Hotel
La Amistad: What B&Bs Look
Like All Grown-Up
By Miriam Holsinger, July
5 2002
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"Now with
full Breakfast Buffet"
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Imagine
a hotel with the cozy style of a bed and breakfast, but with the benefits
of a larger establishment. La Amistad, in the historic northeast San José
neighborhood of Otoya, brings that vision to life.Sustainable Growth: Hotel with a B&B feel.
Started
as a bed and breakfast 10 years ago, the hotel has managed to retain an
at-home look, while expanding to meet customer needs. This caused the
five-bedroom house to turn into a 44-bedroom mansion. Yet the hotel keeps
its small feel, partly because the staff has been there nearly as long
as owner Wolfgang Hilbich, and partly because of the way Hilbich created
and designed his business.
After
traveling for many years, the German-born owner thought he knew what people
wanted at the end of their day: a reading lamp, a television, and an orthopedic
mattress. And to start the day? Good showers and a hearty breakfast. Based
on this knowledge and several business trips to Costa Rica, Hilbich decided
to start a bed and breakfast here.
Since
then, he’s kept to his original goal."I am always thinking about what’s
good for the clients," says Hilbich.This means he has added Internet connection,
top-notch security and deluxe rooms.
The
growth hasn’t been easy; it included buying neighboring properties and
building new wings. Hilbich’s aversion to debt slowed the expansion process
and motivated him to hire individual workers instead of construction crews.
Consequently the hotel has several floors, and each floor may have several
levels.The wood trimmings and partially tiled walls give the place an
antique look that fits in well with the Otoya neighborhood. Famous prints,
including artists such as Klimt and Monet, decorate the walls. The European
décor and the paintings of Costa Rican wildlife in the spacious dining
room give the hotel a multicultural feel.
Parking
across the street ensures the safety of guests, although Hilbich says
Otoya is "one of the last reasonable and safe places," in San José. The
neighborhood is only a seven-minute walk from the Plaza de la Cultura,
National Museum and several other landmarks in San José. Hilbich liked
the location of his hotel so much that he moved into a custom-built apartment
on the top floor.
Keeping
an eye toward the future, Hilbich plans to build large personal safes
for people to keep larger items, such as laptop computers. He also wants
to add a cash machine and more rooms to keep with the growing popularity
of the place.
An
excellent place to stay if you want to explore the city, many tour companies
will pick you up at the front door of La Amistad. The hotel gives you
a great send-off with a buffet-style breakfast of eggs, fruit, gallo pinto
(rice and beans), cereal, toast and juice, included in the room rate ($50-86,
double occupancy).
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A
large part of La Amistad’s business is with OTS (Organization for Tropical
Studies), Earth Watch and church groups. Hilbich credits the steady business
from these groups and his early recognition of the potential the Internet
to ensuring that his hotel didn’t fail. Of course, they wouldn’t keep
coming back if they didn’t like what they experienced. One client moved
in for a day and liked the place so much, he has lived there for the past
month and a half.Hilbich considers La Amistad home. Before his 10 years
in Costa Rica, he lived in Spain for 18 years. Now, settled in and recently
remarried, the successful owner says he is doing all he can to give Costa
Rica as much as he has received. He supports projects that help educate
children and pays for half of all education costs for his staff. The maintenance
man who worked at La Amistad for five years learned so much that he left
(on good terms) to start his own construction crew.
Hilbich
says, "We live once – it’s not just take, it’s give, too."
Courtesy TICO TIMES
| LA AMISTAD INN BIETET (außer einem superGratis-Frühstück) |
| *kostenlose Voicemail |
| *gratis
Gepäcklagerung |
| *gratis Safeverwahrung
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| *gratis Fax und Mail Service |
| *Internet-Cafe |
| *Touren-Buchungs-Center
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| *gratis Kabelfernsehen
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| *gratis Zimmersafe |
| *Wäscheservice |
| *Geldtausch |
| *gratis
24 Std. Kaffee- und Tee |
| *Haartrockner in jedem Zimmer |
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Wir haben nun einen WIRELESS
HOT SPOT fuer die Notebook-Benutzer im Hotel installiert
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