CABO VELAS, COSTA RICA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announces its return to Costa Rica with the opening of The Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa in May 2011, which will be the first all-inclusive resort in Starwood’s global portfolio.
Starwood and Desarrollos Hoteleros Guanagaste, a fully owned subsidiary of Reserva Conchal, have signed a management agreement to reflag the Paradisus Playa Conchal Resort in Guanacaste as a Westin. The property will undergo extensive renovations to its 406 suites and all public areas.
“Recent growth in the all-inclusive luxury resort market in Mexico and Central America, coupled with increasing demand from our SPG members seeking vacation packages, have created fertile conditions for our entry in the all-inclusive market,” says Osvaldo Librizzi, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Latin America.
The Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa is set on Playa Conchal in Cabo Velas. Centered around an expansive lagoon-style pool, the resort features beautiful gardens, luxurious suites, thatch-roofed bungalows and ocean and forest vistas. Including its signature Westin Spa, the resort will also offer a variety of outdoor recreation and nightly entertainment. The resort is located adjacent to the championship Robert Trent Jones II golf facility and features several restaurants serving both local and international cuisine.
“We are especially proud to be associated with Starwood in the management of The Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa,” says Helmuth Sauter, director of Reserva Conchal. “The conversion of this scenic and restful retreat allows us to maintain our commitment of bringing outstanding all-inclusive service to our guests, while introducing the Westin brand’s signature services and amenities to one of Costa Rica’s most desirable destinations.”
The Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa will be the first Starwood property in Costa Rica in 20 years and the newest member of the Westin brand’s 40-property resorts portfolio. Westin currently has five hotels in Mexico and one in Guatemala, and will be opening five more in Latin America in the next four years including The Westin Playa Conchal Resort & Spa, Costa Rica; The Westin Libertador, Lima, Peru; The Westin Guadalajara, Mexico; and two in Panama: The Westin Panama and The Westin Playa Bonita. The Westin brand is expected to nearly double its portfolio in Latin America by 2014, LIbrizzi says.