ABOUT US
Alta is art, mystery, and elegance.
But Alta is more than just a place to stay. Alta is its people because it’s them who will make your time here, one to remember.
Our architecture:
The Hotel Alta Las Palomas is distinguished by its original architecture. The hotel was designed and built by the well-known and remembered Costa Rican architect of German origin Rolf Ruge Moya. Rolf was always distinguished by his Mediterranean-style designs, and by always insisting on using local materials and craftsmen in all his works. Visiting the hotel some time before he died, Rolf told us his memories about the original idea of the hotel. Having only the lot of such irregular shape that passed from street to street, he had to make the best possible use of the available land, the result being the current design of the hotel, which is appreciated as only a façade, but that surprises visitors by extending to the other street, having as an end point our huge Guanacaste tree. At that time he had just returned from a trip to Italy, Spain and Morocco, which inspired him to make people feel in those places when they went downstairs. It is in honor of his inspiration that we call the two new suites on the fifth floor the Granada Suite and the Al Andalus Suite.
The parking lot was designed by architect Ronald Zurcher using savannah oaks as a typical detail of his designs, as well as the gate and columns of the entrance. The fountain of the entrance was purchased from the same architect Zurcher who had brought it from Mexico several years ago and which is about 200 years old and is original from that country.
OSCAR
Born and raised in Salitral de Santa Ana, Costa Rica. Don Oscar is the person in charge of Passaghaleh, our Finca. From a young age, he followed in the footsteps of his father and learned how to work the land. Our paths crossed eleven years ago, and right from the get-go, we knew we had found the right person to make our farm-to-table dreams come true. With more than 40 years of experience under his belt, he carefully cares for our crops, ensuring that every guest will get a rich taste of what this land has to offer, or in his own words “the taste of the Pura Vida.”
ANDRÉS
Andrés started cooking when he was 17 years old. Driven by a desire to taste new flavors, he started making his way through the culinary arts. Four years ago, he joined our team as sous-chef but his creativity, passion, and attention to detail shortly got him the position of Head Chef. Andre’s gift with food allows him to create dishes that combine the best of the gastronomic world. He has created some of our most emblematic dishes, but when it comes to his favorite, he says the Pescado Caribeño is definitely on his top 3.
MR. ALEX
Adventurous, charming and eloquent, Don Alex is the man behind the dream. Originally from Iran, this serial entrepreneur has been creating businesses for the majority of his life. Don Alex came to Costa Rica to start the first carbon neutral airline in the world, earning along the way many international accolades for his contributions to Nature and Tourism. In 2010 he visited the Alta Hotel by coincidence and his path changed forever. The masterful architecture and particular rooftops reminded him of a time in Southern France, when he used to spend his days hiking and daydreaming about the future. Needless to say he fell in love and he has since then left his mark. Particularly important for him is the love of the land and a sustainable future and this is why he also purchased the Passghaleh coffee Finca where he grows coffee and many of the vegetables for the restaurant La Luz. But let him share his passion of boutique hotels, organic farming, art, music and many tales of his world travels once you get here…
