Yes the hotel is on a steep slope - if it bothers you do not go there (though there is a frequent shuttle service). We enjoyed it as it allows for a beautiful view. Lots of birds and monkeys within short walk. Try the beach club: free boat shuttle to a pretty beach beside the Four Seasons. The water at the hotel is very shallow and warm, excellent for small children, sand is very fine but black. It is far from town within a nature conservation area, return cab fare to town is 80 dollars. Do try the trips or rent a car to Arenal, zip lines etc. They are costly but worth it. Food is not very imaginative but adequate. Water is safe we did not get sick. Service is excellent, staff very helpful. But it is only a 3 star hotel, do not expect luxuries.

My boyfriend and I had an amazing time! We loved the resort, the remote location, the friendly staff, the food, the excursions available and the beach (with monkeys). I had a huge review written explaining everything but I accidently just deleted it so this is going to be a brief rundown.

The beach was beautiful. It is black volcanic sand which was different in our eyes so we loved it. The tide goes out really far and comes in really far so there are lots of opportunities for walks, snorkeling, and swimming. There are also lots of regular crabs and hermit crabs. My favorite part of the beach was the monkeys who came to visit a couple times a day. They are friendly and will take food right out of your hand. I know it says you are not suppose to feed the animals but the security has no problem with it and even told me that if I continued to feed the same monkey he would begin to play with me.

The food was amazing. We have no complaints. We both came back with around 8 pounds. We ate only from the buffet on the resort, and occasionally the snack bar, and were completely satisfied.

The tours off the resort were amazing. Charlies has amazing tours like coco beach shopping (dont go for the beach, it kinda smells. The shopping is fun though), jet skiing, an aqua combo with snorkeling, fishing,bbq, cave exploring, and a white sand beach in Nicaragua waters (this was our favorite as it has a beautiful lookout as well), and a tour that brings you into Liberia to see the cataratas waterfall and do some local shopping/eating. Its a flat rate of 120, not advertised, and is well worth it! If you have more people, the cheaper it gets!

The monteverde tour to see the cloud rainforest doing zip lining and a nature walk was amazing. However, the 3.5 hour bus ride was just under 5 hours both ways. They feed you really well and it is worth it. The zip lining was amazing and if you do not want to do this there is a reptile and butterfly exhibit. There is a hummingbird garden you see before the nature walk. The walk is beautiful however the only thing we saw was birds as they admit all the other animals are further in the rainforest and the zip liners do scare any that may come close away (zip lining is right above the walking area). We did really enjoy being in the rainforest alone :)

The only complaint I can see people having is the resort being on a steep incline however, there are shuttles available and they are quite frequent. We actually enjoyed the walk and we were in the furthest building away as we were eating so much we felt it was nice to work off all that food haha.

I honestly have no complaints and I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone. I would go back in a heart beat as it certainly was an amazing experience all around.

We really enjoyed it! Great home base to see Costa Rica and all its beauty. Hotel offers many many different tour groups from different distributors, we also rented a car with Avis. Avis was very helpful and gave us maps with suggestions of things to see and driving tips! Learned to scuba dive for free in the pool...definitley enough options to keep you entertained. Enjoyed the monkeys and wildlife constantly passing through the resort. Resort as expected. Black beach is neat! Would return. The only draw back was our air conditioning is loud and is really in need of replacement.

Our stay at this resort was a bit disappointing. The beach was not well maintained by the hotel at all. There was no beach bar or any amenities located on the beach. The water temperature was nice though. Dining facilities was very limited with one buffet resturant and two a la carte restaurants. So, most meals were at the buffet which got a little tiring. There was also a lack of variety at this buffet restaurant.

The hotel was a reasonable price so I have expected it to be run down and dirty but that is not the case. The rooms were clean and although dated were not in bad shape. The food was really flavorful and they had a great variety of things to eat. The bar service was slow but friendly and the drinks were good.
The hotel its self is on a hill so there is a lot of hills to climb to get to the lobby and your rooms if you are in a lower number (1-5) building. There is a shuttle that will take you but the walk was nice to burn off the calories from the great food.
I suppose the only real downside of the resort is that if you like to shop this resort is NO WHERE NEAR any shopping. It's an $80 cab ride (for up to 4 persons) or a $30/person boat ride to the nearest town. Which is still a great town and worth the trip though.
Service was friendly and language was definitely no a barrier at this resort.

All in all pleasantly surprise and would definitely go back!

Definitly not a four star resort, very run down, food is average, nightly entertainment could be inproved, pool is filthy, got a great price on the vacation, You get what you pay for

Resort is very nice for the money, hills can get a litte tiring. All the staff were great and very freindly. Food and beverages were very good. Both alacarts were very good. Overall had a great vacation at this resort.

Had read mixed reviews prior to going so went with an open mind. Had no problem with checking in or checking out. Paid for the WIFI and worked well in lobby but only worked on my son's phone @ the pool and not with his IPOD...got a new password from desk and it still didn't work so we just went to lobby to SKYPE.
Dined at both Mexican, Italian, as well as buffet and they were all good. There was lots of variety in the buffet that you didn't have to eat the same thing 2 days in a row.
Our safe was locked in the room and it took a couple calls to the front desk but within the hour it was opened (not long considering so many were checking in). In building 3 so just down the hill from the lobby and a bit of a walk to get to the buffet but the shuttles came around probably sooner than 10 minutes so you really didn't have to wait. Had lots of hot water just had to turn tap the right way. Room was basic but clean and cleaned everyday. Bring water bottles to refill and travel mugs for drinks. No radio in room so bring travel alarm for a clock.
Expect hot temperatures so bring lots of sunscreen. River boat tour to see the crocodiles, etc was amazing. Room was basic but clean (only slept in room anyway so no problem). Staff was very helpful.
Resort was built on a hill so there is lots of waling (good to work off the food and drinks).

We had a great time - my 2nd time at this resort! Food was better than expected, service was timely and pleasant, rooms were clean and overall had an excellent time. Can't wait to go back (maybe November).

Just about everything at this resort surpassed my expectations (I went in with low expectations based on reviews on Trip Advisor). A great resort, super-friendly staff, and a good trip overall.

The hotel itself was clean and well kept. The food in the all restraunts uncluding the a la carte was wonderful, but the hours were very limited. The gift shop closed at 8pm so if you wanted something to snack on you were out of luck. The staff was very friendly. Being my 2nd trip to CR in a year and the third trip for the two others I was travelling with it was very isolated and hard to get in and out of the resort to go do things not booked through the resort. We ended up renting a car.

The hotel is rated 4 star but should be 2.5. With this said and having read reviews before we went our expectations were not high. If I were to go on a holiday to just relax and never leave the resort I would go back to this one. This resort is remote from attractions. A min of a 40 min drive to get to a town.
All staff were pleasant and helpful. They appreciated the tips but the service was the same whether or not they were tipped.
This resort is not for anyone that has a problem walking as it is built on a steep hill and lots of stairs.
Never used the beach as it is black volcanic ash sand and too hot to walk on in bare feet. The resort does not keep it clean.
There is another beach that they will shuttle you to but requires a 24hr advance booking. This beach is also all inclusive, snacks and drinks.
If anyone decides to go try for Building 10 as it is the closest to the pool with a good view. It is up on a hill but only three flights of stairs to get to all the amenities. If you get rooms 1010 - 1019 your view will be a road and hedge. Getting rooms from 1020 up will give you a nice view of the pool and bay.

We had a wonderful vacation in Costa Rica. Enjoyed our stay at the Allegro Papagayo. We enjoyed perfect weather, great food and enjoyed both outings we took, away from the resort.

Beatiful srroundimgs,well kept grounds. The food was good. Beautiful, happy well groomed staff.Chamber maids could be brought up to snuff.We had only one washcloth for most of the week and only had coffee one day.Beach area should be tidied. All in all a brilliant week.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Food was very good, service very good and overall the stay was excellent.

The Allegro Papagayo met our expectations as a four star resort. The room was ordinary and unexciting but very clean which was OK for us because we don't go on a vacation to stay in our room except to sleep. Our air conditioner was quite noisy. The restaurant was very good and the selection of food for the buffet meals was great. All the staff was very helpful and friendly. Beach was black sand because the area is a volcanic region which was not as aesthetic as a white sand beach but the beach extended way out into the ocean and was in a sheltered area so the waves were small which made it nice for wading and swimming. A disadvantage we found was the isolation of the resort. It was quite distant from anywhere else so was an expensive taxi ride to go into a city for shopping etc. A couple other dissappointments were that although many places in Costa Rica have free internet access there was a $25US charge for internet access at the resort, and the safe deposit box in the room was not included, it cost $2US/day to use.

had a great time at this resort staff was very friendly food was better than expected room was clean .we were there 7 nights seen every sunrise while listening to the birds and monkeys it was great lots of tours to do or sit on beach or the pool. would go back

I have stayed at this resort once already. My current visit was just as enjoyable as the last. The brand new airport in Liberia was a nice surprise. I give thumbs up to Nolitours for the smooth transportation from the airport to the resort and back and for reccomending and booking fabulour day and overnight outings with Maracuya. We were very happy with the overnight trip to Arenal and Monte Verde combination.

Had a great time rooms were clean and basic with no hot water but were only in them long enough to sleep..the resort grounds were immaculate, the pool was awesome and the views were amazing ..staff very friendly, food was good could always find something to eat..fantastic weather and black sand beach was incedible

My friends and I were so pleased with the Allegro Papagayo Hotel in Liberia Costa Rica. The staff were so accommodating, kind and professional. The food choice was sufficient and access to the tours and excursions were readily available from many different sources. I highly recommend going to this resort and exploring the many beauties of this country!

The hotel was clean, staff were very friendly. I didn't like the distance from room to pool and restaurants. I had a great holiday and would return to Costa Rica,

Bad reviews are propsterous. Great experience. Snack bar was exceptional. Not five star bathroom in room but you knew that going in. Mades were wonderful. Nolitours rep outstanding. Chameleon club benefits as described. Gift and large bottles or liquour amazing. Staff very accomodating. A la cartes was fabulous. People who complain have issues. Amazing value. Will recommend to anyone. Three kinds of monkeys on beach. We found crabs, stingrays, etc. Met amazing people. Best vacation ever. Love it being built on a hill. Brilliant. Building 12 was fabulous. Air condition almost too cold. Hot water almost too hot. water pressure phenomenal. Hotel constantly trying to improve with bringing in tons of new beach chairs, new toaster. Never seen that anywhere else. Can't say enough good.

Je n'ai aucun commentaire négatif sur ce voyage. L'hotel est super bien entretenu, le personnel est gentil, courtoie et souriant. Le décor est à couper le souffle, on se sent parachuté au milieu de nulle part. C'est un endroit super relaxant, la faune est riche. Pour ce qui est de la bouffe, c'est pas le plus gros buffet que j'ai vu, mais on offre des bons choix, tout est super bon, il y en a pour tout les goût. J'ai tellement aimé cet endroit que j'y retourne deux semaines en janvier 2013

Read a lot of poor reviews, so was a little leery, but had a great time, and would go back. Don't go here if you are expecting a 5 star. It was clean, comfortable, and the staff was fantastic. Great time!

I read the negative reviews before booking, so we didn't have high expectations.

Rooms need more updating, although our superior room (3rd Floor of Bldg 11) did have newer furniture.
Fridge in room had 2 500 ml bottles of water when we arrived, but was never restocked with anything. Even 3 star resorts in Cuba give you some pop and beer everyday, c'mon Occidental. There are 3 750 ml bottles of Costa Rican liquor in the room, (White Rum, Ginebra Cacique and Vodka)

As mentioned it's a hilly resort with shuttle vans carrying those on higher levels back to their buildings. (3 story villas with 26 rooms in each one) We had booked a Superior Room, so we received a room with a king sized bed and were right by the entrance to the main area (36 steps down) to pool, restaurant, Pablos bar and the entrance to the beach area. Pool chairs are reserved with towels early each day. We didn't use the pool as we are looking for quiet, so we would go to the beach area. The black sand was hot and the water shallow, so there was not alot of activity at the beach, plus it was very hot, so there were only a handful of people at the beach. This was fine with us. Beach chairs were in disrepair, so they need to upgrade those.

We didn't use the A la carte restaurants, and we never heard anyone say it was a must have. Same food from the buffet served by someone else...no thanks. Buffet was basic, with pasta section (my wife usually ate pasta) mexican section (chips, salsa, quacamole, etc) and Typical Food, rice, beans, etc. Desserts were pretty weak with just 3 types of slab cakes. Fruit was Pineapple, watermelon, papaya and cantaloupe...everyday. Oranges and bananas every other day.

Birds at breakfast and lunch are a bit of a nuisance and makes for some unsanitary conditions. Omelets at breakfast, burgers and fries at lunch were popular.

Staff were nice and friendly and worked hard.

Overall, the resort needs some upgrading (broken tiles, some things need painting, need to replace some beach chairs) Rooms do have updated Central Air Conditioning, so that was good. Bugs in bathroom were a bit of a nuisance.

Internet for an extra charge $25 for the week wasn't always working (our location allowed us to use WIFI in our room).

Safe was $14 for the week. Ours was locked when we got to the room, so someone finally came to open it after a day and a half of calling them.

You get what you pay for. We were looking for a cheap getaway, but we agree with those that say this isn't deserving of a 4 star rating.

The hotel is in a STUNNING location, on the edge of a mountain, leading into the ocean. Our room was clean and TV / phone / bar fridge worked, the food and service was really good, the pool was super for our 3-year old, and the kids programming made for a very fun vacation.

WIth the trouble with the scorpions and the black widow spiders, I would not come back to this hotel again.

We were a little hesitant in booking this hotel due to some of the bad reviews. However, we did keep in mind that most people that post negative reviews do so to vent - for every bad review, there are probably a handful of travelers that had an enjoyable experience that did not bother to post a good review. We travel quite a bit, but this was our first time to Costa Rica and we loved every minute of it! If you get this hotel on a deal, and you aren't really fussy, don't hesitate to book! This hotel had great food and staff. The climbs to the buildings were not as bad as some stated, although for older people or those with little ones, it may be a little more inconvenient. (The hotel had already placed older people or families with little ones on the lower levels prior to arrival.) If you have your travel agent note that you have mobility issues or babies etc..., the hotel will give you a room in the lower buildings.) Shuttles were always available. The buffet was not huge (about the size of a snack bar found at larger resorts,) but had good selection and quality of food. (The steaks and chicken dishes were always tender and tasted really good.) The food was always delicious as well, with different theme nights. The veggies always tasted good, as did the salads. (Not a lot of choice for bakery type of desserts though, but there was always fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas and papaya.) Our kids could always find lots to eat, as did my Vegan sister. If you need something, and you don't see it just ask the chefs that come out periodically from the kitchen. My daughter will only eat spaghetti sauce with her pasta and a few times there was only white sauce or spicy pasta sauces. All I did was ask, and the chef brought out a piping hot bowl of spaghetti sauce! The Mexican restaurant was good too. The nachos were excellent. (We arrived on Thursday and couldn’t book an a la carte restaurant for the following week until Monday.) The reception staff always tried to help when our Nolitours rep was unavailable (which seemed to be quite often.) They were never rude or dismissive. The beach had soft, black sand and you can wade out quite far into the water and be only knee deep. The sand is a little rough closer to the resort and can be hot but isn't a problem once you reach the shoreline (just wear flip flops.) The rooms in building 10 were definitely in need of repair. Rooms in higher up buildings seemed to be in a little better shape, but all of the buildings are in desperate need of renovation. That being said, I saw staff cleaning every nook and cranny throughout the resort. There was someone actually cleaning between railing posts on the lookout tower. There was never any garbage seen or unkept landscape. The women's bathroom by the restaurant seemed to have plumbing issues almost every other day. The bar staff were great - the male restaurant staff seemed friendlier and more attentive than the female staff. There was a gap between the end of breakfast and lunch times, with the snack bar opening quite close to lunch start, that wasn't so great if you slept in and woke up starving. We tipped the maid, restaurant and bar staff but they provided great service even before we had started tipping. The onsite vendors were not pushy or aggressive. They would give a bit of a deal if asked. The tours seemed pricey. Every time you need to get beach towels you have to go into the tour office and they use your towel visit to try to sell you tours. You can sign up for the free shuttle to the other beach at the tour office as well. This shuttle is not available on Tuesdays. The evening shows were not bad, as they seemed to involve audience participation quite often. The hotel is about 30 minutes from the airport. The airport is brand new and just opened on Jan.12th when we arrived. We rented a car on site, which was a little pricey. If you do rent a base car for one day, you should confirm whether it includes unlimited km. Overall we were surprised, as before our trip we were placing this resort on par with a Cuban resort and were preparing for the worst, but that wasn’t the case at all. We didn’t get sick or have major issues with the hotel at all. The staff were great to us - being considerate and courteous will go along way anywhere you go! During our week, the hotel was packed with us Canadians and Costa Ricans which made for a great and friendly bunch - not rude, pushy or loud! On our second last day, the resort was quite full and our North American counter parts seemed to take over the resort and I probably don't need to say anymore! For your first time in Costa Rica, this is a great resort. We used to love The Mayan Riviera, and now Costa Rica is our favorite holiday spot!

I would not return to this Hotel, it is outdated, needs a total overhaul to be cleaned and to have the plumbing and facilities in running order. The beach was not what I expected at all, I felt like I was on a lake at home. No water in the mini fridge,2 bottles of water at the resort store cost $10. Nothing close everything costs $70 to go anywhere to shop or tour. Definatley is not what you pay for, almost false advertising. Costa Rica is very nice though and the weather was fantastic.

Overall it was good for the price over the New Year's Eve week. The weather was warm, the hotel staff was friendly and accommodating. Food was ordinary, but good and plenty of it. Only 2 bars at the main area, but the line ups were not too long. Many excursions were available, but I was disappointed with the snorkeling as there were no colorful fish to be seen. I do not believe that they took us to a coral reef - looked like rocks to me.