Barceló Tambor - All Inclusive

From the UK stayed 10 nights with 2 boys aged 11 and 9. It is clearly not a 5 star hotel but then we paid 3 star prices so that was expected. The maintenance and cleaning staff work hard to make the place look good but I feel there are some areas being overlooked such as the sunbeds. The grounds were beautiful and probably up to that of a 5-star hotel. The food and service was the standard I expected for the price we paid - we enjoyed all our meals despite a few slight issues. The steak restaurant was really good but the booking system for the a la carte's needs looking at as you need to queue for about an hour before 8am to book a table. We did find our room to be dirty on arrival with a coconut shell and apple core under the beds but superficially clean. Yes the rooms are run down and need refurbishing but I think this is reflected in the price. We would be nice to have a family room option with bunk beds instead of two doubles. The facilities were pretty good including tennis, football, lovely pool, gym, bird sanctuary, archery. But it was disappointing kids could not use kayaks with an adult. Our children couldn’t engage with the kids club as all in Spanish, which we don't speak. The beach was better than we were expecting - lovely for a nice walk around the cove. It's a shame they haven't cleared some or all of the stones, which looked like it could be done without harming the environment / erosion protection. Some members of staff were really lovely - sorry I don’t have names but the chef and main barmaid in the snack bar were both excellent as was the ‘beer’ man in the buffet. However as non- Spanish speakers we struggled to engage with the animation team. The hotel is 99 percent Spanish speaking guests. Everything was in Spanish only and this was a surprise as everywhere else in Costa Rica everyone we encountered spoke good English. I think Barcelo should make this clear when marketing the hotel internationally. Also the place was completely different during the quieter midweek compared to when hoards arrived for the weekend! It did make a lovely restful end to our Costa Rican adventure.

Grounds and pool area were beautiful and well kept. Rooms were the worst we have ever stayed in. Dirty, bugs such as cockroaches, spiders, and ants in our rooms. Hair on the sheets and pillowcases, rust and mold in the bathroom, leaky pipes, stains on the walls, curtains, and a general feeling of neglect and disrepair. Our complaints to staff took multiple attempts as well as our tour guide advocating on out behalf before they moved us to another "better" room which was only mildly cleaner and still had the same above host of issues. The all inclusive food including the free drinks were plentiful but not great. It is a shame because the outdoor setting is very beautiful as it is right on the ocean, and they have a lot of activities going on throughout the day. It advertises as a 5 star resort. Nothing about the rooms gives you a resort feel. We stayed there as part of a Caravan Tour for three long nights. It really negatively affected our feelings about the tour as a whole, which was unfortunate.

Beautiful surroundings but beach was basically unusable. Debris and garbage everywhere. Accommodations were lacking and there was not a lot to do.

We stayed here for three nights as part of a Caravan tour. I'm afraid I have a very mixed review. The grounds and pool area are meticulous and attractive. But more attention must be paid to critical areas, such as the rooms. To be fair, we heard no complaints from other traveling companions and maybe getting a good room is the luck of the draw. Our room was musty and smelled like a wet basement. There were spots of mold around the bathroom. As others have mentioned, the rooms are a bit tired looking, which we don't mind; but the bathroom was ready for complete replacement. This problem goes beyond daily housekeeping as deep scrubbing and disinfecting are required. I asked for a room change but the place was fully-booked every night. There were no lamps in the room, only three pin spots in the ceiling. Oddly, the bulbs were a greenish/yellow tint making it too dark to even be able to read. I reported this and the next day two of the three bulbs were changed. We spent all our time outdoors as the room was so very unpleasant to be in. The buffet pavilion is huge with many offerings. Unfortunately, the food was mostly pretty mediocre. One evening we had dinner in the on-site steak and seafood restaurant, which is located beachside in a spectacular tropical-themed building. Unfortunately again, the food was disappointing, even here. The strong suit at the Barceló Tambor Beach are the grounds, pool area, and bird sanctuary. The beach and view from the beach are attractive but the beach itself is more rough than sandy. Enjoyable to stroll along. The hotel needs a bit of work to be able to fully consider itself a resort.

The employees do their best to make it a great experience, but the building, the hotel itself it's old and in need of a renovation. Don't believe that of 5 star hotel. Dirty bathrooms, stain grouts, damaged walls, etc. really sad this hotel could be nice but it's owners haven't invest in keep it up. The hotel is full, always at full capacity. They should invest in maintenance. Looks like a 80s hotel, or a roadside Motel 8.

Do not waste your money going to this "all inclusive resort" This hotel is very old and needs a lot of remodeling. Management needs to learn how to manage a hotel.