The Lap of Luxury

Los Suenos Resort and Marina joins growing list of hotels opening in Herradura Bay, Costa Rica

Richard J. Simpson
TravelAge West

July 23, 2001

Swanky resort with marina now open in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is known for its rain forest, the Arenal volcano and tropical beaches -- not necessarily for luxury resorts.

But that changed with last year's opening of Los Suenos Resort and Marina in Herradura Bay.

The resort features a five-star Marriott beachfront hotel, a spa, a 250-slip marina and a Ted Robinson-designed 18-hole championship golf course.

Bill Royster, president and CEO of Los Suenos Resort and Marina, conceived the project while on a fishing trip there in 1991. At the time, the country saw about 500,000 tourists a year, most staying in small boutique hotels.

"We noticed there was a demand and a need for an upscale product and destination for Costa Rica," Royster said. Los Suenos Marina is the country's first government-sanctioned international marina between Acapulco and Venezuela. The marina project inspired the government to approve a new marina law in 1998 designed to coordinate and regulate the development of marinas within Costa Rica.

Los Suenos has a broad demographic, catering to couples and families.

The 201-room colonial-style resort is set on an 1,100-acre rain forest along the Pacific Coast.

Accommodations include 24-hour room service, air conditioning, in-room safes, minibars, voice mail, cable/satellite TV and dataports.

The hotel has six restaurants and bars.

Activities include horseback riding, white-water rafting, a canopy tour, a Tortuga Island cruise and a jungle crocodile safari.

Sport fishing also is available through Costa Rica Dreams (506-643-3942).

Guests wishing to pamper themselves will enjoy the resort's Serenity Spa, which offers the usual menu plus a Costa Rican mud treatment.

Room rates during the rainy, green season (May to mid-December) range from $129 to $750

Copyright 2001 NorthStar Travel Media, LLC

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