Hotel Report: Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico

Words and photography by Dylan Clements

Where: La Huerta, Jalisco, México Km. 7.5, México 200, 48970 Barra de Navidad, Jal.

Occasion: Couples Trip

Date of Stay: November 2022

All eyes are on the newly opened 157-room Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico. Located on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, which is famous for its golden sand beaches and picturesque sunsets. The resort is a welcome addition to the ultra-luxe resort scene in Mexico.

The resort has clearly set itself apart from the other two Four Seasons Resort properties that are already in Mexico, which is a hard task in itself – the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas.

For starters, Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo has a 3,000-acre nature reserve for guests to explore and discover, a 6-mile-long beach that I consider to be one of the best in Mexico, and its own working farm that allows guests to enjoy a true farm-to-table dining experience.

Our review below covers all things Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, including how to achieve even better value by applying Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, so be sure to keep reading until the end.

HOW TO GET THE BEST VALUE WHEN BOOKING THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT TAMARINDO

We booked the resort nice and early which gave us considerable savings off the room price, in 2023 it seems the price for both a room and a suite are similar if you are flexible for your dates – expect $1200USD per night, plus tax.  This is very similar in price to other ultra-luxe resorts in the area, the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and One&Only Mandarina.

Booking through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Clements Travel is a Four Seasons Preferred Partner which means any reservations made through us will receive the following benefits at no extra cost:

• Daily full breakfast for two people per bedroom, served in a hotel restaurant or through In-Room Dining
• Hotel/Resort Credit* (based on room category booked):
  • Guest Rooms: USD 100 credit per stay
  • Suites and Specialty Suites: USD 200 credit per stay
  • Private Retreats: USD 200 credit per bedroom per stay
• Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in

In addition to the above Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, there are some fantastic Four Seasons Preferred Partner offers available:

Stay Longer – Fourth Night Free

• Complimentary fourth night with every three consecutive paid nights. This offer can be used in conjunction with the above benefits.

Golf Package for Two

• Daily breakfast at Coyul restaurant for up to two guests
• Two rounds of golf per stay (includes green fee, access to practice facilities with putting green and driving range, golf buggy, six balls, tees, scorecard and two bottles of water)
• Twenty percent off additional rounds of golf
• Welcome amenity
• Club rentals available at USD 75 per guest

Offers are subject to availability at time of booking. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply.

how to get to the four seasons resort tamarindo and where it is located?

The Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo is located on the Pacific Coast side of Mexico, home to golden sand beaches and picturesque sunsets.

The nearest airport is Manzanillo International Airport (airport code: ZLO). What we noticed as a positive here straight away is the airport is not crazy busy like the main Mexico tourist airports of Los Cabos, Puerta Vallarta, and Cancun. It’s small which makes it a very relaxing environment to fly in and out of, you can breeze through immigration and customs in minutes.

There are a good amount of airlines that fly in and out of Manzanillo:

• Aeromexico – at least two daily flights from Mexico City. Keep in mind that from Mexico City Aeromexico flies to all over the USA, Canada, and Europe so you can easily do a one-stop transfer from here. They are a fantastic airline that we personally use all the time and recently got awarded 5-Star status by Skytrax
• Alaska Airlines – fly a couple of times a week from Los Angeles
• American Airlines – flying from Dallas and Phoenix
• United Express – flying from Houston – this is handy if you are flying from the Eastern states as you can easily do a one-stop connection at Houston-Intercontinental
• WestJet – seasonal flights from Calgary for those Canadians eager to escape the winter freeze for a bit of Mexico sun

We hired a car to get from the airport to the resort for around $50USD a day, as we did not leave the resort once this turned out to be a waste of money. Next time we would just book airport transfers through the resort directly.

The one-hour drive (45km) from Manzanillo International Airport  to the resort was an wonderful experience which show cased the Mexican countryside.  We passed through banana plantations and enjoyable sights of the local rural people going about their day-to-day activities. During the drive, we peeked through vistas in the jungle to see the blue ocean that was about to greet us once we arrive at the resort.

Arrival and Check In

We received a warm welcome from a number of different members of the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo team. They guided us from our car to a large open lobby that had the most spectacular ocean views.

Check-in was smooth and we were given a mezcal welcome drink along with a cold towel. A bowl of water for our would have been appreciated for our dog, after the car journey, but was not given.

What was a nice surprise was a Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefit – an upgrade from Cliffside One-Bedroom Suite with Infinity Pool to Cliffside One-Bedroom Suite with Infinity Pool with Ocean-View.

Learn more about the Four Seasons Preferred Partner here and how you can get upgraded.

Outside travel my other hobby is collecting Mexican art and it was pleasing to see a considerable number of Mexican art pieces on display including a traditional huichol art mural that dominated the lobby.

We were then escorted to our suite by a golf buggy and a member of staff showed us all the functions of the room such as how the air conditioning worked, lights if the pool was the right temperature, etc.

We were so impressed by the service of this individual that I went to give him a tip which he politely declined; he informed us that staff are not allowed to accept tips due to the resort having a service charge in place already.

Thinking about this the service charge situation makes more sense, as rarely do I carry my wallet with me when staying at a resort. This also makes allows the often-unrecognized back-of-house staff such as those in laundry, security get compensated as well.

Our clients do message us from time to time with questions about tipping at resorts ‘do we tip the buggy driver?’ etc, so having this service fee policy clears up any confusion.

Our room came with a number of Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities such as a branded hat, a bowl of fruit and a bottle of tequila.

Learn more about the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program here and how you can get an amenity with your next stay.

Cliffside One-Bedroom Suite with Infinity Pool

Over the years we have managed to get to nearly all the main ultra-luxe resorts in Mexico and in our honest opinion of our suite here at the Four Seasons Tamarindo is that this is one of the best luxury resort suite products in the country.

The design is contemporary with natural wood on display and features Mexican art and furnishings.

Every suit at Four Seasons Resort is the same size 148 square meters or 1,593 square feet and the floor plan is the same with each cliffside one-bedroom suite with infinity pool at the resort, the only difference is the view.

Client Benefit – We inspected a number of rooms at the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo and will be more than happy to help you choose the one best for you.

The suite consists of three separate spaces, a living area, a bedroom, and a large bathroom, each of these spaces leads onto a balcony that is also host to an infinity pool.

Our suite had its own private entranceway that led into the living room area.   The living area has a sofa bed, LCD television, and a well-stocked mini bar.

A two-person dining table was perfect for in-room dining. (A Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefit is complimentary breakfast which could be had as in-room dining).

A coat stand was contained sun hats and a beach bag that we could use in property. It’s little detail like this is why I love staying at the Four Seasons.

A well stocked mini-bar was found in the living room.  All sorts of food and drink was on offer such as tequila, international and local beers, sodas, chocolates and crisps.

A Nespresso coffee machine was available in the room with coffee pods containing a variety of Mexican coffee flavors.

A good-sized work desk was also in the living room. During our stay, I had some early morning Zoom meetings so I could easily do my work in the living area and close the door to the bedroom to not wake my partner up.  The only design flaw that I noticed with this area is the lack of power points to plug laptops and phones in (a hotel room can never have enough plugs), I did mention this to management and they said that they are aware of this and are in the process of installing more plugs. Talking about ‘working from vacation’, despite the jungle location the Wi-Fi and phone signal here worked perfectly and coped with all my work needs such as video calls.

A bedroom leads on from the living room.

Four Seasons beds are the best hotel bed out there, they are extremely comfortable which means that it is awfully get up it each morning. I know that I am not the only guest that thinks this as due to popular demand the Four Seasons brand has started selling the beds and linen to their guests.

Our Four Seasons Preferred Partner upgrade to an ocean-view room meant that we had a full view of the Pacific Ocean from our bed, such a lovely sight to wake up to each day. There was nothing in this bedroom that we could fault.

Next to the bed was an iPad with the Four Seasons app on it, from this we could learn all about the resort, find out the weather forecast and chat with the staff directly when we needed something.

The bathroom was the next room along and it was huge, the same size as the bedroom and living room.

The bathroom consisted of:

• Twin basins – two basins are always a welcome addition for us as it allows us to both get ready at the same time instead of waiting for the other person to finish.
• Large shower cubicle with an overhead rain nozzle
• An additional shower that is located on a small outdoor terrace with ocean views.
• Separate toilet room, for me this is a bonus as I am not a fan of having the toilet in the main bathroom area which is what some other resorts have.
• Bath with ocean views is in the main bathroom. Personally, I found the bath a little bit too big and slightly uncomfortable due to it being made of tile. I think a porcelain tub, such as the kind that they have at Four Seasons Resorts Los Cabos at Costa Palmas would be better suited here. However, I do have many clients that want a huge bath, so this would be perfect for them.
• Walk-in wardrobe – a huge space that could easily accommodate our two suitcases, plus more! The size would be perfect for a long stay. There are additional amenities in here such as sunscreen and bug spray (two such things that we always forget to bring with us). An ironing board with iron and a safe big enough to fit a laptop was also in this room.

Each room let onto a terrace; this was where we spent most of our time. No tiny plunge pool here but a full-sized 13-meter-long infinity pool, big enough to do laps and move around freely. It is rare to find a private pool of this size in Mexico.

The terrace was well furnished with two loungers and an outdoor dining table where we could enjoy in-room dining.

As mentioned earlier due to booking through the Four Seasons Preferred Partner portal we were upgraded from a Cliffside One-Bedroom Suite with Infinity Pool to a Cliffside One-Bedroom Suite with Infinity Pool with Oceanview.

In terms of privacy. Some of the suites did feel exposed. Upon further investigation, we went to the bottom of the cliff and looked up and found that no one could see our suite below.

Overview of rooms, suites and villas available at the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico

We inspected a number of other rooms and suites at the Four Seasons Tamarindo. The team at Clements Travel would be more than happy to give you further detail and help find a solution that suits you.

Nature Room – views of the Tamarindo reserve, no ocean view.  In walking distance to everything. 66SQM so smaller than the Beachfront rooms which are 91-98SQM. The Tamarindo nature reserve is beautiful, so I feel the view from here would be nearly as good as having an ocean view.

Beachfront Room and Premium Beachfront Room – perfect for families as you can have either a king bed or two queens, you can also connect two Beachfront rooms together. Has not only a front terrace with sea views but also a back terrace off the bathroom with a hammock to laze in.

Beachfront One Bedroom Suite with Infinity Pool and Beachfront Two-Bedroom Suite with Infinity Pool  – bigger than the Cliffside Suites which is the category that we stayed in. Perfect for people who want to spend more time in the room and want the space to do so. Also available in two bedrooms which is good for families.

Beach Houses & Villas – the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo has an ever-expanding collection of Beach Houses and Villas starting from three bedrooms onwards, all with private pools.  We would be more than happy to send photos and floor plans of the different options available.

Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits can be applied to all of the above room types.  Simply contact us for a no obligation quote.

La Mansión at Four Seasons Resort Tamaindindo

The mansion is the heart of Four Seasons Tamarindo – this is where the lobby, pools, restaurants, gym, and other facilities are located.  There are golf buggies available that will take you to and from your room but it is also an easily walkable distance.

Level One – Lobby, Boutique, Kids Club, and Discovery Centre

As mentioned earlier on in the trip report the lobby is a beautiful open-planned space with full Pacific Ocean views.

The Boutique

As a collector of Mexican art, I have spent a considerable amount of time scouring the country for pieces to add to my collection so it was great to see that the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo has its own boutique selling a number authentic pieces..

The two-level boutique also sell a wide range of well-made Mexican homeware, and clothing.

Discovery Center

Due to the unique position of the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo – on the Pacific Coast and being in a 3000-acre reserve – both jungle and sea full of all sorts of nature and wildlife there is a huge emphasis on sharing and educating guests about this environment. For this reason the resort opened up a Discovery Center

The Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo website says that the following wildlife can be found on site:

• Birds: 195 species (13 endemics)

Examples: West Mexican Chachalaca, Lilac-crowned Parrot, San Blas Jay and Sinaloa Wren

• Mammals: 68 species (16 endemics)

Examples: Gray Mouse Opossum, West Mexican Cotton Rat and Buller’s Pocket Gopher

• Amphibians: 19 species (11 endemics)

Examples: Smith’s Pygmy Robber Frog and Mexican Giant Tree Frog

• Reptiles: 65 species (30 endemics)

Examples: Western Spiny-Tailed Iguana, Clouded Anole, Mexican Spotted Wood Turtle and Jalisco Mud Turtle

We very much enjoyed learning about all the nature and wildlife, in fact, we never knew that this would be something that we were interested in until coming here.  We did a couple of walks with the resident biologists, in the daytime and evening and managed to see deer, a variety of birdlife, and all sorts of insects and snakes.

I know a couple of my clients will be thinking, can creepy crawlies come into our room? The answer is I very much doubt it – during our treks we went quite a distance into the jungle to see the wildlife and never witnessed any in or around the room.  The only wildlife that we saw from our room was a variety of bird species flying overhead.

Level Two – Gym and Departure Lounge

Fitness Centre

Despite not being gym users, we did inspect the gym for the purposes of research only. The staff were enthusiastic to show us the equipment and we are told everything is the best of the best.

The cardio equipment in the gym has its own screens so you can watch YouTube while you exercise. This is also the only resort in Mexico that I have seen with Peloton Bikes.

The gym has a bar (with water and fruit) and is open 24 hours (great for Europeans who are flying in and are awake at 5 am in the morning with jetlag).

The resort, we are told has over 40 km of running tracks in their nature reserve that is available for guest use.

Departure Lounge

This is a fantastic idea.  If you have a late flight then you can continue to use the facilities or relax in the departure lounge.  The lounge features a number of sofas and televisions where you can relax.  There is also a drinks bar with a variety of teas, coffee, and water.

The gym is right next door should guests need a shower or to change before they head off to the airport.

Worth noting – Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits include a complimentary late check-out, subject to availability.

Third Floor – Coyul and Resort Bar

Coyal is the signature restaurant of  Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo and was created in partnership with a well-known Mexican chef named Eleena Reygadas.  We enjoyed a number of breakfasts and dinners here.

The restaurant has an open kitchen with indoor and outdoor seating.  Surrounded by lush green jungle and water features, the setting makes for a stunning environment to dine in.

The breakfast menu consisted of Mexican dishes, my favorite chilaquiles (tortilla chips covered in a red sauce with fresh crème, chicken, and egg), or your everyday American dishes such as bacon and eggs.  There were also a number of healthy dishes such as salads, chia bowls, and avocado on toast.

Our favourite part of was the different jams that came with our breakfast each morning – they were homemade and consisted of ingredients such as coconut, mango and so on. 

Considering the breakfast was averaging around $40USD per person, we got all this free with the Four Seasons Preferred Partner rate where breakfast for two people is included.  As a reminder, the Four Seasons Preferred Partner room rate is no more than the room that you see on the actual Four Seasons website, excellent value for money.

We enjoyed drinks at the Coyal Bar each evening before dinner. A long bar found a the entrance to the restaurant.  The bartenders had lots of personality and were always up for a chat with the guests

Mexican craft beer is rapidly getting recognized around the world as producing some fantastic drops, so it is good for many brands to get featured on the menu here.

As expected, there is a large tequila offering, either straight or as a cocktail.  Talking about tequila, the resort has planted a field in agave (over 8000 plants) which they plan to turn into their own brand of tequila in the future.

Dinner at Coyal was as good as breakfast. Most of the dishes were Mexican.

The dishes were suitable for all appetites for the reason that they were not overly spicy and with not too many funky ingredients.

My favorite dish of the trip – pork belly that had been in the smoker all day, a thick layer of crackling complimented with a traditional mole sauce.

Coyal also had a delicious selection of vegetarian dishes including this green mole with zucchini.

Many of the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo chefs are keen divers and fishermen.  In the morning they went out to fishing and cooked their catch for guests.

Level Floor – Main Swimming Pool Area

The fourth floor is where the main pool area is..  Despite having our own pool in our suite, we enjoyed the environment, plus staff members were on hand to take our drink and snack orders.

The pool is infinity with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.

In true Four Seasons style they add little extras, and one of them here was the staff member had a Polaroid and took photos of us to take home a nice touch.

The main pool area is another part of the resorts where we enjoyed seeing those famous Pacific coast sunsets.

Level Five – Nacho

Nacho was our preferred place to dine.  A simple no fuss taco bar with one of the largest taco menus that I have seen. The restaurant had tables with views of the ocean, or you could pull up a seat t the bar and watch the taqueros at work.

The secret with any taco is the tortilla, with this in mind the team explained to us that they bring the flour in from the Yucatan area of Mexico as the flour there is more traditional and tastes better.  All the tortillas are made on-site daily for freshness.

There was another pool on this floor for guests to use – I believe this one may have been for adults only.

Level Six – Sal Restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico

Sal restaurant was under construction when we stayed in November 2022, we did however get to preview the layout and it looks amazing.  We wish we got to experience but it gives us a reason to return soon.

A bar stretch’s across the front of Sal to take advantage of beach, ocean and sunset views.

Beaches at Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico

The beaches at Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo did not disappoint.

What makes them different from many other resorts down the Pacific Coast is that you could swim in the sea, in saying that the water was a bit cold in November when we went.