The mandatory stop at reception is being eliminated in favor of computerized registration and welcome processes.
This is what happens for example in small boutique hotels in Amsterdam, London and Glasgow, Scotland, where guests check in at a kiosk and go directly to their rooms, only stopping to talk to a hotel clerk if they have any questions. In other cases, guests make reservations online, by e-mail in order to get their room allocation and the key code.
Six new hotels will be opening in the province of Guanacaste between late 2013 and mid-2014.
An article in Nacion.com reports that "a report commissioned by this newspaper with the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) determined that, as expected, four major projects will be opening in Guanacaste starting from the end of this year,."
It is expected that December this year will see the opening of the hotels Vista del Mar, with 58 rooms, and Andaz Papagayo in Liberia, with 153 rooms. By July of 2014 it is expected that the Meliá Papagayo, with 379 rooms, will open in the Canton of Carrillo. In November 2014 Dreams Las Mareas will open in Salinas, which is a hotel with 447 rooms.
The crisis in international tourist arrivals has forced the hotel industry to study local tourist preferences when choosing a hotel.
According to a study by Elfinancierocr.com, 25% of Costa Ricans holidaymakers chose a hotel as their place of stay.
The vast majority of hotels belong to the beach category and are located in the Pacific area, which coincides with Costa Rican's favorite place to vacation.
FIFA has decided to return to Costa Rica the organizing of the FIFA U-17, to be held from March 15 to April 14, 2014.
From a press release issued by the Costa Rican Football Federation (Fedefutbol):
After studying the new infrastructure strategy, financial commitment, projected renovations and technical reports given by the Costa Rican Football Federation (FEDEFUTBOL) and the Costa Rican government sports institutions and organizations, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) decided to return the hosting of the FIFA U-17 Women of 2014 to Costa Rica.
An oversupply of rooms, the competition of "vacation rentals", Liberia airport, and the lack of an international convention center, are factors affecting the profitability of hotels in the capital.
Elfinancierocr.com reports that "The average rate for a standard double room in the small three star hotel in the capital, Rincon de San Jose, dropped from $52.5 in 2011 to $49 in 2013.
Although building permits for hotels fell slightly during 2012, development projects will add more than 1,300 rooms over the next two years.
Nacion.com reports that "Seven projects under construction will extend the national supply of hotel rooms by 1309, with the openings planned between this December and November 2014."
This adds to the 1039 rooms which were added to the hotel inventory between late last year and January 2013.
In the last two years Costa Rican companies supplying products for hotels have seen their sales to Panama rise by up to 35%.
The export of products such as toiletries, linens, rugs and pillows and cooling equipment for hotels, grew by 18% this year up to August, according to the study entitled "Opportunities for the Costa Rican industry specializing in the hospitality industry of Panama" conducted by the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer).
The Colombian hotel chain has announced its entry into the Costa Rican market with the opening of two hotels.
According to a publication in the Colombian newspaper, El Tiempo, the openings will be in the first half of this year in San Jose and Jaco.
Ximena Gomez, sales manager of the chain, without disclosing the amount of investment, said that the establishments will be called Royal Decameron Irazu (330 rooms) and Decameron Jacó Beach (130 rooms).
The Colombian Decameron Group is expanding its investments in Latin America in 2012, including the opening of two hotels in Costa Rica and one in Panama.
In Costa Rica, Decameron will open this year a 330-room Royal Decameron Irazu in San Jose, and one in Jaco Beach, with 130 rooms.
"In April, they will open the first Hard Rock hotel in Central and South America, which will be located in Panama and will have 1,463 rooms.
With an investment of $16 million, Aloft Hotel has started operations, a business which is counting on the support of business tourists.
The new hotel aims to attract businessmen arriving in Costa Rica to take part in international events or conduct private business.
Aloft Hotel Central America, with 150 rooms and a 175 square meter space dedicated to meeting rooms, offers guests broadband connection in all areas of the building.
With an investment of $16 million the Colombian developer Terranum has inaugurated Hotel Aloft.
The building is located in Santa Ana will be managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
"Paul Downey, general manager of Aloft Costa Rica, said that this line has existed since 2008 and has about 60 hotels around the world", according to an article in Elfinancierocr.com.
The airlines announced the signing of the agreement which will contribute to increased flight options for passengers in the Southern Cone.
In the first quarter of next year, Sky Airlines will sign a similar agreement with the airline Avianca, indicated Fabio Villegas, CEO of Avianca, Taca, Stuart Ortiz, COO of Avianca-Taca and Jürgen Paulmann, CEO of Sky Airlines, in a press conference.
Individual clients at weddings, holidaymakers and company executives on corporate events all want Costa Rican hotels to increase their supply of "green" services.
Personal and corporate events with local foods, and tree planting to offset the impact generated by the event are some of the offerings that hotel chains in Costa Rica are promoting.
In this way, they claim to offer something that, according to hotel owners, customers are looking for.