In this context, Travel2latam spoke with María Florencia Arenaza, General Manager of Los Sueños Marriott and Hotel Hacienda Belén.
What are the main features of the property and what was the experience of participating in Fitur like?
Hacienda Belén is a hotel located about 10 minutes from the San José Airport, and it is an old coffee plantation, so it represents the authenticity of Costa Rica, which is the coffee theme, and everything is based on that. Around it is the Poás Volcano, which is extremely interesting to visit.
On the other hand, we also have Los Sueños Marriott, which is an hour and a half from San José International Airport, located on the green coast of Costa Rica.
In Costa Rica we have a rainy season and a dry season, and it is an area that, despite not raining for some months, remains green. It is very interesting to be able to experience the jungle and the sea. In addition, we have volcanic beaches, with an impressive coexistence with fauna and flora. You can go for a walk in Los Sueños and come across toucans, sloths, monkeys and coatis that live in their natural environment.
The Los Sueños Marriott hotel also has a golf course called La Iguana Golf Course because it has so many iguanas around. It is a multi-generational property, meaning that a family can go with their grandparents, parents and children and everyone has different activities to do. Just 10 minutes away you can go ziplining or on the cocoa tour. The hotel also has tennis courts, a spa, and there is an experience called forest baths, which consists of walking through the jungle in the morning to listen to the sounds of the different birds with a bird watching guide. Additionally, there are yoga classes and in Herradura Bay you can go kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and cycling.
This year's novelty is that starting with the whale season, which is in July, August, September and October, whale watching will be possible from the Marina de los Sueños.
How have you found your days at Fitur?
Costa Rica surprises us more and more every year, and being a small country it has a lot to offer and every day more people are getting to know it. What I highlight from this trip is the continued positioning of the Costa Verde as an interesting destination, very close to San José, with the possibility of combining San José and the Costa Verde, and also of having the authenticity of Costa Rica; the coffee, the volcanoes, the jungle and a warm sea 365 days a year. Just 20 minutes from the Los Sueños hotel we have the Playa Hermosa natural surfing reserve. Surfing is becoming more and more a fanaticism of Argentines, Americans and tourists from all over the world who choose Costa Rica for its natural essence and to be able to enjoy this sport.
What are your main source markets at the moment?
The number one market is the United States, followed by Mexico and the local market of Costa Rica. We also have some from Europe and Argentines who live in Costa Rica and do domestic tourism. We believe that Argentina is a market that has a lot of potential for our country.