No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessNew Hilton hotel opens west of downtown San José; group also will...

New Hilton hotel opens west of downtown San José; group also will renovate Grand Hotel Costa Rica

A new hotel from the Hilton Garden Inn franchise on Wednesday officially opened across the street from La Sabana Park, west of downtown San José.

The 115-room hotel occupies the top seven floors of La Sabana Business Center, a 20-store tower that also hosts offices, restaurants and other businesses.

General Manager Sandor Tupi said the hotel began operating in mid-May with a $40 million investment by Desarrolladora Parque La Sabana S.A., a business group formed by investors from Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia.

“The group signed a Hilton Worldwide franchise to operate a hotel under its Garden Inn franchise brand,” Tupi said.

Another business group currently operates a Hilton Garden Inn in Liberia, Guanacaste, and the groups are holding negotiations to offer hosting packages at both hotels, said Marketing and Sales Manager Ludwing Díaz.

The new hotel targets both business and leisure customers. It also aims at attracting executive and other business customers as well as frequent leisure travelers. “These are customers who are already familiar with our hotels, and [our] quality service at a reasonable price,” Díaz said.

Hilton will compete against other hotels in the surroundings of La Sabana Park including the Crowne Plaza San José Corobicí, Tryp San José Sabana, Park Inn By Radisson San José and Barceló San José Palacio.

Renovation of iconic Hotel Costa Rica

The same investor group last year acquired the Gran Hotel Costa Rica and on Wednesday confirmed the hotel will undergo renovation in coming months.

Díaz told The Tico Times that in the past year and a half the group has undertaken studies of the terrain and of the building’s architectural structure.

They also are consulting with the Culture Ministry’s Heritage Conservation Center, as the nearly 85-year-old hotel was declared a Historical and Architectural Heritage building in 2005.

“We still are in the planning stage of the project, as any renovation must be carefully planned in order to comply with all regulations from the hotel’s historical status,” Díaz said.

The Gran Hotel Costa Rica was inaugurated in October 1930, with U.S. architect Victor Lorenz in charge of the project.

The hotel’s suites hosted several important visitors including U.S. presidents John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter, Hollywood actor John Wayne, Mexican comedian Mario “Cantinflas” Moreno, Panamanian boxing champion Roberto “Mano de Piedra” Durán and Brazil’s biggest football star, Pelé.

Grand Hotel Costa Rica
María Esquivel & Katherine Lambert/The Tico Times

Trending Now

Costa Rica Court Sanctions Road Official Over Delayed Wildlife Crossings

Costa Rica’s wildlife faces perils, as authorities have continously failed to build wildlife crossings. Nonetheless, the Constitutional Court has taken a firm stance in...

Costa Rica Fails to Meet Human Rights Standards for Deportees

The Ombudsman's Office has confirmed that Costa Rica was unprepared to provide adequate care for deportees who have entered the country since February. This...

El Salvador at Center of Controversial U.S.-Venezuela Detainee Exchange

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele received the 10 Americans exchanged on Friday between Washington and Caracas for 252 Venezuelans who had spent four months in...

Panama Union Leader Saúl Méndez Goes into Exile in Bolivia

The leader of Panama’s main union, Saúl Méndez, accused of fraud and money laundering, left for exile in Bolivia this Saturday. He had taken...

Costa Rica Celebrates 201st Annexation Anniversary With New Nicoya Park

Nearly 200 people joined the Municipality of Nicoya this Sunday to inaugurate a new park at the Annexation Monument, an initiative that blends recreation,...

Costa Rica Launches Traceability System to Tackle Illegal Logging

Costa Rica is advancing with the creation of a National Forest Traceability System, a key tool to guarantee the legality and sustainability of timber...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica