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Apr
21
Le Cam̩l̩on Opens РAdding a New Class of Accomodation to Puerto Viejo
Posted by Editor | April 21, 2009 | Categories: Local Business News, Tourism | 35 Comments
The new Le Cam̩l̩on Hotel has opened at Playa Cocles offering something that the laid-back, backpacker-haven of Puerto Viejo has never seen before Р5 star luxury accommodations.
With average $250 a night rates, its also in a price class by itself.
A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World association, they offer a pool, spa, rooms with lighting which can change with your mood, restaurant and bar.
You can make reservations inquiries here.
Pictures, as they say, are worth a thousand words, so here are a few:
Reception and Lobby
Room
Pool
Comments
35 Comments so far
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How depressing… It makes my place look like a dump
We at Banana Azul welcome the La Chameleon and feel it is a very positive addition to the area.
Welcome to Caribesur Le Cameleon. What a beautiful place and I think it is great that travelers that enjoy to be pampered in a luxury boutique hotel now have an option in the area. I wish them all the best and much success.
This is NOT a positive addition to the area. It is out of place and unwelcome
I am with Rachel. This is extremely out of place and has nothing to do with the spirit of the area. Also, I am convinced that the target of this kind of hotel will not like the Carribbean.
And I have never seen a chameleon stand out that much!
Rachel, I don’t like you either….
I’m shocked and don’t quite know what to say. There should be just as many petitions against this kind of development as there were about the proposed marina. It would be a shame to lose the so-called “vibe” in this area and large, upscale developments will promote just that. People that want to spend that kind of money per night are better off in Hawaii and other such places where ruining the environment and culture by catering to the current trend is acceptable.
Justin who are you to say where people should go spend their money? We need tourism and sustainable development like Cameleon in our area so people can feed their families. How is Cameleon ruining the environment? They are after all one of the ONLY two hotels in the area, that I know of, that actually have a watertreatment plant that cleans waste water to drinkable quality. The construction is extremely low density. Where is the outrage of all other existing developments in Puerto Viejo town where people have constructed “minimalls” and hotels that cover every inch of the lots and flush their waste water straight into the environment. Is that the “vibe” you are afraid to loose? Cameleon cleans the whole beach that everybody enjoy in front of the hotel. When was the last time any of you complainers actually participated in a beach cleaning? Rachel, I think you are extremely out of place too and I think you, Anna and Justin are all better off in Hawaii. But luckily for you CR a democratic country and everybody has the right pursue their happiness here. There is room for everybody in Caribesur and its not up to you decide who can come here or not. Be lover a lover not a hater. Peace and love. Pura Vida
What a cool place and the gardens are gorgeous. Now I have a place where my old and slightly handicaped dad can stay when he comes next time. This goes to show how diverse the area really is. Great !
= )
There goes the neighborhood.
I am a lover, I LOVE Puerto Viejo. I am not a big fan of big developments in smallcommunities, just my opinion And I am not buying that line about how that this business will help “feed families:, Ask the owner of this fine new establishment how much he paid his workers at his restaurant in town during the time “he” not “them” lost business due to the flooding that was going on.
Cameleon is a textbook example of exactly the type of sustainable development and socially conscious business that has made Costa Rica an example for the world to follow. I know that they donated 3000 cuadernos so that 3000 indigenous kids could go to school. We should all be welcoming small hotel operators like Cameleon with only 24 rooms and high ideals and be sure not to confuse it with enormous multinationals.
Listen Mary Jane, if thats the case the neighborhood went long ago when the neighbors put that hiddeous and always overflowing garbage basket right at that beach entrance and nobody seem to care… from here it can only get better.
For the record…. The Chameleon was not open during the floods. It has been quietly open for about 2 weeks.
From my experience with the owner, he seems to be quite a decent person and I can only imagine being a successful businessman he would treat his staff fairly. If he does not… as with any business around here… it always shows and he will suffer because of it.
Having been in business (hotel) for coming up 4 years here, I have made some interesting observations…
1) Almost all hotels are owned by foreigners. I always thought this was because they have the money. It is not the case… it is because they have way more experience in the hospitality biz and tend to have a higher rate of success.
2) After working with locals, I find out that almost all of them prefer to work for foreigners rather then Ticos as they feel they are paid better and do not have to work as hard.
3) From what I can see, foreigners are held to a higher standard and more forced compliance of local laws (including labour) then locally owned businesses. I have been advised on different occassions by local Tico business owners on how I can quazi-legally avoid paying benefits to our workers. The practice makes absolutely no sense to me as it means I would have no stability (or loyalty) in my work force let alone the ethical concerns.
4)I witness many foreigners who protest any sort of development in a country that they have no rights in the country whatsoever. Even if they had legal residency, that does not buy you voting rights. One should ask themselves how they would feel if visitors from another country tried to dictate the future of their homeland. Being a Canadian, I know that I would be downright outraged.
5) It has been my conclusion on many cases where foreigners that live complain and protest about development, they are only concerned about their own future peace and tranquility. They do not look at how many jobs a place like the Chameleon would create or even ask a local what they would like. Much of the protest is done under the auspice of being an environmentalist, which could be honorable if that was their true motive. But the bulk of what I witnessed it is mostly for selfish reasons where their personal space is not interfered with and sincere regard for the locals and what they wish is not entertained.
It would could give some credibility if these people that are so negative about any sort of development could give us some concrete examples on how they have helped the locals achieve livable salaries that have raised their living standards and also what efforts they have participated in that helps make the local area sustainable both economically and environmentally.
You’re right, Rogelio, overflowing trash cans are due to too many tourists (and/or residents) consuming far too much, choosing disposable plastic cotainers over re-usables and not taking proper responsibility for disposal–expecting ’someone else’ or the “town” will do it. True, many of PV’s tourists are young and on a surfer’s mentality and budget, but in the big picture, they leave a small footprint (except maybe trash when they go. Yes, I am a N.I.M.B.Y I am in love with PV, as it has attracted a helpful, conscious, less demanding and materialistic breed of residents/return visitors compared to the rest of CR. I tell only like-minded people about PV and hope the rest will stay on the Pacific side.
You’re hedging that long-term, the person who demands an air conditioned, five-star $250 a night room when staying in a jungle, be more or less apt to respect the area and its resources? Also, does a mega hotel provide more jobs to area workers than two humble, family-run ones? And will the new breed of tourist conserve resources, be tidy and help support the area in its tough times? And oh yes, clean up oil spills from their yachts, so the rest of us can simply snorkle?
Colinsito you hit the nail right on the head ! Thanks for sharing your insights
I have been very curious about this new development for a few months now and as a result, it just so happends that I HAVE had countless conversations with locals about the Chameleon. So far they have told me they 100% DO NOT believe the Chamelon has any value add to their lives or the local community. I also do not know one single local (and I know plenty as I am married to one and we have tons of friends) whose preference it is to work for a foreigner rather than a Tico, they are often forced to because most of the businesses in PV are foreign owned, but that is not a preference. Trust me on that one.
Hello everyone, I believe that the Camaleon matches the standard of sustainable hotel resort in Puerto Viejo, many people who have never done anything for this community ’speak, judge and criticize, 10 years ago the Caribbean was just a destination for surfers Today the vibration is not ‘changed, this is just inegrare the different cultures that have arrived in this part of the world, I think we need a little criticism, welocome all those who believe in the work, development and integration -
Marco Ferrara
Owner Totem Beach Resort Hotel
Mary Jane, you are spot on CORRECT. Thank you for your insight.
Go ahead and make a list of locals in the top positions in foreign owned PV businesses and in the lower ones, how much SOME (we do not want to generalize! I know some of the businesses pay better than others and treat their staff well!) of them are paid and how you think this “feeds families”! I know brilliant people who felt they had to leave the town because despite of all their engagement and effort AND experience (!) they were fighting against wind mills. Foreigners simply have more money to invest and can always add that little extra cash that is enough to oust locals.
And this is nothing I am making up, maybe you should talk to some of the families you sustain!
And…don’t worry, people who try to do something for the community don’t necessarily have to shout it from the housetops!
Also PLEASE don’t talk about selfish reasons!
We are not complaining about the Totem or other places with decent dimensions – this is about a giant resort that according to SOME people simply does not fit into the environment and the style of the area. This is it.
None of us is trying to tell anybody what to do and as long as CR remains a democratic country I will not go to Hawaii
Just saw my first international media on the opening, from Chile! Here’s a link if anyone is interested:
http://www.latercera.com/contenido/730_123884_9.shtml
The ultimate judge of Le Camaleon will be the tourist the choose to stay there!
Justin, Anna, Rachel and Mary Jane,
Sounds like you may be the ones ruining the environment and culture and adding no value to life in the community by condemming new business for Puerto Viejo. Might I suggest you go climb in your hammocks and smoke another one. Thats SOME peoples “values”, selfish “lifestyles”, living “environment” and “cultural” “vibe”.
Congrats to the owners for a sound investment to the area. Beautiful and very creative work by the way.
Iam the cousin of the owner and the owner of Carribian Hills Hotel,I helped opening of the Cameleon
Justin, Anna, Rachel and mary jane open your minds
and stop being ingnorants, even the president of costa rica think the project is good for the area
YOU ARE VERY WELCOME TOO MY TOWN HOTEL CAMALEON.
I´am born in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica, i beg you sorry for my English spelling.
I believe dat Rachel is not allowed too meck a decision over my town, she most go back too her country and dissed Wat shi wanth, me be she want too deal with drugs,but she do not want town progressing.
I love too see that my children’s will See a good life in puerto viejo with all the new projects. Wath you bring-in too my town???
WELCOME ONE MORE.
Brian wath You wride is corect we now this all of them.
I just have a quick question — why am I now being accused (by two posters here) of doing drugs. One person says I should go back to smoking and lying in a hammock the other says I “want to deal with drugs”. Huh? You guys have some problem wtih me being married to a local? I just dont get it What does being anti growth in Puerto Viejo have to with durgs? AND FOR THE RECORD I AM CLEAN AND SOBER, have been for 15 years, so no pot smoking or doing drugs for me.
rachel This is NOT a positive addition to the area. It is out of place and unwelcome
Rachel,
I agree with you, it is completely out of place. To the guy who said even the president approves of it, let me remind you he also approved the Crucitas project. To the one who said only foreigners knew about hospitality and that is why they were the most successful, let me remind you that two of the best boutique hotels IN THE WORLD (according to Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast, and various other prestigious publications, not according to me), Punta Islita, and El Silencio, are 100% tico owned, financed and operated.
This hotel would be perfect in Can Cun, Miami Beach, or any other already ruined beach with boxy white hotels…
Why is it that anti progress/development people such as Rachel and her ilk choose to live in the developing town of Puerto Viejo when there is the option of living quietly in alta Talamanca that is virtually free of all the terrible vices development and progress bring such as jobs (read; income) especially those offered by foreign owned businesses, electricity, roads, bridges, food stores, medical clinics etc?
I do not live in Puerto Viejo. I am not against development, and the jobs certainly are needed. However, just as I would not like to stay in a palapa in the Champs Elysees, or in a mediterranean villa in the Serengeti, I do not want to stay in this hotel in Puerto Viejo, but I do not expect you to understand this concept.
Certainly like you mimi, I would prefer Rocking J’s over this place….wink, wink….
Mimi, have you even seen this hotel before you made this comment? If you didn’t, you are an airhead. If you did, you an airhead blonde.
Pura Vida
I am disappointed to heard so much small talk and opposition to the beginning of the financial independence of one of the smallest town many of us claimed to love. With sadness I remember many generations of ancestors praying to God asked him to lift the blanket of poverty that overwhelmed our Caribbean communities. From the progress we can now witness in Puerto Viejo it is evident that God has remember the prayers of those who died with the dream in their hart. It is with deep sadness that I must confess that Puerto Viejo and other counties in Limon were not develop by some of the local people because we did not believe that we disserve any thing better. Foreigners came from distant places with the dreams and care to develop and establish them self among our self. They saw the possibilities to live happily among us and turn their dreams into a reality where they could achieve financial independence and control their destiny. Some of us did not attempt to develop these communities because we did not care nor did we have the vision to believe our community disserve better. we are still sufering from the Slave mentality!!! Despite to positive development of the region all we can see and discuss is the bad, never something collectively good.
The hotel is beautiful, just like the once many of the complainer saved their monies to spend weld serve vacations in the USA or other faring countries. I will support the hotel each time I visit CR. I hope the owner is prosperous and that he continue to be an example to dose of us who are still crabs in a barrel.
Many of us who oppose the development in Puerto Viejo or Limon should remember that if we don’t do what is require we would always be a slave to the lender. Some our young people don’t dreams any more, they don’t see hope lurking in the future. Remember: a man without a dream is a man without a future..
Finally, for years we complain that no one care about the future of Limon and the surrounding counties, but that is not true. lets thank God for the foreigners who care enough to stay develop and beautified the region. we should follow their example .
Que Dios bendiga la Republica de Costa Rica, a su Govierno y su Pueblo!!
First of all: it´s great and important that this discussion exists!
Concerning the Cameleon,during the past 15 years I saw Puerto Viejo develop, I find the luxury hotel our of place in a market sense, NOT in a constructural or environmental or social sense.
The town has proved many times, and will again, to reject ill elements in its system. Personny, I think that if Le Cameleon is rejected, it will be by the market. We´ll see…
As fot the “feel”, the mini-mall, bank and other “downtown” development makes me worry a lot more!
Markus, I don’t know what “ill” elements the town rejects as there are plenty of problems around to shake a stick at if you actually live here which I am sure you living in Spain and other visitors don’t have to worry about when only staying for a brief vacation in this “paradise”. Not every body is here on vacation. The Cameleon provides employment for 30 people in the area which is greatly appreciated especially since many are struggling and don’t have the luxury of second guessing new businesses providing jobs and hope. Welcome and best of luck Cameleon.
I agree with Marco from Totem. Stay positive, stop criticizing and welcome sustainable development, diversity and new businesses to the most beautiful place in all of Costa Rica
Hey Markus… I hate to disappoint you. But we tried to get a room for some friends from Canada that were visiting and we had to move dates because one night they were full.
For a hotel that has been open for 2 months and rooms start at $200 night… that is nothing short of amazing.