Samara

This was our second trip to CR and our first to Azura. We chose Azura for four reasons: star rating, Guanacaste location, swimmable beach front, varied restaurants. The beach front is one of the best in CR. Zero issues with sand fleas and you could comfortably stay on the beach all day if you chose to - umbrellas and loungers provided. It was not a far walk to washrooms or to get a drink. The sand is not the volcanic sand that most beaches have, due to the reef. It was smooth to walk on with bare feet. The hotel overall is well outfitted, with two back to back pools. The lower pool is the swim up bar pool and the upper pool is deeper for decent swimming. Towels were readily available, but be an early riser for preferred loungers. Very good snacks/drinks at the pool bar, but some days not available due to staffing. Meals overall were a 8/10. None of the sister resort restaurants were open (we were told they would be). This reduced the count to two a la carte restaurants and the beach cafe (which was great for lunch). Presentation was very good, but temperature of hot dishes was not consistent, even with sending soup back, it came back to us stone cold again. Understanding English was an issue for a number of staff, but they were always polite. Front desk check in was awkward. We were told to sign up for WhatsApp for communication (spa, restaurants, day trips), but we never got any communication from them in this regard. Lastly, the beds are great; the pillows are not. I took to "borrowing" pillows from interior lounge areas and returning them each morning. Overall cleanliness was good but it was evident that washing the floors in our rooms was VERY lacking. Would we return - yes. But I would want assurance all restaurants were open and I'd find a way to pack my own pillow !