Barceló Tambor - All Inclusive

Didn’t like that we had to ask for everything in the dining area. Had to ask for water, coffee, utensils, and napkins. Simple English unknown. Had to ask for a fork 3 times before needing to point to one. Pool bar staff seemed uninterested in helping us and ignored us.

Our massage at the spa was cancelled twice without notice. Staff is kind, but expect to get your own drinks when at the buffet since waiter service is limited at the eating locations, which is different than our other experiences.

The hotel was just okay. The food was not particularly good, and the cocktails were also lacking.

Great for the location, but old facilities The location of the hotel is absolutely amazing, along the Tambor bay. However, the rooms were very old and the buffet quality average.

Disappointing & poorly run. Only book if v cheap! Lovely location and good facilities but poorly run. - You queue to check in, you queue to eat, you queue to get a drink, you queue to report problems to reception. Why you need to get up before 7a.m. to queue to reserve an a la carte restaurant makes no sense. - There was no running water for 12 hours during our stay. No explanation and no sight of the hotel management. - Tambor beach is lovely, but remote. There is little phone coverage and the hotel wi-fi is pathetic. - Not sure why the children’s entertainment at 8pm is turned up with such amplification so you get the full audio experience of the Okey Kokey whilst eating in the restaurant. On the positive side the beach is gorgeous and the hotel itself and rooms are good. Especially impressive are the food & beverage staff who must fight what verges on a losing battle all day supplying food & drink for all the guests.

Disappointing Stay Our stay at Barcelo Tambor was a major letdown. The resort is old and in disrepair—our mattress was literally coming apart at the seams, the bed was uncomfortable, and the pillows were lumpy. Housekeeping was nonexistent for three days, and despite asking four times, we never got clean towels. Requests took days to be answered. The food was disappointing—overcooked, fatty meat, and very limited options. The only decent reservation restaurant was the seafood/steakhouse. Otherwise, I stuck to fruit, salad, and rice and beans. Room service isn’t included, and even basic activities like playing pool cost extra. The resort was overcrowded with kids, even in bar areas, and personal space was not respected. Almost all guests were locals, and no employees spoke English except at check-in. If you don’t speak Spanish, this is not the place for you. Getting there was a hassle—we flew into San José, had to rent a car, take a ferry, and drive even more. Shuttles are an option but are longer & expensive. There’s not much nearby, though we did enjoy visiting Montezuma’s waterfall and swimming in the bioluminescence. Entertainment was subpar, resort was loud/party-club music til 1-3 am each day, drinks were only decent if you paid for premium, and overall, the experience was frustrating. I’ve stayed at many all-inclusive resorts, and this was by far the worst. I loved Costa Rica when we visited Liberia, but after this, I have no desire to return. Would not recommend.