Las Catalinas’ Santarena Hotel Revamps Its Look, Offerings

Santarena Hotel in Las Catalinas has unveiled its new look, along with new additions and offerings. Located on Guanacaste peninsula, Costa Rica, Las Catalinas is a compact beach town that can be explored by foot. It is an inclusive community without gates using design and architecture to increase pedestrian traffic and encourage community engagement.

Santarena Hotel offers 45 guestrooms, including three suites. Earlier this year, the hotel revamped its lounge area and introduced the Ponciana Bar. The refurbishment focused on the deep green and glass wine cellar located in the center of the room as the focal point while redesigning the space to add a front bar for the lounge area. The cellar structure was doubled to give it more presence in the room. With indoor and outdoor seating, Ponciana Bar offers a menu with snacks and small plates for sharing. The Mediterranean-inspired menu features Costa Rican dishes with ingredients found in the ocean, mountains and farms. It also offers gluten-free and vegetarian items.

Ponciana Bar, Santarena Hotel
The Ponciana Bar at Santarena Hotel (Courtesy of Las Catalinas)

The Ponciana Bar offers monthly mixology and cooking classes. Available for guests and residents at Las Catalinas, these hands-on classes are ideal for those who want to learn how to make Ponciana’s signature cocktails and dishes from the hotel’s mixologist, sommelier and chef. Pairing three cocktails with three dishes, mixologist Eliecer Rodriguez uses only natural and tropical ingredients based on the seasons. All of the cocktail recipes are artisanal and focus on local ingredients. Each cocktail or glass of wine is paired with a specific dish created by the chef. There are just 12 seats per class and cost $35. Guests and residents can sign up for the class by emailing [email protected].

For more information, visit www.lascatalinascr.com.

Related Stories

Botánika Osa Peninsula Debuts in Costa Rica

Nantipa – A Tico Beach in Costa Rica Joins Virtuoso

Costa Rica Designs Conservation-Focused Trail for Tourists

Costa Rica's Hotel Belmar Launches Carbon-Negative Initiative