From “Tacotal” to Sloth Sanctuary

Embrace Your Inner Explorer

“Tacotal”.   A word known to many Costa Ricans as a bushy unattractive scrubland; this is what Arenas Del Mar Beachfront and Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica used to be 30 years ago. This property formerly was 5 hectares of “Tacotal” with great views of the Pacific Ocean used for subsistence farming.   During the […]

Building a boutique hotel? Wait… Don’t call the architect quite yet!

When we get called by property owners or developers to offer our services as a hospitality management company, one of the first and most common requests to us is: “can you recommend an architect?”  Or many times the owners or developers have already started to design the hotel with an architect of their choice.  And […]

Fresh Out of the Oven: Kura’s new, Online Community Baking Program

Every Tuesday at 4 pm, Keyla Vasquez logs into zoom from her phone to learn a new skill. Next to her, she has her harshest food critic —her one-year-old son, Felipe.  A devoted mother and a loving daughter, Keyla is one of 49 promising students enrolled in Kura’s new, Online Community Baking Program.  Like many others, […]

Pura Vida Humans and the Cayuga Collection

Today, I wanted to introduce you to the Pura Vida Humans. They’re a young family of four, who in early 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, sold all of their belongings to travel and explore Costa Rica.  They’ve been documenting their journey along the way with their YouTube video series.  The Pura Vida Humans joined us […]

Exuberant Jungle Lust: A glimpse of Aguas Claras’ Contemporary Caribbean Garden

Many of you have complimented us on the gardens at Hotel Aguas Claras in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.  Today, we share the behind-the-scenes story of how our gardens came to be.  Howler monkeys above you. Leafcutter ants below you. Red lipstick palm trees, and birds of paradise all around you. Your first impression might be […]

Heal your Soul and Book a Vacation Today

It is fall 2021. We are headed for the third year of the Global Covid-19 pandemic.  I heard a friend comment recently that her father, who was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War in the seventies, told her that these have been the most stressful and difficult years of his life.  This impressed me. […]

Unique Hotels & Lodges – Unique Values for the Fall of 2021

We would like to share some uncommon promotions that might catch your attention.  You can enjoy substantial discounts at our hotels and lodges in Costa Rica and Panama if you have solar panels on your roof, or if you own a hybrid or electric car.  We will give you an extraordinary break on the room […]

Which Side is Better? Costa Rica’s Caribbean vs. Pacific Coast?

Our reservations agents get this question a lot:  Which side of the country has the best beaches?  Which is the best beach town in Costa Rica?  Is it Santa Teresa, Tamarindo or Puerto Viejo?  Where can you see more wildlife?  Seeing a sloth is very high on the list or course.  Choosing between the two […]

Which luxury Hotels or Resorts are the Best Places to Stay in Costa Rica?

Many searches on the web look for the “best place to stay” or the “best luxury hotel or resort” in Costa Rica.  What a difficult task for Google to show the traveler looking for a boutique or five-star hotel the option that make sense for what that specific traveler is looking for.  We think it […]