The Santarena Hotel is an urban gem in the heart of Las Catalinas, a walkable Costa Rican beach town. Surrounded by mountains, tropical dry forest, and the sandy beaches of the Pacific, you can head straight from Santarena’s doorstep into nature or enjoy a day in town. Within a few minutes' walk, you can find an outdoor outfitter, art gallery, design studio, day spa, dive shop, boutique shops, gourmet market, and a selection of restaurants from beachside to mountaintop. There’s quite a lot to experience, so what might a day meeting in Las Catalinas look like?
The early morning brings the possibility of activities on the beachfront, such as yoga, a breathing session, high-intensity interval training, or even a guided mountain-biking trip to the trails. As the sun is cresting the peaks, the group takes a splash in the sea and returns to the hotel to freshen up before a nourishing breakfast. Served out on Ponciana restaurant’s terrace, the light, flavorful, and satisfying meal is complemented by the sound of breaking waves and the ocean breeze.
The work of the morning takes place in the Conservatory ballroom, a stylish urban space that’s private and effective, with plaza-facing ocean views welcoming in a natural creativity.
After a lunch at Limonada, the beachside restaurant just a hundred yards away, your team takes a few moments to enjoy the beach, rejuvenating with a barefoot stroll along the breaking surf.
The work is mostly done as evening arrives, and a shift of scenery helps bring a fresh burst of inspiration and creativity to the day’s big problems. Leaving for a hike along the trails, you trace the circuit of meditation platforms as the sun is dipping toward the horizon, and ideas flow freely as attendees are surrounded on all sides by a sweeping panorama of the Guanacaste sunset.
Your walk down to town brings the intermingling with fresh faces, kindred spirits here at work or embracing this place for themselves. You strike up interesting conversations at the bar as your group filters in for a dinner at Ponciana. Chef Saul Umaña’s tasting menu combines fresh and seasonal ingredients with an expertise refined all across the world, creating a one-of-a-kind meal that fuels the body and the mind.
And this is just a taste of what a day meeting at Santarena can look like. A paddleboard brainstorming session as the sun rises over the cove could bring a wave of new ideas. A guided wine tasting provided by the Cava at Copper & Stone provides a thought-provoking treat at the end of the day. Explore and learn aboard a Citizen Science Catamaran trip with ConnectOcean, before a sunset beach barbecue offers a chance to connect, come together, and wrap up a successful trip.
The town is ready for you. The only ingredient missing is your team.
