El Tucano Resort & Thermal Spa

Recent Reviews: 480

• User:Mayra T

  Trip type: Family

  El Tucano Thermal waters

  01 Apr 2026

  The room was OK, the TV didn’t work so that was a bummer. Some outlets didn’t work, but there was a trick to get them to work. However, our overall experience was good. The river hot springs and thermal pools were excellent. The restaurant staff was very friendly and attentive! Enjoyed our stay.

• User:Audrey W

  Trip type: Family

  Multiple Stays

  26 Feb 2026

  I traveled to Costa Rica for dental work, and I want to start by saying the dental team and staff were excellent — I have absolutely no complaints about them. This property was recommended as a place to stay, and I have now visited twice.My first experience was fairly good. However, during my second stay in September 2025, my experience was significantly different, and I would not choose to stay here again.While there are a few truly kind and welcoming staff members, the front desk, manager, and several others were generally unwelcoming. Many simple questions or requests were met with visible frustration rather than hospitality.For example, after dental procedures we requested ice to help with swelling and were initially told there was none available. I had to go to a manager to obtain a small bucket of ice. On multiple occasions, small corrections to food orders were ignored or brushed off rather than addressed professionally.There is no option for self-service laundry, and we were charged $65 for one load, which felt excessive. We booked through Expedia, and upon arrival were told that meals were not included because we did not book directly. When I explained that I attempted to book through their website but it would not process properly, I was told I should have called instead.Additionally, the shower barely functioned, the rooms felt very outdated, and the beds were quite uncomfortable. After dental surgery, having a comfortable place to rest is especially important, and that was unfortunately lacking.I truly wish the hospitality had matched the quality of the dental care, as that would have made this an easy recommendation.

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• User:Machocr72

  Trip type: Family

  Don't waste your time here

  20 Sept 2025

  Worst experience ever, they have a person disturbing the guest at the swimming pool tellining all the things you can't do.

• User:Lina N

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Nice hotel

  11 Apr 2025

  The hotel was fine. However, it does say that breakfast is included, but you’re gonna have to make your own breakfast. The staff most of them were very friendly and very nice. They do speak both English and Spanish.The area is very good and there’s a lot of shopping, places to eat, and the cathedral is also right there, and there are some great museums in the area

• User:MFeterman

  Trip type:

  What a disappointment

  25 Mar 2023

  I always had a good image of this hotel, over the decades people always commented how good their stay was, and how premium everything was there. That seems to be all in the past. This hotel lived better days, and those are gone.I decided to visit this hotel after a stay in La Fortuna on my way back to the central valley. Maybe the quaility of accomodations in Fortuna has increased a lot over the years, but the contrast was huge.* The room: *The room was ok-ish. Beds not terribly uncomfortable, but I certainly did not have the best sleep.I had to ask for a room change, as the first one only had one bed (I specifically asked for a two bedroom place, I was visiting with my mom, but it seems they just don't read what you type in when you reserve). The clerk gave me the keys to another room to see if I liked it. The keyhole required a tricky twist to be opened (another sign of poor maintenance), but I decided to keep the room as I was tired and I felt I had mastered the art of opening poorly maintained locks.* The pools: *This is where the hotel starts to show its decadency. The pools were built decades ago... and it shows. It's clear that they lack maintenance. While the color of the water can be attributed to the rich minerals from the river, everything else can be attributed to poor maintenace.Outdoor facilites around the pool (such as bathrooms and changing rooms) are aweful and way too small. These have not seen maintenance in years.* The natural spa: * I enjoyed this one. You actually see the stones under the ground heating up the river and producing this lovely hot mist. It is however, as all the other things in this hotel, poorly maintained, and I began to wonder if those flimsy looking and ever wet wooden planks were about to break under my weight.* The food: *I only had the "pleasure" of having breakfast. Food was ok, but nothing to write home about. The restaurant though, looked terrible. This is where the lack of maintenance is more evident. Being a single floor building with high rise ceiling, the upper half of all the walls, and the entire ceiling, was horribly dirty. This gave me the sensation that the entire place lacked hygiene.* The patrons: *This is probably not the fault of the hotel, but some dude was trying to steal my backpack! I think their entire family were thiefs, and there' s no security within the hotel to watch out for your anything, you're on your own. Once I prevented my personal belongings from being stolen, I really felt that this was no vacation, I was in self-protect mode. Is this hotel so low in perception that thiefs are now their regular visitors?* The price: *I payed $110 for a small two-bed room for one night, with a tiny TV and an unremarkable bathroom. Given the poor maintenace, the regular quality of food everything else in this review, I find it expensive.TL;DR - dated, poorly maintained, low reputation visitors that almost ruined my vacation. Not recommended, there are way too many better places out there.

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