Costa Rico property celebrates blue flag award

July 6, 9:47 AMInternational Travel ExaminerRita Cook

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Occidental Hotels & Resorts are Blue Flag Friendly  

Occidental Hotels & Resorts is celebrating the Ecological Blue Flag Award with rates as low as $68 per person, per night at its two Costa Rica properties.  Manzanillo Beach, home to both the Occidental Grand Papagayo and Allegro Papagayo, received the coveted award for 2009.

Manzanillo beach, located on Costa Rica’s north pacific coast and home to two of Occidental Hotels & Resorts’ all-inclusive properties, has been awarded the coveted Ecological Blue Flag for 2009.   This prestigious award is granted yearly to beaches with coastal communities committed to environmental excellence, and the Occidental Grand Papagayo and Allegro Papagayo resort teams confirmed their dedication to preserving the untamed natural beauty of Costa Rica's coastline during the past year.  In celebration of the award, the resorts are offering a variety of value-added promotions including complimentary nights, kids free and nightly rates as low as $68 per person for travel now through December 2009, making it possible for travelers to experience the pristine Manzanillo beach, nearby jungle and more! 

Upon arrival, guests can relax by the beach, explore the jungle via canopy tour or charter along the rainforest river banks, relax by the pool with a tropical drink, or take in the stunning coastal bluffs, mountain ranges and active volcanoes on a variety of excursions. 

Both all-inclusive resort stays include unlimited meals and snacks, free-flowing drinks (yes, alcohol too!), sports, SCUBA classes, snorkeling, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, sports, pool volleyball, beach soccer, ping pong, darts, tennis, basketball, horseback riding and dance classes.  Supervised Kids Club, daily entertainment and activities are also part of the package, as well as nightly shows and live entertainment and all taxes and gratuities.  Occidental Grand vacations also include access to the sauna, whirlpool and steam room at the spa.

All rates are per person, per night, based on double occupancy:

Allegro Papagayo

Summer and fall rates from $68.
Kids free (ages 12 and under) for travel now through December 18, 2009. 

Occidental Grand Papagayo

Summer and fall rates starting from $122.
Fourth night free for guests booking Royal Club accommodations for travel now through December 18, 2009. 

For more information or to book an Occidental Costa Rica vacation, call 800- 858-2258 or visit www.occidentalhotels.com.

Occidental Hotels & Resorts

One of the world’s leading hotel companies and one of the largest all-inclusive resort chains in the Americas, Occidental Hotels & Resorts has more than 20 properties in key destinations under the Allegro, Occidental Grand and Royal Hideaway brands, each perfectly suited to address the leisure travel needs of its market segment, from Allegro’s fun-filled packages, to the luxurious Occidental Grands and Royal Hideaway.  An even more exclusive component of all Occidental Grands, the “Royal Club” offers boutique-style services within the resort such as a private concierge, separate check-in and check-out services.

 Blue Flag

The program "Bandera Azul Ecologico" (Ecological Blue Flag) was created by the Costa Rican water institute (AyA) in 1996 in conjunction with the tourism institute (ICT), Chamber of Tourism, and Health Ministry, with the aim of preserving the water quality.  Founded on the importance of education and information about the environment, the program was created as an incentive to encourage hotels and communities to protect the beaches from environmental contamination.  The program also aims to promote safety on the beach with signage to guide and inform the coastal population.