Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality

The Costa Rican Tourism Model

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:26:00 +0000

The Benefits of the Costa Rican Tourism Model vs. Sun and Beach Mass Tourism

According to INCAE Business School Professor Lawrence Pratt, the Costa Rican Tourism model is able to create more than 10 times more wealth for the local economy than the typical “beach and sun” destinations such as Cancun, the Spanish Riviera or parts of the Dominican Republic. Why is this? And what is the Costa Rican model? Traditionally, visitors to Costa Rica stay in three to four different hotels and travel all over the country. From Manuel Antonio to the Osa Peninsula to Arenal to Guanacaste, etc. On their way, they spend money. Most visitors book their trips directly with the small hotels, rent a car or use public transport. If you book a vacation to Cancun or the Dominican Republic, most likely, you will get picked up at the airport by a hotel bus and spend your week inside the walls of an all-inclusive resort. You might go on an excursion, but most likely with a hotel bus on a hotel operated tour.

So it is not surprising that the beach and sun model only leaves about 10% distributed in the country while the Costa Rican model allows for over 40% to stay. Furthermore, the sustainable and eco-tourism that Costa Rica attracts has multiplier of 2 to 3 times that of beach and sun tourism. That means that the money that stays in the country gets distributed within the country 2 to 3 times more. We think that we have something very special here and should make sure we don’t fall into the trap of copying the sun and beach mass tourism model of other countries. What do you think? Which model would you like to support?

Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality is a world leader in sustainable hospitality management. We manage and market hotels, resorts, eco lodges and Haciendas in Costa Rica and Nicaragua with a focus on high end experiences and sustainability.

Cornell Seminar on June 15th

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:50:00 +0000

Looking to the Future: Innovation and Competitors

Trends in Consumers and Communication

On June 15th, The Cornell Hotel School's Senior Lecturer, Jan H. Katz, will be a guest speaker at a Seminar held at Hotel Real Intercontinental, Escazu. Her primary research focus is the impact of national culture, politics, and economic systems on behaviors and choices, the management of multinational corporations, business based national development strategies.

Professor Katz had been doing some interesting research in the area of changing trends in the travel industry (e.g. rising interest in "authentic experiences", increases in niche travelers). Her current research is a survey of hoteliers' opinions about the strength of the hospitality industry in their country (e.g. level of growth or decline expected, changes in type of tourist) and also views of what is hindering and/or encouraging growth. Professor Katz is trying to get a "pulse" of international markets and understand where people think it is going and why. In her classes, she focuses on how a company takes a product or service that is now in one country and expands it around the world. Examples include Louis Vuitton in India, shopping centers & malls in Brazil, or creating luxury developments by linking luxury malls with elite hotels in Central America as the Poma family has done.

Additional Guest Speakers include:

Mr. Fernando Poma- Grupo Roble: Key to Successful Hotel Development after the Financial and Economic Crisis.

Mr. José Cortés- President Destinos TV: Alternative Successful Strategies during a time of Crisis.

Mr. Pascal Forotti- Four Seasons General Manager: Experiences of the Financial Crisis / Operations and Marketing Strategies for the Future.

Cayuga's Leaves of Excellence Program

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:49:00 +0000

At Cayuga, we offer the teams at the properties we manage a program called "Leaves of Excellence". This program aims to recognize the extraordinary efforts of those team members seeking to go beyond their duties, and to encourage such attitudes of all employees of our teams, with the aim of creating high performance and happy teams.

Recognition and prizes (cash, tours, spa services) are awarded to those team members who go above and beyond their responsibilities to help other team members and provide exceptional service to our guests.

Bill Clinton, Marina Silva and Gross National Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Sat, 12 May 2012 14:46:00 +0000

In the 2^nd symposium on Sustainability and Happiness that was held in San Jose, Costa Rica on May 8^th and 9^th 2012, we were honored to hear words from Brazil’s former environment minister Marina Silva as well as former US president Bill Clinton. Marina Silva’s message was very much from the heart and she made a pledge to solve the crisis of values. Bill Clinton shared very moving stories from his foundation work all over the world and encouraged Costa Ricans to continue to build upon a green economy. There are few countries in the world that produce more than 90 percent of electricity with renewable energy and he proposed we bring more green technologies or production to Costa Rica such as the building of green cars or production of wind turbine parts.

Earlier in the day, we enjoyed a presentation given by Lhaba Tshering from Bhutan http://www.kingdomofbhutan.com/ about the concept of Gross National Happiness. Bhutan does not measure its success as a country as many developed countries in Gross National Product. Interesting approach. Interesting concept. We are looking for ways how to measure Gross Operating Happiness at our hotels in the next months. Ideas always welcome. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to visit Bhutan some day. The owner of Latitude 10 in SantaTeresa tells us that it is one of the most amazing countries he has visited. Have you been there? What has been your experience. Would love to hear from you. hans@cayugaonline.com

A leader in ecotourism, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality manages luxury and boutique hotels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Cayuga Success Story in Nosara

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:08:00 +0000

This is Yuli. She is 25 years old, a native from Nosara and the head of our kitchen at the Harmony Hotel in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. She is not a trained chef. But she is an incredible professional. The food at Harmony is spectacular. She has been working very closely with Cayuga’s Culinary Director Jose Lopez and with some direction from Farmer T (a good friend of the owners of the Harmony Hotel), we have created a fresh, healthy local menu.

Yuli is a Cayuga success story. Instead of hiring chefs and moving them to remote places, we spend our efforts in training locals. This is a model we have been practicing with great success for over 10 years now. Of course there are setbacks and it requires a lot of patience, but when we see Yuli perform at the highest levels and grow more into her full potential every day , it makes us so happy and proud.

Creating exceptional family travel experiences, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality manages family friendly hotels in Costa Rica.

Cayuga's Team Building Activity

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:26:00 +0000

Early in Easter week, the Cayuga Corporate Team hiked into the mountains of Escazu near San Jose. We were guided by our Human Resources Director’s brother, Eduardo Baldioceda, who is an extreme sport champion. The hike took us through areas that resembled Switzerland with rolling hills and pastures. The goal was to arrive at a wild waterfall and do some rappelling.

This was a great team building exercise and great fun for everybody. Our Director of Operations, Jorge, is the one rappelling and the corporate directors are having fun in the refreshing cold waters of the waterfall. Along the way, we picked up trash and decided we would go back soon and clean up some of the lower trails where unfortunately more trash had accumulated in the area.

We will be offering this hike from some of our Central Valley Hotels (Finca Rosa Blanca in Santa Barbara and Grano de Oro in downtown San Jose), beginning in the next few weeks.

An Introduction to Bahia Ballena

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:19:00 +0000

In March, we were on a scouting trip for a new hotel / resort / lodge near the Bahia Ballena National Park near Dominical in southern Costa Rica. The coastal area is protected and has very few visible tourism developments. Most lodges are small, family run operations with small footprints. For Cayuga to take on a project in that area, it would have to meet the highest sustainability standards.

The area is very attractive for tourists as it combines world class aquatic tours such as whale and dolphin watching with great rainforest hikes to waterfalls and wildlife watching opportunities. The area is strategically located between Arenas del Mar Beachfront and Nature Resort in Manuel Antonio and Lapa Rios Ecolodge on the Osa Peninsula, two of the Cayuga managed properties.

While walking the beach, we came across a man collecting coconuts from trees. Nothing better than fresh coconut water (agua de pipa) on a hot day. They say it is the best form of hydration. Sorry Gatorade…

We will keep you posted on new developments in this beautiful area of Costa Rica.

Create lasting memories on your honeymoon at any one of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality’s eight eco resorts and lodges.

An Incredible Culinary Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:20:00 +0000

Cayuga's Culinary Director, Jose Lopez, had the chance to cook with one of the world’s best chefs in San Jose a few weeks ago, Ferran Adria, owner of the famed Spanish restaurant, El Bulli. Jose had this to say about his experience cooking with this master chef:

At the end I waited for him and I shook his hand in recognition of his career and his foundation that supports chefs in the world (http://www.fundacionelbulli.com), as well as his simplicity and practicality ... He told me, "Thank you Jose, (he remembered my name!) everything was very good." It was like getting a kiss from my wife, son or my mother, I will never forget!

A leader in ecotourism, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality manages luxury and boutique hotels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

San Jose Walking Tours

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Who said Costa Rica’s Capital has nothing to offer for visitors? Think again…

Grano de Oro Walking Tours to See Secret Spots in the City

THE BIRD'S NEST TOUR:

An introductory tour of the center of bustling San José with more than 40 stops, showing a variety of galleries, historic sites, parks, buildings and public art of interest.

PHOTOGRAPHER BIRD TOUR:

Love to take photos while traveling but don't have time to find locations or are concerned about using your expensive equipment in the city? This customized tour takes clients on a scouted route for the best shots of San José and provides preventive security while you shoot. Like to photograph people? Architecture? Food? Tell us your interests, and we'll create a route just for you!

HUNGRY BIRD TOUR:

Interested in learning about the local food? Costa Rica has had a very agrarian society but has put some yummy spins on basic ingredients. We'll sip out of coconuts as we wonder through bakeries, markets and chat with street vendors.

The Cost for the tours are around $20 and can be arranged by the reservations and reception staff at Grano de Oro Hotel in San Jose.

A leader in ecotourism, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality manages luxury and boutique hotels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

EcoSalsa Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:14:00 +0000

This week, the hotels we manage have been doing contests to see which of our subscribers can guess the name of the hotel they are describing. We thought we'd jump in the game and offer a few photos and clues as well. The first person to comment and correctly name the hotel featured below will win an EcoSalsa CD!

It is the first hotel Cayuga managed when our business started
It is surrounded by both primary and secondary rainforest
This hotel is known for its incredible food, prepared by local chefs who are self-taught
It's been awarded 5 leaves of sustainability by the CST (Certificate for Sustainable Tourism)

A leader in ecotourism, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality manages luxury and boutique hotels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Cayuga's Green Season Values

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Costa Rica Green Season Specials Each of Cayuga's hotels is offering something unique and exciting for this upcoming 2012 green season. Here are just a few of the highlights*:

At Jicaro, enjoy a romantic dinner on the floating deck and receive two complimentary massages.

Enjoy beachfront access and stay three nights and only pay for two at Latitude 10.

Choose the Lapa Rios all inclusive four night Honeymoon package and receive an additional free night.

A special value at Finca Rosa Blanca, stay two nights and only pay for one.

The Preferred Family Special at Arenas del Mar offers free meals for your children (12 and under) when you stay four nights, plus receive a fifth night for free.

Enjoy a complimentary sushi dinner, a yoga class and your third night is free at Harmony Hotel.

Have a romantic escape at Hacienda Tayutic. Stay three nights, pay for two and receive a complimentary couple's massage and dinner for two.

Take a complimentary walking tour of San Jose plus stay three nights and only pay for two at Hotel Grano de Oro.

Want to visit several of our hotels on your next visit to Costa Rica or Nicaragua? We're happy to help you with reservations and transfers in both countries. Email us at info@cayugaonline.com for more information.

*Restrictions apply. Please contact us for more details or to see all of our current specials and applicable travel dates, check out our Green Season Values here.

Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality is a world leader in sustainable hospitality management. We manage and market hotels, resorts, eco lodges and Haciendas in Costa Rica and Nicaragua with a focus on high end experiences and sustainability.

Doing business in the happiest but one of the most inefficient countries in the world…

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Doing Business in Costa Rica

I have been doing business in Costa Rica for almost 10 years now as an entrepreneur and another 5 years as a high level employee. I did not think of it as very hard and I love what we do at Cayuga. It is so rewarding to see the results of our positive actions: happy guests, the environment improving and employees who grow and evolve.

However, the other day I had breakfast with a seasoned businessperson who has been working in hospitality in Central America for almost 20 years and he told me how much he admired Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality for how well we had done. While we live in the happiest country in the world according to two different international studies, we also live in a country that is ranked as #168 of 190 in the index of ease of doing business.

I guess you can’t have it all…We will continue to deal with bureaucracy and keep a smile on our face. Being happy makes dealing with inefficiency easier. I guess that is not considered in the ranking. Do you have experiences of doing business in other parts of the world in remote areas? We would love to hear from you.

-Hans

Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality is a world leader in sustainable hospitality management. We manage and market hotels, resorts, eco lodges and Haciendas in Costa Rica and Nicaragua with a focus on high end experiences and sustainability.

Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 22:36:00 +0000

Traveling in Nicaragua

I often get asked by guests at our hotels in Costa Rica about how Panama and Nicaragua are different from Costa Rica and if I would recommend they visit either one of those countries. I have not done much business in Panama and have only travelled very little to our neighbor country in the south. Nicaragua, on the other side, I know quite well and have done business there for over 10 years, most importantly opening Morgan’s Rock Ecolodge in San Juan del Sur and more recently opening and running Jicaro Island Ecolodge on Lake Nicaragua. Here is my answer about Panama and Nicaragua in a nutshell.

If you enjoy your vacation in one of our hotels in Costa Rica and feel you are ready for the next step, go to Nicaragua. Take the plunge. You will get great bragging rights at the next cocktail party. While not everybody dares to go there, it is the safest country in Central America and offers a high level of hotels, resorts and lodges. Of course, a 3 to 4 night stay at Jicaro is a must.

Then head off to the beaches. Nicaragua can also be combined with Costa Rica. Nature Air and Taca offer flights. But be aware. The tourism infrastructure and service levels are typically not up to par with Costa Rica, but most times this is made up by the warmth and passion that the Nicaraguan’s will greet you with. If you have questions or need advice, let me know.

In terms of Panama, the information I get is from agencies that do business in Costa Rica and Panama. They tell me the country is exploding with tourism, but it is more of a mass tourism concept and not so much boutique tourism like what we do here at Cayuga in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. So my recommendation would be to head north to Nicaragua first. We will keep you posted on Panama.

-Hans

Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality is a world leader in sustainable hospitality management. We manage and market hotels, resorts, eco lodges and Haciendas in Costa Rica and Nicaragua with a focus on high end experiences and sustainability.

What makes Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, well, so sustainable?

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Identifying a trend that was more than a fad, building expertise, mentoring and nurturing team members, supporting local communities and filling a niche that is growing in demand is what sets Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality apart from other hospitality management companies.   For the past decade, Hans Pfister along with partner Andrea Bonilla have lived and breathed the Central American sustainable-tourism industry, now managing seven high-end, Earth-friendly resorts, hotels and ecolodges in Costa Rica and Nicaragua: Arenas Del Mar Beach and Nature Resort, Lapa Rios Ecolodge, Latitude 10 Beach Resort, ,Harmony Hotel, Jicaro Island Ecolodge. Cayuga also provides marketing support for Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn, Hotel Grano de Oro and Hacienda Tayutic.

Recognized by Condé Nast Traveler as a “world saver” and awarded Travel & Leisure’s Global Vision award for sustainability in 2010, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality works hard to ensure each of its properties are recognized by industry influencers, destination management organizations, travel trade, media and consumers for the work that goes into creating some of the best eco-luxury experiences in the world.

Examples include:

Ø   Of Costa Rica’s five-leaf rated hotels, four of the total 15 fall under the Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality umbrella: Arenas del Mar, Lapa RiosRainforest Ecolodge in the Osa Peninsula, The Harmony Hotel in Nosara and FincaRosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn just outside San José.

Ø Arenas Del Mar Beach and Nature Resort is Costa Rica’s first hotel with a perfect score of five-star luxury and five-leaf sustainability.

Ø Lapa Rios Rainforest Ecolodge was on the front cover of November 2011’s Travel & Leisure and is featured annually as one of the top hospitality experiences in Central America by Condé Nast Traveler ( Readers’ Choice and Gold List) and Travel & Leisure ( Reader’s Choice)

Ø Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn, the first certified sustainable hotel in Costa Rica – and the only to achieve a perfect score on the country’s sustainable tourism certification program, is leading the country with its commitment to showcasing Costa Rica’s culinary experiences.

Ø Along with managing, Cayuga advised on the vision and building of Jicaro Island Ecolodge, recently recognized in AFAR, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure and in Condé Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” for 2010.

Ø In 2011, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality generated over $2 million in earned media exposure for its properties.

Along with an unprecedented knowledge for developing, managing and marketing sustainable hotel properties, Cayuga has also built around them a team that brings the best public relations and digital strategy expertise to the table. This “knowledge capital” is invested back into the hospitality professionals on the ground at each property, many of whom are hired and trained by Cayuga. A further passion for supporting local communities, highlighting authentic cultural experiences and “giving back” rounds out Cayuga’s commitment to the quadruple bottom line of hospitality management: profit, planet, people and place.

Cayuga Announces New Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 23:41:00 +0000

For the second time in three months, we’re happy to announce that Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality has added another Costa Rican hotel into its fold of Earth-friendly and forward-thinking Central American eco-lodges, resorts and inns.

Hotel Grano de Oro, located on a shady street just off San José’s main thoroughfare, is a 40-room luxury accommodation property. Once a tropical Victorian mansion, Cayuga’s newest property has a warm and comfortable home-like atmosphere with old photographs and local artworks adorning the walls, a Spanish-tiled water fountain, a garden terrace with two Jacuzzis and a gourmet on-site restaurant to appease the appetites of locals and visitors alike.

The name Grano de Oro literally translates to grain of gold, Costa Rica’s term for the coffee bean. Similar to the coffee bean, our newest hotel is physically small, but plays a significant role in bolstering the local economy. As a highly sustainable and socially conscious enterprise, it’s an honor to add Hotel Grano de Oro, our first city-based location, into our Cayuga family of forward-thinking properties.

As one of only nine Small Distinctive Hotels in Costa Rica and rated four leaves by Costa Rica’s prestigious Certification for Sustainable Tourism, Hotel Grano de Oro is a model for eco-consciousness and social responsibility. Some of the hotel’s ethical policies and actions include opening Casa Luz (a home and healing centre for young, at-risk mothers), using green alternatives whenever possible (such as non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning and laundry products and chlorine-free cleaning systems in the Jacuzzis) and funding local environmental organizations that promote reforestation and protection of vulnerable Costa Rican areas, such as Cerros de Escazú.

As Costa Rica’s largest city and a region that seamlessly blends busy metropolitan districts with green, wildlife-rich rainforests, San José has much to offer to both active and laidback travellers. Some of Hotel Grano de Oro’s activities include going back in time and exploring the nearby pre-Columbian Gold Museum, grabbing a lifejacket and hitting Costa Rica’s adrenaline-pumping whitewater or experiencing the power of nature by going on a night tour to the ever-active Arenal Volcano.

To learn more about Hotel Grano de Oro or to book a vacation, visit www.granodeoro.com.

The Cayuga Culinary Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

I like food and wine. Actually, I must admit that eating is one of my favorite activities and when I go travelling, a big chunk of my budget gets spent on food and wine (if applicable). Many people ask me about food and wine in Central America and here are some thoughts…

While Central America has some of the world’s best conditions to grow vegetables and fruits, has two Oceans on each side and different microclimates and a great farming history, its cuisine is not well known around the world. Most of the local plates are rich in carbohydrates and made to sustain a farmer for a long day of working in the fields.

Why are the two countries that lead the culinary experiences in Latin America Mexico and Peru? Does it have to do with the Maya, Aztec and Inca history? Climatic conditions? The colonial period where those two countries were the center of the new world? I am not sure, but what I know for sure is that at Cayuga's hotels, we try to bring the best of Latin-America to the palate of our guests.

We get inspired by the Peruvian and Mexican Cuisine and then develop our own local recipes using the freshest ingredients available. Our chef from Arenas del Mar just spent 10 days on an internship in Peru.

We use only local products, often grown on or near the hotel premises and whenever possible of organic origin. The leader in this project is the Harmony Hotel in Nosara.

We serve only wines from Latin America, mostly Chile and Argentina and whenever possible from organic or carbon neutral “bodegas” and suppliers. Check out the new Lapa Rios wine menu.

We try to get our involved in the culinary experience. They learn how to make tortillas, cappuccinos from organic coffee beans or fish ceviche. This happens everywhere from Latitude10 to Finca Rosa Blanca.

We revive forgotten local dishes with a touch of gourmet influence. This has worked especially well at Jicaro in Nicaragua.

Do you have any suggestions for us? We are always looking for inspirations and ideas.

--Hans

An Intern's Perspective: Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

I’m at the end of my time here in Costa Rica and suddenly I find that I have to start mentally preparing myself for the “real world” again. It’s less than two weeks before Christmas, but considering it’s so warm and I’m at the beach, I can’t even bring myself to start listening to Christmas music! Just the idea of family and the craziness of the holidays have me looking up the number of the airline to see how much it would cost to move my ticket back. Starting just from remembering where I had packed all of my winter clothing, I don’t think I’m ready to go back yet.

While this is more information than I’m sure you’ve ever cared to know about me, but I just graduated from college in May and the reason I ended up interning with Cayuga was because my full-time job’s start date got pushed back to January so I had a couple of months free. So while most of friends jumped directly from college to their full-time job or grad school, I’ve had a lot of time to think, which is the personal reason for me wanting to come to Costa Rica (as if you really needed a reason to want to visit!) because I was beginning to go through what I guess you would call a “quarter-life crisis” aka a post-grad’s existential problems. I know these emotions aren’t unique in any way just like how we all thought our teenage angst was so special when we were 13 years old, but I just wanted to say that if you’re in that place in life, Costa Rica is the perfect place to go to just be by yourself and think. I remember staring out from my deck at Arenas Del Mar and looking out at the ocean or just staring out into the darkness at night just listening to the waves. Or I would slowly rock in my hammock and take a nap or sit on the deck area of the main lodge and just stare out into the rainforest and Osa Peninsula while at Lapa Rios. Or lay out in the hammock right on the beach at Latitude 10 (yes, I do have a thing for hammocks) and watching the waves crash onto the rocks or standing at the edge of the beach and just getting my feet wet while watching the amazing sunset. Trust me, you’ll find that calm you’re looking for while being amazed at how much beauty there is in the world.

Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this as my boss will be reading this, but there were some days where I would feel like I had coffee injected directly into my bloodstream and want to just be focused on work, work, work! I would be sitting in my chair typing away, working hard with half-screen on my Word Document and half-screen on the website I was reviewing, and then I would suddenly look at the time and realized that I had been so focused that I had missed lunch completely and would now have to wait until dinner to eat. That was perfectly fine with me, in fact, I love that kind of productivity. But because there were days when I worked like this, it also afforded me with days when I would wake up late and still feel like I needed to sleep a million more hours and that the only thing my body could possibly do is plop down in the chair on my deck and stare out into the ocean. These were the days when I only got in a couple hours of work by forcing myself to type…something, anything, really, and then reading it the next day and realizing that I had no idea what I was saying and deleting it all. (FYI, working on your own schedule also makes it really convenient if you’re bidding on something you really want on eBay and feel the need to click refresh every five second. J

I was trying to come up with a definitive “take away” from Costa Rica, but I’ve realized that my time here has been many things and there isn’t just one thing I can point to. Plus, my take away will be completely different from anybody else. So, just come visit and all I can hope is that Costa Rica offers you as much as it has given me. Pura vida!

An Intern's Perspective: Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

I shared a little bit of my personal highlights with my time there, now some highlights about the properties!

1. The wheat toast at Lapa Rios. Just eat it. It’s good plain, with butter or with the guava jam. It is freshly made in house and “looser” and “grainier” than normal bread. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with this, but EAT IT!

2. I loved how they brought you a plate of fresh fruit and pastries in addition to what you order for breakfast as Arenas Del Mar. Maybe I’m just a fatty, but I like my variety and them just bringing it to you made me feel less like a fatty since I didn’t have to ask for it. Haha.

3.    6 am coffee/tea/hot chocolate delivery at Lapa Rios is perfect while you enjoy the morning view on your deck. Seriously. (Anyways, why is everything so far about food, specifically breakfast?!?)

4.    The Tico Bar at Arenas Del Mar lets you sample some local snacks and it’s complimentary, especially the Tronaditas Lime & Salt Chips! Just remember to lock your cabinet. I had one night where I was awoken because some monkeys were raiding my fridge!

5.    I loved the different freshly-made daily chips they had. As a lover of potato chips back home in the States, it was fun to try plantain, tisquisque, yuca, and some other chips as well. Lapa Rios added a fun kick with some lemon pepper as well!

6. There’s a drink at Lapa Rios that doesn’t have a name, but it has mint, pineapple, and coconut cream. I think it was created by the bartender, Ivan, or he’s just really good at making it. Just tell them those ingredients and they’ll know what you’re talking about. I guess you could also easily add some rum to make it a proper drink, but it’s delicious regardless.

Okay, somehow my list turned into a list about food. I guess I am a fatty. Hey, what can I say, I like to eat!

An Intern's Perspective: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Everybody has their own version of Costa Rica. Even if you do the exact same activities, the moments you remember afterwards are all different. So, here are some of my highlights:

1.      Just staring out into the distance. Not to be too cheesy and make my life seem to be out of a movie, but the views were all amazing. I went to Arenas Del Mar first and was amazed by the fact that not only could I see the ocean from my room, but I could hear it as well. It was like one of those white noise machines people buy to help them sleep, except it was the actual ocean! I met people who had come from Lapa Rios and they told me it was even more beautiful, but I thought it couldn’t be possible. Then boom, LapaRios was even more amazing. The view from the main lodge is the kind of beauty that seems to fill you up. It’s so beautiful that it almost hurts. It sounds ridiculous trying to explain it, but it’s simply priceless. I would make it a point to sit there a little bit every day. Sometimes I just looked out, other times I was deep in thought, but the sense of calm is always there.

2.      I have fallen in love with the blue of the morpho butterfly there. I tried finding a picture of one on Google Images, but none of the pictures captured how beautiful brilliant this shade of blue actually is. Also, you always just catch a glimpse of blue out of the corner of your eye among all the green and it catches my breath every time.

3.      My “office workspace” faces a “window” aka the wall is just a huge screen. It’s amazing that families of spider monkeys are just swinging through the trees or a toucan is flying outside of my “window.” I’ve never worked in a corner office in a New York high rise, but I’m pretty sure this is even cooler.

4.      Watching dolphins swim around. I loved the dolphin tour from the very beginning just from the boat ride. If that was the whole tour, I would have been very happy. There’s something just amazing about having the wind sweep your hair back while the boat skips along the water. But watching dolphins swim around your boat and jump through the waves together was unbelievable. They’re such graceful animals.

5.      Of course I loved how beautiful and colorful the scarlet macaws were, but one of my favorite birds to watch flying through the sky was the turkey vulture. A lot of the birds here don’t flap their wings a lot when they fly because they just ride the wind current and there’s something so graceful about just seeing birds glide through the air.

An Intern's Perspective: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:37:00 +0000

The next few days, we'll be posting blogs from an intern we had working for us for a few months at the end of 2011. We thought it would be an interesting insight into how Cayuga works, from the perspective of someone who was just starting out in the business world, having just graduated from college a few months before.

Hola! Teresa, the marketing intern, here! Hans asked me to write a couple of guest posts for the Cayuga blog, so here I am. I thought I’d just share a little bit of what I’ve been doing. The word “intern” usually conjures images of too eager kids getting coffee, filing papers, or inputting data into spreadsheets. Trust me, I did none of those things. I think one of the most amazing and different things about this internship with Cayuga compared to other ones is that even coming into it, they assumed that I was a competent person who could contribute to their organization instead of just another college kid getting in their way. It was truly a win-win situation where both the company and I got something out of this experience. Usually, interns will shadow people or get to help out a bit with projects, if they’re lucky, but I was emailed a list of projects and itinerary by Maria Jose that I would be working on by myself before I even arrived in Costa Rica!

One of my projects for this internship was staying in the rooms, eating in the restaurant, and going on the various tours such as zip-lining, white water rafting, kayaking, waterfall rappelling, etc. (Yeah, I know, tough life…) and then blogging about it for the respective properties. One thing you should know about me is that I have a real estate-related full-time job lined up for me when I finish this internship, but my dream job is to be a travel writer. But let’s see, the financial stability of a travel writer versus an analyst in the real estate industry? Well, probably about the same considering the past couple of years, but still, being an analyst has more of guarantee on some levels. So, having this opportunity not just to experience everything, but able to live out my dream job was incredible. (Seriously, if there’s anybody from the NYT Travel section reading this, WILL WORK FOR FREE!)

Some other projects I did was review the different websites and mobile sites, write some new content to improve their SEO (search engine optimization) results, review their reservation and pre-arrival documents, research their competitive set, and a lot more. But I just wanted to show how much real responsibility I was given. I think one of the least motivating things is when you put in the work, but you have no idea where the results are. I could see firsthand how I was actually contributing to Cayuga and Hans actually asked for my input and opinion on things. The founder of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality is asking me what I think?!? Um…uh…you know what’s funny? I actually do have an opinion, thank you very much for asking! I’m not one of those pompous post-grads who thing they know it all, trust me, I’m very clear that on the hierarchy of things, the intern is not even on the table, but I truly felt like Hans appreciated and listened to what I had to say. If that doesn’t demonstrate the culture of the company starting from the very top, I don’t know what does.

Edwin Villareal: Local Success Story

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:22:00 +0000

Edwin Villareal is the success story of Lapa Rios. He grew up helping his father dig for gold in Corcovado National Park and hunting and poaching wild animals was very normal for him. Later, he got a job at Lapa Rios as a housekeeper. He moved up to head of housekeeping and then developed a passion for birding and wildlife in general. Today, he has been working at Lapa Rios for almost 20 years and is the best birding guide at the lodge.

Whenever somebody asks us about the power of ecotourism, we tell the story of Edwin Villareal. But, we probably have 100 more stories like his at Lapa Rios or at the other 7 hotels of the Cayuga Collection of Hotels, Lodges, Haciendas and Resorts.

If you are interested in a guilt free vacation that can make a difference in the life of people like Edwin, let us know. Details on all of our sustainable lodging options are available on www.cayugaonline.com.

Learn more by watching this video of Edwin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZp2V6zFrQA

Finca Rosa Blanca Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:58:00 +0000

Why you should stay at least three nights at

Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn!

We hear over and over again that guests at Finca Rosa Blanca feel they did not have enough time to explore all the amazing activities at the hotel. Consider a three night stay at Finca Rosa Blanca before heading to the beaches of Costa Rica and skip traveling far to other volcano or cloud forest destinations. With less travel time and more quality vacation time, the Central Valley Highlands have it all. We will immerse you in a great coffee, culture and adventure experience.

Your flight will most likely arrive in the evening and after a late night snack you will get a great night’s sleep in one of our luxuriously appointed suites. The next morning, enjoy breakfast and head to the famous Finca Rosa Blanca Organic Coffee Tour that includes a coffee tasting session with an expert guide. A leisurely lunch is followed by some pool time in the afternoon and a Pura Vida Coffee Detox Package treatment at the Targua Spa.

The next day, head for a volcano, bird watching and cloud forest adventure to the Poas or Barva Volcanoes. Go for hikes with our naturalist guides or visit the famous La Paz Waterfall. Eat a lunch of rice and beans, tortillas and ripe plantains with the locals. After a full day of adventure, enjoy a Latino fusion dinner with ingredients fresh from the hotels’ gardens and orchards.

On your last full day at the hotel, head for the historic towns of Barva and Heredia and the fresh food markets to experience and learn about Costa Rican culture and food. If you still have the energy, finish the afternoon with a cooking class offered by our chef and learn how to make green plantain fritters and fresh Ceviche. But many guests just enjoy sitting on their balconies, looking over the Central Valley’s volcanoes and coffee plantations while enjoying a good book or conversation accompanied by a cup of Finca Rosa Blanca's organic coffee or a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

For more information please contact us at marketing@cayugaonline.com

The Central Nicoya Peninsula’s Best Kept Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

The first week of January, I spent at Playa Guiones in Nosara. I took advantage of being close to the Harmony Hotel to get some work done and meet with the owners there. I was with my family and on Sunday, we decided to head north up the coast to San Juanillo beach. It is about a 45 minute drive from the Harmony Hotel, passing the famous turtle nesting beach of Ostional.

It is by far my favorite beach in Costa Rica. Why? It is a safe swimming beach (no current, no waves) with coral growing on the ocean floor so the colors of the water are amazing. Very few people know about this beach as there are no hotels or residential developments nearby. You see a few locals but hardly any foreigners on this beach. It is a white sand and shell beach that branches out into a peninsula so that you actually have beach on both sides of a small peninsula. The most spectacular setting you can imagine.

And then there is lunch. La Soda del Mundo Feliz. The most simple little restaurant you can imagine. Also one of my long time favorites. Mom and Pop place. Very informal. But excellent fish casados. OK, so most of the time half of the things on their limited menu are not available. No chicken, no Coca Cola, no bottled water, etc. But we got the freshest breaded fish filets (San Juanillo is a fishing cove) with a cold Imperial beer. Simplicity is the best. Perfect way to spend the Sunday with the family. So if you stay at Harmony in Nosara, make sure you ask about directions to San Juanillo and spend a few hours up there. Let me know how you liked it.

And by the way, Happy New Year 2012.

--Hans

La Sabana – San Jose’s “Central Park”

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:04:00 +0000

If you have a few hours in San Jose and want to learn about what the real Costa Rica is about, plan for a visit to La Sabana. Located not far from the Grano de Oro Hotel in downtown San Jose, this park is home not only to the new National Stadium (donated in 2011 by the Chinese Government and one of the most modern stadiums in Latin America) as well as the Museo de Arte Costarricense (Costa Rican art museum located in the old airport terminal as La Sabana used to be the old San Jose airport), but also a variety of pastime activities from jogging to basketball to tennis and even Yoga and Karate.

The best day to go is on the weekends. Saturday and Sunday, the park is full with local residents of all ages and social classes enjoying outdoor activities. In the rainy season, make sure you go in the morning before the rains start. To the west of the park are the baseball diamonds that are very popular with the Nicaraguans that live here. More to the north are the soccer fields where several games go on at the same time. It is a safe place to hang out during the day and my favorite pastime is people watching. If you see trees being cut don’t worry. It is a good thing. A couple of years ago, the municipality started to replace the non-native Eucalyptus trees with native species trying to bring back some wildlife to the park. There are a variety of restaurants located all around the park. La Soda Tapia (see an earlier blog on this Costa Rican institution) is one of them.

--Hans

The Green Thing - now and then

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

We're "recycling" this post, having received it from a friend via email and thought it was worthwhile to share with all of you...let us know what you think about "the green thing - now and then"...

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.

But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that old lady is right; they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; they didn't have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But they didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?