Community & Education
The Power of Local
At Hotel Aguas Claras, we believe the concept of “local” is the key to sustainable hospitality. That’s why we hire local, buy local, and invest in our community. Here are some of the ways we do home-grown hospitality.
Local Staff
A Window Into Our Community
We hire exclusively Costa Rican staff predominantly from the local area. In many cases, their educational level and skills are humble when they start with us, and we invest heavily in their training and professional development.
Many hotels in Costa Rica lay off a high percentage of their staff during low season. We don’t do this. We provide staff with year round employment and plenty of opportunities for growth.
Local Products
A Real Sense of Place
We make a conscious effort to source as many products as we can from as close to home as possible. Our fish comes from local waters and much of our restaurant food comes from just around the corner.
Our minibars are stocked with only local drinks and snacks, and you’ll enjoy 100% Costa Rican bathroom amenities at the hotel. Our gift shop also offers a variety of products handmade by local artisans including ceramics, clothing and books.
Manzanillo School
Inspiring a Younger Generation
Many schools in this rural area of Costa Rica have limited resources. One of them is Manzanillo School which we support through two projects.
The first works to maintain and improve basic school-building infrastructure. The second focuses on education programs which teach the young students about the importance of environmental stewardship, inspiring them to protect their surroundings.
Both programs rely on the generosity of our guests in making donations, and on our staff members who volunteer their time to support the school.
Local Community Support
A Community Pulling Together
No event has impacted the hospitality industry greater than Covid 19. It’s been a crisis which saw Aguas Claras and thousands of other hotels temporarily close their doors in March – and millions of hospitality professionals lose their livelihoods overnight.
In support of our community which heavily relies on income from tourism, during the crisis we delivered care packages to 49 families whose children attend nearby Manzanillo School. They each contained food and essentials to see the families through the period of lockdown.
Travel Locally. Travel Authentically.
“What an amazing property this is! You get the feeling of being fully immersed in the Caribbean, with a touch of luxury, local flavor in the service, and an artistic masterpiece around you.”
– Derek, Costa Rica
