Luxury Hotel News: Hilton has signed Maravé Manuel Antonio (LXR Hotels & Resorts), a new high-end resort on a nearly 40-acre beachfront estate in Costa Rica, slated to open in 2029 with 173 accommodations plus residences, a spa, restaurants, and a beach club. Surf Spot Spotlight: Ivanka Trump shared more Costa Rica surf updates, including a confident session and a celebratory high-five with her instructor, plus a beach horseback ride with her daughter Arabella. Travel & Community: A men’s basketball team from Cornerstone University spent eight days in the greater San José area running clinics at local schools and playing games as part of a mission trip. Wildlife Conservation: Osa Conservation moved 13 white-lipped peccaries to Piedras Blancas National Park to help restore a threatened population after local hunting wiped them out. Nature Watch: SINAC is monitoring a rare solitary sea lion sighting on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast and asks people to keep distance and avoid interfering. Tourism Demand: Canada is now Costa Rica’s fastest-growing source market, with arrivals up 25.1% in the first seven months of 2026, heavily boosting the Liberia/Guanacaste route. Travel Planning Note: The U.S. Embassy in San José says only immigrant visa (Permanent Residency) interviews are temporarily suspended for training; tourist and business visa appointments are unaffected. Holiday Reminder: Costa Rica’s Aug. 31 Black Person and Afro-Costa Rican Culture Day falls mid-week and has specific pay rules if employees are required to work.