🌴✨ THE EPIC TALE OF LA ESCAPADITA
A Decade of Destiny, a Rebirth by the Sea, and the Little Girl Who Inspired It All
Some stories begin quietly.
This one came in like a wave — loud, wild, impossible to ignore — shaped by fate, community, and the kind of magic only Costa Rica can conjure.
This is the story of La Escapadita — reborn in 2025 —
and the long road it took to get here.
But to understand the rebirth,
you have to go back to where it all began.
🌊 CHAPTER 1 — LOWTIDE LOUNGE & THE FIRST SPARK (2004)
LowTide opened in 2004. From 2009–2014, Ray was running LowTide Lounge in Esterillos Oeste — a sandy, vibrant beach bar full of surfboards, laughter, live music, cold beers, and dreams.
It was a place where you could feel potential buzzing in the air.
But the previous owner-partner had already run the business into the ground, handcuffing its potential and limiting its success.
Because to Ray, LowTide wasn’t just a bar.
It was a lifestyle.
In 2013, he made an offer to buy a nearby hotel called La Felicidades.
The offer was accepted.
The dream felt real.
And then, days before closing, destiny stepped in — in the form of a man named Chris who arrived with an all-cash offer, bought the property, and renamed it:
La Escapadita.
Ray lost the deal.
But sometimes things leave your life so they can return at the exact right moment — when you’re truly ready.
🌴 CHAPTER 2 — A DECADE OF UNKNOWINGLY WAITING
La Escapadita changed hands over the years.
Owners came and went.
The place lived many lives, but never found its rhythm.
Meanwhile, Ray kept building —
community, music, relationships, ideas, visions —
and most importantly:
he became a father to Nova.
The hotel he almost bought?
Not even a thought in the back of his mind anymore.
An opportunity long forgotten and moved on from.
Until one day in late 2024, while scrolling Facebook…
There it was.
Joel — the owner at the time — posted it for sale.
Ray hesitated at first.
Then he sent a message — a message that would change everything.
A story that began in 2013
took its next breath
in a simple Facebook post.
🌙 CHAPTER 3 — SIX MONTHS, FIVE INVESTORS & ONE LEAP OF FAITH
Negotiations with Joel lasted six months —
a stretch of timelines, inspections, spreadsheets, investor decks, hope, doubt, and relentless persistence.
Ray lined up investors.
One by one, they disappeared.
Five investors dropped off for different reasons.
And on the day Joel accepted Ray’s final offer, he realized:
He was alone.
Most people would have backed out.
Ray chose something different:
he jumped.
He believed in the vision.
He trusted his gut.
He leaned on the people who believed in him.
And with the support of family, friends, and a whole lot of courage…
Ray bought La Escapadita by himself — 10 years after he first tried.
Some call that risk.
Others call it fate.
☀️ CHAPTER 4 — THE REBIRTH (2025)
The hotel he bought wasn’t polished.
It wasn’t turnkey.
It wasn’t simple.
But it was raw potential —
and that was enough.
Throughout 2025, while staying mostly open, Ray and the growing team rebuilt everything:
• Rooms redesigned
• Balconies expanded
• Gardens reborn
• Kitchens rebuilt
• New bar & food menus created
• Signage developed
• Spaces reimagined
• Furniture replaced
• The pool revived
• The bar re-energized
• Countless surprises handled along the way
It was messy, exhausting, beautiful work — filled with sawdust, sunsets, storms, and steady progress.
“Poco a poco,” the daily motto.
A renovation powered by pura vida and pure purpose.
But beneath all that construction lived a deeper truth…
❤️ CHAPTER 5 — CASA NOVA: THE HEART OF IT ALL
Behind every hammer, every paintbrush, every sleepless night, every idea and every sacrifice…
…was Nova.
The entire project was built for her.
A safe place.
A future home.
A legacy.
Every room name reflects the world she will grow up connected to:
Luna
Mar
Viento
Cielo
Nube
Sol
Brisa
Arena
Tierra
And soon, the most meaningful apartment of all will be complete:
El Mirador —
a peaceful lookout built for Ray and Nova, where they can dream together above the sea.
This is why the entire property carries its true name:
Casa Nova at La Escapadita
A sanctuary built for a daughter.
A legacy disguised as a boutique hotel.
A place where love lives in every detail.
🌱 CHAPTER 6 — SURF • SUSTAIN • ESCAPE
The new La Escapadita stands proudly on three pillars:
🌊 SURF
The ocean is steps away.
The waves shape the days, the rhythm, the energy, the lifestyle.
🌱 SUSTAIN
Through House On Fire, La Escapadita leads and supports:
• beach cleanups
• mangrove reforestation
• turtle rescue initiatives
• community education
• sustainability projects
This hotel doesn’t just enjoy the beach —
it protects it.
🏝️ ESCAPE
Not to disappear…
but to rediscover joy, presence, freedom, and connection.
Here, life slows down.
Magic speeds up.
Memories root deeply.
🌕 CHAPTER 7 — THE GRAND OPENING (DECEMBER 2025)
After 10 years of destiny,
6 months of negotiations,
5 investors falling through,
a full year of renovations,
and a lifetime of passion…
La Escapadita is officially reborn.
December 2025 marks the beginning of a new era —
the spectacular launch into 2026 and beyond.
A hotel.
A restaurant.
A bar.
A music venue.
A surf sanctuary.
A conservation hub.
A community anchor.
A forever home.
🎉 CHAPTER 8 — WHAT’S COMING IN 2026
The future is bright, loud, delicious, and unforgettable:
🎶 Weekly live music (Los Mojados + special guests)
🌕 Full Moon Parties
🎤 Karaoke, Trivia & Bingo Nights
☀️ Sunday Funday Pool Parties
🏄♂️ Surf Expression Sessions & Friendly Contests
🎄 The Children’s Christmas Fiesta
🛍️ Artisan markets
🌱 Conservation days with House On Fire
A full calendar of reasons to escape to Esterillos Centro.
🌺 SPECIAL THANKS
A dream like this takes a village — a family — a constellation of beautiful souls who showed up with love, support, guidance, creativity, patience, encouragement, and energy.
To my mom and dad,
Emily Walker,
Kim Scott,
Noelle & Terry Pratt,
John Turnham,
Mark Wooster,
Ben Greenfield,
Davis,
Yoscar,
Isabella,
Luis Jimenez,
Karen Young,
Denise Bishko,
Paola Vargas,
the Municipality of Parrita,
Ministerio de Salud,
ACAM,
and Florida Distribution —
Thank you.
For the hands you lent, the time you gave, the hearts and knowledge you shared, and the belief you held.
And an extra, extra special thanks to Valeria —
for her love, her artistic vision, her input, her color, her creativity, and the countless ways she shaped this sanctuary.
Her touch is everywhere at La Escapadita.
And above all:
Nova.
Every step, every sacrifice, every brick, every dream…
was for you.
Casa Nova is your sanctuary —
and the heart of this entire story.
🌴✨ FINAL CHAPTER — YOUR TURN
La Escapadita was born from destiny.
Built from love.
Revived with community.
Sustained by the sea.
Inspired by a child.
And shaped by pura vida.
Now the doors are open.
The waves are calling.
And the story continues —
with you.
Come stay.
Come surf.
Come escape.
Come create your own fairy-tale pura vida moment on this golden stretch of Costa Rican coast.
This is La Escapadita.
This is Casa Nova.
This is home.
Surf. Sustain. Escape.
And let the story begin…
🌊🌕✨
📍 Esterillos Centro, Costa Rica
📱 @LaEscapaditaCentro
📅 Grand Opening: December 2025
🎉 Stay tuned — the full 2026 events calendar drops soon!