Imagine falling asleep to the soothing sound of waves gently crashing upon the shore just outside your window. Imagine waking up to the tranquil sound of exotic birds calling from your balcony. Imagine a breakfast buffet full of exotic fruits and juices, mouthwatering pastries, and an enormous assortment of hot delights, with a delicious smell which wafts through the entire resort.
Swim up bars, a secluded beach, nightly entertainment and a midnight lounge with dance music; you’re imagining paradise.
Our stay at the Doubletree Resort by Hilton Central Pacific was nothing short of phenomenal.
We walked the beach each morning, with camera’s at the ready to catch the range of wildlife roaming the grounds, packed our days full of adventurous activities from ziplining, to crocodile tours of the Tarcoles river, quad biking through the Costa Rican backcountry, surfing lessons, hiking into volcanic craters, mud baths, horseback riding, and jungle trekking, and sipped cocktails by the pool in the evening watching the sun set in a spectacular fashion over the Gulf of Nicoya.
We relaxed in the hotel hammocks, enjoyed the fact that kids swimming pools were separated from the adults, and enjoyed the tropical oasis that is the Heliconia Spa.
I’m not ashamed to admit my undying love for a Costa Rican woman named Katia who is phenomenally skilled at massage! I should also admit my undying love for the wonderful front desk staff who kept providing me with warm DoubleTree cookies every time I passed the desk.
With enough activities and amenities onsite to fill a full week, we were impressed that the staff encouraged you to spend time offsite, experiencing the real Costa Rica. And with the strategic location of the resort, it wasn’t difficult accessing the main attractions you specifically fly to Costa Rica to see.
An all inclusive resort, rooms start from $89 per person depending on season. We were interested to discover the main clientele at the resort were locals who had traveled from all corners of Costa Rica to enjoy a relaxing retreat.
Tips For Staying At The Resort:
If you’re heading off site, head off site for the whole day and relax at the resort the following day. The resort is all inclusive, so take advantage of the fact that your meals are included.
The resort is all inclusive, however you can pay for extras (like the gift shop) and tip for exceptional service in American Dollars. USD is accepted widely throughout Costa Rica, and often actually encouraged.
If you’re adventurous, and spending a day onsite, make use of the kayaks and canoes! Hardly anybody was taking advantage of this facility while we were there.
Pacific Central Surf & Adventure operate affordable surf lessons and quad bike tours right on the hotel beach. Talk to the front desk about including this in your package if it’s something you’re interested in.
Arenas Travel have their office directly opposite the hotel, and run absolutely fantastic day tours for the surrounding region. We booked all of our day tours with them because they were #1 rated on Tripadvisor. We booked a private (English speaking) driver, however they also run affordable group tours and trips.
Sign up for the Hilton Honors program before you stay. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to accumulate points which can be used towards future free stays and rewards.
We traveled on behalf of Doubletree by Hilton DTour; a whole new way to plan – and share – your travels. We were hosted by Doubletree by Hilton Resort Central Pacific.
6 Comments
This looks and sounds like a truly amazing resort. That list of activities would keep me more than busy for a very long time.
All inclusive too sounds perfect. I dare say the food was good too. That is always a risk with all inclusive, you can commit yourself to something which isn’t worth it.
Mind you, from my experience Hilton do strive to provide quality no matter which branding they use.
It really was a fantastic experience. The food was pretty great – huge selection of both local and international cuisine. We got really lucky with the resort – everything was perfect!
I’m a very big fan of Hilton Hotels – you can’t seem to ever really go wrong!
Looks like such a great hotel!! I love all the activities available–they sound fun, and I like that the staff encouraged you to get off site as well! I would definitely like to stay there one day!
It was a great experience – the activity selection really was awesome!
I’ve read that this place is more catered towards locals and not many tourists use this hotel. I also heard that English wasn’t very well understood here. Was this your experience? I’m going later this month.
Hi Aaron, yes a lot of the other guests during our stay were local Costa Ricans; though I don’t think that really changes the experience you would expect as a tourist. If anything it makes you feel more immersed in the country surrounded by local people.
The hotel has all the regular amenities you would expect as an international tourist, and the hotel staff we interacted with all spoke English without trouble, so it was fine.
Have a great time!