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How a Trip to Costa Rica Led Anastacia Dadashpour to Own a Hotel There
- Jeannette Ceja
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
When Anastacia Dadashpour traveled to Costa Rica on vacation in 2020, buying a hotel was not on the itinerary. She had spent nearly two decades in Colorado's nonprofit world, writing grants, running fundraising galas, and serving as interim development director for organizations like Friendship Bridge and Intercambio de Comunidades.
Then she stumbled on a boutique hotel for sale in Montezuma.
"It was a big leap of faith and really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Anastacia says. "I could have never planned it to be as perfect as it has been."
She returned in May 2021 to close the deal, naming the property Sunshine Sanctuary. That October, she published her first book, Love, A Manual for Humanity, a guide to accessing unconditional love through 38 practical lessons and exercises. The book's philosophy now shapes life at the hotel: five years on, Anastacia still owns the nine-room property and last year launched Ascension, her own transformational retreat program built around the same ideas.
The location itself does some of the transformational work. Montezuma sits on Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, recognized as one of the world's Blue Zones, where people routinely live past 100. The hotel spans two river valleys connected by a 300-foot hanging bridge, with a saltwater pool, a private trail to a waterfall five minutes away, Montezuma Beach a 10-minute walk downhill, and Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve a 30-minute drive.
Anastacia says solo female travelers have found their way to her in growing numbers over the years, which tracks: the BBC recently named Costa Rica one of the best countries for women traveling solo in 2026.
She shares hertstory with hertelier...
What was your journey to becoming a hotel owner like? What challenges or opportunities shaped your path?
No doubt, being a single female, in Central America has had its challenges. I had to learn how to maintain: my innate kindness, my desire to be respectful of others while respecting myself, how to create boundaries, very structured communication, and expectations. In doing business, there is a “Pura Vida” way of doing things which I love. I have also learned there is a softness and a ferocity that need to blend together.
What do you love most about being a female hotel owner?
I love making my guests happy. I love serving breakfast, which I do once a week on Sundays. I love attending to people and listening to their stories. I love engaging with people about where they are going and where they are from. That I think comes from the soft feminine curiosity of wanting to really engage with my guests.
What do you hope every guest takes away from Sunshine Sanctuary?
I really hope that everyone takes away a deep sense of peace and a deep connection to nature. We are overlooking the ocean, we can hear the waterfalls, and we are in the middle of the jungle.
Beyond the hotel, can you tell us more about the events and retreats at your property?
We have had everything from weddings, as we have this spectacular terrace, and super fun parties. Now, we are building more and more into the healing center. That’s my ultimate goal to transition Sunshine Sanctuary into an exclusive healing center. The retreat process that I administer is called Ascension (one, two, three and four-week retreats).
Beyond that, we also have set up the space for other people to host their own retreats. I also welcome other retreat leaders to come and use our facilities to host a retreat in Costa Rica.
Lastly, for anyone interested in visiting Costa Rica, when is the best season?
I think the summer is my favorite, because it still rains, which I love. If you come in September, October, or the first part of November that is the rainy season, which is beautiful. And some people come here specifically for the rainy season. However, the most popular season is from mid-November to May, which is the dry season.
