Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Guest Reviews from Our Customers

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

6209 reviews

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  Love Costa Rica, this Secrets resort was very disappointing.

  Run down facility, poor service except for the spa which I would give a 10. Food and beverages hit and miss. Staff either very friendly or acted like they were doing you a favor. Pool run down with missing tiles, beach not worth visiting. Won't go back.

  Sep 06, 2026
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  Great classes

  Dalay has been amazing with the Spanish class as well as the bracelet making. Enjoyed my experience!!!

  Sep 05, 2026
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  Wonderful time in Costa Rica

  We completely enjoyed our stay at Secrets Papagayo. The check-in process was easy and everyone there was very welcoming. The shuttle drivers are amazing and they will even remember your room number by mid week! I never had to wait long for a shuttle except for maybe one or two times. They were very prompt but then again we went during the off-season. We were able to get into restaurants and seated immediately. The pools were never very crowded. So if you don’t like long wait times, I suggest going between July and October. It will be a little warmer than normal, but they do have nice breezes that come off the cove. Our only critique was the spa pool. It was very peaceful, which was nice. But it only had ladders to climb in and out instead of steps or beach type entry like the main pool areas. It made it difficult for some, plus only one of 3 ladders had 3 steps. The two others were missing stairs. Not many used the beach. In fact, we only saw one in the water. Beach is great to walk during low tide and get your feet wet. It’s not really the best swimming beach. Many go off-site for beach swimming. Most stayed at the pools. The swim up bar is great! Kudos to the activities team as they worked really hard to ensure everyone was looked after and had a good time. Some notes: - The water in Costa Rica is safe to drink, They have sophisticated water treatment plants. - Low tide is in the morning until about 11am when the breezes kick up. During low tide, you can walk from the main beach to the spa beach w/o a shuttle ride. - The resort has 110 standard electrical outlets. No converter necessary. - Everywhere we went, American currency was accepted. No need to get exchange money. - Bring extra ‘tip’ money. We found that sometimes your tour guides will have drivers who should also get tipped. Also, the river boat ride captain is not your tour guide. So he should get tipped. Often on the tours, your guides are not your original tour guide. So many take part in the tours. Just FYI. - Even though tips included in the all-inclusive resort, please tip extra at dinner, etc. Many did. Also bartenders and cleaning staff. Everyone here worked so hard and the resort was very clean and kept up. - Suggest using Uber to travel to nearby towns for shopping and beaches. It was about $20 one way to Coco Beach. Hopefully you get Christopher! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and off-season was the way to go! We highly recommend!

  Sep 04, 2026
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  Awesome!

  We enjoyed our time here! This was our first time at an all inclusive and we enjoyed ourselves immensely! We did an all day excursion that was a lot of fun also!

  Sep 03, 2026
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  Overall, beautiful and relaxing and just what I needed

  I arrived at Secrets Papagayo for a five day stay; it was for my birthday. Upon arrival, my first impression was how beautiful the property and the surrounding landscape was. I was immediately greeted and didn't have to wait more than a few minutes before being shuttled to the Preferred lounge for check in. My room was 128, which was down low near the pool, entertainment and restaurants. I would not have wanted to be up in the 400 section; the property is extremely hilly to try and walk. They did have shuttles available, but had to generally wait a few minutes for them to get to you. You have to understand the property is 60 years old so it may not seem like five star resorts or other Secrets resorts you've visited in other locations, but for what it lacks in luxury and sparkle, it makes up for with personality and it's jungle surroundings. My room was as expected. I had plenty of room and it was very clean. The view from my deck was amazing. The main pool area was beautiful and all the staff were very nice. Shout out to Randy who was one of the bar tenders. He was always so friendly, went out of his way to say hello and made great drinks. The entertainment staff were all very friendly and did a good job with activities during the day. I didn't think the main pool was loud, but if you want nothing but quiet, go to the pool by the spa. There's nothing going on there. The over all experience I would say was relaxing. I picked this resort over RIU and Planet Hollywood because I wanted more chill and less party. It was just what the doctor ordered. As far as food; it was just okay with some things being better than others. The market cafe had great breakfast and an omelette station. The seaside grill had a decent lunch menu. For dinner, The asian restaurant and habachi were good. The Itallian restaurant wasn't very good. The menu variety and quality of food was just mid. Room service food wasn't good. I ordered a roast beef panini and got a fatty piece of flank steak on a hoagie roll with a slice of tomato soaked in aus jus. It fell apart when I picked it up and the taste wasn't good. I couldn't eat it. I wasn't there for the food, but would say overall, it wasn't as good as what you'd even get on a Carnival cruise. Overall I would say I had a positive experience and my goal for going was to experience the beautiful Costa Rica landscape and relax. If that's your goal, Secrets Papagayo is a great place to be. If you think you're getting a Secrets you've stayed at in the DR or Cancun, may wanna rethink your arrangements.

  Sep 03, 2026