Azul Ocean Club Hotel

If you’re able to drive yourself to Azul Ocean Club, consider yourself highly skilled. The roads that lead to the resort, from any direction, are treacherous -- as is the hotel’s driveway. We’d love to tell you that after such a trek, you’ll be rewarded with a striking lobby offering free welcome drinks along with jaw-dropping views, but that isn’t the case at Azul Ocean Club. Instead, its tiny, functional reception room makes a dull first impression. White walls and gray tile floors create a bland palette that’s broken up by blue-cushioned sofas and a stone feature wall. It isn't an ugly space, it just lacks wow-factor. Behind the reception building, the hotel’s grounds sprawl across several acres. Two-story white cottages dot the property, and grassy lawns lead straight to the beach. Here the black sands do make an impression, although the waters don't allow for swimming. The atmosphere throughout is quiet; some travelers may even find it too quiet. Azul Ocean Club is popular with couples and families, but it’s far too serene for anyone looking for nightlife -- or even music by the pool. 

Azul Ocean Club is located in Playa Azul, which is more a point of reference than a town. There isn’t anything to do or see in the immediate area surrounding the property. The nearest town is San Juanillo, a humble neighborhood with a few small hotels and a handful of restaurants. Playa San Juanillo is known for its white sand, excellent snorkeling, and top-notch sunsets. Both the town and the beach are a bumpy 15-minute drive from Azul Ocean Club. Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, where female sea turtles lay their eggs every year from August to December, is a 30-minute drive from the hotel. The closest international airport is in Liberia, a two hour drive that involves headache-inducing jungle roads and river crossings. 

Rooms at Azul Ocean Club are nice, but with all-white decor and contemporary furnishings, they feel like they could be anywhere. In fact, it seems like the hotel is trying to evoke any destination but Costa Rica, with vintage travel posters adorning the walls that trumpet Italy, Paris, and the Cote d’Azur. That said, some may find their modern aesthetic appealing -- especially those who’ve had their fill of thatched roofs and woven rugs. Rooms are nicely stocked with amenities like flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, mini-fridges, electronic safes, and ironing equipment. Bathrooms are sleek white-tiled spaces with glass-enclosed showers and floating vanities, but many guests complain about water temperature and pressure issues, which is something we also noticed during our visit. Azul Ocean Club has multiple room categories, from studio-style rooms to two-story villas with one or two bedrooms and full kitchens and living rooms. All rooms have private balconies, and villas have outdoor hammocks and large cushioned loungers. Technically, some rooms have ocean views, but most are blocked by palm trees.  

Features at Azul Ocean Club are rather uneven. The pool, possibly the hotel's highlight, is a serene space with beautiful blue mosaic tiles and an infinity edge. Though the pool doesn’t overlook anything besides surrounding palm trees, it still feels like a tranquil oasis where large iguanas often like to lay in the sun alongside guests. Lounge chairs and white umbrellas surround the pool, and there’s a long thatched-roof seating area with cushioned sofas. The pool has a hot tub and a swim-up bar, though many guests note that the bar is never staffed, which is something we also noticed during our visit. Playa Azul, the beach in front of the hotel, is beautifully rustic, with dark volcanic sand and wild surf. A swampy mangrove separates the hotel from the beach, which makes the beach and some parts of the property incredibly buggy. Since the beach isn’t swimmable, or very pleasant to be on, the hotel has its own manmade plot of sand near its villas. This manmade beach has a few lounge chairs and cushioned day beds with billowy white canopies. The hotel offers free kayaks, though they’re pretty much unusable in the ocean’s rough water.  Besides the pool and the beach, there isn’t much in the way of entertainment at Azul Ocean Club. The hotel has a small game room with a pool table, an outdoor ping-pong table, and a few board games. Next to the game room is a small fitness center with a few cardio and weight machines, as well as a few free weights. The gym has nice equipment, but the air-conditioners aren’t always turned on. Though the hotel doesn’t have a spa, it can arrange massage services on one of its private outdoor decks. Azul Ocean Club has two on-site restaurants, an upscale breakfast and dinner restaurant and a casual lunch spot next to the pool. The food is pretty good, but it’s expensive for the area and can feel repetitive after a few days. Since there aren’t any restaurants near the hotel, these are the guests’ only dining options. A la carte breakfast is included in nightly room rates, but many guests complain that both restaurants keep inconsistent hours. 

Maintenance is an issue across the Azul Ocean Club property. Though it’s a newer hotel with a modern aesthetic, Azul Ocean Club feels kind of shabby. The lounge chairs by the beach are grimy, cushions are stained, fixtures are rusty, and the landscaping could be better maintained. Plus, guests complain about temperature control and pressure in the showers, stained bed sheets, nicked furniture, and bugs in the rooms. Even the Wi-Fi could use some improvement -- it's slow, spotty, and difficult to connect to.