Azul Hotel & Retreat

Stayed their on the last days of our 2 weeks trip through Costa Rica and enjoyed these last days pretty much. Staff is incredible friendly and helpful while the rooms are nicely furnished, totally according to our style. However, the bathroom has yet not been modernized which is a bit of a shame but totally does the deal. Room cleaning was done a bit in a rush and there were some stains on the bed sheets as on the beach towels. Nothing major but a little bit disappointing. As the bungalows/ houses are a bit old you need to keep in mind to switch of lights when it gets dark as bugs and other stuff will get to your room through the gaps below the door or between windows, which is, however, normal in such a surrounding. The AC is too small to get the room cooled down - at least in the room we stayed at (upper flow). The room is just too big for such a small AC so it got a bit warm also during nights. Food is amazing. We never left the resort and had breakfast (1 choice with fruit platter and orange juice for free), lunch, and dinner there. No single dished disappointed and we especially enjoyed the beans side dish. They have a pretty big and well equipped gym, though which we were impressed by such a rather small resort. There are lots of sun beds along with big parasols. Even though only 3-5 rooms were occupied during our stay, there are enough sun beds for everyone once it might be fully booked. This couldn`t have been a better ending of our vacation and if we you`re tired of busy Tamarindo and want some peace and quietness consider staying there. The road to the hotel is indeed a bit bumpy and rocky partially where you need to slow down but nothing major.

Beautifully designed and maintained boutique property on the ocean. Expansive sandy beach great for walking and exploring with exquisite sunsets. Pool is wonderful if surf is up. Nearby reef protected beaches for calm swimming minutes away. Food and service is top notch. Definitely will return.

Stunning location, One of the cleanest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. The food was epic!

Loved this resort - the rooms, grounds and swimming pool was clean , the staff were super friendly and the food was delicious. There were not many people there when we visited but we enjoyed the peace and quiet. All the rooms look out over the ocean. The beach is dark sand - which I’m not that crazy about but we didn’t spend much time there

We loved our stay at Azul Ocean Club. It was very quiet and relaxing. The staff are so friendly and attentive. The pool is wonderful, and there are many comfortable spots to lounge. The waves in the ocean are a little rough for swimming, but would be great for boogie boarding. The beach is very private and beautiful. Room was very comfortable.

Clean beach front property with great staff. Room was 1 of the best I have experienced in th 20 years I ave been coming to Costa Rica

DO NOT STAY HERE! QUICK LIST: Don't respect allergies Allowed fruit to go mouldy in our room Left dirty rags on our bathroom counter Not able to tan on the beach Construction ALLERGIES I have a severe gluten allergy, which makes me nauseous, vomit and spend a lot of time in the bathroom (if you get my drift). Before even getting to the hotel we let them know this and they said not to worry they could happily accommodate. The first night we came to the hotel we went to the restaurant, when I asked what my gluten free options were the server looked at me like I had 2 heads, I explained it was like an allergy to flour, wheat etc. He told me he would check with the chef and came back to say I had to take my chances and he didn't know what was gluten free on the menu, and maybe a salad? I didn't eat dinner my first night at the hotel, luckily I brought some corn tortillas from home just in case so that was my dinner in my room. We emailed management who didn't respond so we ended up going to the front desk the next day, the manager apologized and said that the chef would be reviewing the menu, they did have gluten free options of their menu and they would be ready for me that night for dinner. NO THEY WEREN’T When I arrived at the restaurant I asked what was gluten free that I could possibly eat and the waiter said he recommended the spaghetti. So that's what I ordered. I ate it all, aside from it swimming in oil it wasn't bad. WRONG! 30 minutes later I had my head over my toilet in my hotel room. I then proceeded to vomit and stay in the bathroom for the next 4 HOURS! The next morning I was still so unwell we had to cancel our tour and actually drove into the city to Walmart so I could pick up food I could actually eat!!! When we expressed how upset we were they apologized and told us to come back tomorrow when the manager is actually there. IF YOU HAVE AN ALLERGY THEY WILL NOT RESPECT IT! ROOM The room was clean and inviting when we first arrived with a fresh fruit tray. We didn't end up eating the fruit and figured the maid would take it away after a day. But no, then we figured 2 days. No. We just got back to the hotel, it is day 3, there is a big plate of mouldy fruit in our room. On top of that the maid left dirty rags on our bathroom counters. BEACH Be warned that the beach here is dangerous. You can only go up to about your waist and then you take your chances of being pulled out by the tide. There are no beach chairs directly on the beach and to get to the beach you have to walk through a bunch of debris. It was nice to walk up and down during the day however. CONSTRUCTION They are doing construction right beside the pool, you will hear hammering and sawing from morning to night. They say they're building a yoga platform but be warned it's just very noisy. Also the swim up bar is not open.

Wonderful hotel, right on the beach. Very peaceful and comfortable environment. You can walk on the beach for hours and meet just a few people, but wear beach shoes, as there are some rocks and shells here and there. Comfortable, clean room, nice food. There are other restaurants within 5-10 minutes of driving. Recommend to rent a car. The owners of the hotel are very nice people, we made friends with them. We will be going there again this winter, third year in a raw.

Food was great, drinks refresing. Seafood was the best, we had sushi. Fruits were fresh and smoothies just perfect. The rooms were neat and clean. Staff was amicable and resourceful. Got a nice tan at the pool.