Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality

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?

Christmas Traditions in Costa Rica

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:09:00 +0000

December is a very special month in Costa Rica. The children end the school season as well as the rainy season is over and with this comes many festivals, parades, and Costa Rican Christmas traditions.

Christmas in Costa Rica commences with Festival de la Luz, when the capital city of San Jose is transformed into a garland of lights. A night time parade made beautiful with thousands of Christmas lights and many oxcarts converted into spectacular works of art. This parade is a favorite of the people.

As with many Catholic nations, nativity scenes with figurines of Mary, Joseph, the wise men and the animals of the manger are a standard Christmas decoration, called “Portals”. Offerings such as fruits and little toys are placed in front of the nativity scene. The baby Jesus figurine is placed in the nativity the night before Christmas, when he brings presents to the children of the household in lieu of Santa Claus.

Every evening from December 16^th to December 24^th, Las Posadas begins. This activity symbolizes the journey made by Mary and Joseph before they reached the stable inn where the infant Jesus was born. Homes in Costa Rica have a nativity scene and the hosts of the Posada act as the innkeepers. Carols and songs are sung from house to house until they reach the home, or church, which has agreed to host a party.

Tamale is a dish that cannot be missed for Christmas dinner; a dish made of cornmeal dough (called masa) filled with meats, rice, different vegetables like carrot or sweet pepper and fruits like raisins or plums. Tamales are wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves, steamed, and served hot. Can be accompanied by a Dark Coffee or "Agua Dulce".

Most households also consume a delicious drink called "Rompope" which is made with cream and Guaro "Cacique".

Wine Tasting – a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Cayuga’s Culinary Director Jose Lopez invited Hans Pfister, President of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality and Federico Guardian, Food &Beverage Manager of the Harmony Hotel in Nosara for a wine tasting of organic and biodynamic wines at the offices of Alpiste in Escazu.

The focus of the wine tasting session were wines from the Bodega Noemia in Patagonia, Argentina. The session was led by professional Sommelier Randal Calderon and the group was joined by Pietro Poma, the owner of Alpiste. The Cayuga hotels strive to have a 100% organic wine menu by 2012 and continue to focus on “local” wines from South America, predominantly Chile and Argentina. The most memorable wine we tried was the Bodega Noemia Malbec, a single varietal Malbec that has 18 months in French oak and is rated with 95 Points by the Wine Spectator. Look for this wine on the wine list of Lapa Rios, Arenas del Mar and Harmony soon. An unforgettable culinary experience.

Adventure Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Check out this link...http://www.adventureindex.travel/2010-results-visual.htm. I found this fascinating. I never really considered what we do at Cayuga Adventure Tourism, but after having attended the Adventure Travel World Summit in Chiapas, Mexico, I realized that we are 100% Adventure Tourism Destination Hotels, Resorts and Lodges. Maybe some more than others.

So I looked a bit more into this industry and realized that there are a lot of exciting destinations that promote themselves very successfully as Adventure Tourism destinations and Costa Rica and Nicaragua, the two countries where we currently operate, are really not putting much attention to this trend.

We learned at the conference that adventure travel is one of the fastest growing segments in tourism (14% vs. 4% for overall tourism). So why do the local ministries of tourism in Costa Rica and Nicaragua not see this trend? Why are we so focused on sustainability on the one hand and sun and beach tourism on the other?

I guess the answer is simple. We take it for granted. Rafting, biking, canyoning, hiking, surfing, horseback excursions, canopy tours and all the other activities offered when a tourist comes to Costa Rica or Nicaragua are considered standard and normal. We don’t even think of it as adventure tourism. We have always done it. Well… maybe it is time to take another look.

We just had the whitewater rafting world championships in Costa Rica. Every year, there are great adventure races happening in Costa Rica and almost every tourist engages in some kind of an adventure during his or her visit to Costa Rica (no, driving in Costa Rica does not count as adventure tourism).

I think we should talk to the people at the ICT and INTUR and have them take a closer look at their strategy. I think Richard Bangs would agree with me. Have you seen the one hour documentary he made about Costa Rica?

Check out the trailers at: http://www.smarttravels.tv/AdventuresWithPurpose/site/shows_costarica.html. By the way, Lapa Rios and Corcovado National Park are very nicely featured in this show.

Mr. Sloth and His Gift of Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

The new spokesperson for Costa Rica and its Gift of Happiness promotion is Mr. Sloth. Below are some pictures of sloths, both two and three toed, that can be found around our hotels. Which one do you think is closest to Mr. Sloth?

By the way, do you like the campaign? We have heard mixed reviews. A lot of people here in Costa Rica’s tourism sector are not convinced, but it seems there are lot of the people in our target market in the US who really like it.

Cayuga Announces New Property!

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:28:00 +0000

Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality has taken a page from Diana Ross’s hit, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” with the addition of a new Costa Rican property into its fold.

Hacienda Tayutic, located in the mountainous valley of Turrialba, Costa Rica, is Cayuga’s seventh property. The luxurious boutique hotel is a family operation and has five guestrooms with queen- or king-sized beds, private bathrooms and decks; a gourmet restaurant that features dishes made with organic ingredients and herbs grown on-site; a swimming pool and new spa (opening in December 2011); lush gardens and a macadamia nut, sugarcane and coffee plantation; and great views of the constantly rumbling and fuming Turrialba Volcano – Costa Rica’s most active volcano.

Cayuga’s other award-winning properties include Latitude 10 Exclusive Beach Resort in Santa Teresa, Lapa Rios Ecolodge on the Osa Peninsula, Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn located just outside San José, Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio, The Harmony Hotel in Nosara and Jicaro Island Ecolodge near Granada, Nicaragua.

“It’s truly a pleasure to welcome Tayutic to the Cayuga family,” said Hans Pfister, CEO and principle of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality. “Four of our properties showcase the stunning beaches of coastal Costa Rica, one brings guests to a private island in Nicaragua and another takes explorers deep into the mainland jungle. Hacienda Tayutic is our first ecolodge located in a mountainous region – Turrialba one of Costa Rica’s best-kept secrets and what some like to call the ‘Switzerland of the tropics.’ It’s a place made famous for cheese production and organic coffee and raw sugar plantations – not surf breaks and sandy beaches.”

Set at an average altitude of 639 meters (2,096 feet), the Turrialba region is an epicenter for agriculture with plenty of cattle ranches, milk processing plants and acreages dotting the landscape. Considered by some to be the adventure sports capital of Costa Rica, activities range from riding horseback through the countryside to exploring centuries-old ruin sites and navigating Class II and III rapids down the Pejibaye River (October 2011’s World Rafting Championship was held at the nearby Pacuare River). The team at Hacienda Tayutic offers all of these outdoor activities – and more – so guests can fully-experience what the Turrialba valley has to offer.

The cost to rent a room at Hacienda Tayutic ranges from $295 USD (low season, breakfast and snacks only) to $385 (high season, all-inclusive). The price for each additional room guest is $50 USD per person (breakfast and snacks only) or $80 (all-inclusive). The cost to rent the entire five-room Hacienda Tayutic ranges from $2,120 USD (low season) to $2,300 (high season). To learn more about Hacienda Tayutic or to book a vacation, visit www.tayutic.com.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles at Playitas Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:22:00 +0000

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles at Playitas Beach, Arenas del Mar Beachfront and Rainforest Resort, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
By Hans Pfister

Our night receptionist at Arenas del Mar, Dannier, called my room at 5:30 am on Friday morning (Nov 18th). He suggested I go down to Playitas beach as fast as possible as a sea turtle was discovered by our guard laying eggs on the beach.

I went down immediately to observe this incredible “National Geographic Moment” just steps away from my hotel room. Other guests and our nature guide, Erselm were already there. Everyone was in awe of what they were seeing…

While there was one sea turtle laying eggs in the sand, just three meters behind us a little baby sea turtle made its way out of the nest that must have been placed there by another turtle a few weeks earlier.

It is not unusual to see sea turtles in Costa Rica. It is not that common though to see sea turtles in Manuel Antonio, and quite unusual and special to see one sea turtle lay eggs just a few meters from where another one is being born. So, on the picture below, you can see how the turtle marches off into the waters next to the big turtle.

By this time, more guests have come down to the beach to admire this wonderful scene. The children especially loved it. But most everybody was impressed by the size of the big turtle and the “cuteness” of the little baby one. We did not see his or her brothers and sisters being born. Maybe this one was late and everybody else had headed to the Ocean during the dark of the night.

The big turtle was headed back to the water. I tell my three year old daughter stories about a sea turtle called Charlie and she loved the idea of Charlie having visited Arenas del Mar (one of her favorite hotels). Well, maybe is Charlene, not Charlie…

What was also nice is that Rodbin, the head of our golf cart driver team, let the restaurant know about what was going on at Playitas and just after 6 am, we had breakfast served at the beach. We had freshly brewed organic coffee, tropical fruits and home-made pastries.

If you are interested in learning more about this turtle species, check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_ridley_sea_turtle. This was certainly one of the best mornings of the year and unforgettable for all the guests that were able to be a part of this experience.

La Soda Tapia

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:56:00 +0000

Our Cayuga Corporate Office in San Jose is located just a few steps from La Soda Tapia. Since 1965, this has been a favorite for Costa Ricans, especially for breakfast and lunch. The signature dish is the “Lorenzo Sandwich” and if you are looking for a true breakfast for champions, order it with Gallo Pinto on the side.

But what really strikes me about La Soda Tapia is how it represents Costa Rican society. I was there this morning for breakfast with my wife after a run in La Sabana (that is the San Jose version of New York’s Central Park). What caught my attention was that on one side of the restaurant, the crew of a municipal garbage truck was having a hearty breakfast and just around the corner the owner of a brand new Porsche had a business meeting. I really like this about Costa Rica.

So if your travels to Costa Rica and our hotels along the Pacific coast take you through San Jose, stop by for breakfast or lunch or a quick stop in the afternoon for some of their famous fruit and ice cream. Everybody knows the place. Just ask. Enjoy and let me know how it went.

World Travel Adventure Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:15:00 +0000

In mid-October, I attended the World Travel Adventure Summit in Chiapas, Mexico. I did not go there to “sell” our hotels to wholesalers or tour operators. I wanted to get inspired, get new ideas and meet interesting people. My expectations of the event were exceeded. The best conference I have ever been to. Why?

1. The right balance: It is not a hotel conference with lots of “suits” and a primary focus on business. However, business is important to everybody there. But it is also not a sustainability conference where I sometimes feel things are a bit too academic and removed from our day to day reality. But intact nature and healthy communities are the basis for adventure tourism.

2. The press: Great presence of press from National Geographic Traveler to Outside Magazine and Travel & Leisure. It was especially cool, since we were on the cover of T&L with Lapa Rios this month. Also, a lot of great freelancers and a great work session about how to get more PR for our company.

3. The presentations: The focus was on story telling. And of course a lot on social media. All very helpful and inspiring. Working on the 2012 Marketing Plan right now and we are planning to make some big changes. Stay tuned…

4. The people: They talked about the “tribe” of adventure travel professionals at the beginning of the conference. It took me only a day to figure out what they meant. Everybody I met was super cool, had a great story, full of passion about what they did. Met people from Namibia, Scotland, Canada, Philippines just to name a few.

So next year’s conference is in Lucerne, Switzerland. I hope I can go. Anybody else going?

Saludos,

Hans

Annual Cayuga Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:24:00 +0000

We recently held our annual Cayuga Retreat at co-owner Andrea Bonilla's farm. On the first day, everyone met at a Restaurant near the farm; we were all super happy to have the 18 staff members together (hotel managers and corporate team). Kurt Niehaus, high performance athlete, was our coach for the first two days. Our first task was to illustrate on of Cayuga's standards of excellence which was followed by a great dinner!

On the second day, we began with a 6:00 a.m. walk around the property, to wake up and exercise our bodies, followed by a stretching session by Kurt. We then had a typical Costa Rican breakfast and got ready for our 4 hour horseback ride which was full of surprises! Bull 'herding' and other tasks showed us how hard the job of a 'sabanero' (people in charge of cattle) is. It was a great adventure running behind the bulls that wanted to escape...lots of thinking, coordinating, patience and strategy required!

We had an amazing lunch in the middle of a mango plantation and talked more about our standards of excellence. Later, we had a little free time at the pool which was followed by a coaching season with Kurt where each of us evaluated how to better be a high level executive along with a short talk about stress and how to handle it best. We concluded today with a geat dinner by our Chef, Jose Lopez, wine tasting and time to share with all.

On the last day, we started with a 6:30 a.m. walk and Chi Kung exercises. Some of us also went out for a run at 5:30 a.m.! This was followed by a great breakfast and coffee. We then brainstormed about sustainability projects we would like to implement at the hotels in 2012/2013 which was guided by Michelle Libby. We created great ideas which involve the ocean and preserving it, as well as fun and helpful to the surrounding community, Later we had a stretching session guided by Isis Mejia, physiotherapist, another one of our hosts at the retreat as well as life coaching session with our another host Linda Cruse. Linda talked about the 'power of one', her experiences and offered thoughts on how each of us would like to be remembered at the end of our days. Michelle then gave an explanation about Equilibirum - how the nonprofit organization was founded, what the goals are, and how each of us can help promote it within our positions. We ended with a delicious lunch and then everyone took off to their corresponding hotels and places.

Action, relaxation, adventures, fun, exercise, food, laughs and reflections….a great retreat!

Housekeeping and Maintenance Retreat 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:09:00 +0000

Last week, we brought the leaders and managers of the Housekeeping and Maintenance teams together for a training and teambuilding exercise. Danny and Alfredo from Lapa Rios, Raquel, Patricia and Eduardo from Arenas Del Mar, Dennis, Alejandro and Doris from Harmony, Macho and Karol from Latitude 10 and Digna and Carcache from Jicaro came by bus, car, plane to San Jose.

The first part of the activities were focused on setting goals for the upcoming season and the communications of the Cayuga overall strategy of having “Hotels Like New” for our guests. In order to achieve this goal, it is crucial that the two teams work very closely together. Presentations, brainstorming sessions and games were planned for this.

Maria Jose, Jorge, Jose Pablo and Hans from Cayuga emphasized the crucial importance of the housekeeping and maintenance teams in the hotels and how without their day-to-day work, the hotels would not function. Guest satisfaction on cleanliness and the conditions of the installations at the hotels is very high and we discussed ways on how we could get them even higher by adding elements of Experience, Learn, Connect & Relax.

The surprise activity that Maria Jose and Jorge had organized for the teams was an evening at the recently opened bowling alley. Maybe that does not sound so unusual for everybody reading this, but it was the first opportunity for all the team members to bowl! It was a great success and a lot of fun. We found that there was a lot of talent and some of the maintenance managers were joking about ‘building a rainforest bowling alley’…

No doubt that we will continue this event and bring the teams back together next year. Any suggestions on what the surprise activity could be then?

Annual Meeting and Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:08:00 +0000

On August 10th, we held the annual meeting and training of the Reservations Teams from all Cayuga managed hotels. This year, the activity started at the Harmony Hotel in Nosara. Nazme, Roger, Marjorie and Carla, the Lapa Rios Reservations Team, left Puerto Jimenez at 1 am and picked up Milton, Marvin and Marianna at Arenas Del Mar in Manuel Antonio before breakfast. The plan was to pick up Gema and Vanessa (from Jicaro) who took the bus down from Granada in Nicaragua on their way, but their travel plans got delayed due to a trucker strike at the border. They made it eventually by taxi. Maria Jose and Hans (Cayuga) flew in from San Jose and picked up Maricela and Adriana (Latitude 10) on the way in Tambor and after a delay due to mechanical difficulties of the plane in Punta Islita, made it safely to Nosara where the Harmony team with Jose, Esteban and Alfredo were anxiously awaiting them.

The activity started with a delicious lunch at the Harmony restaurant followed by an afternoon full of presentations and trainings. This year’s focus was on Revenue Management and Conversion of reservations inquiries. Methods used to teach the reservations staff about these concepts were presentations, discussions and a ‘business school type’ case study on a reservations department and its need to focus more on revenue management.

After a short stroll along Guiones beach where Gerardo, sustainability coordinator at Harmony, gave us the opportunity to help in the beach cleanup activities of the hotel, everybody was ready for a delicious meal. It had been a long but productive day.

Next day was all about conversion and the magic formula with Jennifer Pirie (DDD Servicios Estrategicos). Fun activities, games, coaching and procedures were methods used to refresh and get ready to accomplish next year’s goals presented by Maria Jose (our year starts in September for the reservations teams). After lunch, everyone got ready for our next destination: a farm in the Guanacaste area of Limonal.

Teambuidling was the main purpose of next day’s activities. Expectations were of all kinds since this was a surprise for all! Eduardo Salas (IDL) joined us after breakfast and took us on a great journey of horseback riding, sheep chasing, toy building and more.

It was a great get together; we have amazing teams and full confidence that next year will be a very successful year for all Cayuga properties.

Book Review by Hans Pfister

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:08:00 +0000

On my Nature Air flight back from Lapa Rios recently, I continued to read the book “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” by Thomas Friedman. What a great book. It has had me captivated for a few weeks now and is truly eyeopening and inspiring. I totally recommend this to anybody interested in Sustainability. But then again, EVERYBODY should read this book. There was a passage that called my attention since I had just spent a few days at Lapa Rios.

On page 372, he talks about his experience with a nature guide in the Peruvian Rainforest. I quote him: “… we had a remarkable indigenous guide named Gilbert. He always led the way. He carried no phone. No binoculars. No iPod. No radio. He did not suffer from a disease of the modern age, “continuous partial attention – always trying to do ten tasks at once. Just the opposite. He was always and only paying attention to what was happening around him. “

I am sure we can all relate to this. And how refreshing it is to see that there are still people that are completely in the now, not distracted by the next e-mail, voice message or appointment. I cannot guarantee that you will have 100% of this kind of an experience at Lapa Rios, but if you want to, you can get very close. No internet available for guests, no phones and computers allowed in the public areas and nature guides that will listen to every chirp, whistle, howl or crackle in the rainforest to look for animals on the tour.

By the way, we recently had guests at Bungalow #14 see a Puma from their deck jump on a tree about 30 feet from them. And it did not happen just once. It happened two days in a row with different guests. Amazing. Check out Facebook page for news on this. To be kept up-to-date on all the latest happenings at Lapa Rios, subscribe to our blog!

Cayuga's Family Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:06:00 +0000

We had a 'Family Day' this past weekend! The Cayuga team and their families (dogs included!) unplugged for the day to join together at Ana Maria's (our Human Resources Coordinator) farm. It was a fun day to reconnect and catch up with one another and everyone had a fun time! Delicious food was prepared by Jose, Cayuga’s Executive Chef, as well as other team members which included ribs, fish and salads. We also took a very nice walk along a river canyon.

The day also celebrated Jose and Marissa’s baby shower (just a few weeks left!) as well as Maria Laura’s “farewell” party as she is leaving Cayuga Corporate this August to join the Lapa Rios team as their Operations Manager.

It was a day of good food and family fun time!

A Special Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:33:00 +0000

At Cayuga, we think it's important to support and acknowledge our team members, both on their professional accomplishments as well as their personal achievements. This month, we'd like to honor Gerardo Bolanos Cespedes, Harmony Hotel's Sustainability Coordinator, as he took to the waves in Playa Hermosa for a recent surf competition and won second place in the novice level! He also won third place in the metropolitan level!

We're so proud of him and his achievements...Felicitaciones, Gerardo!

Check out additional photos on Harmony's Facebook page!

New Videos on YouTube!

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Mon, 23 May 2011 18:08:00 +0000

One of the hotels Cayuga manages, Arenas del Mar Rainforestand Beachfront Resort, recently created two outstanding short videos showcasing both the amazing adventures and the relaxing moments you can have during your stay there. Located just outside of Costa Rica’s most treasured National Park, Manuel Antonio, Arenas del Mar is the perfect location for your next vacation. Whether you’re honeymooning, taking a girlfriend getaway or wanting to take a family vacation to a new and exciting region, Arenas del Mar will offer you an extraordinary trip that will exceed your expectations and provide you with memories that will last a lifetime. View the videos on YouTube:

Family Video

Honeymoon Video

From now until October, we’re offering great green season deals at each of our six hotel properties in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Our team is happy to assist you with planning your trip and arranging all in-country transfers, reservations and activities. Email us at info@cayugaonline.com for more information on our current special promotions!

Celebrating Cayuga's 8th Anniversary!

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:48:00 +0000

Cayuga is celebrating their 8th anniversary this week. One more year has passed and we proudly share our accomplishments of 2010 and 2011 with you all. To top the list, we won the World Saver’s Award from Conde Nast AND we also won the Global Vision Award for Environmental Leadership from Travel and Leisure!

Besides being older (or more mature!), great things have also happened in a year of achievements, both professionally and personally, for all of us:

Juan got engaged and married in less than three months - congratulations!

Irene got married and has Ximena on the way! Additionally, she helped bring more support and dedication to the Harmony team.

Marijke and her adventures...Australia last year and the Big Apple this year.

Fabian decided to become ‘Quepeno’ (local in Quepos). He was recently ‘pampered’ with a trip to see a great basketball game and has also learned how to tame Alpacas!

Jairo had a beautiful baby girl, Sofi and is more dedicated to ping pong since he is not allowed to run anymore due to his challenging experiences in the past!

Silvia, after traveling to New York, successfully took over the management of Latitude 10,

Howard decided he wanted to make Jicaro the best hotel in Nicaragua and actually made it! And now, with this change in his life, his wife almost does not recognize him – no more beers allowed – only healthy food!

Maria Laura accepted the great challenge of Food and Beverage Service and by making us better in giant steps she got her nickname: Giant!

Maria Jose decided that since all was going well with Reservations so she’d help out with Housekeeping! In addition, she decided she will be as good in running and is making us all run and exercise as well.

Ana, in very little time has achieved great accomplishments for our human resources department and is constantly reminding us how ‘cool’/nice it is to work together.

Michelle helped us achieve the two awards from Conde Nast and Travel and Leisure by working diligently on the applications for these two submissions. But not only that, she also incorporated Equilibrium and received the 501c3 status for nonprofit organizations in a very short period of time!

Jorge has implemented sophisticated systems in the area of maintenance and his perseverance led him to follow Al Gore all the way to the bathroom to shake his hand!

Jose has come to revolutionize the kitchens of Cayuga, even teaching us how to make sushi!

Sofia and Federico - welcome! We are happy you have joined the team and can join in our many achievements this year.

We'll post more photos of the team, and their accomplishments, on our Facebook page!

The Cayuga Team Learns How to Make Sushi!

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:59:00 +0000

On April 5th, the members of Cayuga Corporate took part in a “different” kind of monthly meeting. We met at 9 a.m. at Hans Pfister's house in Escazu for a cup of freshly brewed Costa Rican coffee. Cayuga’s executive chef, Jose Lopez, introduced the group to William, a Sushi and Sashimi expert. William spent two hours teaching the Cayuga team the secrets of Sushi…from rice preparation to fish selection to making the rolls. While Sushi is not exactly a Costa Rican dish, it has become very popular over the last few years. One reason is because Costa Rica has some of the freshest fish available. We offer Sushi at Arenas del Mar and Harmony Nosara and are thinking of adding sushi dishes as specials at some of our other hotels.

After our corporate meeting, where one of the main topics of discussion was how to reduce carbon footprints (check out how you are doing at calculator.carbonfootprint.com or myfootprint.org), we went on to prepare something more local for lunch. Jose brought some great corvina and tuna and we all got to work chopping onions, garlic, cilantro, avocado, etc preparing for an incredible ceviche meal. Ceviche is served at all of our hotels in one form or another and is raw fish “cooked” in lemon juice. With a cold beer or chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc, it is probably one of the best lunches on a tropical beach that you can imagine.

We made two kinds of ceviches and the verdict from everyone present was “amazing”. Why don’t we all do things like this more often? As Ana Maria, our Human Resources Coordinator pointed out, this is not your typical corporate meeting and not many employees in hotel companies have the chance to experience this. It most likely has to do with our slogan: Experience, Learn, Connect & Relax. Where we not only want to create incredible experiences for our guests, providing them with learning opportunities and chances to connect with the local culture, at the same time, we also want to provide that same culture to our employees and ourselves.

Our next meeting is in early May, after the Lapathon in Lapa Rios. We were thinking of doing an event around the Waterfall Luncheon at Lapa Rios. I am sure we will come up with something really special!

We'll upload more photos from the day on our Facebook page this week!

Al Gore Event in Costa Rica

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:14:00 +0000

On March 16, 2011, several members of the Cayuga team, along with the Sustainability Coordinators from Harmony Hotel and Lapa Rios, attended the Business Forum on Sustainability and Environment, in San Jose.

The daylong event was concluded with a keynote speech by Former U.S. Vice-President, Al Gore, who presented his proactive lecture, “Climate Change: Developing New Economic Development and the Global Approach".

Gore’s speech urged the attendees…“to put a price on carbon so as to achieve more rapid changes in the use of fossil fuels - as gasoline and diesel, and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere”. He also encouraged them to be leaders in the fight against global warming.

“I do not want to give the idea that the choices we have are easy, but it is necessary,” Gore said. "Costa Rica is a hero in the protection of nature. I am aware that this presents many challenges, but they are succeeding at what they do”.

Hans Pfister, President of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, had positive comments about the event. “The speech was very inspiring, but what was really great was to hear how Costa Rica is perceived as a leader in sustainability as a country and makes a difference by inspiring people. At our hotels, we hope to do the same thing and inspire our guests to take action in terms of sustainability by lowering their carbon footprint or becoming involved in their local communities.”

The Forum, held at the Marriot Hotel, was a carbon neutral and zero waste event. Cayuga donated their ever-popular bamboo straws to the event for the drinks!

Quotes by Al Gore from La Nacion, Costa Rica’s national newspaper.

Pioneering sustainable tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:07:00 +0000

In honor of International Women’s Day, we wanted to profile Andrea Bonilla, Managing Director at Cayuga. Andrea is in charge of the operation of 6 hotels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. She was born and raised in Costa Rica, where she spent most of her youth at her parents' farm in Guanacaste. There she developed a strong relationship with the environment and the local culture, recognizing the benefits to sustaining and uniting people and their place. In 1992, she seized the opportunity to study Hotel Administration at the Cornell Hotel School in Ithaca, New York. After graduating and working in hotel management positions in Africa and Central America, she founded her own tourism management company, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, focusing exclusively on small, upscale, sustainable hotels and lodges in Central America.

Cayuga has been a pioneer in bringing professional management to small ecolodges and sustainable hotels traditionally managed by founder-owners. Andrea’s commitment to unite sustainable practices and programs forward in community development, conservation and education are deeply rooted in her past and helped focus her work as General Manager at Costa Rica's award winning Ecolodge Lapa Rios. Additionally, Andrea has been instrumental in founding the non-profit Equilibrium Foundation, with goals to fund and focus educational and biodiversity conservation programs where Cayuga Hotels operate.

Andrea was recently featured on Channel 7’s, Tips Para el Exito (Tips for Success). You can check out the video here. She is happily married and the mother of two beautiful boys, ages 3 ½ and 6 months. She balances her work and personal life by knowing what her priorities are: her family is always at the top of the list. Cayuga is her passion, although it’s not just her job that she’s passionate about but the people she works with as well, who she considers extended family and close friends. She is also mindful that taking time for herself (at least one hour a day!) to attend a yoga class or get a massage is key to maintaining balance as is spending time with friends and having fun!

WHY OUR GUESTS KEEP COMING BACK

noreply@blogger.com (Cayuga Online) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 06:19:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, we took a careful look at our repeat guest numbers at the hotels. We noticed that the amount of guests that keep on coming back is on the rise. Especially the beach destinations Arenas Del Mar, Harmony and Latitude 10 had increased their repeat business in the past years. Maybe destinations such as Lapa Rios and Finca Rosa Blanca (Jicaro is still too new to judge) are more “bucket list” destinations and while we do get repeat guests with increasing frequency, we get a lot of guests that were recommended to stay at those properties by friends, family and colleagues.

So we asked ourselves, why is that? It has a lot to do with Costa Rica as a destination. Most people that visit here have a great experience and just want to keep on coming back. Besides the great beaches, rainforests and the climate, the most important reason that is mentioned is “The Ticos.” Visitors to Costa Rica really like the “Pura Vida” attitude and way of life of the Costa Ricans. Maybe it has to do with the fact that Costa Rica was called the “happiest place on earth” by a study published in 2009.

The other reason might be that is getting easier to fly here from many main hubs in the US, which continues to be the main market for Costa Rica and our hotels. Plane fares have been reasonable in the past year and travel time shorter than many expect so a five-day weekend might entice more and more New Yorkers to hop on a plane and tank up on some sun and Pura Vida in Costa Rica.

I would also like to believe that this trend has to do with the personalized service that our guests receive at our hotels. When I review our guest evaluations, it amazes me how many names of our staff members are mentioned and also how many Tripadvisor postings point out specific staff members at our properties. Guests seem to be building a bond with our staff. It seems to be very important for our guests to come back to a hotel and recognize our staff members and to be recognized by them.

In our marketing classes at Cornell, they tought us that it is much cheaper to attract repeat guests than to look for new ones. But what is probably most important to us is that the guests that come back are just the right fit for our properties and get the most out of their experiences. We are currently planning to roll out a program for repeat guests across all Cayuga hotels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. If you have any comments or ideas for such a program, let me know. I am interested to get your input.

~Hans Pfister