Book the Nekajui a Ritz Carlton Reserve with VIP Benefits

Nekajui a Ritz Carlton Reserve is the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Central and South America. It opened in February 2025 on Costa Rica's Peninsula Papagayo. The resort sits above the Gulf of Papagayo within the 1,400-acre Peninsula Papagayo community. It has ocean-facing rooms, suites, treetop tents, villas and branded residences. This is not a simple beach resort. It is a cliffside Reserve stay built around views, nature, food, wellness and private service.

The name Nekajui is linked to the Chorotega word for lush garden, and the setting explains why. The resort sits in dry tropical forest above the Pacific, with water views, steep land and open indoor-outdoor design. It brings a different kind of Costa Rica stay from the Arenal rainforest hotels. Here, the story is Pacific coast, forest canopy, peninsula access and the Reserve brand's slower style.

This is a luxury hotel in Costa Rica for guests who want a new top-end base in Guanacaste without choosing a large beach resort. It is ideal for couples, families, villa guests, Ritz-Carlton loyalists and travelers comparing Peninsula Papagayo's top tier. It is less suitable for guests who want a low-key surf lodge, a simple beach hotel or the shortest walk from room to sand.

Location & Peninsula Papagayo

Nekajui is located on Peninsula Papagayo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It is around 40 to 45 minutes from Guanacaste Airport, depending on traffic and transfer route. The peninsula is a private resort community with protected dry forest, beaches, marina access, golf and trails. Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica has long defined the area. Nekajui now gives the peninsula a second major luxury anchor.

The location is a managed resort area, not a stand-alone village stay. Guests come for privacy, views, resort facilities and access to Papagayo's beaches and activities. This is not La Fortuna, where the volcano and rainforest tours shape the trip. It is coastal Guanacaste, where dry forest, Pacific water, boats, beach clubs and wellness shape the stay.

That also means guests should think carefully about pace. Nekajui is strong for longer stays where the resort itself matters. A guest who plans to leave every day for faraway tours may miss what makes the hotel worth the price. The better stay allows time for spa, pools, dining, sea views and guided Peninsula Papagayo experiences.

Rooms, Tents & Villas

Nekajui has 107 ocean-facing accommodations. Hotel materials describe guestrooms, suites, three luxury treetop tents and large villas, along with 36 branded private residences. Some sources split the 107 hotel keys into 77 guestrooms, 27 suites and three treetop tents. A Grand Villa is also part of the top room story. The common thread is sea views and indoor-outdoor living.

The entry rooms are already large by resort standards, starting around 872 square feet according to opening materials. Higher categories add plunge pools, larger terraces, more indoor space and more privacy. The treetop tents feel distinct. They give a higher forest-and-sea mood within a Ritz-Carlton Reserve format, not a safari-camp format.

Villa and residence guests have a different use case. Two- to five-bedroom residences and very large private villas suit families, groups and long stays. Nekajui is not only a honeymoon resort. It is also a private-residence resort for guests who want Peninsula Papagayo with more space, staff support and full service.

Dining & Bars

Dining is one of the main ways Nekajui separates itself from a generic tropical resort. Puna is the Peruvian restaurant linked to chef Diego Munoz. Niri Beach Club brings Iberian-style beachside dining. The resort also has coffee and cacao rituals, botanical drinks, poolside food, private dining and treetop or view-led meals.

This matters because Peninsula Papagayo guests may spend much of the trip on property. A resort at this level needs more than one polished restaurant. Nekajui's dining mix gives guests different moods: Peruvian dinner, beach club lunch, coffee ritual, cocktail hour, poolside comfort food or a private meal with a view.

The food story is also tied to local ingredients and Central American context. It is not only an imported luxury idea placed on a Costa Rican bluff. The better dining moments should make guests feel the region through cacao, coffee, herbs, fish, fruit and Pacific coast produce.

Nimbu Spa & Wellness

Nimbu Spa & Wellness is a major reason to book Nekajui. Recent hotel coverage describes a large spa and wellness centre with a hydrotherapy infinity pool, sauna, steam room, cold plunge, indoor and outdoor showers and treatment rooms with water and forest views. It is one of the resort's key facilities, not a side amenity.

The spa helps define the hotel's pace. Peninsula Papagayo can be active, with boating, hiking, golf, beach time and water sports. Nekajui is also built for recovery. A day can move from breakfast with ocean views to a beach club, then spa hydrotherapy, sunset drinks and dinner. That rhythm is much closer to a full resort stay than a simple room-and-beach holiday.

Wellness also connects to the Reserve idea. The brand works best when service is personal, spaces are quiet and guests can slow down without losing options. Nekajui's spa, pools and view terraces make that possible.

Service, Activities & Reserve Identity

Nekajui uses the Reserve style of personal hosting. Some current travel reporting refers to Manzu hosts, a butler-style contact who helps manage the stay. This service model matters because the resort is large and layered. Rooms, villas, residences, beach club, spa, restaurants and Peninsula Papagayo activities all need planning.

Activities can include guided nature experiences, hiking, snorkelling, boating, surfing, beach time, golf access in the wider community and marina-linked outings. The activity team can help shape days for families and active guests. That gives the hotel more depth than a resort built only around sun loungers.

Nekajui's Reserve identity also places it beside properties such as Dorado Beach, Mandapa, Phulay Bay and Nujuma. It should be judged on that level. It is not just another Ritz-Carlton hotel, but a rarer Reserve property. For guests who know the brand, that is a major booking reason.

How Nekajui Compares

The most obvious comparison is Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo. Four Seasons is established, beach-focused and proven for families and repeat guests. Nekajui is newer, more dramatic in its bluff and canopy feel, and more focused on Reserve-style privacy. Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique, also new in Guanacaste, gives another high-end coastal choice with a different location and brand mood.

Compared with Arenal hotels such as Nayara Springs or Nayara Tented Camp, Nekajui is a different Costa Rica experience. It is coastal, drier, more polished in a resort-residence way and much more tied to ocean views. Guests should not treat all Costa Rica luxury hotels as the same. Arenal gives rainforest and volcano. Nekajui gives Papagayo coast, dry forest and Pacific resort life.

The honest trade-off is that Nekajui is expensive and not a simple toes-in-sand hotel from every room. The best reasons to choose it are Reserve service, new-build design, ocean-facing accommodations, Nimbu Spa, dining, residences and Peninsula Papagayo access.

Who Should Book Nekajui a Ritz Carlton Reserve

Book Nekajui a Ritz Carlton Reserve if you want a luxury hotel in Costa Rica with 107 ocean-facing accommodations, treetop tents, private residences, Puna restaurant, Niri Beach Club, Nimbu Spa, Reserve-style hosting and access to Peninsula Papagayo. It is ideal for couples, families, villa guests, milestone trips and travelers who want Costa Rica's Pacific coast at the top end of the market.

Choose another hotel if you want a lower-key beach stay, a surf town atmosphere, a rainforest-volcano trip or the simplest family resort with a long track record. The main reason to book Nekajui is the arrival of a true Ritz-Carlton Reserve on Peninsula Papagayo. What separates it from the best alternatives is the mix of rare brand, new design, coastal forest, spa scale, dining and private-residence depth.