Is the Westin Costa Rica on the beach?
Yes - the Westin Costa Rica borders Playa Conchal directly. But here's the nuance most listings skip: the resort is beachfront, not built on the sand. Most of the 406 rooms are set back in gardens, so you'll walk a few minutes or hop a golf cart to reach the water. Don't expect surf breaking below your balcony from every room category.
Guests who book a standard garden room expecting a toes-in-the-sand setup are the ones who leave confused reviews.
Playa Conchal itself is worth the walk. The "sand" is a fine mix of crushed white shell, and the water runs clear turquoise - a real step up from the darker volcanic-sand beaches elsewhere in Guanacaste (1). The water is calm and swimmable. It is not a surf beach. Surfers day-trip to Tamarindo, about 30 minutes south.
The Westin Reserva Conchal: the mother of Costa Rica's all-inclusives
Costa Rica doesn't have a deep bench of large-scale all-inclusive resorts the way Cancún or Punta Cana do, which is part of why this property gets singled out. It's repeatedly listed by tour operators as one of the most popular all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica, and it's one of the only true large-format all-inclusive beachfront resorts in the country paired with a championship golf course (1)(3).
The property opened in 1996, with a major renovation in 2011 and a meeting-space refresh in 2022 (3)(4). It holds CST Level 5 certification - the Costa Rica Tourism Board's highest Certificate of Sustainable Tourism rating - and was named Costa Rica's Leading Resort in 2017 by the World Travel Awards (1)(3). On TripAdvisor it currently ranks #2 of 5 hotels in Brasilito (5).
What most guides get wrong: they sell it as a luxury escape and stop there. The accurate framing is "high-quality, low-friction all-inclusive with a great beach and forest setting." It's upscale and well-run, not ultra-luxury in the Four Seasons sense - and that's fine, because it costs a fraction of what those properties charge.
What to expect at the Westin Reserva Conchal Resort and Spa
Expect a large, campus-style layout. You'll walk a lot, or call a golf cart. Wildlife is part of the experience - howler monkeys, coatis, and iguanas move through the grounds, especially early morning. When I was there, a coati wandered past the pool bar at 7am like it owned the place. The vibe is upscale but family-friendly. Dress is resort-casual almost everywhere; one or two restaurants ask for long pants at dinner.
The included all-inclusive plan covers daily meals at the buffet and à-la-carte restaurants, select alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, 24-hour room service, Wi-Fi, gym access, non-motorized water sports, daily activities, and bikes (1)(2)(4). Rooms come with Westin's Heavenly Beds, stocked minibar, and most have terraces or balconies (2)(4).
What not to expect
- A boutique eco-lodge. This is 400+ rooms. If you want intimate and rustic, look elsewhere.
- A party scene. Evening entertainment is low-key - music, light shows, bars. There's no Cancún-style nightlife.
- Truly unlimited everything. Premium liquors, some wines, specialty coffees, cabanas, and high-end spa treatments carry surcharges (1)(2)(4). The included tier is generous, but not bottomless. Guests who assume every brand is covered get surprised at checkout.
- Big surf. The water in front is calm. Surfers leave the property to find waves.
How is the food at the Westin Reserva Conchal?
Better than the all-inclusive average - that's the consensus, and it matched my experience. There are 7+ included restaurants: the buffet Mitra plus à-la-carte options including Bamboo (Asian fusion), Faisanela (Italian), Cauri (French), Las Candelas (Latin), Mediterra (Mediterranean), and Spirula (pizza bar), with poolside dining at Caracola (1)(3).
Book at least one dinner each at Bamboo, Faisanela, and Las Candelas - those three draw the strongest reviews (1). Room service runs 24/7 and is included under the all-inclusive plan (4).
Dietary needs are handled well for a property this size: gluten-free breads, pizzas, pasta, pancakes, and brownies are available on request (1).
The one logistical catch - à-la-carte restaurants book up fast in high season. Reserve through the app or concierge the day you arrive, or you'll default to the buffet more than you'd like.
Westin Playa Conchal amenities
The centerpiece is a lagoon-style main pool - one of the largest in the country - with separate adult and children's areas, a Jacuzzi, and 20,000 sq ft of surrounding gardens (1). Beyond the pool and beach:
- Heavenly Spa by Westin on-site; treatments typically run USD 80-200+ per service.
- WestinWORKOUT fitness studio.
- Four lighted tennis courts.
- Included gear: kayaks, snorkel equipment, boogie boards, and bikes count as non-motorized water sports under the all-inclusive plan (1).
- Westin Kids Club for ages 4-12, professionally supervised with scheduled activities (1)(2).
- Family Club rooms with private check-in, cribs, and kid-focused amenities (1).
Use the included bikes early - explore the grounds before the heat and crowds build. If you're traveling with kids, time the Kids Club sessions to free up an adult spa block or a tee time.
Westin Golf Resort: the championship course
The Westin Golf Resort Costa Rica designation comes from the 18-hole championship eco-golf course at Reserva Conchal, an attraction that genuinely separates this property from competitors (1)(2)(3). Greens fees run roughly USD 100-200+ per round depending on time and season. Private and group lessons are bookable through a dedicated golf email at the resort.
Golfers should plan tee times for early morning in the dry season to avoid the midday heat. If golf is the main reason you're coming, build in 5+ nights so you can play two or three rounds and still get beach and pool time. Look for packages that bundle or discount rounds rather than paying à la carte.
Westin Club - adults only
The Westin Club is the adults-only section: 102 of the 406 rooms, set in their own area with a private lounge, an exclusive adults-only pool, upgraded drinks and snacks, priority check-in, and concierge service (1)(3)(8). The resort markets it in Spanish-language channels as "un oasis solo para adultos" (7).
Expect a rate premium of roughly 10-30% over standard rooms (1)(3). For couples and honeymooners, it's usually worth it - quieter pools, better drink options, and a more polished feel overall. The single most common booking mistake here: couples book a family-area room, then complain about pool noise. If you want quiet, book the Westin Club from the start.
Adults-only cabanas at the Westin Club pool come with dedicated service, snacks, and sometimes a small bottle of sparkling wine. Cabana packages start around USD 70 for club guests and USD 250+ for standard guests, depending on inclusions (2). On a short stay, the cabana splurge can be worth it.
Excursions: more to discover
The resort works well as a base for day trips. The best Westin Costa Rica excursions, ranked by whether they're worth the detour:
Worth the detour:
- Rincón de la Vieja volcano + hot springs day. Active volcano hikes, mud baths, and natural hot springs. A full day, usually USD 100-200 per person.
- Catamaran sunset cruise. Snorkeling, open bar, sunset on the Pacific. One of the easier add-ons, USD 80-150 per person.
- Zip-line + ATV combos. Canopy tours through the dry forest, often paired with ATV trails. USD 80-150 per person.
Worth it if you have the time:
- Snorkel trips to nearby reefs (clearer water in dry season).
- Tamarindo surf lessons - 30 minutes away, good beginner waves.
Skip if short on time:
- Arenal day trips. The volcano and La Fortuna are worth seeing, but it's a long round-trip drive from Conchal. Better to do Arenal as a separate multi-night stop than as a day excursion.
For a break from the resort bubble, take a short taxi to nearby Brasilito for local sodas - small family restaurants serving Costa Rican plates at a fraction of resort prices (5).
Top packages featuring the Westin Resort
Many travelers don't book the Westin Costa Rica all inclusive as a standalone - they fold it into a multi-stop itinerary. Tour operators frequently sell flight + 5-7-night packages with taxes from roughly USD 1,800-3,000+ per person from US gateways in non-peak weeks (4).
The most common expert structure pairs 3-4 nights at the Westin (beach, pool, golf) with 2-3 nights in Arenal or Monteverde (rainforest, volcano, hanging bridges). That combination gets you both halves of Costa Rica - the Gold Coast beaches and the cloud forest - without trying to cram a volcano day trip into a beach stay.
Tour operators currently list package booking windows through at least February 2028, which tells you this property isn't going anywhere as a core Costa Rica all-inclusive option (4).
Compare hotels in the area
Comparison of Nearby Resorts in Guanacaste
| All-Inclusive Westin Reserva Conchal | W Costa Rica - Reserva Conchal | Secrets Papagayo | Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo | Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | All-inclusive | EP (not AI) | Adults-only AI | Mid-scale | Luxury (not AI) |
| Best For | Families + couples wanting zero-planning beach + golf | Trendier travelers, design-focused | Couples wanting adults-only | Budget-conscious, beachfront | Top-tier luxury, surfing |
| Notes | Only large-scale AI beachfront with a championship course in Guanacaste (1)(3) | Same beach area, no all-inclusive plan | Farther from Conchal, on Papagayo | Front-and-center on Flamingo Beach | Significantly higher nightly rates |
If your priority is an all-inclusive plan with a great beach and on-site golf, the Westin is the clear pick. If you'd rather pay per item and want a design-led property, the W next door is the alternative. For pure boutique luxury, you're looking at Four Seasons or Andaz Papagayo - neither all-inclusive, both pricier per night.
What is the best resort to go to in Costa Rica?
There's no single answer - it depends on what you want, and any guide that names one "best" is selling something. For a low-friction beach all-inclusive with golf and a great beach, the Westin Reserva Conchal is one of the strongest choices in the country (1)(3). For adults-only romance, Secrets Papagayo. For top-end luxury and surf access, Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo. For a base to explore beyond the resort, the Westin works well because of its short transfer from Liberia and its all-inclusive convenience.
First-timers tend to do best with the Westin's controlled, everything-on-site setup. Repeat Costa Rica travelers often use it as one stop, then add surf towns like Nosara or Santa Teresa, or rainforest lodges, before or after.
Reserva Conchal guest reviews: what visitors actually say
The honest summary of the Westin Costa Rica reviews: high marks for the beach, food, and grounds; recurring gripes about walking distances and the gap between "beachfront" expectations and garden-room reality. On TripAdvisor it sits at #2 of 5 in Brasilito with strong recent review volume (5).
The pattern in negative reviews is almost always one of two things: guests who expected an ocean-view room and got a garden setting, or guests who assumed every premium drink and excursion was included and ran into surcharges. Both are avoidable if you book the right room category and read the all-inclusive fine print before arrival.
Neither complaint is really about the resort. They're about mismatched expectations - which is a booking problem, not a property problem.
Booking logistics and costs
Getting there: Fly into Liberia International Airport (LIR), about 62 km / 1-1.25 hours by road (2)(4). Private transfers run roughly USD 80-150 one-way per car. From San José (SJO) it's a 4.5-5.5-hour drive, so most travelers fly into Liberia.
Nightly rates (two adults, all-inclusive):
- Low season (Sep-Oct): ~USD 350-500, often bundled with flights (4)(5).
- Shoulder (Jun-Aug, Nov): ~USD 450-700.
- High season & holidays (Dec-Apr): USD 650-1,200+, with suites and Westin Club at the top end.
Seasonality: High season runs Dec 1-May 30; shoulder is Jun-Aug and Nov; low season is Sep-Oct - the rainiest months (3). The low-season bargains come with heavier rain and occasionally cloudy seas that affect water clarity and excursion availability. If you book Sep-Oct, leave flexible days for weather-impacted tours and consider travel insurance.
Check-in details: Official check-in is 3:00 pm, check-out around 11:00 am-12:00 pm (2)(4). Minimum age to check in is 18 (2)(4). The resort is largely cashless on-site - purchases charge to your room. Bring a passport with at least six months' validity.
You deserve a vacation planned by experts - but do you need one?
A DIY booking is plenty if you want a single-stop Westin Costa Rica all inclusive stay: book direct or through an OTA, arrange a transfer from Liberia, and you're set. The all-inclusive model handles the rest.
Where a Costa Rica specialist earns their fee is the multi-stop itinerary - pairing the Westin with Arenal or Monteverde, coordinating ground transfers between regions, and timing excursions around the dry season. If you're combining beach, volcano, and rainforest across a week or more, an operator who bundles transfers and tours saves real logistical headaches. For a straight beach week, you don't need one.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Westin Costa Rica on the beach?
- Yes, it borders Playa Conchal directly, but most rooms are garden-view requiring a short walk or golf-cart ride to the sand rather than an ocean-view balcony in every room.
- What is there to do at the Westin Costa Rica?
- On-site amenities include a lagoon-style pool, an 18-hole championship golf course, tennis courts, Heavenly Spa, Kids Club, and included kayaks, snorkel gear, and bikes. Off-site excursions include catamaran cruises, zip-line and ATV combos, volcano and hot springs days, and surf lessons nearby.
- How is the food at the Westin Costa Rica?
- The resort offers 7+ included restaurants with buffet and à-la-carte options spanning Asian, Italian, French, Latin, and Mediterranean cuisines. Gluten-free options are available on request. À-la-carte dinners book up fast in high season, so reservations on arrival are recommended.
- What is the best resort to go to in Costa Rica?
- It depends on your priorities: Westin Reserva Conchal is strong for beach all-inclusive with golf; Secrets Papagayo suits adults-only romance; Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo is top-tier luxury with surf access. Booking the right room category and planning your itinerary carefully ensures the best experience.
- Are premium drinks and excursions included in the all-inclusive plan?
- No, premium liquors, some wines, specialty coffees, cabanas, and high-end spa treatments carry additional charges. Guests should review the all-inclusive fine print to avoid surprises at checkout.
- How far is the resort from Liberia International Airport and what are transfer options?
- The resort is about 62 km and a 1-1.25 hour drive from Liberia International Airport. Private transfers cost roughly USD 80-150 one-way per car. Most travelers fly into Liberia due to the shorter transfer compared to San José.
- Is the Westin Club adults-only section worth the premium?
- For couples and honeymooners seeking quieter pools, upgraded drinks, and a more polished atmosphere, the Westin Club is generally worth the 10-30% rate premium over standard rooms.
