I was very excited to hear that Southwest Airlines was launching service to a second city in Costa Rica, Liberia, back in March of 2015. The first flight down was not until November 1st, but I was already doing research into the area and surrounding hotels. I found a hotel close by to Liberia where I had elite status at. The Hyatt Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort!

Once we flew in on the inaugural flight to Liberia on Southwest Airlines and picked up our little Suzuki  Jimny, we were on the way! The drive from the airport to the resort was an easy half hour drive. The check in process at the Andaz properties is different from your normal front desk check in. The lobby had a huge sitting area where the agents checked us in on a tablet while we enjoyed a cool refreshing beverage. Being a Diamond elite in the Hyatt Gold Passport program netting me an upgrade to a Relax Twin room. The room was amazing! It had a huge rainfall walk in shower that opened up into the room and balcony. The mini bar was included in the room rate and was restocked daily. We at an amazing view of the treetops and bay. The front desk also advised us to keep the balcony doors closed when we were not in the room, as the local monkeys may end up wreaking havoc in our room!

Luckily at this property, they offered breakfast in the morning for free for Diamond members and their guests. I took full advantage of the open breakfast buffet and picking an item from the menu, like the coconut french toast and Gallo Pinto, a traditional Costa Rican breakfast! The hotel also has two pools, one family pool and one adults only pool. One of the biggest benefits of the hotel is its two private beaches within walking distance on property. One of the beaches has hammocks (as seen in the featured image) and lots of chairs in the shade with towels neatly rolled up on each chair. The beach is swimmable and the water was warm even in November! There were also 3 different restaurants to pick from on the resort, but my friend and I ate off the resort since there were more options at a more affordable price.

If you are looking for a nice resort in Costa Rica, you should check out the Hyatt Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort. I used Hyatt points to stay at the resort since rates are very expensive and hover above $400 a night. If you can afford it, I highly recommend it!