My husband and I stayed at the Occidental Grand for one week Jan. 26 - Feb. 2 for our honeymoon and we had a wonderful time! I was worried prior to our arrival due to the many negative reviews on tripadvisor, but I found that most of the bad reviews had only minor truths and were blown way out of proportion.
We arrived at about 6pm and check in was a breeze. We were immediately offered a welcome drink of the most delicious fresh fruit juice I have ever tasted. This juice became my staple for the next week as I have never tasted anything like it. Yum! The only think I hated was the fact that everyone had to wear a plastic wristband to identify the package that you had paid for. I had mine put on loosely so I could remove it for sleeping and showering. Our bags were taken to our room for us within an hour of check in. We were in building 21 which was actually very close to the pool, bar and the main building and the beach. Just a short walk away so we never needed to use the shuttles but I know some buildings are quite a hike away. We had the Grand Romance package as it was our honeymoon, and our room was a little bungalow with ocean view and a huge private porch with lots of windows. The bathroom was renovated (the shower was a huge tiled walk in with a seat and glass doors, and we had granite countertops) but the toilet room was not and it was quite dark and had a smell due to the high humidity, but still usable. Our bed was not super comfortable, but it was a huge king size and we had ample pillows etc. We had heard from some people staying at the resort that they were shorted on towels but we always had an abundance of towels. Perhaps because we left the maid a tip of about $3 to $5 each day which is peanuts when you consider their wages are likely low. A little tip goes a long way here - and the staff is so accomodating and friendly that they are very deserving of a little reward.
Drinks were awesome - they would make whatever you wanted and if you didn't like it you could just try something else. I don't know why some reviews complain of watered down alcohol because I had to keep asking the staff to make the drinks not as strong. They will pour doubles, triples, whatever you want anyway. Edwin and Wilmer in the upstairs lounge were my two favorite bartenders! Always had a smile and remembered our names and favorite drinks. They did run out of certain brands during the week (Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and Malibu Coconut Rum) but they had a large variety of other stuff. Try the Colada Grande!
Food in the buffet was just ok - I really enjoyed my made to order omlette daily and the variety of cheeses, fresh baked breads and fruit as well. By the end of the week I was tired of eating there though and the meats were not great. The a la cartes are really good however, especially the Oriental. We had 2 dinners for the week, plus an extra romantic dinner with our Grand Romance package so got to try all three a la cartes. Definitely go for the tenderloin at the Oriental - amazingly delicious, and we had a special enclosed traditional japanese style room all to ourselves. The tortilla soup at the Grill is also very tasty. We never had a problem making reservations and usually went right before or right after breakfast as you have to make them for the same day between the hours of 8am - 11am. We had a meal at the Papagayo Seafood restaurant in Coco Beach and the cerviche was delicious. I would reccommend a trip to Coco Beach during your stay for good prices on shopping and a fun night life.
The power did go out one evening in some buildings for about 2 hours but the electric company came and fixed it right away. What can you expect...this is Central America. The daily activities were fun and varied if you wanted something to do without having to plan and pay for a whole day excursion (will discuss excursions in separate reviews). We also did snorkelling on the beach for $35 per person for two hours with a local in a blue boat and it was wonderful. Felt like I was in an aquarium I saw so many fish and other critters! Around the resort we had coatis, howler monkeys, various birds and lizzards, and also a really cute little stray kitten that I would sneak some food for most nights. He is super friendly!
Overall, this resort is a laid back atmosphere with mostly older adult couples (late twentys to retirement age) and almost no kids. Don't come here looking for a party scene unless you go to Coco Beach to one of the lounges. The resort is older and does need to be renovated, but I understand that they have started on some of the rooms. The resort is small and you will get bored if you don't have excursions booked for the week. If you are a super picky traveller and are expecting the advertised 4.5 stars it isn't here. I would rate the property 3 stars, but the staff bumped my review to 4 stars as they made my stay so memorable. On the plane ride home, I heard many people complaining about their stay at the sister resort (Allegro Papagayo) so I would give the Occident Grand a try if you don't want to pay the obscene prices at the Hilton, Four Seasons or the Westin. All in all it was a wonderful vacation and the Costa Rican people and countryside cannot be beat!
Room Tip: Buildings 1 and 2 are right by the pool and will be noisy.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
