Four Seasons Costa Rica Review 2026
Last updated in August, 2026
Sunset on the beach at Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
I stayed at Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo with my family, and if you want the short answer: yes, I still think it is one of the easiest high-end resorts in Costa Rica to recommend, especially for families.
It is not the newest hotel on Peninsula Papagayo anymore. Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, has taken care of that. But Four Seasons has something considerably harder to manufacture: a resort that knows exactly what it is doing.
You feel it almost immediately.
We came around the bend to that enormous Pacific view, pulled into the open-air lobby and were promptly relieved of every logistical problem we had brought with us. My son received a welcome backpack and a stuffed animal. Our room was ready. Everyone seemed to know where we were supposed to be before we did.
That arrival tells you quite a lot about Four Seasons Costa Rica.
This is the resort I would choose when you want Costa Rica to feel adventurous without requiring the family to run an expedition command center. There are two beaches, pools, a genuinely excellent kids club, golf, water sports, wildlife, restaurants you actually want to eat at and now an entirely new recreational hub at Papagayo Park.
And in 2026, the family proposition has gotten even stronger.
The Short Version
Four Seasons Costa Rica is best for families, multigenerational groups and couples who want a polished resort with plenty to do and very little friction.
I would choose it over some of Costa Rica's newer hotels when ease, service, family programming and resort amenities matter more than having the newest room on the peninsula.
The trade-offs are real. It is expensive. Food adds up quickly. The standard rooms are comfortable rather than jaw-dropping, and if your idea of Costa Rica is waking up in a remote rainforest lodge, this is not that trip.
But for a coastal Costa Rica vacation where everyone needs to be happy at once, Four Seasons remains very hard to beat.
I book Four Seasons as a Preferred Partner advisor, no planning fees. Get in touch →
Accommodations and Location
Our room was ready on arrival. It was beautiful and clean. The resort is a very manageable size but not small. Our room was right above the pool, which I appreciated with my son. It overlooked the beach, just not on both sides the way some suites do. There was also a screen on the balcony to prevent animals from coming into the room, which I appreciated.
Our king room at Four Seasons Costa Rica, directly above the pool. The balcony screen keeps the wildlife out, which I appreciated more than I expected to.
The location is spectacular. Four Seasons Costa Rica feels like the perfect all-purpose luxury resort. It reminded me a bit of White Lotus Hawaii in terms of the level of care and attention. There were tons of families there and everything about the property makes family travel feel easy.
If White Lotus has you thinking about France, my post on the real Season 4 hotel in Saint-Tropez covers what to expect and where to book before the Riviera sells out.
No shortage of beautiful places to relax at the Four Seasons Costa Rica
New for 2026: Papagayo Park
The biggest change at Four Seasons since my stay is not another restaurant with extremely photogenic ceviche. It is Papagayo Park.
The new recreational hub opened on Peninsula Papagayo for 2026, and I think it makes Four Seasons an even stronger choice for families and multigenerational trips.
Papagayo Park adds tennis, pickleball and padel courts, a lap pool, basketball, a pump track for bikes and boards, an art studio, a wellness shala and large outdoor gathering spaces.
For kids, it gets more interesting. There is a splash pad and adventure-play area with slides, a playground zipline, log scramble and poolside climbing wall, plus Cono Loco for ice cream and snacks.
In other words, this is not another tiny hotel playground installed beside the kids club so someone could check a box.
It gives older kids, younger kids and active adults somewhere to go beyond the traditional beach-pool-kids-club rotation. That matters particularly on a five- or six-night stay, and even more on a multigenerational trip where one person wants padel, another wants to swim laps and a child has apparently decided that sitting quietly beside the Pacific is an unreasonable vacation request.
The existing Kids For All Seasons program is still one of the reasons I like Four Seasons so much for younger families. Papagayo Park broadens the appeal beyond that. It makes the peninsula considerably more interesting for school-age kids and teens, and gives families another reason to stay longer without feeling like they need an excursion every day.
Which Room Should You Book at Four Seasons Costa Rica?
I stayed in a king room directly above the pool, and with my son, I loved the location more than I would have appreciated a slightly grander room farther away. This is a resort where convenience can be worth more than another line on the room description.
I also toured several suites, and this is where I would consider spending more for a family that wants separate living space or views across both sides of the peninsula.
Before booking, I look at who is traveling, whether you need connecting rooms, how important walking distance to the pools and kids club is, and whether you will actually use the additional outdoor space. This is exactly the sort of hotel where I would not simply click the most expensive category you can afford.
See my Four Seasons Costa Rica hotel guide →
World-Class Service
The service is amazing. They are personable and attentive without hovering. They remember you, they learn your names, and they are very accommodating. You are never waiting long for anything.
The beach at Peninsula Papagayo. Calm water, short walks, no agenda.
One thing I really loved was the no-reservations-needed restaurant, Añejo. You simply go when you are hungry, sit on the comfy sofas or loungers, and order. We brought card games and played while we waited, and it turned into a really nice family moment for us. The sushi was absolutely delicious, and the pad thai and coconut curry shrimp we had the next night were great too. They also had excellent mocktails.
Añejo, the no-reservations restaurant at Four Seasons Costa Rica. Show up hungry, order sushi, stay too long.
A moment that showed how good the service is happened one evening at the Añejo, near the pool. A group of kids, including my son, were playing with the little color-changing lanterns. One child dropped one and it cracked. Another accidentally dropped a glass water bottle and it shattered. Security came over calmly. The parent lightly scolded their child, but there was no drama. No dirty looks. No shaming. They placed a chair over the area, someone stood there so no one walked through the glass, the server cleaned it up, and everyone continued their night. Nobody stressed or felt bad. That is the Four Seasons vibe.
Activities and Family Amenities
We also went on the ziplining and ropes course excursion, which we loved. It was easy to set up, well run, and great for kids who like some adventure. This is one of the most popular activities in Papagayo and it lived up to the hype.
The Papagayo ropes course. Easy to book, well run, and worth the hype, which I do not say often.
I do not know when the rooms were last redone. They do not have the same wow factor as some newer properties, but they are extremely clean, beautiful and comfortable. Nothing looked dingy or tired. (The resort did complete a multi-million-dollar enhancement project in late 2023, which is likely why everything feels so spotless!)
I toured some of the suites. They are beautiful with views on both sides. Very comfortable and great for families.
The Kids For All Seasons Club is big and organized. They have a nap corner, a movie station, a science and space center, and a kids pool where children can go in and out under supervision. Kids under four can join with a babysitter. There is also a teen center with video games and activities. They have kids menus everywhere and the kids pizza option was helpful.
Kids For All Seasons at Four Seasons Costa Rica. A nap corner, a science center, and supervision that lets parents finish a sentence.
With my son, we spent most of our time at the pool with short beach walks mixed in. The entire property is very easy to move around, which I liked.
The main pool at Four Seasons Costa Rica, where we spent most of our time and regretted nothing.
One of the advantages of staying on Peninsula Papagayo is that you are not limited to your own resort every night. Guests can make dining reservations at the other hotels on the peninsula, so even on a longer stay you have more variety than the Four Seasons restaurant list alone suggests.
Four Seasons is also an easy resort to pair with a completely different side of Costa Rica. If you want hot springs, wildlife and rainforest before or after the beach, I would look at Arenal. My Costa Rica wellness resorts guide covers some of my favorite options beyond Papagayo.
Overall, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica is polished, comfortable, exceptionally family friendly and very well run. It is beautiful without asking much of you, which is part of the appeal. You can have wildlife, water sports, golf, a genuinely good kids club, the new Papagayo Park and a very nice cocktail, all without turning vacation into project management.
If you are deciding between Four Seasons and the newer Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve next door, I stayed at both and wrote a full side-by-side comparison →. They share the same peninsula but create very different vacations.
For a completely different Costa Rica beach experience, my W Costa Rica Reserva Conchal review → is also worth reading, particularly for families with older kids who want a little more energy.
Planning a trip to Costa Rica?
I book Costa Rica often, and Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo more than most. As a Four Seasons Preferred Partner advisor, I can help you sort out which room or suite is worth it, book your stay with Preferred Partner benefits, and flag your details with the hotel before you arrive.
I can also help with the rest of the country, from deciding which regions actually pair well to transfers, activities, restaurants, and the things that are much easier to settle before you land.
There is no fee to work with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Four Seasons Costa Rica worth it? For the right traveler, yes. You are paying for service, location, and the kind of ease that makes a family trip feel effortless rather than managed. It is not the cheapest option in Costa Rica, and the food adds up, but if you want a coastal resort where everything simply works, it earns its rate.
Is the Four Seasons Costa Rica good for families? It is one of the easiest luxury resorts in Costa Rica to recommend for families. The Kids For All Seasons club is large and well run, there is a teen center, kids menus turn up everywhere, and the staff treat children like welcome guests rather than small liabilities. My son was happy from the welcome backpack onward.
Which airport do you fly into, and how far is the resort? You fly into Liberia (LIR), the closest airport to Peninsula Papagayo. The transfer runs about 45 minutes depending on traffic. Short enough that arrival still feels civilized, even after a long flight with a tired child and a husband asking where the passports are.
Four Seasons Costa Rica or Nekajui, which is better? They are not the same trip. Four Seasons is the safer pick for families and multigenerational groups who want classic service and resort ease. Nekajui, the newer Ritz-Carlton Reserve next door, is quieter and more design-led. I compared them in detail in my Four Seasons versus Nekajui comparison, because the right answer depends entirely on who is traveling.
When is the best time to visit? Dry season, roughly December through April, brings the most reliable sun and the highest rates, so book room categories early. Green season, May through October, is quieter and cheaper, with rain that usually arrives for an hour in the afternoon and then clears. The landscape is at its greenest then, which is its own argument.
Is the food included, and is it expensive? Plan for true luxury resort pricing. Food and beverage costs add up quickly, and the smoothies have clearly attended private school. Booking through me as a Four Seasons Preferred Partner advisor includes daily breakfast for two, which takes the edge off the morning bill. I always confirm exactly what counts as included before you arrive.
Did the Four Seasons Costa Rica renovate recently? Yes. The resort completed a major enhancement project, which is why some older reviews no longer match the property. The updates added Virador Beach Club, an adults-only infinity pool, and the Wellness Shala for yoga, breathwork, and sound baths, alongside the refreshed Kids For All Seasons club.
Is it good for couples, or only families? It works for couples, with one caveat. During school breaks you will see plenty of children. The adults-only infinity pool, Virador Beach Club, and the spa give you quieter corners, but if you want total silence for a honeymoon, room category and timing matter. Choose carefully, and romance will have somewhere to sit.
Not quite ready? ABOUT KATE →
No planning fees ever
Read More
Four Seasons Costa Rica vs. Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve →
I stayed at both. Start here if you are trying to decide between Peninsula Papagayo’s two biggest luxury resorts.
Nayara Springs vs. Tented Camp vs. Gardens →
For most first-time Costa Rica trips, I would strongly consider pairing Papagayo with Arenal. Here is how I choose among the three Nayara properties.
The Best Luxury Wellness Resorts in Costa Rica →
If wellness is a bigger priority than kids clubs and pickleball, these are the Costa Rica resorts I would consider instead.
Four Seasons Costa Rica: Hotel Guide & Preferred Partner Benefits →
The practical version with hotel details, room guidance and how Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits work.
The perfect antidote to the traditional eco-lodge. Playful, modern design meets one of the coolest beaches in the world (made entirely of crushed shells).