Travelers planning a Costa Rica vacation may want to consider some time at an appealing pair of Marriott International properties — one located on the outskirts of the country’s bustling capital city of San Jose, and the other nestled along the nation’s stunning Pacific coast.
During a visit last fall, I had a chance to stay at the 299-key Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen — just a 10-minute drive from Juan Santamaria International Airport — and Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort, a 201-guestroom property fronted by a black-sand beach and the gorgeous Herradura Bay.
Because their locations offer visitors such genuinely distinctive experiences, these two Marriott properties can serve as an inviting pairing for those interested in breaking up their Costa Rica trip a bit, while also adding some wonderful diversity to their itinerary options.
Exploring Around Marriott Hacienda Belen
Marriott Hacienda Belen can be a great place to recuperate after what is likely to be a relatively long flight to San Jose for most U.S. travelers. The hotel features comfortable rooms, a beautiful outdoor pool and a full-service spa, but the property can also serve as a launching point to explore some of San Jose’s historic districts and museum attractions.
Marriott Hacienda Belen is also only about an hour drive from the stunning summit of Poas Volcano National Park and a 90-minute drive from Irazu Volcano National Park.
Just 10 minutes from Juan Santamaria International Airport, Costa Rica Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belen offers 299 guestrooms.
Credit: 2024 Marriott InternationalAn unforgettable highlight of my own visit, Poas Volcano National Park offers travelers sensational access to one of Costa Rica’s most photogenic volcanic craters, which features an often-steaming and vibrantly hued acidic lake, where the water temperature can reach more than 120 degrees.
Park visitors should, however, do their best to arrive early in the morning, as clouds typically obfuscate stunning crater views later in the day at the 8,850-foot Poas summit. After an early photo shoot at the crater, clients can enjoy several easily accessible hikes through some of the national park’s wonderfully preserved cloud forests, which were loaded with towering trees, lush plants and the songs of indigenous birds during my recent visit.
Poas Volcano National Park offers Costa Rica visitors wonderful access to one of the nation’s most photogenic volcanic craters.
Credit: 2024 Shane NelsonOn the return trip down the slopes of Poas Volcano and back to Marriott Hacienda Belen, coffee lovers may want to schedule a short tour at Hacienda Alsacia, the first and only Starbucks coffee farm on the planet.
Featuring a soaring waterfall that plunges over a hill covered in coffee plants, the nearly 600-acre farm was purchased by the corporate giant in 2013 as a field laboratory of sorts. The farm’s primary aim, according to Starbucks, is to provide growers with a location to learn and collaborate about best practices, study disease-resistant plants and then share findings with coffee farmers around the globe.
Tours cost $30, last about 90 minutes and feature hands-on experiences in the coffee fields and roasting facilities. It’s an excellent introduction to coffee’s profound role in Costa Rica’s history and culture, and offers details about what Starbucks actually pays the migrant workers who pick coffee beans at Hacienda Alsacia. (Spoiler alert: It’s probably less than you’re imagining.)
Beachfront Bliss at Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort
A roughly 90-minute drive west from San Jose, Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort sits just 6 miles north of the vibrant little beach town of Jaco on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. The property features a breezy, beachfront vibe, where flip-flops and bathing suits are usually the attire of choice, and the day’s itinerary is likely to be loaded with time spent lounging around one of three sprawling outdoor pools.
“It's honestly one of my favorite hotels anywhere,” said Steve Stromberg, CEO of Cornerstone Travel Group in Lincoln, Neb., who has been selling Los Suenos Marriott for years. “The property just keeps improving. Food is always great, and the pool area is second to none. For me, Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort is about casual elegance in a relaxed atmosphere. With both golf and a world-class marina on-site, there’s something for everyone.”
The resort is home to comfortable rooms, a full-service spa and a dedicated kids club, and guests can opt for an all-inclusive experience, purchasing a package that includes the cost of meals, drinks and gym access in one nightly room rate.
Travelers looking to add a little rowdy excitement during their stay, meanwhile, will find plenty of that at nearby Vista Los Suenos Adventure Park, which offers jungle ziplining, ATV tours, horseback riding, canyoning excursions and a chance to get up close with a Costa Rican waterfall and swim in its surprisingly chilly natural pool.
Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort offers guests a chance to see native toucans on the property’s eco-tour.
Credit: 2024 Marriott InternationalAlthough the black-sand beach fronting Los Suenos Marriott isn’t a terrific spot for sunbathing, guests are encouraged to take the property’s stand-up paddleboards and kayaks out into Herradura Bay.
During my stay, I got up early and took out one of the stand-up paddleboards, gliding out over the glassy surface of the Pacific and enjoying the fragrant, dewy morning air before eventually taking a break to swim in the warm, clear water.
Time out on the board — several hundred yards away from shore, looking back at Costa Rica — was certainly a serene high point. But some of my stay’s most unforgettable moments came while buzzing up a steep, manicured fairway in a golf cart.
Resort guests will want to set aside some time during their visit for the one-hour Iguana Experience Tour, which whisks folks out onto the property’s 18-hole La Iguana Golf Course for a closer look at the diverse collection of native plants and wildlife living in the surrounding rainforest.
The chance to see toucans, scarlet macaws and all sorts of surprisingly large green iguanas was outstanding. Our guide also helped us spot a snoozing three-toed sloth, who was balled up between branches at the very top of a cecropia tree next to the fairway, working hard to get in its typical 15 hours of sleep for the day.
Swimming offshore in the warm Pacific fronting Los Suenos Marriott was certainly fabulous, but seeing one of Costa Rica’s most exotic and cuddly creatures in the rainforest around the resort was even better.
