Only a few hotels can count on stars from the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide. This great accomplishment was achieved through the dedication and passion of the founders of the hotel Drake Bay Getaway Resort, Yens Steller and his spouse Patrick Ludwig, who recently obtained a4-star rating.
It is worth noting that the Forbes Travel Guide’s 4-star hotels are exceptional hotels that offer high levels of service and quality of facilities. Forbes Travel Guide is the world authority on luxury travel and hospitality.
Forbes’ professional inspectors travel the world to assess hotels, restaurants and spas with 900 objective standards that determine their coveted annual star ratings. They pay their own way and remain anonymous like a typical guest. No one can buy a rating under any circumstances. Each star rating is earned through their objective and independent process.
Forbes Travel Guide began in 1958 as the Mobil Travel Guide, a guide for American motorists. They created the original Five-Star rating system and are the only independent global rating agency for luxury hospitality. For more than 60 years, they have traveled the world to provide guests with the most reliable information on where to stay, dine and relax.
Who are Yens Steller and Patrick Ludwig?
As I mentioned earlier, Yens Steller and Patrick Ludwig are the owners of the hotel Drake Bay Getaway Resort. Yens is Costa Rican and Patrick is from the United States of America. Yens studied Computer Science and worked in the United States for many years. Patrick studied Electrical Engineering. They both worked in various high-tech companies in Seattle, Washington.
About Drake Bay Getaway Resort
As the sole owners of the hotel, Steller and Ludwig bought the land from Yens’ father – one of the original settlers in the town of Drake Bay.They began the construction of the hotel in October 2013, and finished it in October 2014. It was a year of hard work and dedication. They opened the eco-luxury boutique hotel to the public in December 2014.
The hotel Drake Bay Getaway Resort is located in the famous Osa Peninsula in a town called Drake Bay. It isan ecological, luxury boutique hotel that offers adventure tours, wellness, gourmet meals, and personalized services. It was designed with sustainability in mind using recyclable materials (teak wood and steel). It has no televisions, no air conditioning, no swimming pools. “All of our cabins are naturally cooled through our passive cooling design. We focus on romantic, family and solo travelers seeking tranquility and a great experience,” Steller told us.
About the Steller Ludwig Foundation
Yens Steller and Patrick Ludwig created the Steller Ludwig Foundation with the goal of improving health and education around the world.
Born and raised in Drake Bay, Yens left Costa Rica to pursue a higher education and ultimately a career as a computer scientist in Seattle, WA. His success as a manager in a cutting-edge software company provided him with many opportunities to accelerate his career.
After marrying Patrick in 2013, the two decided to trade their high-tech jobs for a dream in Costa Rica. They always dreamed of ways to give back to local communities and decided that Drake Bay was the perfect place to start.
As an electrical engineer, Patrick began his career at a Fortune 100 company, Honeywell. He went on to patent five avionics system inventions before he and Yens decided to move to Drake Bay to start a new adventure: building a luxury eco-lodge from scratch.
Inspired by the land and its people, Yens and Patrick founded the Steller Ludwig Foundation to fund and promote community health and education initiatives that support disadvantaged people who give so much to the country they call home.
The Steller Ludwig Foundation is currently working with the local Drake Bay community to convert the existing community center into a temporary high school for children in the area. Currently, there are approximately 100 children in Drake Bay who are taking high school classes from home due to the lack of a high school building. The Costa Rican government plans to build a new secondary school for Drake Bay soon, but the town cannot wait; the temporary high school is expected to be ready this year.
What do you want to accomplish with your hotel?
Yens Steller states that through his eco-luxury boutique hotel Drake Bay Getaway Resort, they hope to inspire travelers to learn about sustainability and adopt some of their sustainable practices into their daily lives. “Through our Steller Ludwig Foundation, we hope to continue supporting health and education initiatives to improve the lives of communities in Drake Bay,” he added.
What is your latest project at your hotel?
“During 2020, we purchased 76 hectares (188 acres) of land in Drake Bay. The new property is about a 10-minute drive from our hotel. We are building nature trails on the new property for nature walks, waterfall exploring, and wildlife viewing”,said Steller. Here is more information about this project: https://stories.forbestravelguide.com/jungle-getaway-offers-coveted-access-to-a-costa-rican-eco-paradise
The pride!
“Luxury and sustainability can coexist in a harmonious balance.”
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