Resorts & Hotels for Sale in Costa Rica

Yes. Foreign investors have the same property and business-ownership rights as Costa Rican citizens for the large majority of hospitality assets, and you do not need to be a resident to buy. Many resorts and hotels are held through a Costa Rican corporation (sociedad anónima or S.R.L.) for operational and tax efficiency. The main exception is the Maritime Terrestrial Zone (the first 200 m from the high-tide line), where beachfront properties are typically concession-based with specific foreign-ownership limits — a licensed Realty ONE Group agent and your attorney confirm the exact tenure for any property you consider.

Most international hospitality purchases in Costa Rica are completed in cash or through private/seller financing rather than a local mortgage, since local bank lending to non-residents for commercial assets is limited and slow. Owner-carry arrangements and equity partnerships are common on larger resorts. Your agent can introduce you to attorneys and lenders who structure these deals; the right structure depends on the asset, the seller, and your tax residency, so treat any financing figure as deal-specific.

Returns vary widely by location, asset class, occupancy and how the property is operated, so we never publish a one-size-fits-all yield. Costa Rica's tourism demand is strong and growing — driven by eco-tourism, surf and wellness travel — which supports nightly rates in established zones like the Pacific coast of Puntarenas and Guanacaste. The honest answer is that the numbers are property-specific: ask your agent for the actual trailing occupancy, ADR and operating statements of any resort you evaluate, and have them reviewed before you make an offer.

Beyond a clean title study (estudio de registro), the hospitality-specific checks are: the land's tenure (full fee-simple title vs. a Maritime Terrestrial Zone concession), water availability and the water-concession (a common constraint on coastal expansion), municipal land-use (uso de suelo) and operating permits, environmental and SETENA approvals, the tourism declaration (ICT) status, and the trailing financials and staff obligations of the operating business. A licensed agent coordinates these with your attorney so nothing is assumed.