WESTIN RESERVA CONCHAL 

an All-inclusive Golf and Spa Resort

I love this property for families and multigeneration travelers. The resort is spaced out with 406 rooms and 40 bungalows, so it is a large complex (2,400 acre jungle) but they have a golf carts that can take you around wherever you need to go. You can call the front desk and ask for a golf cart or while you are walking hop on if one is passing.

CHECK-IN: You will check-in at the front desk when you arrive and if you check-in prior to 3:00pm the staff can hold your luggage. If you have a Westin Club room they can take you down to the Westin Club Lounge and check you in. You receive wristbands when you check-in and kids receive a specfic color wristband that you wear througout your stay. Do not lose the bands as there is a fee involved if they are lost and need to be replaced. The bands are used as keys to your room and unlock your room.

BEACH: The beach is called Playa Conchal which means Beach of Shells in Spanish. It is very unique and when you first walk out from the resort to the beach it is covered in shells. You would think it would hurt your feet but I was surprised and it did not hurt my feet. If you would feel more comfortable in water shoes this could be a good item to bring. I saw kids in this area and they really enjoyed it. What was so unique about the beach is if you walked further down to the left it was a normal beach without many shells.  When you walk onto the beach there are local vendors asking if you would like a massage, to ride horses and some were selling crafts. This is my least favorite part of the property but all of Costa Rica is public beaches and the locals can access and ride up to the beach so they were present daily. You just say you are not interested and keep walking. I did see a number of guests go horseback riding. My representative for the resort said they can not ask them to leave since it is a local beach. If you go further right of where the Westin is it seemed there were more locals on that portion of the beach and to the left of the Westin seemed more private and leads to the W Reserva Conchal which is the Westin' sister property (it is not an all-inclusive) but is in the same Reserva Conchal complex. The view is amazing and sunsets were wonderful at night. It was great to watch the sunset before dinner. When I was there I believe the sunset was setting around 5:30-5:45pm but I know this could change. 

LOCATION: The Westin is in the Westin Reserva Conchal complex which includes a golf course, hiking paths, the W Reserva Conchal and other buildings. I like that you have to pass through security and provide your name when you enter the complex. You can see wonderful views if you do the Iguana Trail and go to the lookout. You get better views of the golf course and you can see that the surroundings are very dry in my pictures from March. There is a map of all the trails around the property and guests can go and do them on their own or do the organized tour. I did Iguana Trail which has a great lookout area of Reserva Conchal. There are 4 trails in total around the property. Please make sure to wear comfortable hiking shoes and to watch your step as you can slip on the way down so make sure to support each other when going down the hill and take it slower. 

ACCOMMODATIONS: I stayed in a Deluxe Junior Suite and I was very impressed with how much space there was in the room and closet space. The king bed is separated some as you walk down to where the sofa bed is located near the door. I was on the bottom floor so you can view the patio but you can also have a balcony with this room category. If one is more preferred I can request it to the staff, it is not guaranteed but they try to accommodate requests when they can. 

DINING: There are 7 restaurants at the resort and 3 require same day reservations through the App. Most restaurants have a speciality cocktail option each evening. Premium wines are additional. I was impressed with Mitra Market's buffet. They have different stations and have a Costa Rican cuisine station/area which I thought was really neat. They had mango tea which I thought was neat. They have mango trees througout the resort and you will see staff collecting mangos. I thought all the food was good that I had for an all-inclusive and the drinks were good (I love to try their speciality drinks) and they make mocktails for kids which was really fun. I was apart of the Westin Club so I went to the Westin Club breakfast location one morning and Mitra Market for the other morning. I really enjoyed Manglar Seafood and recommend it. I also went to Faisanella for dinner (adults-only for the Westin Club guests for breakfast and lunch) and for dinner it opens up to all guests on the resort and serves international fare. 

Nightly Shows/ Live Entertainment at Bar Imperial

Activity Center 

POOL:The Lagoon Style pool is a highlight of the property and the swim-up bar. There is a volleyball net and they played pool volleyball. Go to the activity center to the right side of the pool when you enter the pool to get towels and they have watersport equipment. Also, other activities that you sign up and reserve typically will meet at the activity center.  There are ping pong tables, a fooseball table, etc in this area and I saw a number of tweens/teens playing in this area. The pool is pretty deep in certain areas so I recommend a float for kids.

Things I learned:

-Wear sunscreen and reapply sunscreen often as the sun is very hot with Costa Rica's proxmity to the equator.  It was extremely warm when I went in March in the upper 90's daily. 

-If you are traveling during rainy season please make sure to bring a rain jacket. 

-I recommend bringing a refillable water bottle as they have water stations throughout the resort you can use to refill your water bottle and to stay hydrated in the heat

-I did not see servers on the beach and I wondered if it was beacause it was a public beach. It may have been just the times I went on te beach but this is an FYI nonetheless and I would bring drinks from the pool bar to the beach.

-I love the people of Costa Rica -they are geniune, happy and look forward to serving and engaging with guests

-Kid's club (ages 4-12) is pretty simple and I beleive the hours are from 9am-5pm and in the App it lists activities they have throughout the day, they had a soccer goal outside and do activities throughout the day.

- The Golf simulator is brand new and a fun thing to do when it is raining. The cost is $35 plus tax per person/per day

-I was told bike rides are every day except Monday. Thursday and Fridays are when they do the organized hikes

-While you are in a jungle climate I recommend bug spray if you are prone to bug bites. I typically get a lot but did not get many the few days I was there. 

-I love the open air lobby where you check in, welcome drink and the landscaping and flowers around the property

-While this is an older property I think it is well maintained and clean

-There were locals set up before the pool selling stuffed animals and some items. I bought stuffed animals from them for my boys and they took apple pay. 

-There is a coffee shop and two stores in the middle of the resort and these are not included in your all-inclusive package and anything you would like to buy in them would cost additional

-I loved seeing the Wildlife and you will hear the Howler Monkeys most likely and see many species of birds, iguanas