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Nayara Resorts hotels

A reforested Arenal hillside anchors a family of retreats shaped by their natural settings.

Nayara makes the natural setting the central pleasure of a stay, with retreats that immerse guests in Costa Rica’s Arenal region and other distinctive landscapes. Founded by Leo Ghitis, the family-owned collection pairs intimate hospitality with conservation, reforestation, and community programs close to its hotels.

6 Nayara Resorts hotels in 3 countries on the Luxury Hotels Atlas, each placed on the six LHA Tiers.

Owned by Leo Ghitis and his family
Worldwide: 6 properties across Costa Rica (3), Chile (2), and Panama (1) — a deliberately small, curated portfolio where each site is chosen for irreplaceable natural or cultural context
On the atlas: 1 Apex Luxury, 4 Grand Luxury, 1 High Luxury

History

Leo Ghitis developed Nayara from a small Arenal property, giving greater attention to the landscape and the experience of staying within it. Restoration and local employment became parts of that growth. The Costa Rican hotels draw much of their team from neighboring communities, keeping the collection connected to life beyond the resort grounds.

Timeline

c. 2008 — Leo Ghitis acquires a 24-room, limited-service hotel in the Arenal Volcano area of Costa Rica for roughly $90–$120/night; this property, already named Nayara, becomes the foundation of what will grow into the collection
c. 2012–2014 — Nayara Springs opens as an adults-only villa property fed by natural volcanic hot springs, adjacent to Nayara Gardens; Relais & Châteaux membership follows almost immediately, and Travel + Leisure names it the No. 1 resort in Central and South America from 2014 through 2016.
2015 — Nayara Springs rated No. 2 hotel in the world by Travel + Leisure; Condé Nast Traveler names it the No. 1 Spa in the World (2016); Nayara Gardens wins World's Best Hot Springs Spa, 2015.
2017 — A dedicated sloth sanctuary opens at the Arenal campus, beginning with two resident sloths and growing to more than 15; thousands of Guarumo (Cecropia) trees are planted specifically to support sloth habitat
c. 2018–2019 — Leo Ghitis purchases a barren, cattle-ravaged mountain adjoining the Arenal campus and begins a 10-year reforestation project; more than 40,000 trees are planted, restoring a functioning ecosystem where monkeys, sloths, and hundreds of bird species now live
2019 — Nayara Springs achieves TripAdvisor's No. 1 Luxury Hotel in the World recognition (2018 and 2019); Nayara Gardens wins TripAdvisor Platinum Award for Best Hotel Innovator.
2020 — Nayara Tented Camp opens on the reforested mountain, purpose-built tents on stilts in the restored rainforest canopy, with each unit oriented to capture Arenal Volcano views; immediate international recognition (Condé Nast Traveler Hot List, CN Traveler No. 1 Resort in the World 2020; TIME World's Greatest Places 2021).
October 2020 — Nayara announces a strategic partnership with Tánica Hotels of Chile, marking the brand's first expansion beyond Costa Rica; Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa (42 keys) and Hangaroa Eco Village & Spa (75 keys) are rebadged as Nayara Alto Atacama and Nayara Hangaroa respectively, both join Leading Hotels of the World
October 23, 2020 — Nayara Alto Atacama formally joins the portfolio; both Chilean properties are then marketed and overseen centrally by Nayara Resorts with reservations unified in Costa Rica
2022 — Nayara Bocas del Toro opens in Panama, rebadging the former Bocas Bali Luxury Water Villas (opened 2021) as an adults-only, fully solar-powered overwater-villa resort on Isla Frangipani in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago; Nayara Tented Camp wins Leading Hotels of the World No. 1 Hotel globally.
2023 — Nayara Bocas del Toro wins LHW Sustainability Leader award and Town & Country / AFAR "Best New Hotels in the World" accolades; brand ranked No. 11 Resort Brand in the World by Travel + Leisure.
January 2024 — Nayara Gardens reopens after a complete ground-up rebuild, all accommodations razed and rebuilt as Arenal Casitas with glass-walled bathrooms, private plunge pools, and new restaurant Asia Luna; spa renovation also undertaken
October 2025 — Nayara Springs becomes the first and only hotel in Costa Rica to receive Three MICHELIN Keys, among only 143 properties globally awarded that distinction; Nayara Bocas del Toro and Nayara Alto Atacama each receive Two MICHELIN Keys; the brand's total of 7 MICHELIN Keys across 3 countries is a landmark for a collection of this size
2025 — Travel + Leisure ranks Nayara Tented Camp No. 1 in Central America for the fourth consecutive year (2021–2024), then No. 2 in 2025; Nayara Bocas del Toro named No. 1 Resort in Central America by Condé Nast Traveler readers and No. 20 in the World; brand ranked No. 13 Resort Brand in the World by Travel + Leisure.

The houses to know

Nayara Springs, La Fortuna, Costa Rica — Thirty-five rainforest villas have private pools fed by volcanic hot springs, and the hotel holds Three Michelin Keys.
Nayara Alto Atacama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile — A 42-room terracotta desert lodge in Chile's Catarpe Valley, Two MICHELIN Keys and the S-Certification for sustainability
Nayara Tented Camp, La Fortuna, Costa Rica — Born from a decade of reforestation, 29 clifftop tents in a recovered rainforest canopy above Arenal Volcano
Nayara Gardens, La Fortuna, Costa Rica — Where the whole story began, Leo Ghitis's original hotel, razed and rebuilt from the ground up in 2024 as Arenal Casitas, now the warmly family-welcoming half of the Arenal campus that Springs keeps adults-only.
Nayara Bocas del Toro, Bocas del Toro, Panama — A 100% solar-powered private Caribbean island with 16 overwater villas and treehouse suites, Condé Nast's No. 1 Resort in Central America, 2025
Nayara Hangaroa, Hanga Roa, Chile — The 75-room-and-suite resort stands on Rapa Nui, within reach of Tahai’s moai statues.

Newest openings

Nayara Gardens (rebuilt) — La Fortuna, Costa Rica — reopened January 2024 — Nayara's founding property was completely levelled and rebuilt as a new generation of Arenal Casitas: private walled gardens, plunge pools, glass-wall bathrooms, a rebuilt Asia Luna Nikkei restaurant, and a new family education centre focused on rainforest ecology. The rebuild also upcycled materials from the previous structures to furnish an employee housing community, a direct link between the renovation and the brand's social mission

Opening next

Four unnamed properties — locations and countries not yet announced — expected timeline unknown — confirmed by Leo Ghitis; all described as five-star, nature-focused properties in unique destinations.

Every Nayara Resorts hotel on the atlas

Costa Rica

Nayara Springs — La Fortuna · Apex Luxury
Nayara Gardens — La Fortuna · Grand Luxury
Nayara Tented Camp — La Fortuna · Grand Luxury

Chile

Nayara Alto Atacama — San Pedro de Atacama · Grand Luxury
Nayara Hangaroa — Hanga Roa · High Luxury

Panama

Nayara Bocas del Toro — Bocas del Toro · Grand Luxury

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