With the demand for wellness tourism accelerating, The Retreat Costa Rica, a luxury wellness boutique resort and spa, has unveiled a $3 million expansion, which will include a clubhouse, three restaurants and 10 luxury lofts, all poised for completion late April 2025.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness market is gaining rapid ground and expected to reach $9 trillion by 2028. “With increasing numbers of people looking to detox from our frenetic, digitally oriented society, the demand for our wellness services is growing quickly, with guests increasingly looking for more holistic and luxurious experiences,” said Diana Stobo, the resort’s founder.
A celebrity chef, author and artist, Stobo masterminded the design for the new spaces, deriving inspiration from the Sanskrit word santosha meaning “contentment” or “acceptance.” Highlights include:
- Santosha Clubhouse – A communal area to relax and unwind, the resort’s new 16,500-square-foot clubhouse will sporrts ancient Indigenous relics, vintage pottery and plants. An enormous Guanacaste tree stretches its canopy over the entire space. The area will house a 50-foot, single-lane lap pool with a gym and yoga shala with meditation niches, each with 1,600 square feet of open space, accommodating up to 50 persons for group classes.
- Santosha Luxury Lofts – Each spanning 945 square feet, these accommodations face the expansive western views. Each loft has a large bathroom with a door hand-carved by local artisans and ample recessed lighting in the showers. The open closet, glass shower and oversized window overlook the Nicoya Peninsula and Pacific Ocean. Stobo’s signature artwork accents the rooms while local craftsmen have created decorative root carvings and pillars to showcase a 12-inch selenite crystal in each room, installed to promote peace and mental clarity.
- Dining for all tastes – Atop the clubhouse will be three new dining experiences: Mystique, La Diosa and Richard’s Kitchen. Mystique, the resort’s signature restaurant, seats 42. Helmed by two-star Michelin Chef Richard Neat, the restaurant is home to a massive iron fireplace and offers a French-inspired tasting and wine pairing menu. Seating 36 and offering signature small plates and artisanal cocktails, La Diosa is a lounge terrace offering views of the surrounding jungle. The sunken living room falls into the mountain-facing west and provides a direct sunset view. Tabletop fire pits create an inviting space surrounded by trees and plants, allowing guests to relax in nature while enjoying casual dining. Additionally, Richard’s Kitchen seats 32 and provides a poolside open kitchen to grab a morning cappuccino, an after-workout juice or a smoothie a la carte.
Other resort highlights include a farm-to-table organic restaurant, an organic coffee plantation, two saltwater pools, a yoga studio, a meditation deck, organic gardens, river swings, jungle and river paths and views of the Gulf of Nicoya.
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