Rooted in Purpose: Flavia on Family, Biodiversity, and Hospitality in Costa Rica

Interview and edit by Rebecca Woolford, Senderos

The granddaughter of immigrants who crossed oceans in search of new beginnings, and the daughter of an entrepreneur who taught her the value of building with care and conviction, Flavia Loeb didn’t stumble into hospitality – she chose it with intention.

Joining her father to help shape a new chapter for the family business, her path has taken her from boardrooms to the rainforests of Costa Rica. 

Today, she helps lead Böëna Lodges: a collection of five retreats where Indigenous communities help shape the guest experience, where Calypso music is kept alive by local children, and where over 850 hectares of wild land are held in trust.

When her partner fell seriously ill this year, accessibility became personal. What followed was a reckoning and a renewed commitment to leading with even more impact, purpose and empathy. 

In this latest Senderos Stories interview below, Flavia shares her personal journey, why biodiversity informs every decision, and what continues to make working in tourism deeply meaningful.

 

Flavia Loeb with her 14-month old daughter in Costa Rica AND Flavia Loeb with her father Jack at Boena Lodges

Could you share a little about the journey to becoming an executive of Boena Lodges – the twists and turns that led you to where you are today?

“I come from a very multicultural background. My father’s side is a mix of Dutch, German, and Colombian heritage. My father was born in the United States. On my mother’s side, my grandfather is Italian, my grandmother is Costa Rican, and my mother was born here. So I’m a global cocktail!

I mention this because I come from a very hard-working family, and that work ethic has shaped my own path. Imagine someone jumping on a boat during World War II and starting over in Latin America, that resilience and drive runs through everything we do.

I studied business in Costa Rica, and early on I had the opportunity to join my father at business meetings, learning firsthand what it means to build something from scratch and how to grow a business already in motion.

When I graduated, my father was starting a new venture: a convenience store chain. I joined that entrepreneurial project, first in marketing, then overseeing operations and marketing. But after a few years, I was ready for something new. I decided to do my MBA in Chicago. After two years in Chicago, and a stint in New York I returned to Costa Rica to take over as CEO of the convenience store business. 

After we sold the convenience store chain, it was time for something different. My father, Jack, had reached a point of transition with Boena Lodges. We sat down together and had a heart-to-heart. He said, ‘Flavia, I want to go on this new adventure. Would you join me?’

And here I am, a year and a half into this role. It’s been a big shift, but not just professionally. I’m also a first-time mum. My daughter is 14 months old. 

I’ve always loved to travel, to understand the story behind a place, and the people behind the experiences. That’s what drew me to hospitality. The first lodge my father bought was Pacuare Lodge, back in 2005.. He had the vision to transform it into a high-end, boutique experience where guests could raft in and out, stay in incredible comfort, eat gourmet food, drink fine wine, and be guided by some of the most knowledgeable naturalists in Costa Rica.

From there, my father acquired 4 other lodges that now make up Boena, along with Xplore Air, a private charter plane.”

What has it been like stepping into the business at Boena Lodges alongside your father?

“Going into business with your father is no small thing, especially in a company of this size. It’s a big responsibility. We employ over 350 people across all our lodges. That means 350 families rely on us. As a family owner, I take that responsibility very seriously. It’s also a legacy project now. 

I feel a deep commitment to ensure Boena Lodges is not only sustainable and successful now, but resilient and meaningful for future generations – including for my daughter. I want her to see that it’s possible to build a business that’s profitable financially, but also rich in community and conservation impact.

Boena’s strategy is grounded in the Long Run’s Four Cs: community, culture, commerce, and conservation. Everything we do has to align with these principles.

Over the past year and a half, a big part of my work has been to articulate that purpose more clearly. To define what kind of impact we want to have in the communities we’re part of, and how to deliver on that. 

When someone chooses to spend their vacation with us, especially in a world that’s increasingly uncertain, I want them to feel 100% confident that they’ve chosen the right place. That they know who we are, and what we stand for.”

With five retreats across such distinct ecosystems and cultural landscapes in Costa Rica, how do you strike the balance between a consistent experience and honouring the unique character of each place?

“Yes, our five lodges span across four regions of Costa Rica. Even though we want consistency in service, warmth, and experience, we also want each retreat to reflect its connection to place.

Pacuare Lodge is on the banks of the Pacuare River, on the Atlantic side. Tortuga Lodge is in Tortuguero, on the Caribbean coast and surrounded by canals. Lapa Rios is in the Osa Peninsula in the south. And then we have Monteverde Lodge and Cloud Forest Lodge.

Let’s take the example of food. We have comfort food, a regular menu, and a full plant-based menu at each property. But the ingredients and flavors are very different:

• At Tortuga, you’ll taste Caribbean influence, where coconut is a staple.
• At Lapa Rios, it’s more seafood-based, with lots of fresh, local ingredients.
• Pacuare has a hint of the Caribbean, but it’s a more remote region, so we celebrate its local ingredients.
• Monteverde’s cuisine is grounded in local, typical Costa Rican dishes, it’s just presented in a refined, gourmet way.

It’s the same with the guest experiences. Some lodges, like Pacuare, have canopy adventures. Tortuga offers wildlife watching. Each place, community and culture offers something unique.”

Sunset in the rainforest and horse riding on the beach at Lapa Rios, Boena Lodges, Costa Rica. 

Boena’s renewed focus on accessibility was sparked by a personal experience. Would you be open to sharing what happened and how it’s influenced the way you approach creating inclusive travel?

“Earlier this year, my husband – who also works in the business –  was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré, a rare autoimmune condition that causes sudden paralysis. He went from walking into the hospital to being unable to move or even turn in bed. 

He was in a wheelchair for nearly two months.

Thankfully, he’s recovering and walking again. But living through that experience as a family completely changed our perspective. We started asking: What are we doing to support guests who have mobility challenges? Are we truly accessible?

That’s when we began working more closely with Wheel the World. where all five lodges are listed.

We still have work to do especially on experiences and tours but this is a journey we’re deeply committed to. We lived it. And we’re determined to make Boena more inclusive because of it.”

Can you share some examples of how Boena partners with local communities? From walking the Cabécar trails to supporting Calypso music? 

“One of the best examples is at Pacuare Lodge, where we work closely with the Cabécar community – one of the largest Indigenous groups in Costa Rica, the community is about 15,000 people. 

We employ Cabécar community members at the lodge, and they also opened their doors to our guests.

We take our amazing guests on a guided hike – the same route the Cabécar walks every day to come to work. What takes them 45 minutes, takes us two and a half hours. It’s humbling. And when guests arrive in their community, the Cabécar welcomes them and shares their way of life.

Their ideas, wisdom and influence runs throughout Pacuare Lodge from the roofs, built with traditional materials, to the handcrafted decorations in the rooms. Not all the rooms look exactly the same and that’s intentional. Each piece is handmade by the Cabécar artisans. There’s a story in every corner.

Another example is at Tortuga Lodge, where we’ve partnered with the community to support The Calypso School of Music. A music teacher lives on-site and teaches local children how to play local instruments, many of which were donated by us and other lodges. They focus  on calypso music as part of their cultural heritage. After school, kids come to learn music, and sometimes they perform at the lodge with their families watching. It’s joyful, and it’s a way of nurturing creativity and connection.

Calypso music, which is Afro-Caribbean in origin, is a big part of the culture in the Tortuguero area – it’s all about rhythm, drums, dancing. Supporting this is one more way we’re trying to help preserve cultural heritage.”

A view across Tortuga Lodge and kayaking on the river, Boena Lodges, Costa Rica. 

Let’s talk about biodiversity. The B word which supports all life — gives us air, water, soil — and yet it’s under threat, even in Costa Rica. How does Boena Lodges actively contribute to its protection?

“Across all five lodges, we steward around 850 hectares, at 123 rooms, that’s about 6.5 hectares per room!

A great example is our retreat Lapa Rios, in the Osa Peninsula. 

It’s in the heart of one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. The lodge sits on 400 hectares of land, and we host just 17 rooms. Over 80% of that land is in a permanent trust, which means it can never be developed and is primary forest.

We have no interest in building a 400-room resort. What we want is to preserve that land and create experiences that guests can access only if they stay at our lodges. It’s a way to say: this piece of the planet is protected, not just for now, but forever.

It’s the same at Pacuare Lodge. 

Indigenous-led experiences and rafting at Pacuare Lodge, Boena Lodges, Costa Rica. 

Beyond land protection, we also support conservation projects: coral restoration, and jaguar monitoring programmes. 

Pacuare and Lapa Rios they’re both remote, with no grid access. At both lodges, we’ve built nanoturbines to generate electricity from neighboring water resources, and solar systems power everything else. Getting materials to both locations is a challenge —at Pacuare everything comes in by river raft or boat. That’s already a different kind of luxury.

For us, luxury is disconnection. When you’re floating through Tortuguero’s canals, watching crocodiles and sloths, you don’t have Wi-Fi. You don’t have a signal. That quiet disconnection to support real connection – that’s luxury!

And then you return to your room, to the most comfortable bed, the softest sheets, great food and you’re surrounded by pristine nature. Your alarm clock might be the monkeys. That’s the kind of richness we offer our guests.”

You’ve brought your own ideas and vision to Boena Lodges, alongside what your father started. Thinking 10 years ahead – what would success look like for you?

“People often ask, “What’s new at Boena? What are you renovating? Or changing? And yes we’ll keep our villas updated. But real success is about delivering unforgettable experiences.

If we become a reference point for extraordinary experiences – first in Central America, then Latin America, then globally – that’s success.

Everything we say we’re doing now for people and nature – I want that to still be true in 10 years. I want the coral restoration and the jaguar programme to still be thriving.

And ideally, we’d have one big, flagship conservation initiative under the Boena Lodges name one day – something that unites all our efforts. In the shorter term, my focus is on continuing to build trust.  

Trust with our guests. Trust with our trade partners. I want people to understand that Boena Lodges isn’t just a collection of 5 retreats  — it’s one unified group with a clear vision and a shared value system.”

Hiking across a river and an aerial view at Lapa Rios, Boena Lodges, Costa Rica. 

Discover more about Boena Lodges with: Lapa Rios | Pacuare Lodge | Tortuga Lodge |Monteverde

Senderos’ stories is a series that celebrates our partners’ positive impact and purpose across Latin America.

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