The resort is close to Liberia airport... but too remote without a car rental. Accommodations are located on high hills while 'the' restaurant is at ground level. Shuttle van is sporadic. Howler monkeys screech all day & night.

DO NOT plan your trip in late April...which is the beginning of rainy season with high humidity levels...it's a breeding and biting ground for no-see-em sand flies and insects.
Myself & other guests had over 300 insect bites to our bodies which festered and blistered into sores by week's end.

The owners at that time were in property disputes and very short of operational cash as well. Staff does not speak English.

The all-inclusive Papagayo Hilton- next door or Cocoa Beach area is a better bet...

Our family was one of the unfortnate ones that stayed in that horrible place ,that should not be offerd as a resort,it's a dump!

I am one of the unfortunate ones that ended up at this hotel. All the reviews that say: oh, this hotel was excellent, or perfect. Well guess what, they don't know what they are saying. If you booked for this hotel, unbook it before it is too late. At this time i would start talking about how my experiance was. But the truth is that simple words can not comprehend how bad this hotel was. So this is a warning. If you still go without believeing me, don't go with the thought of it being a 3 and a half star hotel as it says on many websites. It deserves 0.

My husband and I, along with another couple, stayed at the Giardini di Papagayo June 14-21. Unlike some of the earlier reviews, we had no problems at check-in and were even allowed to check in a bit early. The room was small but adequate for us as we were gone a lot of the time on tours. The view was breathtaking from our balcony which overlooked the bay. We appreciated the shuttle which was dependable and prompt 90% of the time.
The staff was extremely friendly and helpful which is amazing as we learned that the absentee owner had not paid the staff in a month. There was talk that the staff was going to walk off the property in protest but they never did. We could not have asked for a nicer staff and only wish the owner was as concerned about the guests as the staff were.
We used the tour guides at the hotel (Jose and MIguel) and felt they did a great job. Both are native Costa Ricans and were a wealth of information about their beautiful country.
The food was served in an open air area beside the pool and bar area. It mostly consisted of typical Costa Rican food -- rice and beans, fried plantains, sweet potatoes, some chicken and beef. It was adequate but repetitive. We were disappointed at the lack of fresh fruit and fish. Again, I do believe the staff was doing the very best they could with the limited resources they were given by the owner.
All in all, we enjoyed our time there due to the great tours we took, the friendly staff, the new friends we made, the beautiful area around the resort and the howler monkeys that awoke us in the morning. We found the staff to be committed and dedicated but feel the owner should be ashamed of herself. She has an excellent staff and a property with great potential but either because she will not or cannot provide the resources necessary, both the staff and guests are suffering.