July 2012

2012

Costa Rica Scoop intelligence for upscale travel by Grupo Islita

book Mr. Gustavo Segura, MBA

Greetings from Gustavo!

The Face of Travel (according to Forbes Magazine) v

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ecent studies quoted by the influential publication indicate that “what matters

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R

To Find

Hotel Punta Islita

To Find

El Silencio Lodge

armest greetings from Costa Rica! Thank you for reading “Costa Rica Scoop”, the newsletter of Hotel Punta Islita + El Silencio Lodge & Spa.

We hope that you are enjoying a wonderful Summer in the company of family and friends and remind you that it is not too late to plan a late getaway to Costa Rica. Please contact our Reservation Department for updates on last-minute travel. They will gladly assist you in finding the best option for your family.

In this edition of Scoop, we would also like to highlight wellness and romance in anticipation of Costa Rica’s Green Season, a perfect time to schedule a honey-moon or a relaxation & wellness getaway. Lush, non-crowded, and offering the year’s best value, this special time will undoubtedly inspire life-long memories.

Warmest regards! -Gustavo Segura

W

hotelpuntaislita.com │ elsilenciolodge.com ..….

Magical Costa Rica Honeymoon The most romantic getaway for couples who seek

inspiration, relaxation, and adventure.

Hotel Punta Islita

* $1588

How can we assist you? │2231-6122 │reserve@grupoislita.com

El Silencio Lodge & Spa 3 nights in a Suite with private whirlpool

3 daily a-la-carte meals

Personal Eco-Concierge services

Guided hiking session

Los Bajos cultural tour

Swedish massage for couples

1 horseback riding or bird watching tour

3 nights in a Suite with whirlpool

Continental or Costa Rican breakfast

Islita Inspiration Cocktail

Islita Community Tour

Romantic Dinner with Guitar Serenade

1 hour couples’ massage

1 horseback riding or zip-lining adventure

*Per person. Double occupancy. Includes taxes. Rates and conditions subject to blackout dates and availability. Valid until December 19th, 2012.

Mention our

Newsletter &

receive an

UPGRADE @

Hotel Punta Islita

- Hotel Punta Islita -

This past April, Hotel Punta Islita had the honor of hosting a very special wedding for

our friends Joan & Brian. Their beautiful ceremony and lively celebration spanned a

whole week that was chockfull of fun activities for their friends and family. To read

more, just visit: http://bit.ly/HPIWeddingFeatureMarthaStewart Remember, as stat-

ed in the Martha Stewart site, the key to a successful destination wedding is a lot of

pre-planning. Please remember that our special event coordinator, Paola Bolaños will

gladly work with you or your favorite planner to craft

the most memorable beach wedding. @ PAOLA@GRUPOISLITA.COM

Destination Wedding Bliss

Congratulations to Joan & Brian! May that special spark light a brilliant pathway to a lifetime of blessings.

Thank you for letting us host your beautiful wedding ceremony and reception.

Tasty Travel Tip The Private Romantic Dinner at Hotel Punta

Islita is a couples’ favorite. Surprising him/

her by pre-scheduling this marvelous experi-

ence is a great idea. Not only does it ensure

availability, but allows our staff to offer

more personalized details to truly woo and

wow that special someone.

T he months of August through November bring about a

fascinating ritual when female sea turtles travel hundreds

of miles to return to the beaches where they once

hatched. Globally endangered sea turtles are the quiet

heroes of marine and beach environments. Some species

are sea grass grazers (like manatees), helping to optimize

the living habitats of

key food chain popula-

tions. Egg laying and

hatching on the beach provide essential nutrients for the

sand dune vegetation that helps prevent erosion. These

functions, essential to the health of coastal ecosystems,

have prompted aggressive conservation and recovery

efforts. For many years, Hotel Punta Islita has supported

the initiatives of the Camaronal Foundation. Thanks to

these efforts, Leatherbacks, Kemp Ridley, Green, Hawks-

bill, and Black turtles have once again returned to the

area in robust numbers, allowing for a night adventure

that lets visitors witness the egg-laying ritual, right from

the moment a turtle reaches shore. Graceful and acro-

batic in the water, once on land, sea-turtles are encum-

bered by their girth. Impossibly slow but determined,

they carry their massive weight (up to 700 pounds) to find

the perfect nesting spot. The heavy sound of dragged fric-

tion gives credence to their efforts! Muscular hind flip-

pers dig the nest by gently wiping away the sand in a pro-

cess reminiscent of a

Tai-Chi session. After

positioning themselves

over the dug nest, the egg-laying process begins. Be-

tween fifty and two hundred perfectly round, white eggs

are dropped. Once finished, the Tai-Chi resumes and the

nest is refilled with sand, tapping and sculpting the upper

layer in a hopeful attempt to thwart poachers and preda-

tors. The sea turtle slowly retraces its steps towards the

surf line and completes a mesmerizing life ritual.

Sea turtle-watching tours can be scheduled either at the

hotel or upon making reservations. For questions,

please contact:

@ RESERVE@GRUPOISLITA.COM

- Hotel Punta Islita -

How Far Would You

Swim for Love?

Argo, a determined Green

Sea Turtle recently clocked

close to 1000 miles from

Costa Rica’s Coco’s Island to

Panama to find a suitable

partner. The incredible voy-

age can be traced here:

http://bit.ly/TurtleTrack

Turtle-Nesting Season is On! image by Thierry Caro

Globally endangered sea turtles are the quiet heroes of marine and beach environments.

- El Silencio Lodge & Spa -

vocado’s regenerative and anti-aging

properties are well documented.

Featuring vitamin A, B, D & E, its compo-

sition is quite similar to our own natural

oils. Take advantage of this nutrient-rich

Summer favorite for healthy Fall & Win-

ter hair. (Plus, it will give you a chance

to not let your overripe produce go to

waste!)

Mash the avocado with a fork. Fold in

one tablespoon of milk and two table-

spoons of honey until reaching a creamy

consistency. Apply to your hair (and

your partner’s) and leave on for twenty

minutes. Shampoo and rinse with abun-

dant water. Please note: not recom-

mended if either of you have an avocado

food allergy.

From simple

A Isel’s Avocado Hair Repair

Forest weddings are graced by a

uniquely elegant aura. Delicate details

and classic touches, in full communion

with nature’s myriad shades of green,

imbue the ceremony with a storybook

ambiance. To learn more about El Si-

lencio Lodge & Spa as a magical wed-

ding destination please contact: Paola

Bolaños at:

El Silencio Wedding Bells

Esencia Spa’s Director Isel Quesada.

@ PAOLA@GRUPOISLITA.COM

brief break can go a long way in enhancing your wellness

and productivity. Soothing the mind with pleasant images

and relaxing music is a good option when you just need a

breather. If you are aching for a little desktop escape, we hope

you enjoy this brief video featuring enticing photographs taken

by Karin Zurcher, El Silencio Lodge & Spa’s owner. Unusual im-

ages captured in our surrounding cloud forest seem to suggest

that the bridge between land and ocean doesn’t stretch far.

http://bit.ly/OceanLandscapesInTheForest

A

Image-Induced Wellness

- El Silencio Lodge & Spa -

Seascapes in the Forest?

PAOLA@GRUPOISLITA.COM

Grupo Islita’s two select

properties blend the best of

Costa Rica’s beach and

mountain settings featuring

intense nature, upscale com-

fort and bespoke services.

Remember, we now offer a

unified reservations center

and a dedicated bilingual

team to help travelers, travel

professionals and their part-

ners ensure seamless logistics

from arrival to departure.

How may we assist you?

Email: reserve@grupoislita.com Phone in Costa Rica: +506 2231-6122

Toll Free from US & Canada: 1-866-446-4053

Online chat: www.hotelpuntaislita.com or www.elsilenciolodge.com

Voting Season is On! Hotel Punta Islita and El Silencio Lodge & Spa have

been nominated to Condé Nast Traveler Maga-

zine’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards. This is a

great opportunity to recognize the services offered

by our amazing staff. We would be quite honored

if you could share your experience at our proper-

ties by voting online at: http://bit.ly/CNTSurvey12