Just Back From: Tamarindo

Welcome to our conversation series where we talk to individuals just back from getaways. I’ll be asking all the essential questions to get their opinions on hotels, gastronomy, dos and don’ts, and much more.

For this first installment, I spoke with a recent guest of the Four Seasons Tamarindo, who stayed there for seven nights with her family of four this December. It was their first time at this resort and their third in Mexico. We have traveled together in the past, and I find that her tastes align with mine. It is worth noting that her family prioritizes golf in the resorts they choose.

Why did you pick The Four Seasons Tamarindo? 

Our travel agent Jacqui Weidman booked it for us because we like a self-contained resort with a swimmable ocean and golf on the property. That may not sound like such a big deal, but it is if you go to Cabo – you have to get in the car to drive to golf for most places, and you can't go in the ocean in some areas. If I'm going on a beach vacation I want to be able to wake up and see the ocean, as well as swim in it.

How was getting there? Any flight recommendations? 

There are three flights a week from LA, one a week from Houston. We flew New York to Houston, Houston to there. The car picks you up at the airport, and it was a 45 minute ride to the resort. It is a little difficult just because the Houston flight is offered only once a week.

I heard The Four Seasons Tamarindo is relatively new, opening only a year ago. First impression of the hotel? What is the vibe of property?

Very, very zen. The architecture is gorgeous. You do feel very far away, and it all feels very authentic. 

Did you feel as though you were in Mexico?

Yes but a different Mexico than what I knew in the past. When I'd been to Mexico before, we would sit down with people for meals, and they would give you chips and guac right away, that was the standard. There was none of that – it felt very authentic. 

How was the check in process? Was there anything special that the hotel does?

It was easy. They greet you with drinks, and by the time we got to our rooms, the bags were already there.

Anything special in the room?

There was fruit on arrival. Later in the week they brought a chocolate Tamarindo tree to our room. The day before we left they brought this tray of chocolates to the room, and it was designed to be a solar system, with each piece of chocolate resembling a planet. There wasn’t something every night though. 

What category room did you book? How were they?

We had booked a pool suite and got upgraded to a cliffside panoramic one bedroom suite with an infinity pool, which had an ocean view that you could see from the bed. You woke up in the morning and saw the ocean – it was unbelievable. The kids were booked in a nature room, and they got an upgrade to an ocean view room that had two queen sized beds. It was one of the prettiest rooms I have stayed in at a beach resort. 

What were the other guests like? Lots of kids and families, or was it mostly couples?

There were a ton of people that had little kids. A lot of younger families. Lots of dogs – people can bring their dogs at no extra charge, apparently. 

Do you think that if you had little kids it would have been a good fit?

I would have been happy with little kids there. There is a kids club. All the families seemed super happy. I met this family from LA who had a second grader and a fourth grader, and they extended their stay. It is not the kind of place that is buzzy. It is the kind of place you could go to with your extended family or a group of families/friends.

Would it work for couples?

It's a great place for couples to go either together or to go alone. The only problem is if you are there hosting a party and want to have group events, they aren’t there yet in terms of event planning and execution. On the one hand, it is really sophisticated in regard to design but otherwise not ready for primetime.

How many nights would you recommend?

When I first got there, I was thinking, I cannot stay here for so long. After settling in, I realized I would be thrilled to stay for another few days. It depends on what you want to do.  

You mentioned the property is on a hill – how easy was it to move around?

It is built on a hill, with the restaurants and pools layered over one another. An elevator runs through the main building, and there are ramps to take you to different areas. In a wheelchair, you could navigate it easily. However, it is a lot of movement, distance-wise. For an older person who can’t walk well, it might not be the ideal resort. 

You were there in December, how was the weather? 

Unbelievable. This time of year, it doesn't rain. Not a cloud in the sky. I did not put on long sleeves once and I'm a long sleeves person.

What was the dress like? Casual or was everyone dolled-up?

Pretty casual. I wore a dress every night because that's just how I like to dress in that weather. But definitely casual. I didn't wear heels at all on this trip because it was all cobblestone. But you could wear them if you take a buggy to and from the room.

As you know, breakfast is one of my favorite meals at hotels – how was it at the Four Seasons Tamarindo?

Amazing. They had a large buffet that offered Mexican and American food, but they could also make you whatever you wanted. They could accommodate gluten-free no problem. The only issue is the waiting time for the ordered food. 

How were lunches and dinners? At a lot of resorts there are only two or three restaurants, so you get bored eventually, because it becomes monotonous. Is that how it felt for you?

We didn’t get bored, but I talked to other people who would have rather there be more options for dinner, as there were only two restaurants. At Coyul, for instance, the menu was not simple. It is more for a foodie than for someone who is looking for simple Mexican fare. The other restaurant called Sal is just lunch and dinner. It is on the ocean and very pretty, but the cuisine there is complicated as well. They didn’t offer a simple greens salad, but I asked and they were more than happy to accommodate. It isn’t the typical Mexican cuisine you think of when you think of Mexican, which I missed a little. There is a taco place called Nacho. The dishes were small, and even those were complicated. The pool lunch was great – it had more options. They also offer private dining, and they can host private dinners down at the beach.

Another one of my favorites – any good desserts?

On the kid’s menu, they had this great chocolate banana. Other than that the dessert menus weren’t great. They did have an ice cream cart set up one of the last days. We had churros one night. They were okay. 

Were meals included in the room rate? 

The food was all a la carte, and the breakfast was included.

I saw in photos you did a tequila tasting! Was that offered by the hotel?

Yes, we did a private tequila tasting in this beautiful room off of Coyul. 

How was it? 

Jerry, the man who led the class, was awesome. He explained the five different tequila types to us. At one point he had us all blindfolded in order to taste everything, and he would have us add fruit and garnishes to the drink. It was fun, and I definitely recommend it.

Any other activities? What were the beaches and pools like? 

We did a lot of beach activities. One beach was located essentially below the hotel, under an overhang so it was shaded. We preferred the other called Tamarindo Beach, which you had to take a five minute ride via golf cart to, because of how calm the water was – it was perfect for swimming, while the other wasn’t really swimmable.

They also offered kayaking, paddle boarding, and some boat activities like whale watching. They had a huge family pool as well as a couple of adult pools.  We spent most of our time at the adult pool. They bring a cooler with water and mister out to you anytime you sit down poolside or beachside, which was really nice.

How was the gym and the spa? 

The gym was amazing – clean with all new machines, three pelotons, and a beautiful changing room. We also did pilates on reformer machines; they offer classes and private lessons. The spa was gorgeous. I had a massage, and they also offer facials. They say soon they’ll offer blow outs, too. A negative is there is no hot tub at the resort, only at the spa. 

How was the golf?

Part of the reason why we went there was for the golf. My husband and son played golf during the day, and I’d join them for half the day. They were very disappointed with the golf course, as it wasn’t well maintained. There was a problem with the irrigation system, so it was way too wet. 

Did you rent clubs? 

We brought clubs, but the rental clubs were actually my husband’s clubs. 

Was there a golf clubhouse?

Yes, it had coffee but no other food. It wasn’t a full boutique — it only offered a few items of clothing. They would come out with a cart to serve beverages. The only bathrooms were at the starting and at the ninth hole, which doesn’t work for me. It works for men. 

Was there a boutique on the property? 

Yes, gorgeous, really cool stuff. Cool bags and items from a lot of local artisans, and prices seemed pretty good, but I didn’t buy anything.

What were the evening activities?

There wasn’t really an evening vibe, but that might have been the time of year. There was a speakeasy at Nacho, that cute taqueria, but my children went and it was empty. The hotel hosted a fiesta on two of the nights – a cocktail party at five o’clock. 

What was the service like? 

The people were super nice, and there was a ton of staff working. However they weren’t very attentive, and the service could be spotty. 

Would you come back to the Four Seasons Tamarindo?

The jury is still out.