Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Costa Rica for 2026

Most people plan Costa Rica the hard way. They stitch together a jungle lodge, a beach hotel, three transfers, and a rental car, then spend the whole trip managing logistics instead of relaxing. All-inclusive is the shortcut, and Costa Rica has a real all-inclusive scene now. It is just smaller and more concentrated than the one in Cancun, so knowing where to look matters more. Here are the nine resorts worth your money in 2026, sorted by who you are traveling with.

Costa Rica's All-Inclusive Resorts Are Almost All in Guanacaste

Nearly every all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica sits on the northern Pacific coast in Guanacaste province, within about an hour of Liberia International Airport (LIR). The Gulf of Papagayo corridor alone holds Secrets Papagayo, Planet Hollywood Costa Rica, Occidental Papagayo, and both Riu properties. Playa Conchal, Playa Flamingo, and Playa El Jobo add a few more within a 90 minute drive.

That layout works beautifully for a first-time visitor. You land at LIR, hit a pool deck 25 to 45 minutes later, and skip the capital entirely. Book flights into Liberia, not San José (SJO), which is a four to five hour drive away on the other side of the country. The only real exception is Barceló Tambor on the Nicoya Peninsula, which is easier to reach from San José.

The rest of Costa Rica (Arenal, Monteverde, Manuel Antonio, the Osa Peninsula) is boutique-lodge country with almost no true all-inclusive inventory. If you want a volcano view with unlimited drinks attached, the realistic plan is a Guanacaste beach resort plus a two-night side trip inland.

The Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Costa Rica at a Glance

Here is our complete 2026 shortlist, ranked by how confidently we recommend each property.

Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts in Costa Rica

The three genuine luxury all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica are Secrets Papagayo, The Westin Reserva Conchal, and the brand-new JW Marriott Costa Elena. All three cost noticeably more per night than the Riu and Barceló properties, and all three earn it with better food, better rooms, and real service.

Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica

Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica is the best adults-only luxury all-inclusive in the country, and it is the one people search for by name. It sits on Playa Arenilla in the Gulf of Papagayo, about 20 minutes from the Liberia airport, and belongs to Hyatt's Inclusive Collection, so stays earn World of Hyatt points. The resort has 202 hillside rooms and suites, six restaurants, a café, five bars, a Secrets Spa by Pevonia, and two pools overlooking the Pacific.

The Unlimited-Luxury model is the real draw. No wristbands, no dinner reservations at the à la carte restaurants, top-shelf spirits, 24 hour room service, and a daily-refreshed minibar are all built into the rate. Guests must be 18 or older, which keeps the pool deck quiet in a way family resorts simply cannot match.

Check current rates for Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica on Expedia→

The Westin Reserva Conchal

The Westin Reserva Conchal is the strongest all-around luxury pick in Costa Rica because it works for couples and families at the same time. The resort has 406 rooms and nine restaurants and sits about half a mile from Playa Conchal, the crushed-shell beach widely considered the prettiest in Guanacaste. It is also the only all-inclusive in the country with a championship golf course on site, the Reserva Conchal course designed by Robert Trent Jones II.

Kayaking, snorkeling, and yoga classes are included; the Heavenly Spa charges extra for facials and massages. Guest ratings on Expedia hover around 9.0, unusually high for a resort this size. If you need one booking that satisfies a golfer, a spa person, and two kids, this is it.

Check current rates for The Westin Reserva Conchal on Expedia→

JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa

JW Marriott Costa Elena is the newest luxury all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica and the first all-inclusive JW Marriott anywhere in the world. It sits on Playa El Jobo near La Cruz, about 75 minutes north of the Liberia airport, occupying the former Dreams Las Mareas site, and reopened in late September 2026 after a full renovation. The resort has 415 rooms, 11 dining options, a Spa by JW, and a Griffin Club hotel-within-a-hotel tier.

Because the property is brand new under this flag, expect the usual opening-season variables: dining venues phasing in, service still settling. The trade is that introductory rates on a JW are almost always the lowest they will ever be. Book it in the first year or wait two years for the reviews to mature.

Check current rates for JW Marriott Costa Elena on Expedia→

To see how these properties stack up against options worldwide, read our guide to the best luxury all-inclusive resorts.

Best All-Inclusive Costa Rica Beach Resorts for Value

The best value all-inclusive beach resorts in Costa Rica are Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica, Hotel Riu Guanacaste, Occidental Papagayo, and Barceló Tambor. All four sit directly on the beach, bundle meals, drinks, and tips into the upfront cost, and regularly price at a fraction of the luxury tier.

Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica sits on Playa Matapalo with four restaurants, four outdoor pools, a 24 hour fitness center, a nightclub, and free admission to the neighboring Riu water park. It is the loudest and most social of the value picks, which is either exactly what you want or exactly what you do not.

Check current rates for Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica on Expedia→

Hotel Riu Guanacaste shares the same beach and the same water park but sits a tier below the Palace on rooms and dining. Guests can generally use both properties, so booking the Guanacaste and walking next door for dinner is a well-worn budget move.

Check current rates for Hotel Riu Guanacaste on Expedia→

Occidental Papagayo is the budget adults-only answer to Secrets. The Barceló-run resort is 18 and over, sits on a quiet cove about 35 minutes from the Liberia airport and five miles from Playas del Coco village, and has four restaurants plus a rooftop terrace. It is not a luxury product, but it delivers the child-free calm at roughly half the nightly rate.

Check current rates for Occidental Papagayo on Expedia→

Barceló Tambor is the geographic outlier. The 402 room resort near Tambor on the Nicoya Peninsula has an adjacent golf course, tennis courts, a kids' pool, and a swim-up bar. Guest ratings sit lower than the Guanacaste resorts (around 7.4 on Expedia), and getting there means a ferry or a short domestic flight from San José. Book it for quiet and price, not polish.

Check current rates for Barceló Tambor on Expedia→

Best Costa Rica All-Inclusive Resorts for Families

For a Costa Rica all-inclusive family trip, the three resorts to compare are Planet Hollywood Costa Rica, The Westin Reserva Conchal, and Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo. Each one solves a different family problem.

Planet Hollywood Costa Rica by Royalton is the teen-and-tween pick. The Autograph Collection property in Nacascolo on the Papagayo peninsula has seven restaurants, a playground, a full-service spa, and a health club with fitness classes, plus enough on-site entertainment that nobody asks what there is to do. Reviewers consistently call out the friendly staff and the modern rooms.

Check current rates for Planet Hollywood Costa Rica on Expedia→

The Westin Reserva Conchal works best for families with a wide age spread, thanks to nine restaurants, a kids' club, kids' menus, and a golf course that keeps one parent busy.

Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo is for families who do not want to stay on property all week. The all-inclusive plan here is optional rather than mandatory, which is rare in Costa Rica, and Playa Flamingo town is walkable from the resort. The plan covers three daily meals across four restaurants plus snacks, select drinks, and tips. Room service, takeout food, and minibar items are excluded, so read the fine print.

Check current rates for Margaritaville Beach Resort Playa Flamingo on Expedia→

To see how these properties compare to popular spots in the Caribbean and Mexico, read our full breakdown of family all-inclusive resorts.

What All-Inclusive Actually Means in Costa Rica

All-inclusive in Costa Rica covers meals, drinks, tips, and on-site activities, but it almost never covers off-property excursions, and that is the single biggest budget surprise travelers hit. Zip-lining canopy tours, catamaran cruises, Rincón de la Vieja volcano trips, and Palo Verde river safaris are all booked separately, usually at $80 to $180 per person. Budget for two or three of them.

Spa treatments, top-shelf wine, motorized water sports, and airport transfers are the other common exclusions. Transfers from Liberia are the easy one to solve: most Papagayo resorts are close enough that a private transfer runs under $80 each way for a whole family.

Timing matters more here than at a Caribbean resort because Costa Rica's dry season is sharply defined. The Pacific coast stays dry from mid-December through April, which is also when rates peak. September and October are the wettest months and bring the deepest discounts. Our guide to the best time to visit Costa Rica breaks the trade-offs down month by month.

FAQ

Does Costa Rica have all-inclusive resorts?

Yes. Costa Rica has about a dozen genuine all-inclusive resorts, and nearly all of them sit in Guanacaste province on the northern Pacific coast within an hour of Liberia airport.

What is the best all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica?

Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica is the top adults-only option and The Westin Reserva Conchal is the best choice for families and mixed groups. Both are in Guanacaste.

Is Secrets Papagayo adults only?

Yes. Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica is 18 and over, with 202 rooms and suites on Playa Arenilla in the Gulf of Papagayo.

Should I fly into Liberia or San José for an all-inclusive?

Fly into Liberia (LIR). Almost every all-inclusive resort in the country is 25 to 90 minutes from Liberia, while San José is a four to five hour drive away.

When is the cheapest time to book an all-inclusive in Costa Rica?

September and October bring the lowest rates on the Pacific coast because they are the wettest months. Dry season runs December through April and carries peak pricing.

The Bottom Line

Costa Rica's all-inclusive market is small enough that the decision comes down to four or five real options, and geography does most of the filtering for you. Couples who want quiet should book Secrets Papagayo. Families and mixed-age groups should book The Westin Reserva Conchal. Travelers chasing a deal should compare the two Riu properties on Playa Matapalo against Occidental Papagayo. Anyone who wants the newest room product in the country should grab JW Marriott Costa Elena while introductory rates hold.

Whichever way you go, fly into Liberia, aim for the dry season if you can stomach the rates, and set aside a few hundred dollars per person for the excursions that make Costa Rica worth the trip. Start with our best time to visit Costa Rica guide to lock the dates, then pick the resort.