Feb. 6, 2012, San José, Costa Rica – For the second time in three months, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality has announced that another Costa Rican hotel has been added into its fold of Earth-friendly and forward-thinking Central American eco-lodges, resorts and inns.
 
Hotel Grano de Oro, located on a shady street just off San José’s main thoroughfare, is a 40-room luxury accommodation property. Once a tropical Victorian mansion, Cayuga’s newest property has a warm and comfortable home-like atmosphere with old photographs and local artworks adorning the walls, a Spanish-tiled water fountain, a garden terrace with two Jacuzzis and a gourmet on-site restaurant to appease the appetites of locals and visitors alike.
 
“The name Grano de Oro literally translates to grain of gold, Costa Rica’s term for the coffee bean,” said Hans Pfister, CEO and principle of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality. “Similar to the coffee bean, our newest hotel is physically small, but plays a significant role in bolstering the local economy. As a highly sustainable and socially conscious enterprise, it’s an honour to add Hotel Grano de Oro, our first city-based location, into our Cayuga family of forward-thinking properties.”
 
Cayuga’s other award-winning properties include Latitude 10 Exclusive Beach Resort in Santa Teresa, Lapa Rios Ecolodge on the Osa Peninsula, Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn located just outside San José, Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio, The Harmony Hotel in Nosara, Jicaro Island Ecolodge near Granada, Nicaragua and Hacienda Tayutic located in the mountainous valley of Turrialba, Costa Rica.
 
As one of only nine Small Distinctive Hotels in Costa Rica and rated four leaves by Costa Rica’s prestigious Certification for Sustainable Tourism, Hotel Grano de Oro is a model for eco-consciousness and social responsibility. Some of the hotel’s ethical policies and actions include opening Casa Luz (a home and healing centre for young, at-risk mothers), using green alternatives whenever possible (such as non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning and laundry products and chlorine-free cleaning systems in the Jacuzzis) and funding local environmental organizations that promote reforestation and protection of vulnerable Costa Rican areas, such as Cerros de Escazú.
 
As Costa Rica’s largest city and a region that seamlessly blends busy metropolitan districts with green, wildlife-rich rainforests, San José has much to offer to both active and laidback travellers. Some of Hotel Grano de Oro’s activities include going back in time and exploring the nearby pre-Columbian Gold Museum, grabbing a lifejacket and hitting Costa Rica’s adrenaline-pumping whitewater or experiencing the power of nature by going on a night tour to the ever-active Arenal Volcano.
 
To learn more about Hotel Grano de Oro or to book a vacation, visit www.granodeoro.com

About Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality
Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality develops and manages hotels, lodges and other tourism related projects in Latin America and the Caribbean that are committed to the four Ps of sustainability – people, planet, profit and place. It offers solutions and expertise to tourism operators looking to enhance their performance in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. As well, Cayuga provides expert responsible travel advice, including full itinerary suggestions for families, adventurers and honeymooners. For more information, visit www.cayugaonline.com.