Cornell University honors Cayuga Collection founder Hans Pfister for transforming sustainable luxury hospitality across Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua.
Hans Pfister, the co-founder and CEO of Central American hospitality company Cayuga Collection, was inducted into the Cornell Hotelie Hall of Fame over the weekend. The Hall of Fame, established by the Cornell Hotel Society, recognizes Cornell School of Hotel Administration alumni who have achieved exceptional success in the hospitality industry while demonstrating extraordinary leadership and service.
Pfister was among eleven inductees selected for their ability to think beyond traditional hospitality boundaries and create transformative impact in their respective fields. A native of Trossingen, Germany, Pfister’s hospitality career began with pub work at high school followed by an apprenticeship at a resort in the Black Forest before his studies at Cornell. After graduating in 1995, he moved to Costa Rica, where his vision for combining luxury hospitality with sustainability began to take shape.
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Cayuga Collection
Headquartered in Escazú, Costa Rica, Cayuga Collection was established in 2003 by Pfister and Andrea Bonilla, both Cornell School of Hotel Administration graduates. Today it manages manages a range of distinctive properties across Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua. The company’s name draws inspiration from Cayuga Lake in Ithaca, New York, where Cornell is located.
Since their founding, Cayuga has developed a business model that combines high-end hospitality with environmental stewardship. The company’s recently launched “Luxury Rewilded” concept represents their approach to sustainable hospitality, focusing on the transformation of former agricultural lands into thriving ecosystems while delivering premium guest experiences.
This approach begins with physical land restoration and extends to community development. Local staff members become environmental stewards, taking pride in their role as guardians of the restored landscapes. The model has proven successful in creating lasting environmental impact while maintaining high-end hospitality standards.
Making an Impact
“For us, tourism only works if it benefits both the visitor and the visited,” Pfister said in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech on Sunday in New York. The company currently protects more than 1,500 acres of rainforest and cloud forest while employing over 450 local staff year-round across their properties.
A key example of their impact is seen in their staff development. During his speech, Pfister shared the story of a former employee who began in guest services and now runs his own environmental NGO, having planted over 70,000 trees along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.
Cayuga’s sustainability initiatives have earned significant industry recognition, including the Tourism for Tomorrow Award from the World Travel and Tourism Council, the Condé Nast World Saver Award, and National Geographic’s Earth Changer Award. Their practical approach to environmental stewardship includes early adoption of plastic-free operations, with the elimination of plastic bottles in 2005, and the introduction of locally-sourced bamboo straws in 2013.
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Growing Presence in Central America
The company’s portfolio includes properties such as Isla Palenque Resort in Panama’s Gulf of Chiriqui, the adults-only Kura Boutique Hotel in Costa Rica’s southern Pacific community of Uvita, and Jicaro Island Lodge in Nicaragua. Each property is designed to integrate with its surrounding ecosystem while maintaining luxury standards. Cayuga operates other Costa Rica hotels in Manuel Antonio on the Central Pacific, the Monteverde cloud forests, and Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast.
“We live in interesting times,” said Pfister. “The challenges we face as a planet can be overwhelming, but it’s not too late. We still can do something about it. The positive impact that I see every day throughout our work in Central America, our nature communities, and our guests is something I’m proud to share.”
The Cornell Hotelie Hall of Fame recognition adds to Cayuga’s track record of innovation in the hospitality sector, where they continue to demonstrate that luxury service and environmental responsibility can successfully coexist in the tourism industry.
