Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive

4.0 star property

Photo gallery for Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive

Aerial view
Minibar, in-room safe, desk, blackout curtains
4 outdoor pools, pool umbrellas, pool loungers
Reception
Jetted tub

Reviews

8.0 out of 10
Very good

Popular amenities

  • All-inclusive
  • Bar
  • Room service
  • Spa

Explore the area

Map
Playa Matapalo- Sardinal, Carrillo, Sardinal, Guanacaste
  • Diamante Eco Adventure Park
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Coco Beach
    ‪39 min drive‬
  • Ocotal Beach
    ‪43 min drive‬
  • Liberia (LIR-Daniel Oduber Intl.)
    ‪53 min drive‬

Room options

Junior Suite, Courtyard View (U)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Ocean View (E)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Ocean View (B2C-CA)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Suite, Jetted Tub, Ocean View (E)

  • 73 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Courtyard View (B2C-CA)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Garden View (B2C-CA)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Suite (Jacuzzi | C)

  • 73 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Garden View (B2C-US)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite (Superior (L))

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms (U)

  • 73 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 2 Double Beds

Suite, Jetted Tub, Ocean View (U)

  • 73 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Garden View (U)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms (C)

  • 73 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 2 Double Beds

Junior Suite (L)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Suite, Jetted Tub, Ocean View (B2C-US)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms (B2C-US)

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Suite, Jetted Tub, Ocean View (L)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Courtyard View (B2C-US)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Courtyard View (B2C-US)

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Garden View (B2C-US)

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Ocean View (B2C-US)

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Ocean View (L)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Double Beds

Junior Suite, Connecting Rooms (L)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms (L)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 2 Double Beds

Junior Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Ocean View (B2C-US)

  • Sleeps 6
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Connecting Rooms (Superior (L))

  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Ocean View (U)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Garden View (U)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Connecting Rooms, Courtyard View (B2C-CA)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Double Beds

Junior Suite, Connecting Rooms, Ocean View (B2C-CA)

  • Sleeps 6
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Double Beds

Junior Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Ocean View (U)

  • Sleeps 6
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Courtyard View (U)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Connecting Rooms, Garden View (B2C-CA)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Double Beds

Junior Suite, Garden View (E)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Courtyard View (E)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Ocean View (C)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms (B2C-CA)

  • 73 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Suite (Jacuzzi | B2C-CA)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Connecting Rooms, Ocean View (C)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Double Beds

Junior Suite, Courtyard View (C)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Connecting Rooms, Garden View (C)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Double Beds

Junior Suite, Garden View (C)

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds OR 1 King Bed

Junior Suite, Connecting Rooms, Courtyard View (C)

  • Sleeps 8
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Double Beds

Similar properties

About the area

El Ocotal

With a stay at Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive in Sardinal, you'll be on the beach, just a 2-minute walk from Diamante Eco Adventure Park and 7 minutes by foot from Playa Matapalo. .This all-inclusive property is 12.4 mi (20 km) from Flamingo Beach and 12.9 mi (20.8 km) from Coco Beach.

What's nearby

  • Diamante Eco Adventure Park - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Playa Matapalo - 7 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Bahia Pez Vela Beach - 22 min drive - 11.3 km
  • Coco Beach - 39 min drive - 20.8 km
  • Ocotal Beach - 43 min drive - 23.2 km

Getting around

  • Daniel Oduber Intl. Airport (LIR) - 53 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Restaurante Arenal - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪Restaurante Ocotal - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪Sports Bar - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪Restaurante Liberia - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪Restaurante Papagayo - ‬5 min walk

About this property

Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive

Family-friendly property on the beach, with 4 outdoor pools
Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive offers 538 accommodations with minibars and laptop-compatible safes. Rooms open to balconies. Flat-screen televisions come with satellite channels. Bathrooms include shower/tub combinations, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers.

This Sardinal property provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones. Additionally, rooms include complimentary bottled water and coffee/tea makers. A nightly turndown service is provided and housekeeping is offered daily. Amenities available on request include change of towels. Housekeeping is provided on request.

4 outdoor swimming pools are on site along with a children's pool. Other recreational amenities include a complimentary water park, a sauna, and a 24-hour fitness center.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Guests can indulge in a pampering treatment at the property's full-service spa, Renova Spa. Services include facials and body scrubs. The spa is equipped with a hot tub and a steam room. Guests under 17 years old are not allowed in the spa.
Make yourself at home in one of the 538 guestrooms featuring minibars and flat-screen televisions. Rooms have private balconies. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages and facials. You're sure to appreciate the recreational amenities, which include 4 outdoor swimming pools, a nightclub, and a complimentary water park. Additional amenities at this Art Deco property include complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and gift shops/newsstands.
This property is all inclusive. Rates include meals and beverages at onsite dining establishments. Charges may be applied for dining at some restaurants, special dinners and dishes, some beverages, and other amenities.

Grab a bite to eat at one of the property's 4 restaurants, or stay in and take advantage of the 24-hour room service. Snacks are also available at the coffee shop/cafe. Unwind at the end of the day with a drink at the bar/lounge or the poolside bar. A complimentary buffet breakfast is served daily from 7 AM to 10:30 AM.

Featured amenities include limo/town car service, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a 24-hour front desk. Free self parking is available onsite.
A complimentary buffet breakfast is served each morning between 7 AM and 10:30 AM.
Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive has 4 restaurants on site.
A complimentary grocery shopping service is offered and 24-hour room service is available.

All-inclusive details

This property is all-inclusive. Onsite food and beverages are included in the room price (some restrictions may apply).

Food and beverages

All buffet and à la carte meals, snacks, and beverages included
In-room minibar (all beverages included)
In-room liquor dispensers

Water activities

Kayaking
Rowing/canoeing
Surfing/body boarding

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Limo/town car service
  • Free self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Free buffet breakfast available daily 7 AM to 10:30 AM
  • 4 restaurants
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A poolside bar
  • A swim-up bar
  • Coffee and tea in common areas
  • Snack bar/deli

Things to do

  • 24-hour gym
  • 4 outdoor pools
  • Beach volleyball
  • Bicycle storage
  • Children's pool
  • Fitness classes
  • Free water park
  • Full-service spa
  • Kayaking
  • Nightclub
  • Playground
  • Sauna
  • Snorkelling
  • Steam room
  • Tennis
  • TV in common areas
  • Waterslide
  • Windsurfing

Family friendly

  • 4 outdoor pools
  • Children's pool
  • Free supervised activities for children
  • Free water park access
  • Grocery/convenience store
  • Living room
  • Playground
  • Snack bar/deli
  • Waterslide

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • ATM
  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Grocery/convenience store
  • Hair salon
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Change of towels on request
  • Concierge services
  • Dry cleaning/laundry service
  • Free grocery shopping service
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Porter/bellhop
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Turndown service

Outdoors

  • Beach loungers
  • Beach towels
  • Garden
  • On the beach
  • Pool loungers
  • Pool umbrellas
  • Terrace

Full-service spa

  • Body scrubs
  • Facials
  • Hot tub
  • Massage
  • Steam room

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Lift
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible gym
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible pool
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
  • Wheelchair-accessible spa

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Blackout drapes

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower/bathtub combination
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with satellite channels

Food and drink

  • 24-hour room service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Minibar

More

  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Bulk dispensers for toiletries
  • Ceiling fan
  • Desk
  • Eco-friendly toiletries
  • Energy-saving switches in guestrooms
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laptop-compatible safe
  • LED lighting
  • Living room
  • Phone
  • Water-efficient showers

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 11:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property
This property does not permit name changes on reservations. The name on the booking must match the name of the guest who is checking in and staying at the property; photo ID is required.

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available

Payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Minimum Spring Break check-in age is 21 years old
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
This property uses a grey water recycling system
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property
Guests under 17 years old are not allowed in the spa

Property is also known as

Costa Rica Hotel Riu
Costa Rica Hotel Riu Palace
Costa Rica Palace
Hotel Riu
Hotel Riu Costa Rica
Hotel Riu Costa Rica All Inclusive
Hotel Riu Palace
Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica All Inclusive
Palace Costa Rica
Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica All Inclusive El Ocotal
Riu Palace Costa Rica El Ocotal
Riu Palace Costa Rica
Riu Palace Costa Rica All Inclusive El Ocotal
Riu Costa Rica Inclusive Ocot
Riu Palace Costa Rica All Inclusive
Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica All Inclusive
Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive Sardinal

Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica - All Inclusive Reviews

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 507 out of 1119 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 293 out of 1119 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 171 out of 1119 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 82 out of 1119 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 66 out of 1119 reviews

8.4/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Rachana

Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Samantha

Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

Javier

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024

4/10 Poor

LaChiara

Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

Sheida

Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Highly recommend this place especially for anyone who is celiac and especially for kids who are celiac. Staff were super friendly & helpful, excellent food, lots of activities on the go, fun water slides only a 5 min walk from the resort. My daughter is 9 and is celiac. When checking in I told them about her "gluten allergy", they immediately gave us a paper where any allergies are documented and our room number and told us to take it to any restaurant we ate at. She's super picky with food, we can't say enough good things about David & Monica, they're staff managers & dressed in black. They asked her what she wanted and would go and talk to the chef or the chef would come out. She had chicken nuggets, fries, pancakes, hashbrowns, sushi (loves avocado/cucumber rolls), bacon, chips & guac...lots of fruit, veggies, salads & various deserts. They could have made her more food like chicken, fish dishes etc. but she's picky. When I asked them if they had muffins, they brought out sealed little lemon muffins (so yummy!) & little sealed packages of mini gf bread. She was so happy to have food she could eat! It takes a little longer obviously so give yourself some extra time to wait for the food. They also told us if she didn't like anything at the other restaurants that she could have food from the buffet and bring it over to the other places we wanted to eat at. We did the zipline, animal sanctuary & snorkeling tour (Planet Dolphin tours) We love this resort & will be back!
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Patricia, Lecanto

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It was convenient. Food not that good. No restaurant to take a direct breakfast order everything came off buffets even in Italian rest same food that was everywhere
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Alberto ramos

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2024

2/10 Terrible

Jorge

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I was recently at Riu Palace for 7 days and here is my experience: I don’t write many reviews but felt it would help visitors. The location is great and food was great. The room was very outdated and facility is in rough shape. I can understand it needs updating but I would say the rooms were not considered luxury and spa was outdated many things weren’t functioning. The staff was great but I would say the room smelled and felt like a motel not resort vibes at all. I would consider a different option as it almost ruined our vacation.
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

Micki

Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

Christina M

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service
Great staff and service, beautiful grounds and landscaping, the pools are awesome, the beach is awesome, the food was average but good. The only negative was the room. Totally outdated, our room was way too small for 2 adults and 2 teenage boys, boys could not fit in the pull-out bed together and There was a bathtub in the middle of the room with no encloser. Very bizarre! We give the room a 1 star the rest of the resort a 4 star.
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Wanda

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property was very nice, the staff was excellent very nice and friendly. Walks on the beach the locals were very nice as well. The only issue is the keys to my room never worked. I had to visit the front desk every time we left our room which made it very annoying.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service

USD Credits was unclear

Although most Riu hotel chains are generally good and offer decent services, unfortunately, on the first and second days, due to overcrowding, we did not experience any proper service or good food. However, on the last day, the service and food slightly improved. My main issue, however, was that the hotel reservation included a dollars credit, which initially made us very happy. But due to their tricks and unreasonable explanations, despite our persistent follow-ups, we were unable to use it. We left the hotel with a very bad memory, and the money we paid, along with the unused credit, was not worth it.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jose Refugio

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Weather very nice service excellent
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lydia

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We had a wonderful stay. The staff were polite and very friendly. Great service. I would definitely recommend staying here for an easy beautiful vacation.
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Treasure Leticia

Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024

4/10 Poor

Zinry

Business traveller, Travelled with group
Liked: Amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness
I had even blood in the furniture of my room . The smell was very strong at humidity
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Stephen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Comfortable and relaxing. Only downside, lots of Wi-fi issues, didn't trust using it.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

MIJUNG

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

10/10 Excellent

Christine

Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2024

2/10 Terrible

Mahshid

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Bijan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
This resort is marketed as 5 star. The food is decent with good variety but in too many cases lack both flavour or quality. The seafood tastes very fishy. Staff are nice but service is ordinary. The entertainment was also decent in most nights. The all inclusive package did not include the airport transportation which opens the guests to gauging by local taxis. The ocean-front rooms are so far from the ocean that only offer a distant, narrow and often partially obstructed view and are not worth the designation and extra cost. This resort should be marketed as 4 star max.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

OLHA

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2024

6/10 Okay

sui mei

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
The hotel rooms arw abit run down , need to be renovated soon. This hotel is quote far from all the excursions, take 1 to 2 hours to go
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2024