co-founder, CEO and Marketing Director at Cayuga Collection
Costa Rica
Hans Pfister is co-founder, CEO and Marketing Director of the Cayuga Collection of Sustainable Luxury Hotels and Lodges in Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua. He strongly believes in “walking the talk” when it comes to sustainability and is very passionate about customer service in hospitality. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and has been invited to share his experiences at Ivy League Universities. He writes a weekly blog on sustainability topics and is a regular contributor for hospitality publications. He has served on the Advisory Board of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World and is the Regional Vice President for Mexico, Central and South America for the Cornell Hotel Society.
Born and raised in southern Germany, Hans began his career with the European tradition of apprenticeship at a luxury hotel in the Black Forest and went on to receive a degree from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, New York. He has more than 25 years of experience in hospitality in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Hans speaks English, German and Spanish fluently, and is proficient in French. He loves to travel the world, eat locally and explore the outdoors.