The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is to manage a new beach resort, spa and branded residences at Playa Manzanillo in the Guanacaste province on Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast.

The Mandarin Oriental Costa Rica resort will be the cornerstone of a larger, 538 acre gated golf and residential development called Rancho Manzanillo. There will be a 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) spa offering within the resort, featuring 14 treatment rooms. The therapies will focus on holistic rejuvenation alongside traditional water and heat experiences.

Opening in 2009, Mandarin Oriental Costa Rica will be built on a coastal ridge, nearly 60m above sea level, with views of the jungle inland and the Pacific Ocean.