Margaritaville Beach Resort
Central Guanacaste
Your escape to Margaritaville Beach Resort at Costa Rica’s Playa Flamingo takes you to a relatively undiscovered beach in the Pacific northwest. Margaritaville offers guests a four-star resort experience for a surprisingly affordable price. Inspired by Jimmy Buffett’s lyrical life as a tropical sailor, the 120-room resort reflects all aspects of relaxing ashore, swinging in hammocks, and sipping freshly made fruit cocktails without a care in the world. Resort amenities feature an ocean view restaurant, roof top lounge, swimming pools, swim-up Tiki-bar, tennis courts, and a modern gym. There’s a host of changing daily activities, such as aerobics classes, and a beachfront yoga deck. A large conference room can lend itself to business retreats or provide the perfect accommodation for a memorable beach wedding. The Family Center contains a variety of games, plus a kids’ pool and playground. An array of relaxing onsite Spa services can be purchased.
Just a few steps across a dirt road and you’re on a gorgeous stretch of beach and shade trees. Beautiful Playa Flamingo has long been overlooked until road improvements allowed for easier access. The gentle tides make it safe for swimming and body surfing. It holds the prestigious Blue Flag designation for its clean waters, unspoiled beach, and planned sustainability. The small town of Playa Flamingo is experiencing rapid upscale development, but the protected quiet beachfront remains pristine. Playa Flamingo provides popular tours for off-shore sport fishing and scuba diving. During season, nesting leatherback turtles can be found 12 miles away. Several area beaches have surf breaks and Playa Tamarindo offers an exciting nightlife.
While enjoying your stay at Margaritaville, you can relax in a hammock, lounge at the pool, sip something cold and delicious from the swim up bar, participate in one of the daily activities such as salsa dancing or taking a guided eco-walk. The fitness center features modern work out machines and the tennis courts are lighted at night. There’s a lot of fun at the Family Center with pool tables, ping-pong, bingo, and even a movie theater! A specially covered kids pool helps protect them from the sun. You can also rent a kayak, bicycle, or boogie board to play at the beach.
If you have booked the all-inclusive plan, the resort provides boogie-boards complimentary for 2 hours per day. Kids age 6 -14 require parental supervision. With this plan, you can also use the rental bicycles for 2 hours per day. Kids ages 10 - 14 require adult supervision. Additionally, the all-inclusive plan includes popcorn and permissible drinks in the movie theatre.
Looking for that lost shaker of salt? Look no further than Margaritaville’s Banana Wind Restaurant serving up delicious locally sourced seafood concoctions and grass-fed beef seasoned with fresh organic herbs and vegetables grown right at the resort. Both the open-air section and air-conditioned area of the restaurant faces amazing sunsets that blaze across the ocean every night. A Pizza Bistro provides Italian fare in the evening plus delicious coffee and freshly made pastry in the morning. You can also dine in the 5 O’clock Somewhere rooftop bar to catch the sunset. And down at the pool, there’s The License to Chill swim up bar. At Margaritaville you’ll have a choice of meal plans from no meals to all-inclusive, or breakfast only.
The 120 light, airy, tropically decorated rooms at Margaritaville Beach Resort all include air-conditioning, cable TV, safe, mini-fridge, and a coffee maker, among other items. Guests can choose from a variety of room options depending on the size of their party and their personal preferences. Please refer to the Amenities Section for a complete list of Room Types and what is included with each room. Overall, the Margaritaville Beach Resort provides a unique tropical oceanside experience with plenty of onsite activities in a gorgeous, relatively undiscovered beachfront location.
Latitude: N 10° 26' 19.24"
Longitude: W 85° 47' 32.13"
11/21/2023
Nice beach resort. Our suite was large, comfortable and exceeded our expectations. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food was fresh and delicious...pasta, pizza, salad and desserts in Italian restaurant were exceptional! The number of raccoons was a bit unnerving at first, but we got used to them. The pool was the perfect size for this size of resort. During the early afternoon, staff pushed a cart around the pool deck and offered coffee and watermelon and later on, offered coffee and pastries...nice touch.
11/03/2023
Staff was great. Food was very good. A little disappointed with lack of entertainment. There also is a lack of communication with what is available. Found out on the last day that bikes and boogie boards were free to use for all inclusive guests. Wish I knew sooner.
08/24/2023
This hotel felt a bit "dated", but staff worked hard to keep it in good condition. It didn't feel like a true all-inclusive style resort, with limited dining options. However, it was still a great experience. Staff were friendly, rooms were clean. The pool options were geared more towards very small children with a small kiddie pool, or older children/adults with a deeper pool. The hallways and stairs could be better cleaned. Overall, still a great experience and would recommend it to others.
05/25/2023
This was not our favorite part of the trip. The hotel was a little underwhelming, but we were close to the beach and it was all inclusive
05/07/2023
Loved the location and proximity to the beach. Great housekeeping and comfortable bed. I only wish there was more than one option for lunch. The 5 o’clock somewhere bar and grill upstairs advertised as open at noon but never was until later.
04/29/2023
The people, meals and drinks were generally amazing. We were given little info during check in which caused confusions and follow up on some items (towels / restaurant reservations). The restaurant times were different on the handout / TV / verbal updates. Minor things but could be improved upon.
04/13/2023
Another good hotel choice and room. Excellent beach right there. Food was good and the "5:00 Somewhere Bar" was a great spot to lounge and have a beer or 2 and meal. Poor adjustability of shower water temperature, and our (short) sheets not being changed are the only minor negatives.
04/06/2023
The hotel is starting to get a little tired and worn. The excercise room in particular was disappointing. Numerous machines were not working properly and there were a lot of signs of wear and tear in the room.
03/08/2023
I should have read the reviews closer as the racoons in the bar area were not impressive to us as we have them in our part of America and they can be mean so we were concerned and didn't care for them climbing on the tables. The staff seemed not concerned about this at all. We didn't receive the same warm and friendly service we had in La Fortuna. The resort was very americanized which we didn't really want but it was right on the ocean which was lovely.
01/13/2023
This lower rating has more to do with personal prefernce...not into the more "party" like scene. Loud band kept us from sleeping. Also, since we don't drink alochol, and this was an all-inclusive resort, I'm sure we were paying for it even though we didn't consume it.
12/26/2022
We loved Margaritaville! The pool and beach were wonderful. The food and drinks were excellent. The staff fully embodied Pura Vida and were always friendly and helpful. The party they threw for the guests for New Year's Eve and fireworks were spectacular. The gentleman who took care of us every night at the Italian restaurant was all Pura Vida, just a wonderful man. The only downside was that while we were there, every night around 9 PM, a local entertainment club about a half mile away started playing dance music extremely loud, until between 2 and 3 AM. It was so loud you could feel the beats thumping through your body. Sleep was impossible. This affected all the rooms on the left side of the building facing out, or 25% of the rooms. We talked to the Margaritaville people, who said they were aware, as were the local authorities, but there was nothing they could do about it. It wasn't their fault, they did all they could to make our stay as pleasant as possible. But it did affect our stay.
12/07/2022
Great hotel & staff
08/16/2022
This all inclusive hotel was amazing. My most favorite of all. We were able to see whales from the 2nd floor restaurant facing the beach. Best experience ever!
06/29/2022
This hotel was fine, comfortable enough for our family but I think we had a bit higher expectations based on what we had for accommodations in Arenal Springs. Our toilet broke several times and it was a bit small, but other than that the staff was amazing and location was great. Beautiful views for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Loved the pool and swimup bar and drinks. Overall this was good, just a little small and not as great as our previous hotel so we may have been spoiled by that before getting here.
06/02/2022
The staff were wonderful and very helpful for helping me get my COVID testing done to get back home. The location was wonderful; for my birthday, I pretty much had the beach all to myself. The spa experience was really nice too. The one thing I did not enjoy was the food. Most of the meals were very plain-tasting.
04/08/2022
Good and perfect quiet resort on Playa Flamingo. Wish there were a little more options for vegetarian food but staff was helpful to fulfill our needs
03/29/2022
Slightly cheesy, but in a good way. We all loved it. Right next to the beach. Best part was the ocean and boogie boarding and body surfing. The food was more than good enough. The pool was very nice. The rooms and staff very good.
01/14/2022
This hotel looks much nicer online than in person. We waited to be served way too long several times during our meals. Our room was definitely older and dingy and we had no view outside other than a wall.
12/23/2021
very clean. right on the incredibly nice beach - great sand, great waves (not for surfing though), not too many tour solicitors and not too aggressive, rooms were very nice, small almost private pool behind our room, staff was always helpful, friendly and accessible.
12/21/2021
I liked the hotel, and its closeness to the beach. The times for the resturaunts was a bit weird, but the food was good. It was more of an Americanized hotel experience which was good in some ways but also a bit less hospitable than Arenal. We enjoyed the beach and amenities. The room was nice, but we liked our Arenal room better. We also liked the game room, and ability to get our covid test at the hotel.
12/15/2021
Check in took forever. Tables in 5 OClock bar weren’t cleared on a couple of occasions and one waiter was kind of rude when we started to clear ourselves so we could sit down. Need more shade by the pool. Everything else great.
12/14/2021
The Hotel Staff & Chief Personnel where great. The food was awesome and made fresh every day. The front desk staff answered all of questions on area that we where staying and the excursions that we wanted to take. The rooms where cleaned and the pool/hot tub where always keep clean comfortable to be in. . Thank You Jose for helping us have a great vacation in Costa Rica. We will be back. Thanks Ernie & Kristy from Austin, Tx.
12/02/2021
We were not told that room cleaning & new towels was only by request. The beach and sunsets are beautiful. Nice hotel and pool - more for a party crowd
11/26/2021
Terrible experience with many many issues at the hotel including cleanliness, covid safety, quality of rooms, facilities and food. Not recommended at all!
11/05/2021
Food was not great, would not choose to do all-inclusive here again. It was a bit of a letdown after how amazing Arenal was. But still a nice hotel with a beautiful ocean view.
09/27/2021
The hotel is great; the only complaint was the abundance of wildlife in the eating areas, particularly the racoons that would come up to the table and be a meter away from me as I was eating.
09/15/2021
excellence service
08/15/2021
This was a great hotel and experience. All of the Staff there was wonderful, and we want to give special commendations and praise to front desk staff person Wendolyn Chaves, who went WAY above and beyond to accommodate us and contributed to making our stay so enjoyable and amazing in so many different ways. We also had an incident the first night with an unruly/loud and obnoxious guest in the neighboring room and the night manager handled this contentious situation very professionally and well.
08/09/2021
We loved our time here. I only recommend that the hotel offer more lounge chairs beachside, but other than that, the miles of walking on pristine white sands and snorkeling in the crystal clear water was perfect. We loved looking at the tidepools along the rocky shorelines and seeing the biodiversity of the animals that lived and thrived there. We also enjoyed the amazing sunsets: Just wow! The staff at the hotel was phenomenal. We were super impressed with their courtesy, positive attitudes, and helpfulness. We also were appreciative of the Covid protocols: hand washing stations, temp checks, and sanitizing stations. This added an extra layer of protection and safety for us. Plus, we also were appreciative that they offered a doctor to come in house to do Covid testing, which is required for those of us from the US to return home. We didn't have to leave the resort without transportation, so that was a plus. Also, support local: We bought directly from the artisan who was selling her family goods at the entrance to the beach. :)
05/20/2021
Very good
11/10/2020
Great staff
01/31/2020
Proximity to the beach was wonderful; one minute from room to the water. We loved boogie boarding (though wished the hotel had a few more boards so our entire group could go together). Wasn't too crowded and we were always able to find a table for meals. We really enjoyed the Italian restaurant at the hotel. Only thing missing was a hot tub.
01/11/2020
There were missing items in the room- patio chairs,TV guide, blown light bulb, patio door security bar. The front desk had to be reminded a few times to take care of things.
01/02/2020
We enjoyed our stay at Margaritaville, but it wasn't as peaceful and enjoyable as the first two hotels.
12/31/2019
Very welcoming and lovely views
12/10/2019
Another great experience. The resort was great and the staff was amazing.
11/10/2019
We loved ending our trip at the beautiful beach. The room was lovely and the staff were exceptional. My husband used the gym every day and was very happy to have a 25 metre pool to swim in. I have high praise for the spa experience. The restaurants were basic with good food and wonderful welcoming staff. The 6 raccoons which constantly begged for food and ran through the restaurant and bar are a challenge for the staff. They even get up on the tables and bar to steal food if they get a chance.
I would return to this hotel and recommend it to others.
10/26/2019
This resort was right on minimally trafficked beach. We enjoyed the central location of it and all the amenities. The food was so/so, but we enjoyed the swim up bar, ability to watch the sunset and impeccably clean rooms!
10/15/2019
Loved that for an all inclusive the food was made to order instead of all buffet. The staff was very friendly, food was good and the room was clean and comfy. Not many channels on the TV in English.
10/12/2019
VERY NICE HOTEL. HAD ALL AMENITIES AND THE BEACHFRONT WAS AWESOME. THE ALL INCLUSIVE WORKED GREAT FOR US.
06/12/2019
This resort also seemed to be quite “dead” at night. Not many activities planned after the dinner time. Also their advertised special dinners did not occur. For example Wednesday was “sushi night”; no sushi. Friday was BBQ night; no BBQ. Also I believe that they have a sewer problem. Out at the pool during the day, you could sometimes smell the sewer system, which appears to run near the pool.
06/07/2019
The rooms we stayed in had a bad odor and we needed to get an ionizer in our room. The rooms felt very musty and old. There were no activities to do other than one afternoon the pool did bingo. It was a let down for our three kids. We actually got bored and was ready to leave after the second day. The food was sub par and not very fulfilling.
05/10/2019
No organized activities, no staff/ bar service on beach, patio door hard to slide open and very loud squeak ea time
05/07/2019
I gave Margaritaville a 10 because of the location of the resort and the friendliness of the people.The staff is exemplary. The relaxing atmosphere is much appreciated, and the staff tried hard to make sure that everything is going well on your vacation. However, the resort definitely needs attention. Bathrooms are in sad shape...the bathtubs are rusted out, the tile is very old and outdated, the sink has no counter space. The rooms look like they took the original room and just added some inexpensive decor. The towels are old and pulled apart, the sheets on the bed are scratchy and over used.There is no outdoor Jacuzzi, a definite minus. This resort is not for everyone.
05/06/2019
This hotel needs work. The pool was not clean and needs to be resurfaced. The bar tenders at the pool were nice and we did get good service there.
The a/c in room was not working and we had to call front desk multiple times. I fell getting in and out of the bathtub twice as it was not level with floor. Most of the staff seemed like they did not want to be there and treated us like they did not want to help. In 5 o'clock somewhere we sat waiting for service multiple times and food was subpar (when burgers should be excellent - if Jimmy Buffet/Margaritaville) (we gave up and did not go again). Other guest seemed to be feeling the same way and we saw one group get up and walk out.
We expected more Jimmy Buffet style. Just a suggestion live music, steel drum, guitar, DJ at pool and night entertainment. Just having "Margaritaville" written everywhere does not make it Margaritaville, it should be an experience and the staff should radiate that same feeling.
The only great experience we had was the Italian restaurant. Jamie and his staff made us feel welcome and the food was excellent for us. This was the shining star of Margaritaville for us. I believe the rest of the staff should use this as the example of how clients should be treated.
I think Jimmy Buffet/Margaritaville needs to check the quality of this location, as it is does not live up to his other hotels and brand.
04/04/2019
The stay was great, Jaime at the pizza bistro went out of his way to personalize a dessert for us. Great location wish maybe they had a couple of vegetarian options. But overall it was great.
03/22/2019
Bathroom could use some updating but the room was lovely and quiet. Food was good although the Italian restaurant could use a little more atmosphere. We were very happy with the all inclusive. The beach was beautiful for walking but not all that comfortable for sitting on (fumes from cars driving by). Staff was very nice and friendly. Nice music in the bar every night.
03/15/2019
As a Margaritaville branded hotel, we did not expect it to be 90% families. There was not the level of "after hours" activity that we expected and were looking for. Additionally, there wasn't much to do within walking distance of the hotel. We rented a golf cart to explore and find late night fun.
02/02/2019
Again the staff was phenomenal. Anything we needed or wanted they provided. The area was less congested then some of the beaches we saw on our transfers which was very nice.
01/26/2019
Loved this place! Loved being so close to the beach. The staff was great!
01/09/2019
Food service was slow, hotel started playing loud music at 630am
12/30/2018
Nice resort and nice beach. The New Years party was fantastic. I would stay here again
12/28/2018
Had a leak in the ceiling above our shower, but otherwise the accommodations were good. The staff and food were excellent.
12/27/2018
For a Jimmy Buffet hotel, we had no idea what to expect. This place was great. We would love to stay here again. All of the staff were fantastic, but Luis and Fionna were particularly great.
12/16/2018
Nice resort, nice food and staff. Beach is beautiful, but not as beautiful as I expected, although i can still give the beach a 4 star for its beauty.
12/08/2018
We had to change rooms twice because the aircondition wasn't working. I have to say though that the Manager went above and beyond and gave us one of the biggest rooms in the hotel for the rest of our stay to make up for having to pack up twice and move rooms. Breakfast wasn't really that good. The Italian Restaurant at the hotel was wonderful. Very clean hotel.
12/03/2018
Had a great time!
11/11/2018
Can’t wait to come back to this place! If you’re looking for a tropical getaway, this is the place you’re looking for!
11/06/2018
The staff was excelllent. This was a fun place to be even though all the kinks weren’t worked out yet
