)
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Joseph

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nathalia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved staying here!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Patricia

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Quiet and peaceful. Accommodations are spacious and nice. However, no towels every morning, no staff would show up around the pool till around 11. Food needs improvement since there is no where else to eat.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Muy lindo hotel, tranquilo y buena atención
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2022

8/10 Good

Patricia

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely place, nice and peaceful. Check in was fast and friendly as were other staff. Food was indifferent and more choices of what to eat would be nice. Unfortunately there are a few deserted projects that ruin the area.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nayoha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful place
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022

6/10 Okay

Lise

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Dissatisfaction
This was a nine day vacation with 10 people of our family. Had no idea the road conditions to get to the hotel 22 km of very bad dirt roads. Once at the resort grounds and rooms are great. There is absolutely nothing in the area to walk to and with 10 people taxis every time $100. Unfortunately they would run out of many items on the menu juice, bread, hamburgers, ribs, ravioli, lamb, etc. Most nights had to wait one hour to an hour and a half for our meal to come. I would not come to this resort again
Stayed 9 nights in Dec 2021

8/10 Good

CARINA, Los Angeles

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The rooms are big and the bed is very comfortable. The premises are very well kept and tastefully done with a Caribbean flair. Unfortunately, the beach is black sand and not very inviting. There are nice beaches close by so if you have a car, that should not be a problem. The staff is very helpful and super nice. The food is standard.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2021

2/10 Terrible

ana

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The bed, pillows and cover had bed bugs, no hot water and they didn’t want to give me a refund
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Once you get to the property, it is very nice. The rooms are nice, the grounds are kept well, the restaurant is wonderful, the staff is excellent. The ocean views were outstanding, but the beach was too choppy for us to enjoy. The largest problem is that it took us 2 hours on a very bumpy road to get there and after we got there, there was nothing in the area to do. The closest excursions were hours away.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Diego

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
the staff was very friendly and helpful. Its a bit hard to find if you have never been. The parking is limited. The grounds leading to the hotel need to TLC, but the hotel itself is great. Some items are a bit dated but its clean.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Paradise!! We will definitely return. Facilities and staff are great! Quiet small resort with a beautiful beach which you have all to yourself.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2021
Response from Manager. on 26 Feb 2021
Dear guest, thank you very much for your rating.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Quiet ocean front property surrounded by coconut and mango trees. Perfect place to unwind and read a good book.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2021
Response from Manager. on 26 Feb 2021
Dear guest, thank you very much for your rating. We are pleased that you enjoyed your stay.

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2021
Response from Manager. on 26 Feb 2021
Dear guest, thank you very much for your rating. It was a pleasure for us to serve you.

8/10 Good

Alonso R

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021
Response from Manager. on 26 Feb 2021
Dear guest, thank you very much for your rating. It was a pleasure for us to serve you.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice property in front of the beach. Clean rooms and the food was excellent
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2021
Response from Manager. on 25 Jan 2021
Dear guest, we are pleased that you enjoyed your stay. We hope you can visit us again.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness
Ocean front is very nice! Food is average and quality is not constant. Iguanas at the pool should be removed ASAP, they are agressive and bother a lot when you are eating.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2020
Response from Manager. on 25 Jan 2021
Dear guest. Thank you very much for your comments as they are very important to us as they help us improve. We will take into account those of our restaurant and we will also see the iguanas, since we are located in the middle of tropical areas, they are part of the natural fauna and cannot be easily removed because they are protected species in Costa Rica. Thank you very much again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2020
Response from Manager. on 25 Jan 2021
Estimado huésped, muchas gracias por el puntaje. Nos complace le haya gustado su estadía.

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Business traveller, Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The staff was incredible!! They made us fell very welcomed. The food and drinks were also incredible, everyone was so nice but Luis stood out. Luis’s personality and suggestions almost made us stay an extra night.
Sunset from the front of the property
In the pool
View from breakfast
Kids pool
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020

8/10 Good

James, Vancouver BC

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful beaches to watch the sunset. It was nice swimming in the pool and relaxing poolside.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Response from GM on 10 Mar 2020
Thanks for all your kind comments, see you next time. Regards.