The Westin Reserva Conchal, an All-Inclusive Golf Resort & Spa

The honest review

The Westin Reserva Conchal sits on Playa Conchal, one of Costa Rica's most photographed beaches — its sand is actually crushed shell, which gives it a pale, almost sparkling look and a firmer walking surface than typical Pacific-coast sand. The resort wraps 400 rooms around an 18-hole golf course, which is the giveaway that this property still splits its attention between golfers and families rather than building purely around kids.

The Westin Kids Club is free and covers ages 4–12 with a real program: an outdoor play area with swings and slides, an indoor space for crafts and movies, a nap room, and an eco-recreational team that runs trail hikes and Spanish lessons. The honest caution is capacity — it's a small operation, roughly 12 children at a time, and December through March books out fast. Families who don't reserve a spot the night before can find their kids without a club to go to the next morning.

Family Club rooms add a private check-in, a dedicated Family Concierge, and a Westin Kids Beach-kit, which is a nice touch but doesn't come cheap — this is priced at the top of the Guanacaste all-inclusive tier, closer to JW Marriott Guanacaste than to Riu Guanacaste down the coast. The lagoon-style pool with its own kids' pool section is a genuine strength, and Playa Conchal itself is calmer and shallower than most Pacific beaches in the region, which matters more than any resort amenity when you're watching toddlers near the water.

For families prioritizing beach quality and golf alongside kid programming — and willing to pay for both — this is a strong pick. Families whose top priority is maximum kids-club capacity or a big-format waterpark should look at Riu Guanacaste instead.