Chinese Company to Build Luxury Resort in Guanacaste

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced recently that it plans to open a 130-room hotel near Playa Manzanillo in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.

The planned resort, which would open in 2009, is part of the 538-acre Rancho Manzanillo development that includes residences, an 18-hole golf course, a 20,000-square-foot spa and several restaurants.

Mandarin Oriental is a Hong Kong company that operates luxury hotels around the world. A few of the 20 hotels the company operates are located in Miami, New York, Geneva, London and Prague.

The group is planning to open 16 new hotels in the coming years, including hotels in Mexico, China, the United States, Grand Cayman and Paris.