People are more productive when they feel good. So it only makes sense that the concept of wellness travel has grown in popularity with meeting and incentive groups. And Costa Rica, with its wealth of natural beauty, upscale hotels and decidedly eco-friendly stance, is positioned as the perfect place for groups that need a healthy dose of rejuvenation.
“Known for its rich biodiversity [with] more than 500,000 species of flora and fauna and natural resources, from volcanoes and thermal springs to secluded jungles, Costa Rica is the ideal destination for relaxation, recharging and rejuvenation,” says Marianne Schans, owner of Parador Resort & Spa, a 129-room hotel in the Pacific coast town of Quepos.
“For example, the Pacifica Spa in Parador Resort & Spa provides an oasis of tranquility surrounded by the jungle,” Schans continues. “The spa is the ideal place to spend a few hours or a day to recharge and rejuvenate in the midst of the jungle while practicing yoga independently or joining a scheduled class.
"The spa offers an extensive menu of treatments using 100 percent organic ingredients, including the Costa Rican Volcanic Mud Wrap and Cappuccino Scrub, utilizing Costa Rica’s coffee.”
Indeed, this Central American nation’s own resources and ambience factor heavily into its appeal for wellness-minded groups.
“Costa Rica’s 'pura vida' lifestyle emphasizes the importance of living a simple and uncluttered life focused on wellness while, at the same time, taking advantage of all it truly has to offer,” says Gerardo Murray, regional vice president for distribution and commercial marketing for Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean at IHG, which is represented in Costa Rica through its InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands.
“This mentality, lived out by the entire country, is the perfect environment for corporate groups to take advantage of,” Murray says. “Removing all the clutter and worry—not only from meeting planning but also from attendees’ minds—places the focus on what really matters: a rewarding and fruitful experience for everyone involved.”
Murray notes the services of the staff at the InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall as an example of how planners can work with locals to create unique wellness experiences. The property has what is billed as the “largest urban spa in Central America,” with treatments that make use of Costa Rican coffee as well as locally produced chocolate.
“If you choose to venture outside our hotel, Fernando Prado, our hotel’s concierge and expert on insider tips regarding everything you need to know [about] Costa Rica, can work with meeting planners to arrange group activities that include anything from visiting volcanoes, trekking through stunning waterfalls like La Paz, ziplining, rafting or even touring coffee plantations, providing ideal opportunities to connect with nature,” Murray explains. “No matter where one goes, the opportunities for adventure, relaxation, romance and exploration await our guests.”
Natural Wellness
“Costa Rica is a haven for groups seeking wellness travel experiences, thanks to its plethora of unique natural attractions,” agrees Aldo Annese, general manager at the Studio Hotel, an independent property in the upscale San Jose suburb of Santa Ana. “For example, just two and half hours from San Jose, groups can enjoy a day of relaxation and rejuvenation in volcano-heated thermal water baths, steam, mud baths and open-air spa treatments surrounded by waterfalls and lush tropical forest.”
The Studio Hotel can help planners organize excursions to natural hot spring Termales del Bosque, which is well equipped for groups, with changing rooms, lockers and bathrooms, surrounded by lush fauna and lots of peace and quiet.
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Additional group-friendly hotels with local on-site wellness experiences include the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San Jose near the San Jose airport, where the Kuo Spa uses coffee, volcanic ash and other natural ingredients for treatments that it calls “wellness journeys.”
Its sister property, Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort, which is located in the Central Pacific region, offers its own branded wellness treatments, named after the sun and moon and aimed at inspiring resourcefulness, serenity, understanding and imagination—qualities that would certainly come in handy at most meetings and conferences.
In the northwestern region of Guanacaste, where some of the largest resort-style hotels with meeting space are located, properties with wellness on the menu include the Westin Golf Resort & Spa, Playa Conchal, where the aptly named The Spa offers a signature massage performed with seashells. The facility can also host private spa parties in an open area with two thermal pools.
Expert Advice
Using a DMC can make it easier for planners to get their groups on a healthy path to well-being. A company called Actua, for example, can even connect planners with private clinics for cosmetic procedures and surgery, as well as organize group visits to places like Rio Perdido, a 600-acre nature park graced with a lush forest canopy and picturesque ravines.
Groups on this excursion follow an easily walkable river path to receive a volcanic mud treatment in the great outdoors, followed by a relaxing soak in one of 30 different natural pools. The relatively easy access of this site makes it a popular place for groups.
Actua also helps planners to choose the most appropriate hotel property for each group. For wellness-minded gatherings, one of the properties they recommend is the 153-room Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort Costa Rica, where the 11,000-square-foot Onda Spa is set dramatically among the tropical forest; guests here not only choose their preferred treatment—they can also pick their own relaxation soundtrack.
Costa Rica’s most popular saying is “pura vida,” or “pure life,” representing the embrace of a full and happy life. Participating in the nation’s wellness experiences are a good first step toward making that saying come to life for groups.
