In this Daily: A Wedding in the Santarena Conservatory and A Top Location for Destination Events
Santarena Hotel is set to host a wedding today in the Conservatory, a showcase of Santarena’s versatility as a home base and venue for many different types of events. Since the opening of the hotel a few months ago, Santarena has hosted events like XPT’s Waterman Experience in June, the Culinary Institute of America’s Costa Rican visit (currently in town), alongside a mix of dinners, celebrations, weddings, retreats, meetings, yoga sessions, wine tastings, and more.
A big part of this versatility is the walking distance access to everything in town. For partners like XPT, the ability to go to the beach, the mountains, the gym, a training pool, and then back to their accommodations all without entering a car meant new opportunities, less overhead, and more time actually spent on the retreat.
The surrounding community of Guanacaste represents another opportunity for visiting retreats and events. For example, while the Culinary Institute of America has been in town this week, the students have been working with ConnectOcean and Chef Gilberto to do a deep dive with local fishermen on sustainable fishing practices, paired with a course in the preparation of ceviches and sashimi.
Recently, the international meeting community has taken notice of the Santarena Hotel’s event spaces, with the world’s top meeting planner CVENT naming Guanacaste in its Top 25 Meeting Destinations in Central America. Taking the #11 spot, Santarena was even featured on CVENT’s blog, with a writeup focused on the possibilities of the hotel and town for destination events.
Throughout town, the mix of indoor venues and outdoor spaces offer a blend of urban, beach, and tropical atmospheres. From beaches to trails, from central plazas to rooftops, these spaces are adaptable to occasions ranging from large and joyful celebrations to creative work and important meetings to intimate moments of connection.
The possibilities of Santarena as an event destination will continue to grow. For partners interested in wellbeing retreats, a number of spaces both indoors and among the outdoors offer venues for any pursuit, with culinary teams in town capable of creating diverse, interesting cuisine to suit diverse dietary restrictions.
Years of weddings, retreats, and events in town have shown the strength of Las Catalinas as a celebration space rich in food, drink, and the beauty of Guanacaste. Last year’s Guanacaste Nights at Plaza Lucia offered a taste of an elegant culinary-cultural event. The Intrepid Challenge, Paddle Battle, Triathlon, and Open Water swim events showcase the town’s convenience for athletics and adaptability to any form of outdoor fitness.
The Santarena Hotel is a welcome addition to town with spaces tailor made to welcome these diverse retreats, events, and meetings.