Travel + Leisure Readers Rank Costa Rica Hotels Among Top 25 September 28, 2007
San Jose, Costa Rica 
Photo from Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica
The Four Seasons Hotel on the Papagayo Peninsula ranks high
for its location and ambiance.
Two hotels in Costa Rica have been rated among the best 25 in all of Latin America by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. In the magazine's annual "World's Best" survey, readers were asked to rate their favorite cities, cruises, travel agencies, islands, businesses, and more. In the hotels category, readers rated hotels for their locations, rooms, restaurants, facilities, service and value. Based on this criteria, the Four Seasons on the Papagayo Peninsula ranked eighth in the region, while the Osa Peninsula's Lapa Rios Hotel came in at number 11 (you can see the full list here). The high ratings are sure to spur travel to these already popular areas in Costa Rica. The Four Seasons, which sits upon a narrow point of land jutting into the Pacific Ocean, has long been considered one of the best hotels in Costa Rica, if not the entire region. The hotel is partially owned by Saudi prince and billionaire Al-Waleed bin Talal, who stayed there last month (fellow billionaire Bill Gates is also a part owner of the hotel). Lapa Rios, set in a 1,000-acre private nature preserve overlooking the point where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific Ocean, was built by an American couple from Minnesota. Today, it is known as one of the top eco-destinations in the region. Lapa Rios is connected through a biological corridor to the Corcovado National Park, and has launched environmentally conscious initiatives-the hotel even uses biodiesel to produce most of its electricity and fuel its vehicles.
As distinctions like the "World's Best" help attract more visitors, the Costa Rica government is actively seeking ways to make visiting here comfortable and convenient. The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (Costa Rican Tourism Institute, or ICT) recently announced that it had been given the go-ahead from the central government to spend $580,000 on new road signs for tourist destinations, gas stations, airports, ferries and other locations along the principal tourist routes through Costa Rica. The signs will provide much-needed direction for foreigner drivers trying to navigate a somewhat-complicated national system of roads that in many places lack even basic signage. YourLatin America Insider, Suzan Haskins
for International Living P.S. Top rankings like these spell opportunities for Costa Rica…and anyone smart enough to take advantage of the buzz. At one event this year, every expert imaginable will tell you how to make your Costa Rica dreams come true. Best of all, the event will be held at Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort, which has also been recognized by Travel + Leisure-in the "World's Best" (2005), the "2005 T + L Family 50" (a rating of the most family friendly resorts in the Americas) and the current "T+L 500," what Travel + Leisure calls "the definitive guide to the greatest hotels worldwide." Learn more ASAP…. |
