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| Elegance and charisma meet
the rainforest at Hotel Punta Islita. |
| Courtesy Punta Islita |
“Perched on the crest of a hill overlooking
the Pacific is Hotel Punta Islita, hidden from the
world by a dense, exotic jungle. Whilst this tropical
oasis has an air of rustic charm, it is as luxurious
and sophisticated as you could wish.” This
is how the 2002 directory of the Small Luxury Hotels
of the World describes this Costa Rican owned pearl.
The description is indeed no exaggeration – in
fact it could very well be elaborated upon even further.
Flying out of San José in the hotel-owned plane,
one passes over the lush green hillsides of the Central
Valley and crosses the Gulf of Nicoya before landing
at the hotel’s private airport. Driving to the
hotel you will spot the ecology-themed artwork associated
with the Encounter in Islita project (see the separate
article entitled “Encounter in Islita,”
page 15).
The owners wanted to create a mutually beneficial
relationship between their hotel and the nearby village
of Islita. A majority of the village’s one hundred
or so inhabitants are employed at the hotel. Punta
Islita owner Harry Zurcher believes that through a
melding of cultures and social interaction it is possible
to increase the overall well-being of the area. This
is why the villagers, along with some of the most
renowned artists in Costa Rica, have decorated the
entire village.
“We only help the society and villagers to find
those multiple skills they already possess, and then
by a little bit of support we further encourage them
to continue on their own,” says Eduardo Villafranca,
general manager of Punta Islita. Recently an association
was established whereby the employees received legal
status and seed capital provided by the hotel. According
to Villafranca, it is hoped that the employees will
later become shareholders. The main goal is to expand
this concept to the rest of the Guanacaste province.
The hotel’s efforts have been widely recognized.
Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report granted Punta
Islita its 1998 Hideaway Award. The Encounter in Islita
project has been selected by the Japan International
Cooperation Agency as a model for conducting tourism
in rural areas. The hotel has been prominently featured,
for a number of years, in the Small Luxury Hotels
publication. This year, the Institute of Costa Rican
Tourism decided to include Punta Islita in the World
Tourism Organization’s publication honoring the
international year of ecotourism.
You may still be asking: why all this talk of one
hotel? After all, there are plenty of secluded destinations,
beautiful, private beaches, wildlife areas, and five
start hotels in Costa Rica, many of which are already
run according to the rules and regulations governing
sustainable tourism.
What truly makes Punta Islita special is its attention
to each and every detail. The organic soaps are wrapped
in recycled paper with a ribbon made out of plant
called Rafia. The soaps themselves are specially produced
from honey and Aloe Vera. Most rooms contain a private
Jacuzzi overlooking the ocean and, in the other direction,
offer a view that looks directly into the tropical
rainforest.
The chef is a local woman who could be a star in any
number of New York’s finest restaurants, assuming
it weren’t so difficult, in New York, to attain
the native herbs and spices used to complete her dishes.
After a day at the pool, the spa or on the various
guided nature tours that the hotel offers, dozens
of small flower arrangements welcome you back to your
room. Occasionally a raccoon may wish to enjoy the
charm of your room; however, the ones who really enjoy
interacting with guests are the lizards, which sometimes
climb atop the wooden out-door shower to sunbathe.
If your stay at the hotel leaves you wanting more,
you may wish to consider purchasing one of the various
units or homes that are presently undergoing construction
in Punta Islita. Perhaps this is your dream come
true: to become an artist, or own your own zoo in
the middle of the rainforest!
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