This Luxurious New Hotel Just Opened in Costa Rica with a Treehouse Spa and Spectacular Views of the Pacific

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The Afar take

Escaping into nature can often mean foregoing high-end creature comforts, but not so at Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, whose name translates to “lush garden” in the local Chorotega dialect. This is the world’s eighth Ritz-Carlton Reserve—Marriott’s ultra-luxurious collection of resorts in remote locales that focus on nature and culture—and it’s the first in Central and South Americas. Nekajui celebrates its environs from all angles, whether architecturally or in its thoughtful cuisine.

Who’s it for?

Adventurers who appreciate the finer things. Honeymooners who want to while away the hours by one of the hotel’s six pools before taking in the sunset with craft cocktails. Families with young children who will get a kick out of riding the funicular to the sprawling beach or crossing the suspended walking bridge.

Courtesy of Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

The location

The 1,400-acre Peninsula Papagayo is part of the northwest province of Guanacaste, which sits on the north coast of the country. Jutting out like a cupped hand into the Gulf of Papagayo, the peninsula is known for its solitude, biodiversity, and sophistication. While there is a growing number of high-end resorts on the peninsula, including the Andaz and the Four Seasons, the Costa Rican government mandates that 70 percent of the land here must always remain protected.

Photo courtesy of Nekajui

The rooms

Nekajui’s 107 guest rooms and suites all face the ocean. (Ground-floor suites that have a partial ocean view were cleverly given firepits—an amenity no other room has.) The smallest guest room is still quite large, at 872 square feet, and floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass windows in all rooms help blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. My one-bedroom villa was spacious and decorated in wood and earth tones that seemed in harmony with the surroundings. I later learned why: Eighty percent of the materials extracted from or moved from the earth to build the hotel were repurposed into hotel features, including wood headboards and siding. Comfortable as my room was, I spent more time in my outdoor space, which had a plunge pool, an outdoor shower, a couch, a dining table, and a lawn overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Three treetop cabins, designed for larger groups, will open shortly.

Courtesy of Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

The food and drink

There is a thoughtful approach to food at Nekajui—and much of it is owed to the oversight of executive chef Lulu Elizaga, the only woman in such a position across the Caribbean and Latin America.

On property, guests are spoiled for choice: Open at 6 a.m., casual Café Rincón celebrates one of Costa Rica’s key exports—coffee, whether it’s a pour-over or cold brew—alongside breakfast bowls and buttery pastries; Mirador forgoes the buffet and instead offers à la carte breakfast options including gallo pinto, a Costa Rican classic of rice and beans, and a “tableside” buffet, wherein staff bring platters of fruit, cheese, and bread for you to select from.

For lunch and dinner, guests can choose to dine pool- or beachside or at the restaurants. Niri, which has an open kitchen and is focused on Iberian-inflected wood-fire cooking, is so close to the beach you can hear the waves crashing (a worthy vacation soundtrack, indeed). Nekajui’s signature restaurant, Puna, was developed by Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz and serves Peruvian fare with local produce and Costa Rican ingredients. I’m still dreaming about my corn risotto with baby corn, and of the olive-studded rolls, a typical snack for Peruvian locals. Dining Beyond, an experience that takes place in an elevated dining area in a treetop perch, includes a menu designed by Chef Elizaga centered on seasonal ingredients.

Beverages are in similarly good hands under Angelo Solimando, bar manager and former world’s best bartender. His wizardry includes a gin diffused with Costa Rican Turrialba cheese and another drink that utilizes the property’s ylang-ylang flowers for a cocktail that smells like Chanel No. 5.

Staff and service

Nekajui was the first place I’ve ever stayed where I had a designated point of contact, who welcomed me at check-in, gave me a brief tour of the property, showed me into my room and explained its features, and traded WhatsApp numbers with me in case I needed anything between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Each room is assigned one of these mantus, Chorotegan for “friend"—and Arlyn, my mantu, was the perfect balance of available and unobtrusive. If I wanted my room cleaned or needed help with a reservation, she was my person.

Staff were exceptionally warm, personable, and accommodating, from carrying all of my items for me when I decided I wanted to get out of the sun and switch pools to fast-tracking a smoothie order for me ahead of my airport departure. There were some bumps in service pacing (bringing dishes, clearing tables, room service at set times), but they were easily overshadowed by the warmth of the team, and I have no doubt service will continue to improve as the staff work together more.

Accessibility

Rooms and restaurants on the main two levels are accessible thanks to elevators and ramps, and the funicular makes getting down to Niri relatively straightforward, though there is no seating inside the cabin itself. Ambar—the cocktail bar on the edge—and the Dining Beyond tent are only accessible by stairs, as is the beach proper.

Nature experiences

Wild awaits just beyond the gates of Peninsula Papagayo, which has partnered with the Explorers, an adventure outfitter that offers experiences such as zip-lining in the 250-acre Palmares Preserve and kayaking in a mangrove forest. I went on a morning walk in the dry forest and witnessed howler and white-faced monkeys navigating the branches, plus iguanas, bats, and birds galore; another day, I took an outrigger canoe to a beach and snorkeled over reefs, spotting starfish, pufferfish, lobster, and more.

The spa

On-site, make time for Nimbu Spa & Wellness, which has the largest hydrotherapy pool in Latin America. (Nimbu means “water” in Chorotega.) Treatment rooms are suspended in the treetops around the pool, and the views from the cabins of the ocean are better than a postcard.