CW Resorts - What to do?

[ShannonM]

Hello, a new CR bride to be here...

We are in the process of picking a resort for Feb. (2009). I know it is far ahead, but I would like to at least get a place picked soon...

Our travel agent narrowed it down to three places:
Occidental Grand Papagayo
Premier Fiesta Resort & Spa
Allegro Papagayo

I took a long look on tripadvisor.com and was immediately turned off the Occidental & Allegro...which leaves me with the Premier. However, Hilton is taking over the Premier and renovating soon. Word is that the 2009 prices are going to be higher. It is already at the top of the budget...so this is not good news!

So now I am thinking - should I choose somewhere else (i.e. give up on Costa Rica?). Should I settle on a different resort that I have a bad feeling about? Should I try to plan for Fall 2008 instead so I can get the good 2008 pricing?

We thought everyone would be most willing to travel for our wedding in Feb...since it will be the nastiest time of year here in Ottawa and far enough away from Christmas... Also I wanted to avoid the "green season"...

Ahhh, I don't know what to do! Any suggestions? Am I missing any other nice all-inclusive resorts in CR?

Thanks in advance!!

[JulieG]

Originally Posted by ShannonM

Hello, a new CR bride to be here...

We are in the process of picking a resort for Feb. (2009). I know it is far ahead, but I would like to at least get a place picked soon...

Our travel agent narrowed it down to three places:
Occidental Grand Papagayo
Premier Fiesta Resort & Spa
Allegro Papagayo

I took a long look on tripadvisor.com and was immediately turned off the Occidental & Allegro...which leaves me with the Premier. However, Hilton is taking over the Premier and renovating soon. Word is that the 2009 prices are going to be higher. It is already at the top of the budget...so this is not good news!

So now I am thinking - should I choose somewhere else (i.e. give up on Costa Rica?). Should I settle on a different resort that I have a bad feeling about? Should I try to plan for Fall 2008 instead so I can get the good 2008 pricing?

We thought everyone would be most willing to travel for our wedding in Feb...since it will be the nastiest time of year here in Ottawa and far enough away from Christmas... Also I wanted to avoid the "green season"...

Ahhh, I don't know what to do! Any suggestions? Am I missing any other nice all-inclusive resorts in CR?

Thanks in advance!!

Those are the resorts that my TA reccomended as well. We were going to go with Premiere as well, and then decided against CR because we could not fly direct in Oct and had to go to the US first.

Is there anyway you can do a site visit at the other 2 places? Can you fit it into the budget? If so, I think you should do that for sure.

When Hilton takes over Premiere its going to sky rocket the prices.

What about Panama? That was our second choice, but in October the flights only left on Monday's and we did not want our guests to have to take an extra day off work. Look into it, we really wanted it to be there.

We finally decided on Cuba due to prices and flight times and dates and I love Cuba, been there twice, but never to Holguin which is where we are going.

Maybe one of the CR brides on here can help you with other resorts in CR. Good luck.

[BayBug]

I wouldn't completely rule out the "green season." It is hot but the prices are cheaper and there are less people there. The weather is very predictable on the pacific side.
Have you looked into the Manuel Antonio area? It is really nice down there.

[Can'tHardlyWait]

Originally Posted by ShannonM

Hello, a new CR bride to be here...

We are in the process of picking a resort for Feb. (2009). I know it is far ahead, but I would like to at least get a place picked soon...

Our travel agent narrowed it down to three places:
Occidental Grand Papagayo
Premier Fiesta Resort & Spa
Allegro Papagayo

I took a long look on tripadvisor.com and was immediately turned off the Occidental & Allegro...which leaves me with the Premier. However, Hilton is taking over the Premier and renovating soon. Word is that the 2009 prices are going to be higher. It is already at the top of the budget...so this is not good news!

So now I am thinking - should I choose somewhere else (i.e. give up on Costa Rica?). Should I settle on a different resort that I have a bad feeling about? Should I try to plan for Fall 2008 instead so I can get the good 2008 pricing?

We thought everyone would be most willing to travel for our wedding in Feb...since it will be the nastiest time of year here in Ottawa and far enough away from Christmas... Also I wanted to avoid the "green season"...

Ahhh, I don't know what to do! Any suggestions? Am I missing any other nice all-inclusive resorts in CR?

Thanks in advance!!

Can I ask why you ruled out the Occidental Papagayo? I am only asking because I was there in February and I loved it. It was definitely on the small side, but it looked like paradise. Actually, I really wanted to have my wedding there but we didnt want to make everyone spend that much on flights. Either way, I loved CR - have you considered hotels on the east coast?

[ShannonM]

Hi there!
I ruled out the Occidental for a few reasons - mostly that is was a bit on the small side. We wanted a big enough resort that our guests could feel like they had their own space to do their own thing. The black sand beach was also a bit of an issue...was it that bad?
Also - I know this is not always a reliable source - but after looking on tripadvisor.com I saw a lot of negative reviews, with some pretty gross pictures of the bathrooms.
I have heard lots of good things about it too - but I am just so nervous about planning a pricey vacation for people that are not 100% happy with the idea of a DW in the first place...not to mention any names (*cough* the inlaws to be)...
Also, Feb. is when most people can travel & the most desirable time to leave cold & yucky Ottawa. However, Feb. is the dry season in Costa Rica. I work with a number of scientists that spend a lot of time in CR and was warned that this isn't the most "green & lush" time to travel there.
So I am having my doubts...but nothing is completely decided yet.
...So you were 100% happy with the Occidental??

[Can'tHardlyWait]

Originally Posted by ShannonM

Hi there!
I ruled out the Occidental for a few reasons - mostly that is was a bit on the small side. We wanted a big enough resort that our guests could feel like they had their own space to do their own thing. The black sand beach was also a bit of an issue...was it that bad?
Also - I know this is not always a reliable source - but after looking on tripadvisor.com I saw a lot of negative reviews, with some pretty gross pictures of the bathrooms.
I have heard lots of good things about it too - but I am just so nervous about planning a pricey vacation for people that are not 100% happy with the idea of a DW in the first place...not to mention any names (*cough* the inlaws to be)...
Also, Feb. is when most people can travel & the most desirable time to leave cold & yucky Ottawa. However, Feb. is the dry season in Costa Rica. I work with a number of scientists that spend a lot of time in CR and was warned that this isn't the most "green & lush" time to travel there.
So I am having my doubts...but nothing is completely decided yet.
...So you were 100% happy with the Occidental??

I was in CR in February and I thought it was the most beautiful place I have ever been. That being said, it was my first time so I don't know how much greener it can get :) I have to tell you, we absolutely fell in love with everything about CR - the people were so nice, the resort was gorgeous, the animals were so much fun, and the adventures (ziplines, hot springs, volcano climbing) were everything we were looking for.

I completely agree that the Occidental in CR is small... actually, that was my favorite part about it so if you are looking for something larger, this definitely isn't the place for you. FI and I chose it because we were looking to have a laid back, relaxing vacation... let's just say we got a little of everything. From the minute we got there, we were in heaven, and we even let them talk us into a few nights at another resort near the volcano (they overbooked the hotel and were offering free, all-inclusive trips to a few people) which was the highlight of the trip.

The beach: quite honestly, IMO it sucked. IT wasnt "black sand" - it wasn't white sands... The thing is, the Occidental sits on a cliff in an inlet, so during high tide the beach is completely covered by the water. That means no fine sand, rocky areas, etc... FI didn't mind, but we only went down there once or twice.

You might want to try the east coast of CR... the sand is suppose to be amazing, and there are many more major resorts there... hope this helps :)

[FutureMrs.L]

I don't know if you have booked your resort yet. I am new and just looking through the posts for different ideas. But, Paradisus Playa Conchal in Guancaste looks very nice. I dont know much about it but it was just an idea!

[ShannonM]

Hi and welcome!
Are you planning on Costa Rica as well?

You are right, the Paradisus looks fantastic - but it is also far and beyond the most expensive! Way out of our price range unfortunately.

[FutureMrs.L]

We have not settled on a place yet. We debate between CR, Cabo, and my sister is due back from Punta Cana on Wed. and we want to hear from her about Punta Cana as well. We are all over the map as of right now.