Doubletree By Hilton Central Pacific - All Inclusive

What People are saying

Nothing Special

D-Leader on 17/06/2017 15:20

We spent four nights here in June. It is nice, with beautiful palm trees and tiki huts, but nothing special. It seems to be an older resort, in need of upgrading. There was some peeling paint, and the rooms are just adequate. They lacked power outlets, so charging multiple devices each day was an effort. The WiFi was very spotty.

The main buffet was fine. Each evening they had a different theme for dinner, and some of the selections were very good. Many were average. They do have two specialty restaurants that require advance reservations. Those were quite good. The seafood restaurant had a nice selection of fish and other seafood, and it was well-cooked and presented very nicely. The Latin American restaurant was our favorite. The food was delicious, and the setting and presentation were beautiful.

The staff were generally friendly and helpful. However we had an issue at the front desk. We were expecting a package to be delivered by the postal service. We notified the people in reception several days in a row that it was coming, and to please accept it or let us know. The postal service tried twice to deliver it, but the resort would never accept the package. Just before heading to the airport we had to drive to the post office in Puntarenas to pick up the package.

In all, it is not a bad resort, but there are better choices available.

Okay...I guess

Amanda H on 14/06/2017 19:10

I read other reviews before we visited so I wasn't totally shocked. Like other reviews, I'll agree that the quality of the rooms was poor and the food was especially disappointing. The food was bland, overall, and not great quality. I expected more from Doubletree, but it looks like they forgot about this place. The staff, however, is excellent. OH, and if you're sensitive to heat but still want to visit Costa RIca, this is not the place for you. There are no areas of reprieve from the heat besides your room. Everything is open air-and little breeze to push the heat around. They might want to consider enclosing some of the restaurants to make them more comfortable.

Classic all inclusive

Dunners21 on 11/06/2017 19:28

We stayed for 3 nights at the end of May. It is like virtually all the all inclusives I have stayed at. Nothing major bad. Rooms are spacious and good bed, service good all round, but food only OK. Not bad, but just seems the same each day. We stayed as Premium guests in building 3 and that is most definately an advantage. Quiet pool and attentive staff. 100% worth the upgrade. One shout out worth making is we arrived late but security spotted I had left an internal car light on and the hotel found us to tell us. That is a quality touch. Thank you.

Not up to Hilton's standards

GodsGirlforever on 10/06/2017 23:33

We stayed at the Doubletree Resort by HIlton in Puntarenas in mid-April 2017. The positives were that the hotel rooms were clean; the sheets, towels and complimentary toiletries were very nice; the bed was comfortable and the outdoor grounds were very well kept. The food was nicely prepared, tasty and there was a very vast variety for each meal. All alcoholic beverages were included with your resort pricing so it was fun to try a couple of new exotic drinks. And, last of all, the staff overall was kind, helpful and personable.
Now the negatives:
The room and corridor maintenance was not up to Hilton's reputation. Almost every door casing near the floor had moisture damage which was unsightly, the light switch plates and electrical outlets were often poorly attached to the wall and one electrical outlet had wires hanging out so I was afraid to plug my phone charger into it. Many of the bathroom fixtures were hung crooked and the repainting of the outside of the room doors looked like a 5 year old had done the painting.
Additionally, the air conditioning had issues. The room below ours apparently had its vent directed towards our floor and it kept an area of our floor was so cold that it was constantly wet due to condensation from the humidity. It was so wet, in fact, that at first we thought we had a water leak since it was near the wet bar. That 8x5 foot area required that we keep bath towels down for fear of slipping and falling. We had a maid come in to mop the area and she was completely unsurprised by the wet floor. In fact, she suggested keeping our air conditioner at a cooler setting but this would have made our room uncomfortably cold.
The other issue was that while Hilton left a paper with rules of conduct in our room which declared quiet times from 11 PM to 8 AM, the hotel itself did NOT abide by the rules. An outdoor bar area had a band playing until 12:30 AM two different nights which made sleeping very difficult and a problem since we had 8 AM tours. The staff finally did accommodate us after much debate and move us to another area of the resort.
Finally, unless you are a Hilton Honors member (which we were) you had to pay $10 a day for in-room internet access. But, you could get it free while in the lobby.
All in all, we would not recommend this resort until they do a better job of maintenance and give free internet to everyone.

Entirely Fair Value

P F on 08/06/2017 20:46

Just back from 4 nights. I was concerned going in having read some bad reviews here but now, having been there, realize that some folks just have unrealistic expectations. We paid $250 a night for the top floor of Building 3 (the new building), room directly overlooking the beach. This plus all-inclusive, as much as you want to eat or drink is simply outstanding value for money. Can you do better - yes, but not at that price within an hour of San Jose. Building 3 (Premium) is worth the upgrade, there were rarely more than 6-7 people in the pool, sometimes none at all. Area was quiet with plenty of room to lay out or find shade. You GET what you PAY FOR, it's that simple. When we arrived we were ushered to private check-in at building 3 and handed a glass of Champagne - hard to argue with that. We were contacted by the concierge ahead of arrival to book restaurants also. Yes, I'm a Gold Hilton Honors member... and they look after their regulars.

Food-wise, expect cruise ship quality or thereabouts, not remarkable but you will not starve to death, there were plenty of options and a pretty impressive salad/fruit selection. It is what it is - mass catering, cruise ship style. You want Silver-Service and cordon bleu, try the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong or Claridges but don't expect all inclusive for $250! Drinks were measured, not strong - HAVE TWO! Beer and wine flow freely :o)

The resort is very popular with Costa Ricans at weekends... that tells you it's great value for money. Personally we found the local clientele to be just like us - hard working people who wanted a well deserved break and to enjoy the sun, the pool and an open bar. We could not fault the staff.

The beach is good for a long walk but little else, sand is dark and surf churns it up to create muddy looking water. The pools are outstanding and... well the ocean doesn't have a swim-up bar!

We used Tiquicia Tours (Greivin) at the pier for our transfers and a trip to Manuel Antonio. Greivin is HIGHLY responsive via email and an all-around good honest guy, he delivered on every promise, is cheaper than Arenas Tours inside the hotel and we had a lovely time in his safe hands - highly recommended.

So, go in with realistic expectations and you will enjoy it, pay the little extra to be in building 3 and you pretty much guarantee it. You want a deserted beach, low-occupancy, 5 star food and Champagne poured at your sun-lounger, try Hayman Island in the Whitsundays for $1000 a night. Or go to Costa Rica, eat, drink and be merry at the Doubletree for $250 and let Greivin show you his country. Entirely fair value for money IMHO.