Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica: 11/01/2010

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Sustainability Efforts at Small Distinctive Hotels rewarded

Since the beginning of Small Distinctive Hotels, sustainability has played an important role, and all member hotels of the group have been actively engaged in diverse social and environmental initiatives. One of the group's entry criteria for new members is moreover the engagement in the process of CST, the national sustainability certification program. CST rewards touristic enterprises with a 5-level certification system based on criteria in the following categories:

Physical-biological parameter
Infrastructure and services
External client
Socio-economic environment

Consequently all members have been working with CST, and have recently begun to receive rewards for their arduous work. Three members of the group have received the results of their certification efforts, resulting in the following current situation; the levels are referred to as leaves, which represent the 5 levels (5 being the highest) of the system:

5 Leaves - Arenas del Mar
4 Leaves - Casa Turire, Grano de Oro, Cuna del Angel, Playa Nicuesa
2 Leaves - Villa Caletas, Peace Lodge
Awaiting Certification - Villa Caletas, Peace Lodge and Florblanca

These results are by no means definite, and while some hotels are currently waiting for their evaluation, all hotels are constantly working on improving the environmental and social sustainability of their hotels. The latest results of Hotel Casa Turire, Hotel Grano de Oro and Hotel Cuna del Angel show that the continuous sustainability efforts are paying off.

The success of the hotels' sustainability programs however is not expressed in quantities of leaves received but in positive actions implemented in terms of a harmonious relation with nature, content employees and surrounding communities as well as satisfied and fulfilled customers. We believe that by giving back to nature as well as communities, we can truly make a difference not only in our surroundings, but also in the attitude of our visitors who will ideally fly back home with a greater sense of responsibility and appreciation of nature, culture and communities.

We hope that you will have the chance to visit one of our hotels and witness these countless positive projects for yourself! To read more about sustainability at Small Distinctive Hotels, our nine members, we recommend you to have a look at the sustainability section of our website. Thank you for your ongoing interest.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Evening Event on November 10, 2010

Naturally Exclusive...

We are excited to end this year with a brand new corporate design, a new hotel member: Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, as well as continued sustainability efforts which have recently been rewarded by the national sustainable tourism certification program (CST). More information about these developments can be read in the blog entries preceding this one.

To celebrate and communicate all of the exciting changes the hotel group has recently undergone, an evening event was held at Hotel Grano de Oro, one of the group's members. For this event, representatives of the 25 top-selling travel agencies had been invited who received the latest news and developments at our hotel group first-hand.

The evening started with a presentation on the latest developments as well as the strategic route for Small Distinctive Hotels, held by the group's director, Hans Pfister. A unique music band accompanied the gathering, during which travel agents and the hotels' owners and managers could exchange the latest talks of the industry.

We thank all participants for making this event a successful one, and for your continued participation and interest in our hotel group. To view the pictures of the event, please have a look here!

A New Hotel Member!

We are excited to welcome a new member to our group

The unique Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is located in the middle of a secluded 165-acre private preserve located in the Golfo Dulce/Osa Peninsula region. Reachable only per boat, the tranquil surroundings offer an uncomparably peaceful rainforest and beach experience.

The lodge accommodates up to 25 guests, offering four private cabins and a guest house with all accommodations providing spectacular views of the rainforest. It has been designed to enable the most intimate encounter with the pristine nature of this area, while at the same ensuring the preservation of this natural as well as its social environment. With the ocean in its front yard, and thousands of acres of tropical rainforest in its backyard; beach, nature and adventure activities abound.

This video will give you a taste of this ecological paradise... We do hope however that you will have the opportunity to experience this serene and magical spot for yourself, and immerse yourself in tropical jungle and beach surroundings!!

Nueva Imagen de Small Distinctive Hotels

Estamos felices de presentarles la nueva imagen cooperativa de
Small Distinctive Hotels:

Nuestro nuevo slogan:
Naturally Exclusive!

El desarollo de esta imagen fue un proceso intensivo e interesante que incluyo la elaboración de un concepto completo de lo que representa nuestra marca. Un ejercicio muy interesante en este proceso fue la personificación de Small Distinctive Hotels... el resultado fue una descripción bien detallada de la personalidad de la marca que queremos compartir con ustedes:

Si Small Distinctive Hotels fuera una persona seria...

Un hombre de 35 a 45 años, tiene el cabello corto, mide 1.80 cm, cuida su salud, come saludable, pero igual disfruta de gustos. Es de nacionalidad costarricense sin embargo tiene estudios afuera del país, habla varios idiomas, está casado y tiene hijos.

Viste casual, es genuino sin apariencias, pero siempre con buena presencia. Es una persona accesible, segura de sí misma, maneja una estupenda conducta y un profundo conocimiento de cultura general. Le gusta la naturaleza, los deportes, actividades culinarias, viajar, conocer lugares íntimos y tranquilos y relajarse en lugares diferentes.

New Brand Image of Small Distinctive Hotels

We are pleased to present the newly developed corporate image of
Small Distinctive Hotels

Our new slogan:
Naturally Exclusive!

Developing this new corporate image has been a long and intensive process, which included the elaboration of a complete concept of what our brand represents. One of the brainstorming sessions yielded a very interesting result. The exercise focused on the personification of the brand Small Distinctive Hotels, and we would like to share the outcome with you below:

If Small Distinctive Hotels were a person, this would be...

a man between 35 and 45 years old with short hair, measuring 1.80cm, who takes cares of his health and generally eats wholesome foods, although he does enjoy a treat from time to time. His nationality is Costa Rican, however he has absolved his studies abroad. He speaks various languages, is married and has kids.

Casually dressed, he is genuine without being pretentious, nevertheless he always appears perfectly presentable. He is an approachable person, self-confident, with excellent manners, and profound general cultural knowledge. He enjoys nature, exercise, culinary activities, traveling, and getting to know quiet and intimate spots to relax in new places.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Habitat Solutions - Reportaje de Casa Turire

El 30 de Octubre, Hotel Casa Turire fue representado en el programa Habitat Solutions de Canal 7.

On October 30th, Hotel Casa Turire was featured in the program Habitat Solutions on Canal 7 (only available in Spanish)

Monday, November 1, 2010

Small Distinctive Hotels continua estando entre los hoteles favoritos de Centroamérica

Conde Nast Travel – Readers choice Awards 2010

El pasado 12 de octubre, una de las revistas de turismo más reconocidas y confiables de la industria del Turismo, Conde Nast Traveler, dio a conocer su muy esperada XXIII lista de los mejores destinos y propiedades del mundo según la votación de sus lectores.

En la categoría de mejores hoteles pequeños de Centroamérica aparecen enlistados 5 hoteles, de los cuales 4 son propiedades costarricenses. Lo cual evidencia la preferencia de turistas internacionales hacia Costa Rica.

Lo que más complace a Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica es anunciar que 3 de esas 5 propiedades premiadas son miembros de este reconocido grupo hotelero. El Hotel Capitán Suizo, localizado en Tamarindo, se encuentra en el top 3, mientras que el Hotel Grano de Oro localizado en San José y Villa Caletas, ubicado en las cercanías de Jacó, gozan de una 4ta y 5ta posición.

Este premio recompensa el compromiso de nuestros hoteles en brindar un servicio de excelente calidad, ofrecer facilidades exclusivas, experiencias únicas, un compromiso con la sostenibilidad y la imagen del país. Pero dentro de lo más importante es el aporte que hacen todos nuestros colaboradores para crear experiencias a nuestros huéspedes.

Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica, es un grupo de 8 hoteles boutique localizados en diferentes lugares de territorio nacional, que ofrecen servicio personalizado y e instalaciones íntimas y románticas. Nuestros hoteles miembros son: Hotel Grano de Oro, Villa Caletas, Capitán Suizo, Florblanca, Casa Turire, Peace Lodge, Cuna del Angel y Arenas del Mar. Para mayor información visitar http://www.distinctivehotels.com.

La metodología utilizada por Conde Nast:

Unas 25 916 personas participaron en la encuesta en línea (sitio seguro) que tiene Conde Nast Travelers para sus lectores, quienes son viajeros experimentados. La encuesta se divide en categorías y cada uno de ellas evalúa candidatos específicos, en donde cada uno de los criterios tiene un rango de calificación que va de excelente a pobre. Al final se promedia la calificación de todos los criterios para obtener la nota definitiva.

Fuente:

Small Distinctive Hotels continue to be among favorite hotels in Central America Condé Nast Traveler Magazine

Condé Nast Travel - Readers Choice Awards 2010

This past October 12th, the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine, one of the most renowned and credible magazines in the travel industry, has publicized its much-awaited XXIII list of the best destinations and properties worldwide, according to its readers’ votes. In the category of best small hotels in Central America, 5 hotels have been nominated, of which 4 are Costa Rican properties. This shows the international tourists’ preference for this destination.

At Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica, we are especially pleased to announce that 3 of these 5 nominated properties are members of this distinguished hotel group. Hotel Capitán Suizo in Tamarindo ranks top 3; Hotel Grano de Oro located in San José, and Villa Caletas located in the Jacó area hold the 4th and 5th position respectively.

This award compensates the commitment of our hotels to provide excellent service, exclusive facilities, unique experiences, a dedication to sustainability as well as a positive image of Costa Rica. But among the most important qualities, is our employees` contribution towards the creation of unforgettable experiences for our guests.

Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica is a group of 8 boutique hotels located in various areas of Costa Rica, which all offer personalized service as well as intimate and romantic installations. Our hotel members are: Hotel Grano de Oro, Villa Caletas, Capitán Suizo, Florblanca, Casa Turire, Peace Lodge, Cuna del Angel and Arenas del Mar. For further information, please visit: http://www.distinctivehotels.com/.

Methodology applied by Condé Nast:

Approximately 25 916 persons participate in an online poll (secure website) which Condé Nast has installed for its readers – all of which are seasoned travelers. The survey is divided into various categories which all feature specific candidates. The evaluation is conducted by means of a five-point scale ranging from poor to excellent. Finally, the average of all criteria is calculated to obtain the definite score.

Sources: