Welcome to the April Issue

Here at CR Luxury our mission is clear – to provide our clients with stellar service by always keeping the lines of communication open and that is why we are introducing our new monthly newsletter to keep you updated with our latest plans and special events within the Los Sueños community.   We’d love to hear from you, so if you have any questions you’d like to address feel free to contact us.  Remember we’re always here to help.

Do you know something we should know?  Do you know of any exciting events or changes that would benefit the Los Sueños community? Feel free to contact us with any information you’d like to share with fellow owners and we’ll make sure to include it in next month’s newsletter.

- Marcela & Sandra

April Events

Easter 2010

If you’re looking forward to celebrating Easter (March 28 - April 5) in Costa Rica there are a few things you should know before you arrive.   Most Costa Ricans are primarily Catholic and do tend to take this religious holiday seriously by attending mass and taking part in other religious events while others hit the beaches and opt for more of a sabbatical.  During this time you will find big crowds at the beaches and many other tourist destinations so you may want to plan ahead with our Diamond Concierge team.  Below, we’ve included some key information about what to expect during the Easter holiday season and how to make the proper arrangements.

If you are interested in attending mass in the Los Suenos Beach Club or the Jaco area please review our schedule below:

Mass  Hours:

April 1:

Herradura Church at 4pm

April 2:

Herradura Church at 5pm Mass
Jaco Hotel Tangieri: Religious Procession begins at 8:30am
Jaco Church: 3pm Mass

April 3:
Herradura Church: 5pm Mass

April 4:
Los Suenos Beach Club Fellowship: 8am (English Service)

Herradura Church: Mass 8am
Jaco Church: 10am & 7pm Mass

If you are interested in attending mass in any of the churches listed please keep in mind that they are held completely in Spanish.   Contact our Diamond Concierge team should you require transportation or directions.

No Alcohol Available During Easter
One more thing to keep in mind that beginning Thursday, April 1st at 12:01 am (midnight) until Saturday, April 3rd at 12:01 am no alcohol will served or available for purchase nationwide in Costa Rica.   If you’d like to make special arrangements before you arrive in Los Sueños, please contact our Diamond Concierge team and they will be happy to stock your condo accordingly.

Traffic
In and around San Jose traffic is very light during this time since many people generally leave town which in turn leaves the city to become a ghost town.   The Jaco area and surrounding beaches will generally be very crowded since it’s a popular destination among locals.   If you plan to leave the Los Suenos community during this time, we suggest you consult with our concierge team for advice on the best routes to take.  Also, if you’re traveling to the airport during Easter weekend, keep in mind that locals will be returning to San Jose which means that you may be sitting in traffic.   Make sure to plan ahead so you don’t miss your flight.

Easter Menu
If you’re looking for special Easter dishes, you’ll be sure to find plenty of suitable options within the Los Sueños restaurant community.   Guests can choose from fresh seafood dishes as well as many vegetarian options found in any of our four restaurants including Bambu, El Galeon, The Hook Up, The Terrace Lounge as well as Lanterna.   For detailed information about each restaurant and their menu you can go to the Los Sueños restaurant website at www.LSRestaurants.com

Everyone at CR Luxury would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued business and loyalty throughout the years. In our efforts to improve your experience with CR Luxury, we have been working on reorganizing and adding new members to the CR Luxury team as a method of improving our service.

You’ll also be happy to know that we have added a new Office Directory which will outline each of our departments as well as their contact information in case you should have any questions or concerns.   Remember that each member of our staff is here to help improve your experience so don’t hesitate to call and let us know how we can help. Click here to CR Office Directory)

New Additions to CR Luxury Team:

Maria-Liz Ramirez
Operations Manager
marializ@crluxury.com

Maria comes to us from the Philippines where her career in the Hotel/Tourism industry began. Since the late 80’s Maria has worked in five star hotels around the globe in countries such as Singapore, Sweden, Japan and Hong Kong to name a few.   She holds an M.A. in Business Management and years and years of tourism related training and service.   How did she end up in Costa Rica? She came to Costa Rica on vacation and never left.   It happens all the time!  In her spare time Maria-Liz loves to scuba dive and is actually trained as a rescue medic diver.   A great person to take along on a scuba diving trip!

Rodolfo Rodriguez Quiroz
Maintenance
maintenance@crluxury.com

Roldolfo was hired onto the CR Luxury team after having an impressive level of experience with maintenance and electro mechanics.   He has taken part in several national government projects and has an outstanding educational background to match.   On his off-time Rodolfo enjoys extreme sports and lots of good food.

Nini Pardo
Reservations Agent
nini@crluxury.com

Nini is a San Jose native with over 13 years experience working for multinational companies within the service industry.  Among her many talents include speaking three languages including Italian as well as always putting forth a positive attitude in her day to day life.   Oh! And she loves the beach!

Roberto Cespedes
Accounting Assistant
roberto@crluxury.com

Roberto is a transplant from San Jose who has worked within the tourism industry for the last nine years of his life.  He is an experienced surfer who has been hitting the waves since he was 15 years old and hopefully he’ll be nice enough to offer our staff here some lessons.  We are happy to have Roberto and he is a great addition to our accounting department.

In the News

A few weeks back we had a very special visit from newly elected Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla who stayed in our luxurious Villa La Joya.  During her time at Los Sueños, she was gracious enough to spend a little time with CR Luxury’s President Marcela Laborde as well as our new Operations Manager Maria-Liz Ramirez.  Read more about President Chinchilla’s Visit.

CR Blog
For those of you who haven’t had a chance to CR blog it’s a great resource for information about our tours, weddings, sport fishing events and Costa Rica overall.   We will be updating our blog daily with fresh articles, videos, interviews and testimonials so make sure you don’t miss out.

Here are a few excerpts from our blog you may enjoy:

Costa Rica Beaches in Half the Time
Are you packed and ready to start your Los Sueños luxury getaway?

Fishing Hotspots in Costa Rica
Avid fishermen will agree that there is no place quite like Costa Rica for sport fishing.

Destination Wedding Steeped in Cultural Tradition With a Spicy Latin Twist
Costa Rica is quickly becoming the #1 choice for destination weddings.

We hope you have been enjoying our April Newsletter so far! This section will offer you recommendations on restaurants, events, services etc. in and around the Herradura/Jaco area that we feel are worthwhile and that you shouldn’t live without.  For next month, we’d like to include some of your personal recommendations for restaurants or any other businesses that you’d like to rave about so please send your recommendations via e-mail at: liz@crluxury.com.

Also, this month we’d like to take time out to remind you that CR Luxury is also available to organize your next corporate retreat or event.   Our facilities include 8 state of the art meeting rooms, a 400 seat ballroom, high-speed internet as well as an attentive concierge team ready to assist you with your individual needs.

Last month, we welcomed Canadian marketing expert, Gerry Visca, who hosted a corporate retreat at Los Sueños and left us a nice message about his experience in the video below.

Click to see video.

To host your next corporate event, you can e-mail:  aura@crluxury.com

Owners! Join us on Facebook and Twitter

Social media is a great way to connect with CR Luxury and keep up with customer feedback as well as current events.   Make sure you join our Facebook and Twitter accounts to see what we’re up to and make sure to drop us a line.

Picture of Month

Our star Luxury Event Coordinator, Aura Mora, organized one of the most beautiful wedding events of the year, the Merlob-Valentiner Wedding.  This 250 guest event combined a joining of cultures in one of the most breathtaking wedding destinations, Costa Rica.  The bride, Katharina, was captured in this photo walking into the sunset as it draped the Los Suenos Resort.  What a beautiful shot!

To organize your wedding with CR Luxury please contact Aura at aura@crluxury.com.

At one point in our corporate careers, we’ve all had to plan or attend the dreaded business conference. The stress of budgeting ahead of time, booking the center and amenities, and coordinating all of the smaller details can be overwhelming. Not to mention you need to figure out how to entice attendees and keep them entertained outside of the presentations, panels, and lectures.

Set the tone for your next big corporate event by holding it in a unique, exciting environment.

1. Consider Your Calendar and Your Guests

Make sure to begin your research at least one year in advance of your intended conference date, as centers often book up fast with a variety of large-scale events and attendees will need to block off dates ahead of time. If guests will be traveling from a distance, you will want to reserve a meeting place with nearby accommodations and local travel options.

Located just a two-hour scenic drive from Juan Santamaría International Airport in the capital city of San José, Los Suenos Resort in Costa Rica is the ideal facility to hold your upcoming conference. Our professional planners can help with flight and car arrangements for all of your guests, as well as private transportation from the airport to our resort.

Rather than the typical, cramped hotel rooms, guests and their families will stay in our luxury condos, featuring gourmet kitchens, laundry facilities, swimming pools, jacuzzis, a fitness club, access to our private beaches, and beautifully landscaped, well-secured properties.

2. Vary the Events and Atmosphere

While at a conference, no one wants to spend the entire day inside.

Los Suenos Resort provides nearly 12,000 square feet of flexible event space, with 8 breakout meeting rooms and a 400-seat ballroom. Choose to hold your drink and snack breaks outside overlooking the ocean, or serve group business dinners in the ambiance of tropical sunsets. 

3. Full Technology Services Are a Must

Our dedicated team will help ensure that your meetings go off without any technological hitches. Wired high-speed internet is available in the conference spaces and internet and e-mail stations are accessible on the resort property. Our professionals will assist in setting up teleconferencing, video links, and microphone systems. TV/video units, projection screens, and lecterns with laptop input are built-in to the event spaces.

4. Providing Entertainment

Conferences span not only the daytime business hours but extend well into the night. You must provide guests and their families with things to do after their business commitments have been met.

Los Suenos Resort offers corporate event clients full access to its exclusive beach club. The facility features a free-form swimming pool and jacuzzi, expansive decks, fountains, swim-up bar, and an elevated, white sand beach with shade palapas and a exquisite view of Los Sueños Marina and Herradura Bay.

In addition, our Diamond Concierge Expert can arrange special tour packages and activities for all guests. In fact, guests are encouraged to extend their stays and experience all that Costa Rica has to offer. Horseback riding, spa pampering, sailing excursions, golfing, rainforest and wildlife tours, hiking, water sports, over 800 miles of coastline—we have something for everyone.

Los Suenos Resorts in Costa Rica has all the technological and space amenities of your local conference centers but is situated in a stunning and lively environment that your guests will rave about to all of their colleagues back home.

Corporate Events with CR Luxury Rentals

Costa Rica is becoming a popular destination for corporate and incentive travel. With its diverse climate and many ecological interests, it is a country that provides just the right atmosphere for growing and learning both on a personal and a professional level. Read on to discover the top reasons why you should book your next business retreat in Costa Rica.

You can travel to Costa Rica year round. Plan your retreat when it is most convenient for you and your business instead of trying to plan around a certain travel season. The warm temperate climate makes any time of the year a good time. There are two seasons in Costa Rica. High season runs from December through April, and will mean less rain to interfere with your activities. Even during the rainy season, the rain is sporadic and you should still be able to participate in all the varied activities.

Costa Rica is a safe environment for professional travel, no need to worry about the personal safety and well being of your employees or members. Many of the stories of crime and danger are fabricated by the press and media and should not deter you from traveling there. Guided transportation is always recommended however simply because road and weather conditions can make travel difficult for those unfamiliar with the area.

There are two international airports serving Costa Rica which both offer direct flights from many major cities around the world. Transportation is provided from the airport to most major hotels and resorts. Flights to Costa Rica are economical and can actually be cheaper in some cases than flights to domestic locations.

The quality and service of the resorts and hotels is top notch while still very economical. Most resorts have meeting rooms and planning services to help you organize a productive, well run business conference. Other business accommodations include condo or villa vacation rentals giving business travelers the opportunity to bring along their families who can explore the country and enjoy amazing adventure tours while Mom or Dad are in a meeting

Costa Rica has a special status as a business travel destination. Your corporate retreat is considered tax deductible if you are booking as a U.S. company.

There is a wide range of activities to participate in during off work hours. From simple fishing, golfing, surfing and just relaxing on warm sandy beaches to jungle tours, waterfall rappelling, and zip lining, it is all available here year round.

Costa Rica offers inspiring surroundings for letting all those creative juices flow! The tranquil beauty and luxurious scenery is sure to stimulate plenty of free thinking and renewed energy.