Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica

Hotel & Accommodation in Las Catalinas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Place, setting, and reopening

Hotel Riu Palace Costa Rica stands on Matapalo Beach in Sardinal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The published address is Playa Matapalo, Sardinal, Guanacaste. The setting is beachfront, with a golden sand shore, the Pacific in front, and green mountains around the property. That coastal position is the fixed geography of the stay: the beach is part of the hotel grounds rather than a separate destination down the road.

The hotel is under renovation and scheduled to reopen in April 2027. Until that reopening, the building is not operating as a guest stay. Dates, room plans, and activity ideas only become usable once the reopening month has passed. Older impressions of dining rooms, pools, or the shore cannot stand in for the renovated hotel.

The published character of the destination is tranquil and suited to time by the sea. The hotel presents itself as a place for disconnection and relaxation, with entertainment programmes and a full set of on-site facilities. Those facilities sit inside one beachfront property in Guanacaste, so meals, water, and evening programmes are arranged on the grounds.

Rooms and the shape of arrival

Named room types include the Junior Suite, the Connecting Junior Suite made of two rooms, and the Junior Suite Deluxe. The hotel lists 14 room categories in all. Many are described as having sea views. Connecting rooms give two linked spaces, which is a concrete layout choice when a group wants adjoining doors rather than separate bookings across the building.

Arrival is set for 15:00 and departure for 12:00. Early arrival and late departure can be considered when schedules do not match those hours, and both depend on availability. An online arrival feature is available to streamline the process. The resort is also described as accessible for guests with disabilities.

Free Wi-Fi runs throughout the hotel. That coverage matters for a beachfront stay where people move between rooms, pools, and restaurants rather than remaining in one lobby. Room choice still comes down to view, connecting layout, and how many people share the booking.

Meals, bars, and the included plan

The stay is 24-hour all-inclusive. Meals and drinks are part of the hotel experience through the day and night, not limited to a single breakfast service. Five restaurants provide the dining range: themed buffets and à la carte menus described as drawing on flavours of the world. The included plan is broad, while each restaurant still has its own style.

A buffet suits uneven hunger and people coming in from the beach at different times. An à la carte menu suits a seated meal with a defined list of dishes. With five restaurants on the property, the useful distinction is style and timing, not whether the meal is covered. The steady layer is the all-inclusive food and drink service. A particular restaurant is a change of pace inside that coverage.

Seven bars are part of the same plan, and the hotel describes them as offering different specialties and atmospheres. One counter does not have to carry the whole evening. Included drinks sit alongside ordinary needs on a warm Pacific coast: water, shade, and a real meal still belong in a long afternoon, even when service runs around the clock.

Pools, water park, and the shore

Six swimming pools are on the property, including an outdoor pool with a swim-up bar. Splash Water World is the hotel water park, presented as a separate place for slides and busier water play rather than another lap pool. Pool time stays close to bars and restaurants. Beach time uses the open shore of Matapalo Beach, where sun, surf, and tide are part of the setting in a way a pool deck does not control.

Families who want water play can give Splash Water World a clear block of the day. People who want quieter water can use one of the other pools or the beach. Six pools mean a full or noisy edge does not exhaust the water on site. The water park, the pools, and the shore can occupy different parts of a stay instead of competing for the same hour.

The hotel is directly beachfront, so moving from a lounger to the sand does not require a separate outing. A long Guanacaste day still rewards pacing. Shade between sessions and a meal before another stretch in the sun keep the facilities usable across more than one afternoon.

Children, evenings, and quieter hours

RIU Land is the entertainment programme for children, described as a space for games and time with other children. It fits a family stay when younger guests want a defined programme. It does not replace adult attention at the pools, the water park, or on the beach. The hotel is marked Fun4All and presented as a hotel for the whole family, with children’s entertainment alongside adult facilities on the same grounds.

Evenings include an entertainment programme, a nightclub, and RIU Party nights built around dancing and music. Those pieces suit people who want a livelier close to the day. Renova Spa is the wellness centre, with treatments and services for time away from the water. A spa hour works as its own appointment, especially after a morning at Splash Water World or on the sand.

The same property can hold an active family day and a slower beach-and-spa day. Pools, the water park, RIU Land, restaurants, bars, and the spa are all on site. Evening music and a quiet room remain different uses of the grounds, so the lead activity for the group is the choice that organizes the rest.

Fitness, celebrations, and contacts

A fully equipped gym and RIU Fit fitness classes support people who want to keep a routine. Sports access includes the gym and outdoor activities. A golf course is near the hotel for guests who want a round away from the beach, though the course itself is not described as part of the building. These options sit beside the pools rather than replacing a beach day.

The hotel also presents the grounds as a setting for a wedding ceremony, with green mountains and Matapalo Beach as the backdrop. Group celebrations belong in direct contact with the hotel, especially while renovation continues and the April 2027 reopening is the date that makes any event possible.

Published sustainability actions at this hotel include an electric or hybrid vehicle rental option, tours and activities organized by local guides and businesses, Ecostars certification, and guest information on local ecosystems, heritage, and culture. The hotel also prioritizes equipment and practices that reduce water use and operates a waste recycling plan.

The hotel phone is +(506) 268 12 300 and the email is palace.costarica@riu.com. Those contacts are the direct route for dates after the scheduled reopening, room categories, accessibility needs, early or late hours, and wedding or group arrangements. Five restaurants, seven bars, six pools, Splash Water World, RIU Land, and Renova Spa give the stay its on-site range once the hotel is open again on Matapalo Beach.

Location

Phone: +(506) 268 12 300