Source: Manatus Hotel PRLog - March 10, 2015 - TORTUGUERO, Costa Rica -- The Manatus Hotel, surrounded by the majestic flora and fauna of Tortuguero in the Costa Rican Caribbean, has prepared two special hotel offers for those visiting it during the months of May and June, 2015: 1. Special hotel offer for domestic tourists: The Costa Rican tourists who make their booking at Manatus Hotel...

Source: Hyatt CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hyatt Place, the perfect place for today’s traveler combining style, innovation and 24/7 convenience, today announces the results of its online survey, which uncovered that six in 10 adults that travel admit to having particular travel quirks. The survey, which polled more than 1,000 adult travelers, was conducted with ORC International. “Whatever our...

Source: Waterfall Villas (PRWEB) March 23, 2015 - Waterfall Villas Wellness Retreat is located in the Baru Rainforest of Costa Rica's South Pacific region. If interested in a good travel deal this month, enjoy Waterfall Villas' Easter Week Special, including 7 nights at this spectacular resort. Join for adventure, romance, detox, yoga and waterfalls during the most significant and celebrated h...

Wikimedia Commons High in the mountains that surround the agricultural canton of Naranjo, in the province of Alajuela, there's a special type of resort that welcomes open-minded guests in Costa Rica whose sexual predilections include engaging with multiple partners, watching others perform erotic acts, and allowing their partners to do the same. According to a couple of lengthy reports file...

Romantic getaways, weddings and honeymoons are specialty activities that tourism operators in Costa Rica have learned to master in the last few decades. As a result, our country currently enjoys a great reputation as the main destination for new couples in Latin America. In this press release, you can learn about a Costa Rica beach hotel and restaurant that is preparing to hold a record number of ...

Craft Beer from Costa Rica (PRWEB) March 20, 2015 - Manuel Antonio, home to the luxury bungalows and villas of Tulemar Resort, has long been a destination for world travelers, offering world renowned beaches and lush jungles with a bio-diversity that cannot be experienced anywhere else. With the high volume of visitors from December through March, comes the unfortunate reality of an accumulation...

Source: The Retreat Costa Rica The fastest-growing specialty segment of the tourism industry in Costa Rica focuses on combining luxury with sustainability and holistic wellness. Celebrity nutritionist Diana Stobo is one of the latest business persons who are venturing into this burgeoning segment. Here's the official press release on the retreat created by Ms. Stobo. ATENAS, Costa Rica, Mar...

Source: Sibu Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (PRWEB) March 13, 2015 - Tulemar Resort, located in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, is proud to expand on its longstanding partnership with Sibu Chocolates by adding the Costa Rican gourmet chocolate company's assorted chocolate bars to their supply for sale. Tulemar, a unique resort with privately owned vacation bungalows and villas for rent, first started ...

Wikimedia Commons The second Hard Rock Cafe in Costa Rica will be located in Guanacaste, specifically in Playas del Coco, and it is expected to open later this year. Such was the news reported by Cristina Fallas Villalobos of business weekly El Financiero.   The report from El Financiero quotes Mr. Gustavo Araya, president of the iconic Hard Rock franchise in Costa Rica. Mr. Araya e...

Special offer ends March 21st 2015 In Costa Rica, there is only one place where visitors can enjoy a Las Vegas-style vacation with all the amenities and comfort that this type of entertainment implicates. That place is Croc's Casino Resort, which is located in the Central Pacific coast, specifically in the world-famous resort town of Jaco Beach. Croc's Casino Resort is unique in many ways. ...

Gulf of Papagayo PHILADELPHIA, PA (March 3, 2015) — Apple Leisure Group®’s subsidiary, AMResorts®, announced the signing of the company’s third deal in the first quarter of 2015. Secrets® Papagayo Resort & Spa will also be the second property for the company in Costa Rica, following the highly anticipated opening of Dreams® Las Mareas Costa Rica late last year. Apple Leisure Group Signs D...

Source: OVSICORI Can a luxurious lifestyle become synonymous with sustainability? According to Suzy Amis Cameron, who is married to acclaimed filmmaker James Cameron, luxury can be combined with an eco-lifestyle, and she recently made this point clear during a red carpet event that took place before the Oscars. It so happens that Ms. Amis Cameron has partnered with an upscale “green luxury” bo...

Source: Bue River Resort Guanacaste, Costa Rica, February 17, 2015 -- (PR.com) -- This year, Blue River Resort & Hot Springs was chosen by Fodor's for the service, quality, and value they offer every visitor at their resort.   Although each and every business that is included in Fodor’s Travel guide is deemed worthy of a traveler’s time, the Fodor’s Choice distinguishes hotels, ...

Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo in Guanacaste Right before Christmas 2014, The Costa Rica Star reported that the Forbes Travel Guide, previously known as Mobil Travel Guide, chose our country as one their markets for the purpose of rating hotels and restaurants. Joining this prestigious travel information resource was a matter of pride for Costa Rica, and it did not take l...

Source: Vista Celestial Over the last few years, luxury has been one of the most visible trends within the tourism industry of Costa Rica. There used to be a time when traveling to Costa Rica meant modest accommodations, spartan customer service and functional transportation. To this effect, Costa Rica was mostly known as an ideal destination for backpackers and budget travelers. These days, how...

Wikimedia Commons For a term of 12 months, an upscale resort in the dry province of Guanacaste will provide some neighboring communities with desperately needed water. The resort in question is the Reserva Conchal, which has ceded rights to a local utility so that water can be extracted from the Nimboyores aquifer located beneath the surface of this private property. An agreement between Re...

As the luxury travel and accommodation segment in Costa Rica continues to grow, tourism and hospitality providers are targeting their efforts on specific tourist demographics such as families and couples. As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, luxury villa rentals are a major part of the upscale travel experience in our country, and the following press release by Villas of Distinction show...

Quepos, Costa Rica (PRWEB) February 09, 2015 - With its fertile soil and abundance in fishing opportunities, Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica has a been a place of settlement long before it became a place for visitors seeking tropical adventure, wildlife, and beach relaxation. The Quepoa indigenous tribe, whose settlement dates back to 950-900 years ago, are perhaps the most prominent of the area's...

Wikimedia Commons A smoky and hazy issue seems to be unfolding between the Ministry of Public Health (Spanish initials: MSP) and the Chamber of Hotels in Costa Rica. Chamber members are fuming because they consider that the MSP is misinterpreting the Anti-Tobacco Control Law #9028, which has been a source of discontent with regard to its interpretation, implementation and enforcement over the ...

Hotel Iguanazul Introducing the new Hotel Iguanazul - a truly unique Costa Rican experience Beautifully updated Costa Rican hotel on the Pacific (TRAVPR.COM) CANADA/COSTA RICA - February 2nd, 2015 - The Hotel Iguanazul, a boutique hotel located in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, has recently undergone a wonderful transformation. The upgraded hotel features 24 comfortable guest rooms tha...

Source: Tulemar Resort There is a growing list of resort properties in Costa Rica that have been earning the coveted TripAdvisor Awards. This latest TripAdvisor Award recipient is located in the pristine Manuel Antonio National Park in the Southern Pacific coast. Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (PRWEB) January 30, 2015 - The annual TripAdvisor "Traveler's Choice" awards have been announced, and ...

Source: El Silencio Bajos del Toro, Costa Rica (PRWEB) January 28, 2015 - El Silencio Lodge & Spa has been recognized as a world-class model of hospitality by Relais & Châteaux, a collection of the world’s finest independent hotels and restaurants. Relais & Châteaux’s by-invitation membership entails a rigorous incognito evaluation process that celebrates the “5-C’s”: Character, Co...

Source: Nayara According to the renowned online travel community TripAdvisor, Costa Rica is home to the second-best hotel in the world. The Nayara Hotel, Spa and Gardens, located near the Arenal Volcano National Park, is a luxury hotel that has more than 2,100 reviews on TripAdvisor, and most of them are positive. Here is a snippet from one review: “The staff makes you feel comfortable and ta...

Source: Marriott WESTON, Fla., Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott Hotels, Marriott International's flagship brand, is putting a whole new "POV" on the guest experience by providing GoPro HERO4 cameras at 17 Caribbean and Latin American resorts and hotels. The exclusive offer allows guests to test drive a GoPro HERO4, the most advanced GoPro yet and capture and share all of their adventures...

Source: Cala Luna Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - January 14, 2015 /MarketersMedia/ --  The online magazine PsychologyToday.com recently featured an article entitled "The importance of vacations to our physical and mental health" written by columnist Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D. Dr. Whitbourne writes, "Taking a vacation may be necessary for mental health. The act of taking a vacation or ...

Source: Wikimedia Commons TORONTO, Jan. 5, 2015 /CNW/ - With a cold winter ahead, many Canadians will be escaping down south in search of warmer weather. In fact, Travelocity.ca reveals traffic to their website surges after the holiday season. A new Travelocity.ca survey revealed the majority of Canadians said they enjoy an all-inclusive beach vacation with 65 per cent saying they are easy and...

Playa Conchal The Westin Golf Resort and Spa in Playa Conchal, province of Guanacaste, has earned the coveted World Travel Awards in two important categories. This grand hotel and upscale golf resort in Costa Rica has been recognized as Mexico & Central America's Leading All Inclusive Resort 2014 as well as Leading Family Resort.   As described by parent company Starwood, &nb...

Source: Forbes Are there any lavish resorts in Costa Rica that can attain the coveted 5-star rating? Since the late 1950s, the world of luxury travel accommodations has been scrutinized by the star rating system made famous by the Mobil Travel Guide, which is now known as the Forbes Travel Guide. Five stars means luxury, which happens to be an emerging travel sector in Costa Rica. A 5-star rat...

Do you know about the slow food movement? In Costa Rica, one of the major practitioners of this holistic activity is the Finca Luna Nueva (New Moon) Lodge, located in San Isidro of Peñas Blancas. As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, Finca Luna Nueva Lodge is an organic and biodynamic farm involved in several activities that are essentially retooled from philosophies from long ago. &nb...

The massive Santa Elena luxury resort and housing complex in Guanacaste is set to expand within its 1,000 hectares over the next 15 years with new hotels and gated communities. Such was the report filed by Cristina Fallas Villalobos of business weekly El Financiero earlier this week. Readers of The Costa Rica Star will remember that we reported on the Dreams Las Mareas beach resort earlier this...

In the 20th century, Costa Rica was mostly a haven for surfers, backpackers and ecotourists. In the 21st century, Costa Rica has diversified its tourism offerings to welcome visitors who arrive here for adventure, business, culture, education, nightlife, scientific research, and other purposes. Luxury vacations are a segment that has grown considerably over the last few years, and Guanacaste is th...

The Guanacaste province continues to lead the way in terms of luxury resort development in Costa Rica. Earlier this year, The Costa Rica Star reported on the development activity by the Apple Leisure Group at the massive Santa Elena tourism complex in La Cruz of Guanacaste; that project has been finalized just in time for the high tourist season, which is just a few weeks away. Here is the officia...

The casino experience in Costa Rica is becoming modernized and will soon match the level of gaming seen at some Las Vegas game rooms. Earlier this year, International Game Technology announced that it had been selected as the primary provider of games for the upcoming Croc's Casino Resort in Jaco Beach, slated to open later this year. Nonetheless, casino players in Guanacaste may be able to experi...

Punta Loros, a planned luxury resort and development property that spans 800 acres in the Central Pacific coastline of Costa Rica, recently tendered its environmental impact study to the Technical and Environmental Secretariat (Spanish acronym: SETENA). The study is an important part of the compliance process required to make this ambitious project a reality. According to a news report by Spani...

  Inaugurated in 2008, El Silencio Lodge & Spa is a sixteen-suite natural immersion eco-destination. Embedded in a 500 acre private cloud forest reserve, it is flanked by two national parks in Costa Rica’s central volcanic valley. El Silencio (The Silence) provides an upscale signature experience that was exalted in Andrew Harper's esteemed Hideaway Report in August 2013. El Silencio is...

Vacations in Costa Rica can be as varied as our country's incredible biodiversity. Although mostly know for ecotourism, Costa Rica is now offering adventure, culinary, cultural, educational, scientific, business, and even hedonistic tourism. This means that you can combine more than one activity at once with the right tourism operator. If you would like your vacation to be both relaxing and exciti...

  Source: Gekkotel The next ecotourism lodge in Costa Rica could be financed through a method that involves funds pledged by many people whose return-on-investment (ROI) expectations are minimal. Gecko Tail Holdings is a tour and hotel operator based in San Jose and Toronto that is launching a crowdfunding campaign to help raise money for a down payment on a new hotel.   Tho...

New beginnings are old hat at upscale Hotel Le Caméléon in Costa Rica, where their motto is “Every day is a new day”. The Costa Rica boutique hotel on the southern Caribbean Coast, that changes the color of its décor daily like a chameleon, is marking its fifth anniversary year with the opening of its new La Sula Sea Lounge on the beach at Playa Cocles. A vivacious opening party will be held...

Reinventing a business is like soul-searching. Who are we? What are we about? What are we doing and why? It is a process not every business takes the time to tackle. Yet it is the most urgently talked about business concept over the past five years. Hotel Tropico Latino at beautiful Santa Teresa Beach in Costa Rica recently engaged in the challenge of reinventing and redefining its business. T...

Hoteliers in Guanacaste and other tourist hotspots in Costa Rica have been doing brisk business and are enjoying the high season thus far in 2014, but their counterparts in San Jose are not. According to recent surveys conducted by the Costa Rica Chamber of Hotels and the National Board of Tourism (Spanish initials: ICT), hotels in the capital city have seen a 15 percent drop in occupancy comp...