Now that most travelers are shopping more carefully, looking for vacation bargains, why would someone want to stay at the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa rather than one of those big, 350+ room "mega" resorts, which lately have been running specials to try and fill up all those empty rooms? Well, for one thing, if you compare, the Flamingo Resort's prices are usually better anyway. And secondly, the Flamingo is literally just steps away from the beach. You can hear the sound of the ocean while eating your breakfast at Arenas Restaurant or when lounging by the pool. If you or your kids want to go back and forth from the ocean to the pool during the day, it takes no more than a minute--you don't have to think about taking a 10 - 15 minute walk each time! If you do want to walk, the beautiful horseshoe -shaped, white sand beach is perfect for strolling or jogging. Instead, at most of the mega all-inclusives, your room is usually quite a hike from the beach, and sometimes you even have to drive a cart or wait for a shuttle to get there.
PHOTO: An Intimate Wedding On the Beach at Playa Flamingo, Just Steps Away from the Resort
Third, the FBR&S is big enough to offer almost all of the amenities of the mega-resorts (an optional all-inclusive package, activities, tours, two swimming pools, swim-up bar, casino, full-service spa, Internet, library, room service, mini market, souvenir shops, a dive shop, playground, pool tables, lighted tennis court, etc.) yet small enough so that the service is intimate and personal. After a few days you get to know the staff and they get to know you, and it feels like you are part of the family. There are no lines to wait in to get your breakfast or dinner, no scrambling around rows and rows of identical chairs to find a lounge right next to the pool. When you go on a tour from the Flamingo, it will be you, your family and maybe a few other folks, but never a crowd.
But most of all, you get to experience Costa Rica. The FBR&S is not isolated, off in the middle of nowhere, a resort you arrive at to never leave the premises. At the mega-all-inclusives, they may boast having 7 restaurants, but they are usually all served by one big enormous, industrial kitchen that basically puts out the same kind of food with different sauces. At the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa you can also enjoy fabulous food and get it cooked to order, but it's not the only place you'll be able to eat and drink. Since it's the center of a small, international and local community, with other bars and restaurants within walking distance, you can enjoy a variety of venues and cuisines, and meet locals and tourists alike. Of course, everyone has their likes and dislikes, but a crowded resort with over 1,000 guests is just not my cup of tea. No, especially in beautiful Costa Rica, mega-resorts are not for me!
