Occidental Grand in Papagayo?
 

Are there any opinions on this hotel? I've read a ton of negative reviews on Allegro & am hoping that not all the Occidentals are awful.

The only thing I know about this hotel is that it was shut down last month by the government because of its lack of on site sewage treatment and because it was hauling raw sewage by truck to streams and rivers and dumping it. Don't know if it is open again.

Sewage treatment is a huge problem in the Guanacaste area. Tamarindo beach has become polluted. Most of the houses have septic but it is the hotels and new condos etc up and down the coast that are causing the problem. Some places are fine and are following eco practices but the big places aren't. The government is trying to get all the new hotels, condos etc to have their own waste treatment facilities.

For more info check out the special Guanacaste section of the Tico Times for March 14. I have it here at the house if you need more info. (Just got back from 5 weeks in CR).

Suzie2

Thanks for the reply. I almost switched my hotel & then read that Allegro is the one that was shut down, but Grand is o.k. I'm a little confused as there's so many different versions of the story.

5 weeks must have been great, we unfortunately only have 4 days & it's so hard deciding what to do!

I was thinking they were both closed for awhile. Perhaps they were just looking into the situation at Occidental Grand, Allegro's sister hotel. Allegro has just reopened, but not at full capacity.

The Grand wasn't closed but was also investigated. Occidental never even advised their guests of the situation
when the Allegro Papagayo was being closed. They knowingly pumped raw sewage into the water for almost a year and then still allowed swimming at their beach even after they knew the water was contaminated. I would never stay at an Occidental hotel after seeing what total disregard they have for the environment or their guests.