Ritz-Carltons Nekajui resort opens in Costa Ricas haven for the ultrarich
Pearched on a cliff overlooking the glistening Gulf of Papagayo on Costa Rica’s north Pacific coast sits the new Nekajui (pronounced NEK-ah-wee), a Ritz-Carlton Reserve property.When it debuted two months ago, this “rare estate set apart from the world” became the eighth Ritz-Carlton Reserve on the globe, as well as the hotel group’s first Reserve property in Central America.It’s the third exclusive resort on Peninsula Papagayo, solidifying said peninsula’s status as one of Central America’s premier luxury destinations.The 1,400-acre peninsula is in the Área de Conservación Guanacaste, a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.
It’s a tropical dry forest teeming with thousands of species of plants and animals, some of which you may see or hear while on the property.There’s about a dozen miles of coastline, with the requisite white-sand beaches as well as hiking and biking trails. But there’s also a Four Seasons Resort, which opened in 2004, followed nine years later by an Andaz, plus an Arnold Palmer Signature golf course, a marina with 180 berths that can accommodate mega and superyachts up to 250 feet and a host of private residences (including some by notable architects Ronald Zürcher and Antoine Predock).
No wonder the peninsula has been described as a destination where “the ultrarich go to avoid having to interact with the regular rich.”Nekajui was born into wealth, and, with rooms starting at about $2,400 per night, caters to the same (guests arriving via commercial airlines are whisked through customs and immigration through a VIP service provided by the hotel). All the structures here are built into the cliffside, designed to complement, not compete with, the surrounding environment.The 107 rooms and suites have water views and outdoor space, some have plunge pools and outdoor showers.
Two villas — one with four bedrooms, the other with 10 — provide additional privacy for those w...