Two Costa Rica hotels have been named among Oprah Daily’s 2026 Hotel O-wards, placing Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Collection, and Lamangata Luxury Surf Resort on the publication’s annual list of 58 wellness-focused retreats around the world.
The ranking, published June 2, highlights hotels, resorts and cruises selected for what Oprah Daily describes as travel experiences centered on wellness, personal reset and transformation. The list is organized by region, with winners across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Hacienda AltaGracia is in Pérez Zeledón and Oprah Daily highlighted the resort’s Estée Lauder Skin Longevity Institute, described as the first of its kind in the Americas, along with skin analysis, customized facials, coffee tastings, horseback riding and river bathing on the property.
The resort, part of Auberge Collection, describes itself as a 50-casita property set across 180 acres, with tropical forest, a coffee farm, equine stables, chef’s gardens and Casa de Agua, its wellbeing center.
Lamangata Luxury Surf Resort was also included in the Latin America section. Oprah Daily described it as a six-suite surf retreat above Costa Rica’s Dominical break, where guests receive surf coaching, video review of their sessions, yoga, pool time and meals using ingredients partly sourced from the property’s greenhouse.
Lamangata is in Dominical and is self-described as an all-inclusive boutique hotel with gourmet dining, an infinity pool, spa services, surf lessons, yoga, personalized surf instruction, post-surf video analysis and an on-site greenhouse.
For us here in Costa Rica, the recognition of these places, gives yet another boost to our country’s high-end wellness and adventure tourism profile. Hacienda AltaGracia represents the mountain retreat model, built around privacy, wellness programming and nature-based activities. Lamangata reflects a different side of the market, pairing surf instruction with small-scale luxury hospitality on the southern Pacific coast.
The inclusion also comes as Costa Rica continues to compete for travelers looking beyond traditional beach vacations. Wellness travel, surf tourism, farm-to-table dining and nature-based stays have become increasingly important parts of the country’s tourism image, especially among visitors seeking higher-end, experience-driven trips.
Keep in mind that while the ranking carries the Oprah name, the Hotel O-wards were published by Oprah Daily’s editors rather than presented as a personal selection by Oprah Winfrey herself. That distinction matters, but the platform’s reach still gives the two Costa Rican properties valuable international visibility in one of the most competitive segments of global travel.
