Start with your guests
If you are starting to compare Costa Rica wedding resorts, I would start with your guest list before your favorite ceremony photo.
Are children coming? Do you want meals included in the room rate? Would you rather spend the weekend at the beach or surrounded by rainforest? And how much are you comfortable asking your guests to spend?
Those answers can change your shortlist pretty quickly. A beautiful resort can still be the wrong fit for your group.
These nine properties give you different starting points. They are not a ranked list; each gives you a different combination of setting and guest experience. Current wedding availability, room pricing, event inclusions and group terms need to be checked for your dates.
A quick way to narrow the choices
- Start with all-inclusive options: The Westin Reserva Conchal, Secrets Papagayo, Planet Hollywood Costa Rica and Riu Palace Costa Rica for dates after its confirmed reopening. Compare the actual room and wedding inclusions separately.
- Start with an adults-only option: Secrets Papagayo. Confirm the current minimum age before inviting anyone or booking rooms.
- Compare a more individually tailored stay: Andaz Peninsula Papagayo, Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo and W Costa Rica. Ask for a complete accommodation, meal and event estimate rather than assuming everything is bundled.
- Consider a different setting: The Springs for an Arenal-area wedding, or Villa Caletas and Zephyr Palace for a Pacific-coast hillside setting.
For a broader location comparison, read my guide to Guanacaste, Manuel Antonio and Arenal.
1. The Westin Reserva Conchal
The Westin belongs on the comparison list when an all-inclusive stay is a priority. Its official wedding information includes indoor and outdoor event options at Reserva Conchal.
I would compare it with your actual mix of rooms and guests in mind. Ask what your room plan covers, what is included in the wedding package, and which private events cost extra. A restaurant reservation and a private wedding dinner are different experiences, so make sure the proposal describes the one you want.
Explore the Westin on our site · Official wedding information
2. Andaz Peninsula Papagayo
Andaz offers several indoor and outdoor wedding settings, including garden and beach-club options. It is worth comparing when the setting and the style of the celebration are central to your decision.
Do not treat a wedding package as proof that every guest has an all-inclusive room rate. Request the room proposal, meal arrangements and event proposal separately, then look at the total. Also ask how guests will move between their rooms and your selected event locations.
3. Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica
Secrets Papagayo is an adults-only, all-inclusive option overlooking Papagayo Bay. The resort lists several wedding settings, including beach, gazebo and terrace options.
If you want a wedding trip without children, this is a useful place to start the conversation. If children are part of your wedding party or immediate family, resolve that issue before falling in love with the venue. Check the current age policy, event access rules and guest movement between venues in writing.
4. Planet Hollywood Costa Rica
Planet Hollywood Costa Rica by Royalton gives you another all-inclusive property to compare, with a wedding venue list that includes beach, gazebo and rooftop settings.
The question I would ask is how the resort experience fits your group, beyond the ceremony itself. Compare room arrangements, activities and the privacy of the event space you want. Ask to see the proposed rain backup, too. A venue that works for a smaller ceremony may not work for dinner and dancing with your full guest count.
Explore Planet Hollywood on our site · Official wedding information
5. Riu Palace Costa Rica
Riu Palace Costa Rica is an all-inclusive resort at Matapalo Beach in Guanacaste. As checked November 2, 2026, its official page states that the hotel is under renovation, with reopening listed for April 2027. Treat that as a planning flag, not a guarantee that your wedding dates or events are available. Confirm reopening and wedding operations directly before considering it for your group.
Request the wedding package that applies to your dates and guest count. Ask about private reception space, outside-vendor rules and access for anyone staying elsewhere. Compare the full proposal rather than relying on a starting package price. An appealing room quote does not tell you what your complete wedding will cost.
6. Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo
Four Seasons offers a tailored wedding approach on Peninsula Papagayo, including options connected with its private residences.
This is a property to compare when you want a more customized celebration and have room in the budget to explore that approach. Start with a realistic guest-room budget, then request an event estimate built around your plans. Do not assume a residence booking includes permission to host a wedding or reception. The venue, attendance, staffing and event arrangements need their own confirmation.
7. The Springs Resort & Spa
The Springs offers an Arenal-area setting with volcano views, hot springs and a range of event spaces. It gives you a different direction from a beach-resort wedding.
If you are drawn to this setting, think through the whole trip before choosing it. Confirm the airport and transfer plan for your guests, the layout of the proposed venues and the weather backup. Volcano visibility is weather-dependent, so choose a space you would still enjoy if the mountain were behind the clouds.
8. Villa Caletas and Zephyr Palace
Zephyr Palace's official wedding information highlights its Pacific-coast setting and ocean views. This is a useful comparison when you are picturing a celebration with a hillside backdrop rather than a ceremony directly on the sand.
Ask how accommodation at Villa Caletas and your proposed event at Zephyr Palace would work together. Confirm guest transportation, stairs and accessible routes, privacy, and the backup space. An ocean-view venue and a beachfront resort can create very different guest experiences, even when both photographs show the water.
Explore Villa Caletas and Zephyr Palace on our site · Official wedding information
9. W Costa Rica — Reserva Conchal
W Costa Rica has dedicated wedding and event services at Reserva Conchal. It is worth comparing with the other Conchal-area options if you want to explore a different property and event setting.
Ask for the exact accommodation and dining plan being quoted; do not assume it works the same way as the Westin's all-inclusive stay. Then compare your proposed ceremony and reception spaces, guest-room mix and total event costs. Sharing a destination does not mean sharing the same wedding experience or contract terms.
Explore W Costa Rica on our site · Official wedding information
What I would compare before choosing
Once you have two or three possibilities, put the same information side by side:
- The guest experience: room costs, children, meal plan, accessibility and travel route.
- The actual wedding spaces: ceremony, reception, privacy and a workable weather backup.
- The complete event estimate: your guest count, taxes and service charges, décor, entertainment and vendor fees where applicable.
- The written terms: deposits, cancellation, room-block commitments, release dates and deadlines.
- The support included: what the resort team handles and what your chosen planning service covers.
Our planning packages explain the different levels of support. Use the package and your signed agreement to confirm scope, rather than assuming every service includes onsite coordination.
Your next step
If you would like help narrowing the options, start with a consultation. Bring your approximate guest count, preferred dates and a realistic room budget. Those details are much more useful than a long list of pretty resort photos.
About the cover image
Guanacaste coastal scenery. Photo source: Wendi Wells / Unsplash. AI-assisted editorial layout; not a photo of a named resort.
Frequently asked
Is an all-inclusive resort automatically the least expensive option?
You need a complete comparison to know. Separate guest travel costs from wedding-event costs, then compare like-for-like proposals. Meals included in a stay do not automatically make a private wedding reception free.
Can guests stay somewhere else?
Ask before making that promise. The resort's event-access rules, fees and group requirements need to be checked for your booking.
How do we choose between the beach and Arenal?
Think about the trip you want to have, the travel route and the guest experience. If you love both, a separate honeymoon or extension may be a better fit than trying to bring the entire wedding group to two regions.
