Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
A few months ago, we spent a few nights at the 181-key Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo. I had never been to Costa Rica before, so I was looking forward to visiting a new country, and experiencing this resort, given that I had heard quite a bit about it, along with the overall Peninsula Papagayo area.
Our trip to Costa Rica (and specifically Peninsula Papagayo) exceeded my expectations — Costa Ricans are incredibly friendly, and the country is also known for being safe, even outside of resort compounds (it’s also why there are so many expat communities in the country, as many people choose to move here for the quality of life and value).
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Four Seasons Costa Rica, in terms of how it compares to resorts in Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, etc. I was pleased to find that it is a unique destination that’s unlike any of those, and I think it’s one that many people will enjoy. Let’s get into the review.
In this post:
Booking the Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
First let me say that in the interest of full disclosure, Ford is a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisor, and won a three-night stay here as part of an incentive program that Four Seasons has. So our room was complimentary, though we paid for incidentals.
Opinions expressed are my own, and of course you’re welcome to skip this review if these kinds of hotels aren’t up your alley.
With that out of the way, for the dates of our stay in December, the rate would have been around $1,500 per night before taxes and fees. For what it’s worth, the nearby Andaz was retailing for just over $1,000 per night. There’s quite a bit of seasonal variance with rates at the property, with the highest season being around December through May, give or take.
The best way to book any Four Seasons hotel is through a travel advisor affiliated with the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program. When booking through Preferred Partner you pay the same rate you’ll find directly on Four Seasons’ website, but you’ll receive extra perks, including the following:
- A room upgrade, subject to availability
- Complimentary daily breakfast
- A hotel credit to use during your stay
Four Seasons Preferred Partner is generally combinable with promotions being offered directly through Four Seasons, including advance purchase rates, free night offers, and more. Ford is happy to help book Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner, and can be reached at [email protected].
Note that booking Four Seasons properties through Preferred Partner is better than booking through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. Why?
- With Preferred Partner, you have the option of room service breakfast in place of restaurant breakfast
- Upgrades are prioritized for Preferred Partner bookings, given that it’s Four Seasons’ own proprietary program (and the value of an upgrade can be significant)
- You can combine Preferred Partner perks with virtually any rate on Four Seasons’ website (other programs don’t allow you to stack promotions in the same way)
You can’t beat getting all of these extra perks just for booking through an eligible travel advisor. Note that Preferred Partner bookings can also be made for the Four Seasons Private Retreats at the property, which consist of villas that can be booked by the night.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo location
The closest major airport to Peninsula Papagayo is Liberia Guanacaste Airport (LIR), which has several daily nonstop flights from destinations across the United States and beyond. From Miami, it was an easy two-hour nonstop flight for us.
From the airport to Peninsula Papagayo is a roughly 40-minute drive. You can either use a car service (through the hotel or through a third party), or you can rent a car, as driving in Costa Rica is pretty easy.
Peninsula Papagayo is a pretty secluded 1,400-acre compound, which has some amazing geography, as it consists of a private peninsula (as the name suggests). Admittedly there are pros and cons to this setup. On the plus side, it’s incredibly safe and feels private, though also don’t go here expecting that you’ll just walk out of the hotel and be in a vibrant town after a short walk. In that sense, it perhaps feels a bit like Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve, or the Four Seasons Punta Mita.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo layout & lobby
Upon arriving at the resort, we were welcomed by the friendly bellmen, and escorted into the beautiful open-air lobby. I love these kinds of spaces, which combine the comforts of being inside with the breeze of being outside.
The lobby has plenty of seating, so we were invited to sit down while check-in formalities occurred, and we were offered both fresh coconut juice and refreshing towels.
In the lobby you’ll also find complimentary coffee and tea each morning. I love how Four Seasons consistently offers this as a brand standard.
At the conclusion of our check-in, we were given a tour of the property on a golf cart, and then brought to our room.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo suite
The Four Seasons Costa Rica is quite a sprawling property. Most of the standard guest rooms are in two buildings near the main pools, so they’re right in the center of the action. There are three categories of rooms there — Terraza, Brisa, and Cielo — with the only difference being the view (Terraza is on the lowest floor, while Cielo is on the highest floor).
However, the other categories of rooms are spread out across the property. We were assigned room 1421, a Canopy Plunge Pool Suite. This was about a five minute (steep uphill) walk from the main part of the resort. Of course you can always call reception and they’ll send a golf cart, but it was nice to get some steps in. I also loved the lush greenery, and the nature sounds, from birds chirping to waves crashing.
Upon entering the exterior door to the suite, the plunge pool was located to the left, with a couple of daybeds, as well as a dining table with two chairs.
Once inside the suite, we found ourselves in the living room. This consisted of a couch and a chair facing a TV, as well as a dining table with four chairs.
The minibar was along the interior wall, and consisted of a coffee machine, a kettle, and a variety of drinks and snacks for purchase.
There was a lovely welcome amenity on the dining room table, consisting of a cheese plate, a bottle of white wine, a make-your-own margarita kit, and some nuts, fruit, and sweets.
Off the living room is a full bathroom, with a sink, toilet, and walk-in shower (and that’s in addition to the one off the bedroom). So this suite would be great for families, since the living room can be converted into a second bedroom space for a family.
A door separated the bedroom from the living room. The bedroom had a signature Four Seasons bed, which I find to be the most comfortable in the hotel industry. The bedroom also had another sitting area with a table, plus a TV.
The main bathroom was located off the bedroom, and had a sink, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet. The bathrooms definitely feel a bit less modern than the rest of the room, and I suspect that reflects that the hotel first opened in 2004, though did recently undergo a renovation. However, often minimal changes are made to bathrooms during renovations, and I suspect that’s what happened here. For example, I found it odd how there was a single sink rather than double sinks, especially in a suite.
Toiletries were from Natura Bisse, and were in reusable bottles.
The suite had a gorgeous view both of the lush trees around the property, as well as of the water in the distance.
The views were especially nice around sunrise and sunset.
Wi-Fi in the room was fast and free, and as you’d expect, there was twice daily housekeeping.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo pools
The Four Seasons Costa Rica has two main pools, located near the center of the resort. These are elevated and are located near a narrow part of the land, with beaches on both sides. The Blanca Pool is the lower of the two pools. The pool has plenty of seating around it, including lots of shade.
A few steps up from the Blanca Pool is the Bahia Pool. This is on the same level as many of the resort’s restaurants.
On top of that, there’s a pool with cabanas specifically for adults, which is probably the most picturesque pool at the resort.
The pools are beautiful during the day, but are even more gorgeous at night.
The resort has a huge hot tub, but that was closed for renovations during my visit. As is standard at Four Seasons, I appreciate how sunscreen is readily available, since that’s an area where many hotels gouge guests. Service around the pool was consistently attentive, and the pool attendants would help with setting up lounge chairs and bringing ice water.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo beaches
Thanks to the Four Seasons Costa Rica’s privileged location, it has two beaches, with one on each side of the resort’s three pools. The two beaches are named Playa Blanca and Playa Virador.
Playa Blanca is the more popular of the two beaches, and faces Culebra Bay. This is also where you’ll find the water sports center, and it’s also where you can rent everything from kayaks to paddle boards.
Meanwhile Playa Virador is on the other side, and faces the Pacific Ocean. This tends to be a bit quieter.
As you’d expect, the beaches are also especially pretty around sunrise and sunset, given that they’re roughly east and west facing.
Look, so Costa Rica isn’t the Turks & Caicos when it comes to having white sand beaches, so don’t expect that this will be like Grace Bay. However, Costa Rica isn’t really a pure beach destination, but rather the beach is part of a larger active vacation. The beach setup here is much more impressive than at the nearby Andaz, in my opinion (which we also briefly checked out).
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo spa & gym
Four Seasons properties are known for having amazing gyms, and the Costa Rica property is no exception. The property’s gym is located inside the spa, and can be accessed by guests 24/7.
The gym is super impressive. There’s an entire level dedicated to strength training, with everything from machines to free weights.
There’s another level dedicated to cardio, with treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and more.
For those who are into this, there’s even an outdoor area with cardio equipment.
Speaking of the spa, that’s quite impressive as well. The Four Seasons’ spa has 18 treatment rooms, as well hydrotherapy, a steam room, a relaxation area, and more. You can find all the spa treatments here — as you can see, there’s way more than massages, as there’s also everything from sound healing to an astrology birth chart reading (hah).
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo activities
A big selling point of Costa Rica in general, and in particular of Peninsula Papagayo, is the number of activities that are offered. It’s a bit different than a Caribbean vacation, where some people may just come to sit on the beach for a week.
At check-in you’re given an activities sheet showing everything that’s on offer during your stay. Many of the activities are included, while others come at an extra charge. I loved the number of scheduled activities, and we ended up going on a kayak tour, taking a coffee class, doing a rum tasting, and even did a sound healing.
There are all kinds of other activities that the resort can arrange, from a zipline adventure, to bird watching, to night walks. Also, I’m not a golfer, but the Four Seasons Costa Rica has an 18-hole golf course, which is well regarded.
Dining at Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
If you stay at the Four Seasons Costa Rica, expect that you’ll have most of your meals in the Peninsula Papagayo compound, given that there’s not all that much in the immediate area. Fortunately the Four Seasons has several great dining options. To briefly summarize those:
- Bahia is the resort’s all-day dining restaurant, featuring Costa Rican and international options
- Pesce is the resort’s Italian restaurant, and it’s open for dinner
- Nemare is the resort’s steakhouse, and it’s open for dinner
- Virador Beach Club is the resort’s pool restaurant that’s open for lunch and dinner, and it features Mediterranean flavors
- Añejo Tapas Bar is the resort’s bar, serving drinks and light snacks throughout the day
Let’s take a closer at each of these outlets.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo Bahia Restaurant
Bahia Restaurant is located immediately underneath the lobby and right by the pools, and it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is open air, and has a variety of seating options.
This is where breakfast is served each morning — the buffet is available from 6:30AM until 10:30AM, while a la carte dining is available from 6AM until 11AM. You can find the breakfast menu here. If you book through Four Seasons Preferred Partner, breakfast is included, whether you prefer the buffet or a la carte (or you can even opt for room service breakfast).
If you select the buffet, that includes coffee, tea, juice, and eggs made to order. The buffet was excellent quality, and included things like pastries, cereal, cold cuts, cheese, fruit, waffles, pancakes, french toast, scrambled eggs, all kinds of veggies and breakfast meat, empanadas, rice, etc.
Costa Rica is known for its amazing coffee, and the Four Seasons didn’t disappoint, as both the cappuccinos and iced coffees were exceptionally good.
From the a la carte selection, we also tried the Costa Rican breakfast, the avocado toast, and the açaí bowl.
I also loved their selection of local hot sauce…
We also had lunch at Bahia one day, and you can find the lunch menu here. We split the Costa Rican ceviche, the roasted cauliflower salad, and the chicken al pastor tacos.
We found the food to be excellent, both at breakfast and lunch.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo Pesce Restaurant
Pesce is the Italian restaurant located next to Bahia Restaurant, immediately underneath the lobby. It’s open nightly for dinner, from 6PM until 10PM, and you can find the menu here. The restaurant is beautifully appointed, and has both an indoor and outdoor seating area, with views of the beach and water in the distance.
Upon sitting down, we were presented with some olives and parmesan cheese, as well as a selection of freshly baked bread.
To start, we indulged in a fontina cheese, wild mushroom, and truffle paste pizza, which was sublime.
Then for our main courses, I had the branzino al cartoccio, while Ford had the pollo alla millanese primavera.
The food was excellent, and this was one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve been at in a secluded resort nowhere close to Italy.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo Nemare Restaurant
Nemare is the resort’s steakhouse, and it’s about a five minute golf cart ride from the Four Seasons, as it’s located by the golf club. It’s open nightly for dinner, from 6PM until 10PM, and you can find the menu here. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating, and since it was a beautiful evening, we sat outside.
At the start of the meal we were offered some ciabatta bread with mushroom butter. Yum.
As a starter, we split the tuna tartare, served on tapioca chips, with sweet and sour ginger and ponzu sauce, as well as the kale and grilled pear salad.
For main courses, we split the salmon with diced red pepper and cabbage and mango sauce, as well as the filet mignon.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo Virador Beach Club
Virador Beach Club is the resort’s Mediterranean restaurant that’s by the pool. It’s open daily from 11AM until 10PM, and you can find the menu here.
This restaurant is super casual and is outdoors and right on the beach, so you can stop here for a drink, a snack, or even a full meal. We didn’t have a chance to eat here, but the food looked great, and you can expect everything from hummus to Greek salads.
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo Añejo Tapas Bar
Añejo Tapas Bar is located immediately underneath the lobby, and is basically the social hub of the resort. It’s open daily from 6:30AM until 11:30PM, so you can come here for a cup of coffee, a pastry, a salad, or a cocktail, depending on the time of day. In the evenings, there’s even a DJ here some days. You can find the food menu here, and find the drink menu here.
Immediately next to Añejo Tapas Bar is La Reserva, which is the resort’s rum bar (and as part of the property’s activities, there are frequently tastings here).
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo service
Service at the Four Seasons Costa Rica was excellent across the board. Virtually everyone we interacted with was both friendly and professional. I suspect that comes down to two factors — Costa Rica in general has a very friendly and happy workforce, and then Four Seasons specifically does a great job hiring and retaining talent.
From the restaurants, to the pool staff, to the front office associates, we didn’t have a single bad service interaction on property.
Bottom line
The Four Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo is a fantastic resort, especially if you’re looking for an easy, active vacation from the United States. The resort has beautiful pools and beaches, a nice selection of high quality restaurants, impeccable service, and a vibe that generally feels different than other places people may vacation (whether it’s Mexico, or Hawaii, or Puerto Rico).
Admittedly there are a lot of places people from the United States can vacation without traveling so far, whether it’s the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, or Hawaii. Personally I think Costa Rica is ideal for those looking for an easy and active vacation that offers something for everyone, in a country with some of the friendliest people out there.
What do you make of the Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo?
Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
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$95 annual fee without being told in writing. ??? Nor right.
Opened a world of Hyatt chase credit card to save on the first booking, all false information plus a charge for no reason. Customer service in the Philippines basically said too bad, closing account , which will decrease my credit Fica score just because I am disputing the annual fee and no help what so ever regarding the Hyatt stay, false advertising to...
$95 annual fee without being told in writing. ??? Nor right.
Opened a world of Hyatt chase credit card to save on the first booking, all false information plus a charge for no reason. Customer service in the Philippines basically said too bad, closing account , which will decrease my credit Fica score just because I am disputing the annual fee and no help what so ever regarding the Hyatt stay, false advertising to the max. As a consumer with great credit, very dissatisfied, and disappointing.
Any other reviews coming up from that Costa Rica tripß
Thank you for the thorough review. It looks like a nice resort for guest who would like to stay inside the resort and do not care too much about the cost. For me Costa Rica has much more to offer. I enjoyed two road trips and stayed at local Eco lodges, highly recommend those. Specifically I enjoyed the Pacuare Lodge (raft in and out!) and Lapa Rios in the very south.
Regarding the authenticity of...
Thank you for the thorough review. It looks like a nice resort for guest who would like to stay inside the resort and do not care too much about the cost. For me Costa Rica has much more to offer. I enjoyed two road trips and stayed at local Eco lodges, highly recommend those. Specifically I enjoyed the Pacuare Lodge (raft in and out!) and Lapa Rios in the very south.
Regarding the authenticity of the review, Ben made it clear upfront that that stay was part of a price for travel advisors. One can be sure that they know who is coming, both the advisor who should have a great experience to refer future clients as well as a well known blogger. Likely the room upgrade the the extend of the welcome amenity (four different items, all very nice) may not reflect the typical upgrade experience. However I trust that all the options expressed are Ben's own.
Looks like a past its prime Four Seasons resort that charges way too much money. There are many much nicer places to stay for that amount of coin.
Ben: Please stop these comped reviews of Four Seasons. Your website says “All travel on this site is self-funded, and all airline and hotel reviews are done without notice or approval of the companies involved.” It also says “While we often enjoy the benefits of our earned elite status, we avoid press trips, and pay for all our own travel (with either cash or miles).” I pointed this out during your last comped Four Seasons...
Ben: Please stop these comped reviews of Four Seasons. Your website says “All travel on this site is self-funded, and all airline and hotel reviews are done without notice or approval of the companies involved.” It also says “While we often enjoy the benefits of our earned elite status, we avoid press trips, and pay for all our own travel (with either cash or miles).” I pointed this out during your last comped Four Seasons review and you ignored the comment, but you keep on doing it - blatantly lying to your readers.
I second that. I follow you since over a decade, but whilst I think that you are a very objective person at hart, having a husband who works in hospitality for a living and does so amongst others for Four Seasons, makes it near impossible in my eyes for you to be objective. I thus would also appreciate these Ford @ Four Seasons complimentary stays to be way more clearly labelled as such and better...
I second that. I follow you since over a decade, but whilst I think that you are a very objective person at hart, having a husband who works in hospitality for a living and does so amongst others for Four Seasons, makes it near impossible in my eyes for you to be objective. I thus would also appreciate these Ford @ Four Seasons complimentary stays to be way more clearly labelled as such and better still, make you clear things up as to the disclaimer of only self-funded travel you have on your website. To conclude, I initially didn't have an issue with these FS glowing reviews, thinking it was a well deserved and unique incentive for Ford, but now they seem to be too frequent for me to think they are fully neutral.
I live in the Peninsula with the Four Seasons. If you could ever get that room for 1500 you should take it and find a way to arbitrage it. Even in the depths of off-peak (October) it’s still 3k a night and in March, November and Dec you’re looking at 5-6k a night. Not to take anything away from the review or the property - just know you might get a regular room for 1500 but def not a canopy one bedroom with a plunge pool :)
Hang on here Lucky… I’m all for you staying places for free with disclosure. But looking at next January - this room is going for north of $9000/night! A far cry from the $1500 mentioned in your post…
Awesome review, Ben! We did Andaz off-peak award + Globalist benefits but spent some time (and had dinner) at the Four Seasons. There's a free shuttle to the Four Seasons from Andaz. Pretty incredible value to redeem points at the Andaz but still spend time at the Four Seasons.
Andaz feels like a better buy for me, but enlightening review! ($500 a night for a marginally better beach when neither are that special isn't worth it for me). In terms of four seasons, it's not the most luxurious.
Hi Ben! Thanks for writing this up! I was looking at this exact room category for a stay next February as it's the cheapest room with a private pool in the resort. Did you feel like this room is worth $6,100 a night to have access to the private pool? Or do you think it makes more sense to get a base room and take advantage of the public amenities available at the resort?
No room anywhere is ever worth $6000 per night.
Thank you for a well written review. We stayed there and had similar feelings. The walk though from the suites to the resort and back truly was great exercise. The howling monkeys and Quantis wandering the property were an unexpected treat.
I had to say something being I lived in Coco for 5 months and I still live full time in Costa Rica. The Resort was built in an area that has the dirtiest ocean water and beach areas in the country. Also, Coco (the nearest town) is old, dirty, and a huge white colony of angry white Americans and Canadians. This Resort isn’t even fully open yet and this review was purely to start to...
I had to say something being I lived in Coco for 5 months and I still live full time in Costa Rica. The Resort was built in an area that has the dirtiest ocean water and beach areas in the country. Also, Coco (the nearest town) is old, dirty, and a huge white colony of angry white Americans and Canadians. This Resort isn’t even fully open yet and this review was purely to start to get the word out and promote. I toured the resort and it is so overpriced and inflated for what it actually is. Out of all the 4 Seasons built around the world… this is a mediocre one and again… way overpriced. I’d write a good review too if I was her. What a joke!
The reviewer is a dude.
Great detailed review, Ben. And as always, excellent pictures.
Is it me or that bed looks pretty tiny for a suite?
@ Santastico -- Hah, it does look kind of small in the picture, but I think that's just because the bedroom was quite large. It was a standard king size bed.
Nice review, but too rich for me. Given that this was your first visit to the country and it is (still) a points/miles site, I would have preferred a review of the Andaz.
These 4 Seasons reviews are such a weird direction for this blog to go in. You stress on every flight review you do how we can trust you because you pay for your own flights and have no commercial relationships with any airline.
Then for these 4 Seasons reviews, that standard is thrown out the window.
Is Ford pushing you to include more 4 Seasons coverage in order to win more business for his...
These 4 Seasons reviews are such a weird direction for this blog to go in. You stress on every flight review you do how we can trust you because you pay for your own flights and have no commercial relationships with any airline.
Then for these 4 Seasons reviews, that standard is thrown out the window.
Is Ford pushing you to include more 4 Seasons coverage in order to win more business for his booking service? Surely you are making more money pushing credit cards than he would make on hotel commissions?
Maybe Ford could start his own sister blog "Four Seasons at a Time"?
I will say that I have booked Four Seasons properties given the positive experience Ben has had at numerous properties, and used Ford to book my trip. Albiet for a property that has not been reviewed here. And my expereince was absolutely excellent. In fact, having read the reviews on Ben's site, and the insight about the service at Four Seasons, it meant I could maximise the benefits of staying at a Four Seasons and...
I will say that I have booked Four Seasons properties given the positive experience Ben has had at numerous properties, and used Ford to book my trip. Albiet for a property that has not been reviewed here. And my expereince was absolutely excellent. In fact, having read the reviews on Ben's site, and the insight about the service at Four Seasons, it meant I could maximise the benefits of staying at a Four Seasons and it was the best hotel stay experience I've ever had.
I understand the perceived conflict, but there is no evidence that Ben is being overtly positive about a stay that was bad.
This review feels a bit high level and just a rundown of features rather than any unique insights or interesting opinions.
You also must realise if you’re on a comp stay at a hotel, and not one that’s for a press review, there is an appearance of a conflict of interest that means we can never be sure if there were significant issues or negatives.
@ James -- It's a 3,800 word review, so I feel like it can't realistically get much longer? And the intent of reviews like this is largely to give people a high level rundown of the features so that they know what they can expect. There aren't many reviews online about the property (or any property) that offer this level of detail, and that's the goal.
I think the only real 'criticism' I have when you review a comped room is I imagine subconsciously you have more patience and overlooked minor things that might have gone wrong then if you shelled out thousands of dollars for the same room. However that doesn't negate your review but readers might want to keep that in mind,
Great review! Looks exactly the same as when I was there in 2021. You were definitely in the old part, but the rooms are still nice and the view is great. Did you get to see the newer Prieta Bay villas? They had just opened when I was there and they're gorgeous. Curious how they are holding up (albeit just a few years).
@ pstm91 -- Thanks! I didn't have a chance to see them in person, but I have seen pictures, and they look beautiful.