It is estimated that renting halls for events and opening up restaurants to the general public and not only to guests, represents between 15% and 40% of income for hotels in the Greater Metropolitan Area.
Hotels in the Greater Metropolitan Area are making use of these options in order to take advantage of the infrastructure available to provide services beyond renting bedrooms.
It has been announced that a hotel will be built under the Curio brand, owned by Hilton, called Botanika Osa Peninsula, in the southern zone of Costa Rica.
From a statement issued by Hilton Hotels:
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the signing of the Botánika Osa Peninsula to Curio - A Collection by Hilton. Botánika Osa Peninsula, Curio - A Collection by Hilton, is slated to open in 2018 and the project developer is Sinergo Development Group.
The Public Prosecutor has initiated criminal proceedings against representatives of the spanish chain RIU for alleged environmental damages generated in the construction area of the hotel it operates in Guanacaste.
Representatives of the hotel company state that all logging jobs in the area where the hotel was built in Matapalo beach, were performed with possession of permits issued at the time by the institutions.
An environmental impact study has been submitted in Costa Rica for a 14,000 square meter hotel development in the touristic region of the Gulf of Papagayo, Guanacaste.
In the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the "DP6 Papagayo Project", filed with the National Environmental Technical Secretariat in July 2015 by Hoteleras Playa Pochote S.A., it is indicated that the hotel tourism development will have a maximum of 318 rooms.
Agrisal Group invested $10 million in the purchase and remodeling of Indigo Hotel in Santa Ana, which from now on will operate under the brand Holiday Inn Express.
The 100-room hotel is located in Santa Ana and is focused mainly on the segment of business travelers.
Prunera Luis Alvarez, a member of the board of Grupo Agrisal told Eleconomista.net that "...
The announcement of the construction of a new 151-room hotel in the resort Reserva Conchal Cabo Velas, Santa Cruz, confirms the recovery of the tourism sector in the country.
From a statement issued by Desarrollos Hoteleros Guanacaste S.A:
W Costa Rica, Reserva Conchal
Anticipated Opening date: Second Quarter 2019
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA, June 30, 2015 - Development Hoteliers Guanacaste SA (DHG), a subsidiary of Florida Ice and Farm Company SA, announced today that it has plans to develop the hotel W Costa Rica, Reserva Conchal whose anticipated opening date will be during the second quarter of 2019. The W Costa Rica, Reserva Conchal will be operated by the prestigious American company Starwood Hotels & Resorts (Starwood), according to the contract signed between the parties involved. The project includes, among other things, the development of the following facilities: 151 rooms, the "W Living Room", a specialty restaurant, bar and lounge, infinity horizon pool, spa and convention center.
Although major hotel brands claim not to be affected, the growing supply of houses and apartments for short stays, is forcing hotels to change their methods of attracting guests in order to survive.
Airbnb, VRBO and Homeaway are just some of the countless websites where owners rent their houses or apartments to tourists, who increasingly opt for this alternative to conventional hotels worldwide, and Central America is no exception.
In the Gulf of Papagayo the government of Costa Rica has already granted 35 areas in concession, which occupy almost 90% of the total area to be developed.
At the moment nine resorts are operating, three are under construction and it is expected that design plans for two more will be submitted this year.
Three hotels are expected to start operations during 2015: the Paradisus Papagayo Bay Resort, with an investment of $90 million, the Marriott Papagayo, with $67 million and the Wyndham Resort Papagayo YU, with $22 million. Authorities in the Gulf of Papagayo Tourist Pole pointed out that besides the three projects formal presentation of the designs and the start of procedures to build a hotel and a residential complex is also awaited.
Small hotels can not compete with the low prices used by big international chains in the sector to attract customers.
Entrepreneurs in the tourism sector in destinations in Manuel Antonio, Quepos and Aguirre are demanding urgent action by the government to halt what they call unfair competition, which coupled with the low influx of tourists in the area and the absence of a strategy for tourist attraction, is leading small hotel companies to bankruptcy.
In the past 20 years hotels have had to adapt to much more informed clients, who are less loyal and have broader interests.
An article on Hosteltur.com reviews the evolution of the hospitality industry, in times of globalization and most of all the possibilities offered by the Internet.
The Secretary General of CEHAT, Ramón Estalella, notes that "...
The average occupancy rate in 2013 in the country's hotels was less than 50%, the lowest in the last five years.
Figures from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute indicate that the average occupancy rate during 2013 was 48.7%, the lowest since 2009, when the international crisis started, resulting in a significant reduction in the flow of foreign tourists coming to the country.
On March 24th and 25th Central American companies supplying the hotel and restaurant industry will meet in El Salvador.
El Salvador will be hosting the fifth edition of the Regional Provider Fair "Ferprotur 2014" for the hotel and restaurant industry, which will be held on 24 and 25 March in San Salvador.
In the fifth edition of Ferprotur national and international companies providing products, goods and services for the hotel and restaurant industry will come together.
Beach hotels recorded the highest occupancy of 74.1%, local mountain hotels had 70.24% and those in the city had an occupancy of 69.23%.
Although the expectation of 78% occupancy projected by the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) was not reached, it was the highest average level in the last four years.
From a press release by the National Chamber of Tourism Canatur:
In September and October hoteliers reduce or close their operations due to the low levels of occupancy recorded at this time of year.
Many of these companies send their employees on training courses or terminate their contracts as occupancy levels in these two months are at the lowest of the year. "... The situation is even more difficult, as it is estimated that the average occupancy will fall to 35%, and less than 30% in many cases," reported Nacion.com.
At least 10% of small B & B type hotels in Costa Rica are no longer active.
It has been estimated that in San Jose alone 10 hotels have closed their doors, however, it is not known how many of these types of establishments are operating in the country. "The information comes from knowledge held by private sector authorities, including the National Network of Small Hotels of Costa Rica (Renaph) and the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels (CCH), through which it can be inferred that they have been affected by the economic situation," reported Elfinancierocr.com.