The Times: Hacienda AltaGracia Costa Rica: a Rich New Rainforest Stay

Before I arrived I’d heard tour operators doubt the wisdom of building such an expensive property so far from Costa Rica’s classic tourist destinations. There were rumours that the hotel had closed even before the pandemic began. Its general manager, Mark Wright, who moved here with his young family from Bali for the launch, said that in fact the hotel was being overhauled under new ownership. “And, well, then 2020 happened,” he said. “The place had obviously been made really well — the nuts and bolts were all here — but the feedback people had left was that there just wasn’t enough to do. We’ve changed that now.”

The property does not claim to have unbeatable eco-credentials, but there are no plastic bottles and the natural toiletries are refilled, rather than replaced. Nor are there coffee pods. Instead, guests are given a packet of coffee from a finca five miles away and a cafetière to prepare their own brew. In a few years the property will produce its own beans: 7,000 coffee trees have been planted on site and should reach maturity in 2025.

 

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