nice for the money

The Barcelo Langosta Beach resort is a wonderful little resort with wonderful staff and facilities. The room was clean and comfortable and we spent a lot time out on the balcony enjoying the views of the gardens. The pool is nice and never very full. Getting loungers was difficult because the hotel was at Max Capacity but there was always room at the buffet and bars. The food was so so, nothing really wrong with the food, it just had very little flavour. Food off the resort was wonderful so we eat most of our meal in town or the little pizza place just steps from the resort. The beach is wonderful if you're looking for something more interesting then just sun, sand and waves. There are safe places to swim but it is a good idea to follow the directions of the hotel on where and when to swim. Overall, I would love to return to the resort but I don't think my boyfriend who is a very picky eater would very step foot there again.

It was a great trip and the hotel was great. Big enough that you didn't get bored and small enough the line to get a drink wasn't long.

Beautiful spot on the ocean, but beach too rough for swimming. Pool lovely alternative, but not enough shady areas to escape hot sun. Staff could do more to publicize resort services, rather than just presenting a map at reception. Air conditioning in room didn't work well, and rooms had a musty smell, with some mould in evidence. Dining room staff very friendly. Several time mixups for pick-ups for day excursions.

This is a great value for anyone wanting to experience Tamarindo & Langosta. We go regularly and tried the Barcelo for the first time and were very happy. It gave us the ease of an all-inclusive yet made it affordable to go into town regularly to enjoy the great restaurants, bars and nightlife.

This resort was fantastic. The food was delicious and there was always excellent selection. The staff were always there to help and were very diligent in keeping everything VERY clean. The resort is close to town where there are many shops and restaurants. There are so many things to do and see in Costa Rica and this resort is a great home base.

This hotel was great.
Great location and friendly staff.

The hotel overall was good to great. Rooms were a nice size and we had no problem getting a crib brought to us. The food I would say was just o.k It did get boring after a few days and the snack bar of mainly fried foods was great tasting but eat too much and we all had indigestion.
The pool was good with a wade in section and small kids area very suited to our two year old. Lots of loungers and towels were always available.
The grounds were beautiful with wildlife easy to spot. It is a small resort but with nice paths to walk along. They had a small play structure that my two year old could use quite safely, and entrance to the public (not private) was monitored at all times and easy for us to access.
The beach was beautiful but maybe not for swimming. A small estuary of to the side flooded and drained quickly with the tides, plus there was lots of rocks, but still a few sandy entrance points. Lovely sunsets, and great for surfers.
Staff were excellent, this resort isn't exactly rated for little ones such as my son but the staff were great in seeing to his needs. By the third day they all knew his name and all made efforts to interact with him. Thier small kids club is rated for four year olds but they let him in with me there to colour. They were also very gracious about letting my two year old dancing machine join in on all the salsa lessons and on stage with the band nightly.
Getting into town was easy $5 cab ride and only five minutes away.
Overall the resort didn't dissapoint. Be aware they are much more relaxed than us Canadians and the staff speaks very little english, but they try thier hardest.

At check in, sent to a dirty flooded room, and then when complained, were treated rudely at front desk - not a great way to start vacation. Indifferent staff service generally; beach much nicer than expected, great for walks but not so good for swimming; close to Tamarindo (but not in town). Overall, would not go back to this resort nor recommend.

My husband and I took our two kids, aged 12 & 16, to Barcelo at the end of March and had a great time. The rooms were clean, the staff were very friendly and helpful(especially Jose); the food was fine for a 3.5 star, and the beach was nice. The evening entertainment left much to be desired though, but it was entertaining watching the day staff morph into the evening entertainment. The cab ride into Tamarindo was $5.00; you could walk but it was VERY hot. I would definitely go back, no complaints at all.

enjoyed hotel rooms clean no problems with plumbing which other guests had, found the food average and boring.not a great variety of fish no shrimp no lobster but did enjoy stay and probably would go back tends to be a long way from any excursions spent 7 hours on a bus one day to see Arenal volcanoe

This resort is very small. Bars and restaurants do not overlap - only one open at a time. Ran out of food and booze on two different occasions. For the price it was disappointing.

First, this is more likely a 3 star than 4 based upon food, entertainment and rooms. We have been on alot of "all inclusive" vacations and Jan to Apr. in Costa Rica in the Guancaste area is the BEST for weather! 0 or very little rain. Sunshine....superb weather every time! The ride from airport to hotel is over an hour. We arrived LATE in Liberia - got to hotel 9:05 and checked in. Ran to restaurant (downstairs) to eat before 10 when they close. Did NOT like our room location when we got to see it..in a building at the far BACK of the property. Ran back to desk..asked for a room near the front...got it. Very obliging. Room is VERY clean..but older. Shower worked fine. Safe was difficult to use but once got it programmed it was fine all week. The worse thing was the HANGERS in the closet. Plastic things, kept falling out of their holders. Glad I took a dozen thin wire hangers of our own! Beach is tremendous...huge waves for surfing most of the time. Great walk into Tamarindo...40 mins. Taxi is $5 each way. Did both lots of times. Actually, we are in process of buying a condo in Tamarindo so the close proximity was great! The animation team tries...there are only a handful of them. Not much doing during the day and a mediocre program at night. BUT most people are busy swimming and they actually can play darts and volleyball all day so there is no need for an active animation program here. Pool is huge...clean...warm, warm, warm. DEEP. and shallow. Gorgeous. AND the a la carte dinner (one night we booked for...they GIVE U 1 night) was tremendous. Really good. Recommend the mussels with shrimp in sauce and the lamb...YUM!! So overall....great vacation. Barcelo is NOT deluxe but did us just fine!!!

Overall, the hotel was great - clean, great food, most of the workers there gave service with a smile and went out of their way to talk to you. Our representative however, who worked for Swiss Travel, seemed too concerned with booking tours and was not helpful at all booking our a la carte dinner. He kept saying they were busy or booked until we went there personally to find no problem finding an open reservation. I wouldn't rely on the resort crew to animate the resort. We had to make our own fun and stir people to play volleyball, go out in town, or join us for activities. To be fair, they do have moments where they play music and dance but for the most part it's quite calm and peaceful. But if you initiate fun yourselves, you pick out the people with the same interests and there are some we grouped with and had a great time together. I think for the overall value this place is great and afterall, Costa Rica is about exploring and not lingering about the resort.

The hotel was lovely and clean, the staff were super-friendly and helpful, and the area was amazing. We had a great time!

This Hotel is great & I mean everything.
Staff was always there to make your sstay better if they could. Beach good ffor surfing but other beaches close you could swim at. Town not too far away but worth going to.
Excursions to the volcano's a long trip.
We rented a car & saw alot of Costa Rica only about $395CDN for a week.

We stayed at Barcelo Langosta from Feb. 14 through 28, 2011. My husband and I travelled with another couple. We all loved our vacation.

The resort is small enough that it is never crowded. Lots of loungers available around the pool and on the beach – beach ones were much less comfortable. Other than the chairs, we loved sitting on the beach under the trees, watching the local surfers and the birds – pelicans, frigate birds and some kind of black vultures who ate the scraps the local fishermen left. There was also plenty of wildlife on the resort – several big iguanas who would pose for photos each morning, coatis (local raccoons) and 10 – 15 howler monkeys in the trees around the pool a few times each week.

Staff at the front desk were not very friendly or helpful and seemed to have virtually no English speaking ability. I only mention this because other staff we encountered – wait staff, maids – had fairly good English. It seems odd that the resort would place the people with the least English ability in the positions that require the most customer service. Also, I noticed that when we attempted to use our sparse Spanish, the front desk staff became much friendlier (and their English improved!) All other staff were extemely friendly, and any greeting we offered - Hola; Buenos Dias - was received with a huge smile and a cheerful response.

Room was kept relatively clean – not dirty but not spotless, especially the floor. Hot water was plentiful and water pressure good. The buffet was small but the selection was good. The food was always well prepared and kept at the proper temperature. The a-la-carte restaurant was lovely – quiet, good food beautifully presented, and great service.

Internet service is quite expensive. You can use their internet cafe for $10US for one hour of service, or could purchase wireless service by the day - $10 for a day, $25 for 3 days. However, the wireless service seemed to never be available until late morning, and the signal was only available in the lobby or around the pool – not in the rooms.

The only other downside was the distance from this resort to the major attractions such as Monte Verde or Arenal volcano. The bus trip to get there is 4 to 4 1/2 hours each way. We didn’t want to spend 9 hours on a bus so did not get to see those.

Overall the resort met and exceeded our expectations. We would certainly recommend the Barcelo Langosta, but likely won’t return because we want to see other areas of this beautiful country.

The hotel was very clean and well-run. Upon our arrival at 8:30 p.m., the check-in was fast and efficient by friendly and helpful staff. Information about the hotel and its amenities was supplied orally and in print.

Our room was clean, quiet and had an ocean view although we had not specifically requested an ocean view. There was an iron, ironing board, hair blower, coffee maker, and a bar fridge containing pop and bottled water. These were replenished daily. There was a safe large enough to store an iPad and other valuables. There were plenty of clean towels and we were able to shower or take a bath in a large tub. The hotel supplied shampoo, conditioner and liquid body soap in containers on the wall. I would bring my own shampoo and conditioner next time.
Our room was located in the 4000 building and was close to the disco. The nightly entertainment in the disco was quite loud at times but ended at a reasonable hour so sleeping was not a problem. There was also air conditioning which provided a cool environment for comfortable sleeping.The king size bed was confortable and had four pillows.

The staff we encountered on a daily basis were very friendly, greeting us with a smile and friendly comment. Also, the staff were very helpful in assisting us when we used our Spanish when interacting with them. This was much appreciated by us.

The meals were buffet style and had a wonderful variety of fresh fruits, salads, breads, buns, and main course meals to choose from for each meal. Tables were covered with linen tablecloths and paper napkins were provided at breakfast and lunch while linen napkins were provided at dinner. Service was excellent with a waiter approaching almost immediately to provide refreshments/coffee/water. Again, always with a smile and pleasant greeting.

Around the deck of the pool there were plenty of chairs; however, it was best to arrive early in the
morning to secure a chair using your towel if you had a preference for a particular area of the pool. The water in the pool was always clean and without odour of chemicals. The gradual entry area of the pool was great for children.

The beach area is great for surfing but not good for swimming. There were also a lot of lava rocks in the water. At low tide, we crossed the mouth of the river that flows into the ocean in order to walk along the beautiful hardpacked sand beach that ran a very long way. We saw many schools of different fish, flocks of several different bird species, and a lot of different sea life in the tidal pools along the beach. It was a very relaxing and invigorating daily experience.

We went February 15 - 22, 2011 and the weather was beautiful, hot and sunny every day. The evenings were warm and we were able to sit in the open air lobbies comfortably without wearing sweaters.

The availability of wi-fi was a problem. It was not accessible in our room and even where it was accissible, in the lobby or around the pool, wi-fi reception was inconsistent. It was also very expensive, $10 for one day, $15 for two days or $20 for three days.

We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely return to this hotel.

The hotel was very clean and the staff awesome.They were very helpfull and made you feel welcome.The other tourist at the hotel were polite and curtious.Made many friends that we will stay in contact with.The food was awesome and service there was great.

We travel often but this is the first time to Costa Rica. Was an excellent trip, would recommend this hotel and location.
Best part - you can walk the empty beaches for hours! Rooms comfortable. Staff excellent and attentive. Food tasty and selection good for only 1 buffet and 1 snack bar.
Lots to do, we booked our excursions privately with Toursbyyou. Two thumbs up to them as well.
In all we surfed, ziplined, 2 waterfalls, hot springs and visited the areanal volcano(stayed at Costa Linda overnight). Felt very safe and welcomed by all! Pura Vida.

The resort is small but nice. It's far from the airport and from almost all excursions. The road is super bumpy so take some graval if you get motion sick. Our AC rep was never there and so we missed out doing the excursions we really wanted. We should have booked with other reps durng our first days there. Really enjoyed the Lazy Lizzard catamaran tour that we booked through the swiss travel rep. Good beach volleyball court. Nice beach for walking and watching the sunset. It's rocky and I didn't swim there but I'm not a beach person. Nice pool. Went to the spa and it was nice and relaxing. Had a few little things with the room. The safe didn't work and took 2 days to fix. Only 1 room key so we couldn't get our room cleaned unless we dropped off the key everyday and then picked it up later (so no access to room during that time).
Evening shows were great. The staff work so hard all day then perform all night... and always with a smile.
Skip the a la carte, it's not worth it.. the buffet is way better.
Despite some bumps we had a fantastic time and I would go back again.

We just came back and had a super great time at Barcelo Playa Langosta! Super friendly staff (especially the animation), great food, clean hotel and amazing access to the beach! You can't ask for more! We love Tamarindo!

Barcelo Langosta Beach, good hotel, decent food, poor beach, close to town.Apparently more suited to families with small children rather than couples.

Everything was great at this resort, from the food to the service and availability of everything you need. The cappucinos are amazing! The foods is good and fresh, and the beach is wonderful as well. My only complaint has to do with the grill station at the buffet - the grilled meats were amazing, but the cooks used the same spatula for chicken, beef and pork, so there are cross-contamination issues there. Didn't get sick from the food at all, but I did end up with a chicken breast from the grill station that was uncooked inside.

The hotel was great and the staff were warm and welcoming.

Good things:
-Most staff are nice
-We loved the beach and the access to it
-We met interesting people
-Keep in mind all beaches are public so you will meet the locals and their dogs on the beach, which we enjoyed.
-We loved the wildlife...even the visiting racoons and birds who swooped into the restaurant to steal sugar packs!
-Tamarindo was a walk away (best to walk along the beach) and not worth a taxi ride and bumpy ride but worth a nice walk along the beach. WEAR SHOES AND BE CAREFUL WITH THE TIDES! LISTEN TO THE LOCALS!
-The roads into the Tamarindo area and Langosta Resort are horrible! However, there may be hope as it looked like they were starting some repairs as we were leaving
-If you are going to take a tour, call Mainor Lara or google toursyourway@gmail.com. It is well worth having a private tour with him and he will custom do anything you ask for. You avoid all line ups and have a private vehicle and driver. Other guests went with big tour groups and had to wait in lines or do detours to drop off other people. We didn't! :)He and his staff also take graet photos with your own camera when you are riding the horse or ziplining, etc. They will stop and point out wildlife in trees and have excellent eyses for this!
-Room Clean up was great
-we liked the sushi at the buffet
-there was a decent amount and variety of food
-the food was good tasting but the buffet wasn't always hot so we often went to the grill area to get our meat cooked or eggs made and sometimes asked for something to be heated
-the snack bar was delicious BUT fattening! You couldn't help but eat, eat, eat!

Disappointments:
-We arrived at the hotel at 3:30ish and were quickly taken to a room where the AC wasn't working. They sent a repair man immediately but he couldn't fix it. Three rooms later, we finally got into a room that had working AC. That was 8:30 at night and all we wanted was a quick shower, to eat and to go to sleep by that point!Essentially, it was a wasted Saturday!
-we bought a phone card but nobody mentioned the area codes or the correct phone in the lobby until I complained it wouldn't work
-tours left at 7:00 am but the kitchen/buffet only opened at 7:00 am so we coouldn't eat before we left. The hotel knows this and should really consider changing this
-the buffet hours were strange? Breakfast 7-10, lunch 12:30-3:00 and dinner 7-10...we thought dinner was very late especially when you take a 2 hour time change into account...you were eating dionner at 9 pm the earliest!
-I didn't like the cats walking around, especially when they entered the restaurant and meowed at your feet for food
-I had trouble with the safe one morning and they told me they were coming asap, after an hour I called back and they told me the manager was the only one with a key and she didn't come to work for another couple hours! I wish they would have called me back to tell me that rather then have me sit there. My husband went to the counter and said he would stand there and wait for the manager, at which point they magically made a phone call and got the required key!
-the manager at the restaurant was VERY anal about where people sat and very stern and unco-operative if you wanted to sit anywhere else but where he said!

We did have fun and loved the experience but I would rate the hotel more of a 3-

On the weekend there seemed to be more people and we suspected that many locals came with their families.This is not teh place to go if you don't want to be surrounded by children and fanilies! We didn't mind.

My family and I had a great time. The people are so nice and entertaining. The only thing I was disappointed was the food, it tasted really good but there were not much variety. Also, the snack bar open too late and close too early, there are times when you have to wait for the restaurant (there's only one) or the snack bar to open in order to get something to eat. Other than that, we really enjoyed our vacation.

We were a little apprehensive because of the mixed reviews. However, soon after arriving we were happy to see that yes the staff is great! The food is excellent and the pool and beach were awesome. You must not compare this resort to one in Mexico, its apples and oranges.
If you are a family with kids under 10 this place is perfect, short walks to the restaurant, pool and beach.
Book for the a la carte restaurant as soon as possible, it is well worth the wait.
We were a group of 6 with two boys under 5.

Excursions are plentiful but yes the roads are bumpy... suck it up.

Great vacation and excursions, we would return again.

I dont know why but people from outside North America seem facinated with racoons, they will chase away a stray kitten but feed a racoon (against the rules).

Racoons are the same as rats but just have better Public Relations...

Hotel superbe
seul le transfert entre aeroport et hotel, vice versa pas fort

en plus taxes aeporuaire de $26 US a payer

excellent, très beau, bonne nourriture