Best Western Jaco Beach All Inclusive Resort

We are currently in day 4 of a 5 day stay. The staff is very friendly and most speak some English. The food is quite good and varies daily. My wife is gluten free and has no trouble finding dishes to suit her appetite. The beach is not good for swimming as the waves pound the shore. I would call it a surfer's paradise. There are more small children here than we expected. The rooms are clean but noisy at night from the hallway and the room above ours. Good security on the grounds so we felt totally safe. The specialty drink menu is extensive with friendly bartenders. In all, we are enjoying our stay. less

I'm not a fan of all inclusive resorts, but really enjoyed my stay here. Very pretty grounds with a large swimming pool, 2 bars, play area with foosball, ping pong, etc,, small gift shop and open air dining. On 2 mornings while I was having coffee, there were wild macaws in the trees! What could be better than that? We really appreciated all the covered areas and walkways as t rained every late afternoon into evening. Never has to go out into the rain. Food was always a buffet consisting of rice, beans, pasta, veggies, salads, fruits, desserts. There was always some fish, chicken, pork or beef being served. Food was ok, not great, not bad. Actually very typical of Costa Rica. Their food is not very interesting compared to Mexican or island. Rooms were all tiled. Decent beds, lousy pillows. Hot water in shower, not in sink. Typical hotel AC- loud and either hot or cold with a 1 degree temp change. Housekeeping was really thorough and our rooms as well as public areas were spotless. There was always someone doing something for upkeep. We found all the waiters, bar tenders and front desk staff to be very friendly and helpful. There are free local and international calls from the front desk. Due to Hurricane Irma, we used this service. Staff was more than willing to place calls and translate when necessary. There was no problem if we were on hold for a long time. Location is good. Go north on 34 to get to Carara National Park and Pura Vida Waterfalls. Go south for 1 hr 45 mins to Manual Antonio Park. Town of Jaco is typical beach town. We didn't spend much time there. Not worth t in our opinions. Costa Rica is not inexpensive like other countries. Prices are on a par with US prices. HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW: HAVE A GPS!!!! THERE AREN'T ROAD NAMES. Nor are there decent road maps. less

Overall very nice, week long experience. Good location, easy to find, and free parking. The hotel grounds are absolutely beautiful and extremely well kept. The lobby area and common areas are quite nice and very clean and open. If you have done "all inclusive resorts" before, this property is much smaller, and more convenient to navigate. However, that also means fewer choices for bars and restaurants. The staff overall was very friendly and helpful. Some exceptions, but many more who were great. Our favorite, among many, was Octavio in the restaurant. The daily dinner menu was quite diverse, and had something we really liked every night. The pool bar was great for a casual buffet lunch. The breakfast buffet was also excellent, with made to order egg and waffle stations. The room was very clean, spacious, and everything worked. Decor was a bit spartan, but quite functional. Easy walking distance into downtown Jaco. The Jaco beach is not a sandy one, but rather pebbles and mixed soil. Great waves, and surfers galore just a bit up the beach. Compact gift shop was huge array of stuff at fair prices. The bars were well stocked, beer was cold, and the mixed drinks generously poured. If there was a 4.5 rating I would do it. Overall very enjoyable. less

I will say this, I never even stayed at this resort and let me tell you why. I couldn't get in contact with them. I called five yes 5 times in order to try to reach the front desk two days before I was supposed to arrive here. I could not get anyone to answer their phones. I needed to confirm that they had a crib for our baby and that we would be able to check in a little early the day we arrived. Well after not getting in contact with anyone like I needed I called Best Western customer service and they also were unable to reach the resort. I was so alarmed by this I asked to cancel the reservation. I mean who wants to travel internationally with an infant to a resort that doesn't answer their phone? I ended up being charged $161 dollars because I "cancelled too late". When I got back from Costa Rica I had a voicemail from Best Western saying that the resort was going to refund my money. That was a week ago yesterday and still no refund. Stay away from this place. Go to Crocs Resort. It is pricier but they answer their phones and their customer service is amazing! less

When we arrived, we had a really bad first impression due to the staff member at the front desk (tall, dark hair, glasses). He was rude to the point of almost being hostile. He did not tell us about the safe, beach towels, the restaurant, where the elevator was... another staff member stepped in and helped us. At first we thought, it was because we were english speaking, but, later we saw him be respectful to others. My friends suggested that perhaps he mistakenly thought we were a same-sex couple and had an issue with it (he referred to her as my "partner" ). All of our interactions with him were unpleasant. Despite, our bad first impression, we had a great stay. The hotel is definitely no frills, but, exceptionally clean. The rest of the staff were excellent. The food, while repetitive was tasty and good. The drinks were delicious. We had fun on the beach, but, be prepared for big waves and bring swim shoes (I would not let small kids play in the ocean). The bar staff were great. It is a very different than all-inclusive from some southern countries, but, overall, we had a very good stay. less