Hotel Belmar: Analytical Review of the Challenges Facing an Eco-Hotel in Costa Rica

The owners of the Hotel Belmar, an eco-hotel in Monteverde, Costa Rica, were concerned about the acceptance of their sustainability practices by guests. In September 2013, the hotel had adopted a sustainability program and had applied it to their hotel, restaurant, garden, animal farm, and microbrewery. However, the owners had received complaints about issues arising from their environmentally friendly practices such as the presence of bugs and rodents, the lack of televisions in the rooms, and a problem with heat in the summer and cold in the winter due to the lack of heating and air conditioning in the hotel. Pedro, the hotel's manager, wondered how he could identify and reach guests who might enjoy the environmentally friendly eco-hotel and deal with the complaints that arose from the hotel's sustainable practices.