5 minute read  

Intimate conversations with the brilliant minds shaping Costa Rica’s luxury travel landscape. Explore the philosophies, passions, and innovative thinking driving the country’s most exceptional guest experiences.  

This month, we’re spending time with Böëna, a small Costa Rican collection of five wilderness lodges. Tucked into four distinct natural pockets across the country, each property crowns its own little world. There’s Pacuare Lodge, on the banks of the Pacuare River deep in the rainforest; Lapa Ríos, out in the wilderness of the Osa Peninsula; Monteverde Lodge and Cloud Forest Lodge, up in the misty jungle of Monteverde; and Tortuga Lodge, among the canals of Tortuguero on the northern Caribbean coast.  

What holds the collection together (and keeps guests coming back) isn’t a single setting, but a way of doing things. Javier Echecopar, Journey Costa Rica’s Founder, sat down with Adrián García, their Chief Information Officer, on the thinking behind the guest experience and where he sees hospitality heading next. Here’s what Javier had to say about the conversation. 

Always Five Steps Ahead 

I always like to ask about what extraordinary hospitality looks like for our partners, and for Böëna, the obvious answers are all there for the taking: a surprise upgrade, a celebration at short notice, a grand gesture. But as Adrián’s eyes drift to a far corner of the room, deep in thought as he mentally sifts through the examples, he reaches for something more nuanced:  

“One morning, the team had overheard a guest mention a book they loved, and that they’d left it at home. And so they call the office and they made sure that when the guest boarded their charter flight to the next Böëna Lodge, there was the book, just by their seat, next to their favorite coffee, while they have on their freshly washed shoes that were dirty from the walk in the forest the day before.” 

The more we talk, the clearer it becomes that this instinct runs through the whole operation. The hospitality here is built on noticing; shaped around the individual with a deep attentiveness to how each guest actually feels. Adrián has a word that springs to mind: Omotenashi. A Japanese idea of hospitality that anticipates rather than reacts, “it isn’t about waiting for a request and fulfilling it well. It’s about creating the moment before they know to want it” – I can see him light up.  

“Imagine when you go to a friend or family’s house, and you have a really good time, because the person really took care in choosing the food, making sure that you have the right wine, white or red for the grandmother; some beer for a friend. Playing music you like, creating the ambiance. It’s a thoughtful process to make sure that people have a good time while visiting you at home. And the same concept applies to Omotenashi here. You really need to channel this spirit. More than just thinking about bigger rooms, fancier food and bringing in some white marble for the bathrooms” – although the design here is intricately considered – “it’s really not about that.”  

The approach resonates deeply with us at Journey: taking real joy in the small, unexpected surprises. Touches guests never saw coming, delivered by a team that is already thinking five steps ahead.  

A Home-Grown Team  

Böëna is a wholly Costa Rican-owned company, and while they look outward for ideas (global best practice, the standards set by the great hotels of the world), they adapt and refine this for their own context (“just like a recipe in the kitchen”). Formal training exists, but the real transfer happens more organically, with experienced staff sharing their knowledge: judgement, timing, the read on when to step in and when to leave someone be. It isn’t enforced ‘sameness’ or performing to a script, it’s authentic and delivered with personality.  

“Guests really like the contact with the local Costa Rican staff, you know, because they’re friendly, conversation feels horizontal – even in the most luxurious property. They feel like they can relax, you know?” 

For Adrián, formality and luxury aren’t the same thing, and I couldn’t agree more: true luxury is in authenticity. At Böëna that might mean slipping your shoes off at dinner if it pleases you, or not feeling the need to dress up: an atmosphere where you’re at ease being exactly as you are. 

Costa Rica: No Two Trips Are Quite the Same  

Costa Rica is an experience-driven destination – it changes with every trip. You could have a romantic getaway as a couple one year, a family vacation the next, spot animals up in the rainforest canopy one time, and see whales the trip after. The country rewards turning up with an open mind and enjoying the opportunities that come your way. Adrián agrees, and for him it’s the proof you see on people’s faces: 

“The biggest smiles I’ve seen are those that come after the experiences where the families, kids or couples are so excited because they finally saw the species of bird they’d been looking out for, or they did something that really surprised them, they had an amazing day out surfing, or a great day fishing.” 

The variation on offer makes Costa Rica a paradise for multi-generation travel: cook alongside local chefs at Pacuare, get the kids strumming and drumming in a music class at Tortuguero, or ride an e-bike down to the beach at Lapa Ríos, surfboard strapped on. Travel here isn’t about ticking off the sights you’ve seen a hundred times online, but more about leaving room for unplanned moments that can take you slightly outside your comfort zone, in the best way. 

Making an Impact Beyond the Lodge 

The inherent instinct of care also turns outward, to the landscapes, communities and cultures the lodges sit within. At Journey, we believe travel should be a force that connects and enriches, leaving a positive mark on visitor and visited alike, so this is another natural kinship with Böëna.  

Across its sites, Böëna protects some 2,000 hectares of largely primary rainforest with a carbon-positive operation, from the turtle populations of Tortuguero, where guests can get involved too, to jaguar territory in Pacuare, where camera traps track and safeguard the wildlife. And it sees itself as part of these places, not a walled-off enclave within them: many staff hail from the local Cabécar community, and Böëna supports nearby schools through both funding and hands-on volunteering. Their School of Guides offers free training to locals, turning a passion for the wilderness into real skills and careers. 

All-Encompassing Wellness 

All of the noticing, the care, the impact reaching past the entrance to the lodge, is held in the very name Böëna. Coming from the Indigenous Cabécar language, it belongs to a tongue that’s spoken rather than written. The closest translation is wellbeing, but it reaches further: “it’s broader than just ‘wellness’. It’s about truly feeling well in body and mind in the present moment,” Adrián tells me. It’s a fitting name, because that thinking runs through every element of a Böëna stay: from the local ingredients the chefs use, to the treatments at the spa, to the way a particular stretch of forest or river resonates. 

As our conversation winds down, Adrián comes back to the feeling they’re really chasing: “it’s that sentiment of ‘I can’t describe what I felt last time I went to Costa Rica, but I came back feeling better.'” It’s something you can’t quite put your finger on. And he’s right, it’s exactly that – I’m excited for what the future holds with Böëna. 

Get in touch  with Journey Costa Rica’s expert team to start planning a trip around a stay at Böëna’s properties.