English / Español
Small Distinctive Hotels

SDH BLOG

• The Blue Flag Program - Arenas del Mar

• Hotel Grano de Oro - Thanks for such nice comments!

• AGREEMENT HOTEL CASA TURIRE - ICE & FITNESS TRAIL

• Weddings in Florblanca

• Birds and Hotel Casa Turire

QuickFinder

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

    About Costa Rica

  1. Costa Rica Facts.
  2. Which Airlines fly to Costa Rica?
  3. What should I bring?
  4. Can everything be paid in US dollars or do I need local currency?
  5. Which tours and activities do we recommend in Costa Rica?
  6. What is the official language in Costa Rica?
  7. What does “Pura Vida” mean?

    8. Health and Weather

  8. How is the weather in Costa Rica?
  9. Which vaccines are recommended for Costa Rica?
  10. What about mosquitoes and insect repellent?
  11. When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

    12. About the Hotels

  12. How can I contribute with the Sustainable Tourism?
  13. How do I get to the hotels?
  14. What are the hotels’ check-in and check-out times?
  15. Do Small Distinctive Hotels accept Credit Cards?
  16. We have to spend the night in San José, could you recommend a hotel?
  17. Do Small Distinctive Hotels organize weddings?
  18. Are Small Distinctive Hotels ideal for honeymoons?

    19. Traveling around Costa Rica

  19. How can I plan my trip in Costa Rica through Small Distinctive Hotels?
  20. How can I organize my transportation in Costa Rica?
  21. How are the streets and roads in Costa Rica?
  22. How can I estimate the distances?
  23. Should I extra tip?

    24. Sustainable Tourism

  24. What is Sustainable Tourism?
  25. What is the CST?
  26. How can I contribute to Sustainable Tourism?

1. Costa Rica Facts:
Area: 51 100 square kilometers
Population:   4 331 000
Capital: San José
Government: Democratic Republic
Abolishment of army:
Geopolitical Structure: 7 provinces; Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose
Official Language: Spanish, however the English is well spoken in tourist areas.
Official Currency:  Costa Rican Colon, but the US dollars are accepted in tourist establishments.
Official Religion: Catholic (almost the 80% of population)
Highest point: Cerro Chirripó (3820mts)
Major Industries: Tourism, Agriculture and electronic exports

2. Which Airlines fly to Costa Rica?
Some of the international airlines that have Costa Rica as a destination are: American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Iberia, Spirit Airlines, US Airways, Frontier Airlines, Martinair, Condor, Air Canada, Mexicana, Copa Airlines,  and TACA (LACSA, the Costa Rican airline is part of this group) and Cubana.

3. What should I bring?
Most of the hotel`s dress codes are informal.  Guests are encouraged to bring lightweight, casual clothing, a poncho, hats, sunscreen, insect repellent, a bathing suit, sturdy shoes or hiking boots for activities and nature hikes.  National airline flights have a 25 lb. baggage limit per person.  And don’t worry about bringing extra clothing, since most hotels offer laundry service. 

4. Can everything be paid in US dollars or do I need local currency?
Costa Rica’s currency is called the Colon.). However, while staying at your hotel, cash will not be necessary. All your expenses can be charged to your room and when you check out, we will accept US dollars, Colones traveler’s checks and/or all major credit cards.

When going on tours or visiting local towns, carrying one, five and ten US dollar bills would definitely be recommended as well as some local currency. Most businesses and restaurants, in tourist destinations, accept US dollars. Euros and other currencies are not commonly accepted in Costa Rica.

5. Which tours and activities do we recommend in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica offers a surprisingly large amount and variety of activities to engage in, so whether you are on a romantic vacation, traveling with your family or are looking for adventure, you can be sure to find it all here.

For an overview of the activities offered in and around each hotel, visit any of the eight hotels listed on our website, and select the “Tours and Activities” section. In order to inform about the hotels, visit: Tours and activities

6. What is the official language in Costa Rica?
The official language in Costa Rica is Spanish. Additionally, a major part of the population speaks English as a second language.

7. What does the expression “Pura Vida” mean?
Literally translated the expression “pura vida” means “pure life”. Used in a great variety of contexts it usually implies that “life is great”, be it in a greeting, goodbye or thank you.

This phrase has become world-wide known and used as an expression for the Costa Rican lifestyle, where time is taken as easy as the rest of life, and a friendly and welcoming attitude are as natural as the environment.

8. How is the weather in Costa Rica?
Almost year round the temperature is ideal. In highlands with a temperature of 72° F and in lowlands and coasts between 72° and 90° F. Nights in Costa Rica are free of humidity and beaches are refreshed by the ocean breeze. Rainy season is from late April or May till December, with more frequent showers on October. Caribbean side has a short summer during the months of September and October, although the weather is almost perfect you should be prepared for occasional rains.

The dry season on the pacific side and central region goes from January to March. Many people have a wrong concept of our rainy season; they think will never stop raining. Nothing would be less accurate. We can assure you that normally the mornings followed by some showers in the afternoon or at night and sometimes many days without rain. The annual average of temperature goes from 89° F at the coast to 62° F in land and precipitation average goes from 3000 to 3500 mm (120 - 140”).

9. Which vaccines are recommended for Costa Rica?

  • Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
  • Hepatitis B - if you are exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months, or are undergoing various medical treatments.
  • Rabies - if you are in contact to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation.
  • Typhoid - particularly if you are visiting other developing countries in this region.
  • As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. The Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11 and 12 who did not receive it as infants.

10. What about mosquitoes and insect repellent?
Mosquitoes are more or less present depending on the hour of the day and the time of the year. They are especially active after extended periods of rain, and around 5:30 and 6:30 pm during dawn.

It is advisable to bring an insect repellent, especially when undertaking activities such as hiking in natural areas for instance in rain forests or national parks. We recommend buying non aerosol cans, since these contain less toxic ingredients.

11. When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?
Usually tourists visit Costa Rica during the summer months which last from the middle of December until April. However during the winter season from May to November the rates are lower and moreover the forests are greener, which is the reason why this time of the year is also referred to as the “green season”.

12. Where are the properties of Small Distinctive Hotels located?
City Hotel: Hotel Grano de Oro in San José.

Beach Hotels:
Hotel Capitán Suizo  in Tamarindo Beach, Guanacaste.
Florblanca Resort in Santa Teresa Beach, Puntarenas in Península de Nicoya.
Arenas del Mar in Playitas and Espadilla Beaches, just right next to Manuel Antonio National Park.

Mountain Hotels:
Peace Lodge in Vara Blanca of Heredia, nearby Poas volcano
Hotel Casa Turire located in Turrialba Valley in Cartago.

Mountain and Beach Properties: Hotels that combine both characteristics.
Hotel Villa Caletas, located 15 minutes away from Jacó Beach in the Central Pacific.
Hotel Cuna del Angel, located in Dominical beach in the area of Costa Ballena.

13. How do I get to the hotels?
For a description on how to get to each hotel, visit the section “Our Hotels” on our website, select the desired hotel and click on the link “Location”.

14. What are the hotels’ check-in and check-out times?
Below are listed the check-in and check-out times for all the members of Small Distinctive Hotels:

Hotel Check-In Time Check-Out Time
Grano de Oro: 2:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.
Capitan Suizo: 3:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.
Villa Caletas: 2:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.
Florblanca: 2:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.
Casa Turire: 2:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.
Peace Lodge: 3:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.
Cuna del Angel: 3:00 p.m. 11:00 a.m.
Arenas del Mar: 2:00 p.m. 11:00 a.m.

15. Do Small Distinctive Hotels accept Credit Cards?
Yes, all the properties of Small Distinctive Hotels accept AMEX, VISA, MASTER CARD, DINNERS CLUB, DISCOVERY and JCB.

16. We have to spend the night in San José, could you recommend a hotel?
When staying in San José, we recommend the hotel Grano de Oro. An oasis in the midst of the city, this formerly tropical Victorian mansion has been converted into a hotel and offers all the service, comfort and quality expected, together with one of San José`s top restaurants. For more information, we invite you to take a look at the hotel`s section on our site or by following this link: Grano de Oro

17. Do Small Distinctive Hotels organize weddings?
Costa Rica is a perfect tropical destination for exotic weddings. Your dream could become reality since Small Distinctive Hotels offers romantic, exotic and unforgettable wedding sceneries. Villa Caletas, Peace Lodge, Casa Turire, Florblanca, Cuna del Angel and Arenas Del Mar organize every detail of your most important moment; professional staff guarantees a successful event. Visit our “Weddings” section at Specials Weddings for more information, or contact the mentioned hotels to get more information about receptions, legal processes, ceremonies costs, decoration, music, shows and all your other questions.

18. Are Small Distinctive Hotels members ideal for honeymoons?
The most special, romantic and passionate moment in your life deserves to be perfect… Costa Rica has become a popular honeymoon destination. If you are looking for the ultimate luxury honeymoon, Small Distinctive Hotels offers you the best collection of boutique hotels in Costa Rica. All of our hotels offer special honeymoon packages and rates. For more information, visit our honeymoon section on our website at honeymoons

19. How can I plan my trip in Costa Rica through Small Distinctive Hotels?

If you need help to plan your future vacation in Costa Rica, Small Distinctive Hotels will refer your request to a professional travel planner. Visit Distinctive Travel in Small Distinctive Hotels

20.How can I organize my transportation in Costa Rica?
In Costa Rica there is huge variety of tour operators that offer the option of driver / guide with a van that will take you wherever you want without the hassle of driving. Visit the website of the Costa Rican Operator Association www.acot.co.cr or contact each hotel to reserve private transfer services.
These are our recommendations for rent a cars in case you prefer to drive along the country:

Europe Rent a Car: www.europcar.co.cr

21. How are the streets and roads in Costa Rica?

The current government has invested to improve considerably the Costa Rican vial network; a regular car might do it in practically every popular destinations. There are few destinations that is recommended a 4x4 car not exactly because their muddy roads but because a stronger car is needed. To Florblanca for example, at some time of the year a 4x4 is needed. To all the other hotels you can get by using a 4x2. To popular and well known tourists destinations you will find signs along the road, the opposite happens with street and avenues signs in the city, they are absent.

22. How can I estimate the distances?

From San José to: Approx.  Duration Approx. Distance
Vara Blanca 1 hour 54 Km / 33 Miles
Turrialba 2½ hours 70 Km / 44 Miles
Manuel Antonio 3½ hours 192 Km / 120 Miles
Tamarindo Beach 5 hours 274 Km / 170 Miles
Jaco 1½ hours 117 Km / 73 Miles
Santa Teresa Beach 5½ hours 152 Km / 96 Miles
Dominical Beach 4 hours 162 Km / 100 Miles

23. Should I extra tip?
 There is a 10% included in every food and beverage consumption to cover service. Extra tipping is recommended if you received an excellent service that you want to recognize. The food and beverage consumptions are the only ones that include the 10% for service. Drives, receptionists, bell boys and other services are not covered by this system.

24. What is Sustainable Tourism?
The development of sustainable tourism must be seen as the balanced interaction between use of our natural and cultural resources, the improvement of the quality of life among the local communities, and the economic success of the industry, which also contributes to national development. Sustainable Tourism is not only a response of demand, but also an imperative condition to successfully compete now and in the Future (Definition of Sustainable Tourism, CST 1997).
Get more information in www.visitcostarica.com

25. What is the CST?
The Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) is a program that seeks to categorize and certify each tourism company according to the degree to which its operations comply a model of sustainability. To this effect, four fundamental aspects are evaluated:  

  1. Physical-biological parameters: Evaluates the interaction between the company and its surrounding natural habitat.
  2. Infrastructure and services: Evaluates the management policies and the operational systems within the company and its infrastructure.
  3. External clients: Evaluates the interaction of the company with its clients in terms of how much it allows and invites the client to be an active contributor to the company's policies of sustainability.
  4. Socio-economic environment: Evaluates the interaction of the company with the local communities and the population in general.

Visit www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr to know more about the CST.

26. How can I contribute to Sustainable Tourism?
Three of the properties of Small Distinctive Hotels are all ready certificated with the CST, Villa Caletas, Casa Turire and Peace Lodge all of them with 2 leave. The others properties are in the process to be certificated soon. Part of all the efforts that our hotels have been doing includes contributions and supports for environmental, social and cultural programs in their community. Request all the information about the programs of Sustainable tourism that the hotel is part of and you can help. Also follow our tips for responsible travelers at Ssustainability Tips

Go to top