Dream Las Mareas, located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica was my first experience staying in a luxury chain brand resort.
I have previously stayed in several all-inclusive resorts located throughout the Caribbean; St. Lucia, Jamaica, Punta Cana, and Riviera Maya.
While my husband and I prefer to vacation at tropical all-inclusive resorts, we tend to shy away from the luxury chain brand resorts because we also like to save money on all aspects of travel.
We broke this tradition when I came across a vacation package to Dreams Las Mareas on Groupon.
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Travelling to Dreams Las Mareas
One of the only drawbacks to our stay was how far Dreams Las Mareas, Costa Rica, was from the airport.
After travelling for two days from Detroit, MI, the last thing we wanted to do once we landed, was to spend another 2.5 hours getting to the resort.
Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica has an airport shuttle and arranged for the airport transfer to the resort, however, we waited outside the airport with our driver for at least an hour for the rest of our party.
Once they finally arrived, we had an hour and a half drive, over some pretty treacherous roads, until we finally arrived at our destination.
Arrival at the Dreams Las Mareas Hotel
Once we arrived at Dreams Las Mareas, we were greeted with chilled champagne and cold towels. A bellboy took our bags while we checked in at the desk. Once this process was complete, we were able to begin our vacation!
We were shown to our room and were immediately drawn to the balcony. Our balcony had a stunning view of the resort property and the jungle-covered mountains in the distance.
The balcony also had a large jetted tub that we enjoyed in the evenings as adorable little geckos appeared on the exterior walls and ceiling. The rooms themselves were pretty basic, although tasteful.
Resort Setting and Activities
I am not familiar with much of Costa Rica’s terrain, however, if the long treacherous drive from the airport was necessary for us to stay in that magical setting, then it was all worth it.
The Dreams Las Mareas resort is located on a small beach, with jungle-covered mountains on either side. The beach is public, however, it was never crowded.
I actually enjoyed the public nature of the beach because we were able to chat with locals and buy souvenirs and enjoy services for a fraction we would have paid on the resort property.
One afternoon my husband and I enjoyed hour-long full body massages on the beach. Two Costa Rican women (I wish I remembered their names) had massage tables set up on the beach in the shade of trees just a short walk down the sand from the resort area.
I have had many massages in my day, and this was by far one of the best massages I have ever had. The Dreams Las Mareas staff make the most of this magical setting by offering yoga every morning on the beach and offering a guided wildlife tour circling the area around the property.
Each morning I walked to the beach, where the sand was still damp and cool from the night tide. An instructor provided us all with mats and instructed us through hour-long yoga sessions, during which we synchronized our breath to the sounds of the ocean waves.
Some very well cared for and friendly beach dogs sat on the sand and watched us sweetly throughout the yoga class. This was such a magical way to begin each day!
One afternoon I also went on the guided wildlife tour led by Dreams Las Mareas staff. This was a fun way to socialize with other vacationers and learn the names of various tropical plants.
The Food and Buffet
Dreams Las Mareas has a buffet that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
They also have a poolside grill open for lunch, and several sit-down restaurants that are open for dinner, including a steakhouse, seafood restaurant, Mexican, Italian, and hibachi.
I am vegetarian, and they did not have an extensive list of options for vegetarians. The poolside grill was very basic food; burgers and fries mostly. It was just OK.
The sit-down restaurants were all good, although not too memorable. The best food was served at the buffet. I have been to many buffets, and Dreams Las Mareas has the best buffet hands down.
The breakfast spread had so many options, it was unbelievable! Including several types of fresh squeezed juices and champagne for mimosas (my favourite!).
Pools at the Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica
Resort
The resort property has several pools, all with a different vibe. One pool welcomes children, with lots of playing and splashing. Another pool is adults only and very chill and peaceful.
Another pool has a swim-up bar, which is where the partiers and young adults congregate. We spent most of our time at the swim up bar and had a blast.
My only complaint about the pools is that they charge extra to use the cabanas. As a result, there were at times not enough loungers for everyone, while the cabanas sat empty.
Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica Nightlife
The nightlife and entertainment were a hit or miss as far as activities at Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica are concerned. There was one bar that was open late. It had a pretty relaxed vibe.
There was also a dance club that had a lot of potential. I LOVE dance clubs, especially while on vacation. Each night my husband and I tried to enjoy the club, and each night was the same.
Early on the club started to fill up and the music was inviting, then the music changed, everyone stopped dancing then eventually left the club.
After our second night at the club, we realized that the music was from the exact same playlist! I wish they would have provided good dance music, then that place would have been a ton of fun.
One evening, the resort put on a Cirque du Soleil type show for entertainment. I definitely recommend attending this and getting a good seat.
I thoroughly enjoyed this show, and even screamed out loud at one daring performer’s stunts!
All things considered, we greatly enjoyed our time at Dreams Las Mareas in Costa Rica. We will definitely stay at another Dreams resort one day.
- Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica Review - December 19, 2018