Cayuga Announces New Hotel

For the second time in three months, we’re happy to announce that Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality has added another Costa Rican hotel into its fold of Earth-friendly and forward-thinking Central American eco-lodges, resorts and inns.

Hotel Grano de Oro, located on a shady street just off San José’s main thoroughfare, is a 40-room luxury accommodation property. Once a tropical Victorian mansion, Cayuga’s newest property has a warm and comfortable home-like atmosphere with old photographs and local artworks adorning the walls, a Spanish-tiled water fountain, a garden terrace with two Jacuzzis and a gourmet on-site restaurant to appease the appetites of locals and visitors alike.

The name Grano de Oro literally translates to grain of gold, Costa Rica’s term for the coffee bean.  Similar to the coffee bean, our newest hotel is physically small, but plays a significant role in bolstering the local economy. As a highly sustainable and socially conscious enterprise, it’s an honor to add Hotel Grano de Oro, our first city-based location, into our Cayuga family of forward-thinking properties.

As one of only nine Small Distinctive Hotels in Costa Rica and rated four leaves by Costa Rica’s prestigious Certification for Sustainable Tourism, Hotel Grano de Oro is a model for eco-consciousness and social responsibility. Some of the hotel’s ethical policies and actions include opening Casa Luz (a home and healing centre for young, at-risk mothers), using green alternatives whenever possible (such as non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning and laundry products and chlorine-free cleaning systems in the Jacuzzis) and funding local environmental organizations that promote reforestation and protection of vulnerable Costa Rican areas, such as Cerros de Escazú.

As Costa Rica’s largest city and a region that seamlessly blends busy metropolitan districts with green, wildlife-rich rainforests, San José has much to offer to both active and laidback travellers. Some of Hotel Grano de Oro’s activities include going back in time and exploring the nearby pre-Columbian Gold Museum, grabbing a lifejacket and hitting Costa Rica’s adrenaline-pumping whitewater or experiencing the power of nature by going on a night tour to the ever-active Arenal Volcano.

To learn more about Hotel Grano de Oro or to book a vacation, visit www.granodeoro.com.

The Cayuga Culinary Experience

 

I like food and wine.  Actually, I must admit that eating is one of my favorite activities and when I go travelling, a big chunk of my budget gets spent on food and wine (if applicable).  Many people ask me about food and wine in Central America and here are some thoughts… 

While Central America has some of the world’s best conditions to grow vegetables and fruits, has two Oceans on each side and different microclimates and a great farming history, its cuisine is not well known around the world.  Most of the local plates are rich in carbohydrates and made to sustain a farmer for a long day of working in the fields. 

Why are the two countries that lead the culinary experiences in Latin America Mexico and Peru?  Does it have to do with the Maya, Aztec  and Inca history?  Climatic conditions?  The colonial period where those two countries were the center of the new world?   I am not sure, but what I know for sure is that at Cayuga's hotels, we try to bring the best of Latin-America to the palate of our guests.

• We get inspired by the Peruvian and Mexican Cuisine and then develop our own local recipes using the freshest ingredients available.  Our chef from Arenas del Mar just spent 10 days on an internship in Peru. 

• We use only local products, often grown on or near the hotel premises and whenever possible of organic origin.  The leader in this project is the Harmony Hotel in Nosara. 

• We serve only wines from Latin America, mostly Chile and Argentina and whenever possible from organic or carbon neutral “bodegas” and suppliers.  Check out the new Lapa Rios wine menu. 

• We try to get our involved in the culinary experience.  They learn how to make tortillas, cappuccinos from organic coffee beans or fish ceviche.   This happens everywhere from Latitude10 to Finca Rosa Blanca. 

• We revive forgotten local dishes with a touch of gourmet influence.  This has worked especially well at Jicaro in Nicaragua. 

Do you have any suggestions for us?  We are always looking for inspirations and ideas. 

--Hans

An Intern's Perspective: Part 4

I’m at the end of my time here in Costa Rica and suddenly I find that I have to start mentally preparing myself for the “real world” again.  It’s less than two weeks before Christmas, but considering it’s so warm and I’m at the beach, I can’t even bring myself to start listening to Christmas music!  Just the idea of family and the craziness of the holidays have me looking up the number of the airline to see how much it would cost to move my ticket back.  Starting just from remembering where I had packed all of my winter clothing, I don’t think I’m ready to go back yet. 

While this is more information than I’m sure you’ve ever cared to know about me, but I just graduated from college in May and the reason I ended up interning with Cayuga was because my full-time job’s start date got pushed back to January so I had a couple of months free.  So while most of friends jumped directly from college to their full-time job or grad school, I’ve had a lot of time to think, which is the personal reason for me wanting to come to Costa Rica (as if you really needed a reason to want to visit!) because I was beginning to go through what I guess you would call a “quarter-life crisis” aka a post-grad’s existential problems.  I know these emotions aren’t unique in any way just like how we all thought our teenage angst was so special when we were 13 years old, but I just wanted to say that if you’re in that place in life, Costa Rica is the perfect place to go to just be by yourself and think.  I remember staring out from my deck at Arenas Del Mar and looking out at the ocean or just staring out into the darkness at night just listening to the waves.  Or I would slowly rock in my hammock and take a nap or sit on the deck area of the main lodge and just stare out into the rainforest and Osa Peninsula while at Lapa Rios.  Or lay out in the hammock right on the beach at Latitude 10 (yes, I do have a thing for hammocks) and watching the waves crash onto the rocks or standing at the edge of the beach and just getting my feet wet while watching the amazing sunset.  Trust me, you’ll find that calm you’re looking for while being amazed at how much beauty there is in the world. 

Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this as my boss will be reading this, but there were some days where I would feel like I had coffee injected directly into my bloodstream and want to just be focused on work, work, work!  I would be sitting in my chair typing away, working hard with half-screen on my Word Document and half-screen on the website I was reviewing, and then I would suddenly look at the time and realized that I had been so focused that I had missed lunch completely and would now have to wait until dinner to eat.  That was perfectly fine with me, in fact, I love that kind of productivity.  But because there were days when I worked like this, it also afforded me with days when I would wake up late and still feel like I needed to sleep a million more hours and that the only thing my body could possibly do is plop down in the chair on my deck and stare out into the ocean.  These were the days when I only got in a couple hours of work by forcing myself to type…something, anything, really, and then reading it the next day and realizing that I had no idea what I was saying and deleting it all.  (FYI, working on your own schedule also makes it really convenient if you’re bidding on something you really want on eBay and feel the need to click refresh every five second.  J

I was trying to come up with a definitive “take away” from Costa Rica, but I’ve realized that my time here has been many things and there isn’t just one thing I can point to.  Plus, my take away will be completely different from anybody else.  So, just come visit and all I can hope is that Costa Rica offers you as much as it has given me.  Pura vida!

An Intern's Perspective: Part 3

I shared a little bit of my personal highlights with my time there, now some highlights about the properties!

1.    The wheat toast at Lapa Rios.  Just eat it.  It’s good plain, with butter or with the guava jam.  It is freshly made in house and “looser” and “grainier” than normal bread.  Honestly, I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with this, but EAT IT!

2.    I loved how they brought you a plate of fresh fruit and pastries in addition to what you order for breakfast as Arenas Del Mar.  Maybe I’m just a fatty, but I like my variety and them just bringing it to you made me feel less like a fatty since I didn’t have to ask for it.  Haha.

3.    6 am coffee/tea/hot chocolate delivery at Lapa Rios is perfect while you enjoy the morning view on your deck.  Seriously.  (Anyways, why is everything so far about food, specifically breakfast?!?)

4.    The Tico Bar at Arenas Del Mar lets you sample some local snacks and it’s complimentary, especially the Tronaditas Lime & Salt Chips!  Just remember to lock your cabinet.  I had one night where I was awoken because some monkeys were raiding my fridge! 

5.    I loved the different freshly-made daily chips they had.  As a lover of potato chips back home in the States, it was fun to try plantain, tisquisque, yuca, and some other chips as well.  Lapa Rios added a fun kick with some lemon pepper as well! 

6.    There’s a drink at Lapa Rios that doesn’t have a name, but it has mint, pineapple, and coconut cream.  I think it was created by the bartender, Ivan, or he’s just really good at making it.  Just tell them those ingredients and they’ll know what you’re talking about.  I guess you could also easily add some rum to make it a proper drink, but it’s delicious regardless.

Okay, somehow my list turned into a list about food.  I guess I am a fatty.  Hey, what can I say, I like to eat!

An Intern's Perspective: Part 2

Everybody has their own version of Costa Rica.  Even if you do the exact same activities, the moments you remember afterwards are all different.  So, here are some of my highlights:

1.      Just staring out into the distance.  Not to be too cheesy and make my life seem to be out of a movie, but the views were all amazing.  I went to Arenas Del Mar first and was amazed by the fact that not only could I see the ocean from my room, but I could hear it as well.  It was like one of those white noise machines people buy to help them sleep, except it was the actual ocean!  I met people who had come from Lapa Rios and they told me it was even more beautiful, but I thought it couldn’t be possible.  Then boom, LapaRios was even more amazing.  The view from the main lodge is the kind of beauty that seems to fill you up.  It’s so beautiful that it almost hurts.  It sounds ridiculous trying to explain it, but it’s simply priceless.  I would make it a point to sit there a little bit every day.  Sometimes I just looked out, other times I was deep in thought, but the sense of calm is always there.

2.      I have fallen in love with the blue of the morpho butterfly there.  I tried finding a picture of one on Google Images, but none of the pictures captured how beautiful brilliant this shade of blue actually is.  Also, you always just catch a glimpse of blue out of the corner of your eye among all the green and it catches my breath every time.

3.      My “office workspace” faces a “window” aka the wall is just a huge screen.  It’s amazing that families of spider monkeys are just swinging through the trees or a toucan is flying outside of my “window.”  I’ve never worked in a corner office in a New York high rise, but I’m pretty sure this is even cooler.

4.      Watching dolphins swim around.  I loved the dolphin tour from the very beginning just from the boat ride.  If that was the whole tour, I would have been very happy.  There’s something just amazing about having the wind sweep your hair back while the boat skips along the water.  But watching dolphins swim around your boat and jump through the waves together was unbelievable.  They’re such graceful animals.

5.      Of course I loved how beautiful and colorful the scarlet macaws were, but one of my favorite birds to watch flying through the sky was the turkey vulture.  A lot of the birds here don’t flap their wings a lot when they fly because they just ride the wind current and there’s something so graceful about just seeing birds glide through the air. 

An Intern's Perspective: Part 1

The next few days, we'll be posting blogs from an intern we had working for us for a few months at the end of 2011.  We thought it would be an interesting insight into how Cayuga works, from the perspective of someone who was just starting out in the business world, having just graduated from college a few months before.

Hola!  Teresa, the marketing intern, here!  Hans asked me to write a couple of guest posts for the Cayuga blog, so here I am.  I thought I’d just share a little bit of what I’ve been doing.  The word “intern” usually conjures images of too eager kids getting coffee, filing papers, or inputting data into spreadsheets.  Trust me, I did none of those things.  I think one of the most amazing and different things about this internship with Cayuga compared to other ones is that even coming into it, they assumed that I was a competent person who could contribute to their organization instead of just another college kid getting in their way.  It was truly a win-win situation where both the company and I got something out of this experience.  Usually, interns will shadow people or get to help out a bit with projects, if they’re lucky, but I was emailed a list of projects and itinerary by Maria Jose that I would be working on by myself before I even arrived in Costa Rica! 

One of my projects for this internship was staying in the rooms, eating in the restaurant, and going on the various tours such as zip-lining, white water rafting, kayaking, waterfall rappelling, etc.  (Yeah, I know, tough life…) and then blogging about it for the respective properties.  One thing you should know about me is that I have a real estate-related full-time job lined up for me when I finish this internship, but my dream job is to be a travel writer.  But let’s see, the financial stability of a travel writer versus an analyst in the real estate industry?  Well, probably about the same considering the past couple of years, but still, being an analyst has more of guarantee on some levels.  So, having this opportunity not just to experience everything, but able to live out my dream job was incredible.  (Seriously, if there’s anybody from the NYT Travel section reading this, WILL WORK FOR FREE!)

Some other projects I did was review the different websites and mobile sites, write some new content to improve their SEO (search engine optimization) results, review their reservation and pre-arrival documents, research their competitive set, and a lot more.  But I just wanted to show how much real responsibility I was given.  I think one of the least motivating things is when you put in the work, but you have no idea where the results are.  I could see firsthand how I was actually contributing to Cayuga and Hans actually asked for my input and opinion on things.  The founder of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality is asking me what I think?!?  Um…uh…you know what’s funny?  I actually do have an opinion, thank you very much for asking!  I’m not one of those pompous post-grads who thing they know it all, trust me, I’m very clear that on the hierarchy of things, the intern is not even on the table, but I truly felt like Hans appreciated and listened to what I had to say.  If that doesn’t demonstrate the culture of the company starting from the very top, I don’t know what does.

Edwin Villareal: Local Success Story

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

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