Recognized for its varied wildlife, sustainability efforts, adventurous and wellness pursuits and more, the country of Costa Rica (Travel + Leisure’s Destination of 2024) continues to produce the best and brightest in the hospitality industry. In the recently released Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2024, seven resorts from Costa Rica were named as part of the ten favorite resorts in Central America. Hotel Belmar, a carbon neutral boutique hotel located in the cloud forest of Monteverde, has been named the No. 3 Best Resorts in Central America by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2024. Globally recognized for its sustainable practices and rated for its guestrooms, location, farm-to-table gastronomy offerings, and its unique art residency program and more, this marks the third time the property has received this prestigious award.

“Receiving this award again is a true honor for us, recognizing the exceptional experiences we provide at Hotel Belmar,” says Pedro Belmar, managing director of the hotel. “Since our inception almost 40 years ago, we’ve strived to set a benchmark in sustainability and warm hospitality, aiming to inspire the next stewards of our planet. We’re delighted to share this accolade with our guests, local community, and our incredible staff who contribute daily to crafting memorable experiences for our visitors.”

What makes an award-winning resort

Located in Monteverde’s cloud forest and surrounded by naturally landscaped gardens, Hotel Belmar is a paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, wellness and culinary enthusiasts. The hotel features 26 unique guestrooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces, freestanding soaking tubs and showers with spectacular views of the mountains and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.

The award-winning hotel’s dining including Restaurante Celajes, Cervecería Belmar, and its Juice Bar and Tea Room take a hyper local approach to sourcing ingredients, prioritizing sustainable practices. Under the creative guidance of Chef Alvaro Rodríguez, the hotel’s new menu iterations highlight organic produce and ingredients sourced from the hotel’s expanded organic garden, the carbon-neutral farm Finca Madre Tierra, and local foraging. The hotel also features a bar, juice bar and tearoom, a spring water pond, a sun deck, a food store and a garden relaxation gazebo with a heated jet pool.

Committed to creating opportunities that allow guests to connect with nature in an authentic way, Hotel Belmar developed innovative experiences that have a positive impact for visitors and the community. Guests are invited to tour the hotel’s Finca Madre Tierra farm, the first carbon neutral farm in Costa Rica, offering a real Costa Rican farm experience where guests can learn about sustainable biointensive agricultural methods and participate in immersive experiences such as grinding sugar cane, picking coffee beans, milking cows, riding horses, or watching how artisanal cheese is made.

Guests also can visit the hotel’s private reserve, SAVIA, which offers curated forest immersion adventures perfect for embracing, connecting with, and learning about nature in a sustainable way. A sanctuary for nature, biodiversity and scientific knowledge, small groups can hike, zip-line, walk on suspension bridges, climb a hollow Ficus tree, meditate in sensorial gardens and curiosity pods, bird watch or enjoy a picnic above the forest canopy.

The 29th annual edition of Travel + Leisure’s 2024 World’s Best Awards honors top hotels, resorts, and destinations around the globe. The full awards list will appear in the August 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure, and is online HERE.