Want Costa Rica in the palm of your hand?

If you’ve got an iPhone, a Touch, or an iPad, you’ve probably noticed that there are two and a half zillion apps out there to choose from, many of them barely worth the space they’re taking up on your handheld. But when one of our contributors puts one together, I know it’s going to be worth downloading.

So take a look at Costa Rica Pura Vida! by Christopher Baker. He’s the writer that put together many of our reviews of luxury Costa Rica hotels and he knows the country inside-out. You want credentials? OK, he’s the author of Moon Costa Rica and National Geographic Costa Rica.

Here’s the official description. For a mere $2.99, here’s what you get:

+ 250+ description entries, including Hidden Gems.
+ Photo slide-shows with almost 2,300 colorful photographs displayed in stunning high definition.
+ Driving directions where appropriate, plus fully interactive Google Maps that let you browse based on your exact, real-time location.
+ Entries organized by useful criteria like ACTIVITIES, BEACHES, CULTURAL & HISTORICAL SITES, PARKS & RESERVES, and more, including the author’s recommendations for MUST SEES.
+ Entries sorted by name, neighborhood, distance, and price.

After you buy it, you get upgrades and updates for life! Click here to go to the App Store.

Related post: Cool Cancun and Isla Mujeres App

Which luxury hotels in Latin America are readers clicking on the most? There’s nothing slightly scientific about this since popularity can be driven by many things: a write-up in a magazine, a hotel being on TV, or a link from another popular website.

Still, it’s interesting to take a look at which hotels are getting the most interest at different times. Here are the top 11 ones popping up the most over the past month. (Because I hate top-10 lists.)

Flor Blanca in Costa Rica

Bristol Buenaventura in Panama

Popa Paradise in Panama

Infinity Bay in Honduras (pictured above)

Hotel Koralia in Colombia

Cavas Wine Lodge in Argentina

Four Seasons Punta Mita in Mexico

Turtle Inn in Belize

La Lancha in Guatemala

Garzon in Uruguay

Mansion Alcazar in Ecuador

Quite a diverse list of hotels, resorts, and destinations!

Where are the world’s most expensive hotel suites? On this luxury travel blog I’m usually discussing the scene in Latin America, but since that whole region is a great value, the prices there don’t make the cut.

The Wall Street Journal recently did a big feature story on the Ty Warner Penthouse at the Four Seasons New York City. If you want to book this lavish suite with panoramic Manhattan views, you’d better be loaded. It’ll cost you $35,000 a night. Don’t even think about asking for a discount and forget any party plans: because of all the expensive furnishings, no more than 10 people are allowed in at one time. Read the whole article to see all the expensive features that go into this price. But for a start, there’s a $120,000 chandelier, Thai silk with gold threads on the canopy bed, and an energy-hogging 850 light bulbs.

This is the most expensive suite in the Americas outside Las Vegas. Some there go for an even higher rate, but are frequently given away free to high-rolling whales with an account of half a million or more. Here are some of the other expensive suites from around the world listed in the article:

Hugh Hefner Sky Villa/Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas – Price per night: $40,000

Bridge Suite/Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas – Price per night: $25,000

Royal Auite/Burj Al Arab in Dubai – Price per night: $19,000

The Ritz-Carlton Suite/Ritz-Carlton, Moscow – Price per night: $13,900

How does Latin America compare? Well the only suite I can find in our reviews that tops $10,000 per  night is really a house: the four-bedroom Villa Cortez at the One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico. It has a top rack rate of $12,000, but that includes a private staff of 12 (with two chefs), the huge private infinity pool pictured below, a big cinema room, a full office, and a prime spot on the beach.

The best suite at the Four Seasons Costa Rica goes for close to $10,000 in high season, but is also a villa with multiple bedrooms.

The top suite is under 5 grand at Capella Pedregal in Los Cabos, Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, Ritz-Carlton Santiago, and the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge.

For more information on luxury travel and hotels outside of Latin America, see JustLuxe.com

The plummeting euro has been all over the news the past few months. In a strange twist of fate, the non-Chavez-leaning countries of Latin America are looking like models of fiscal stability now compared to their colonial cousins in Spain and Portugal.

The euro is at its lowest level in five years against the greenback as the flight to safety continues. So what does that mean for your travels to Latin America?

Not much, actually. As I’ve pointed out on here before, many of the currencies in Central America and South America move in lockstep with the U.S. dollar. In Ecuador and Panama, the dollar is the currency—you don’t even need to change money upon arrival. In others, like Honduras and Belize, there is a very narrow trading range.

The most volatile exchange rates are the ones attached to the most developed roaring economies: Chile and Brazil. Expect a lot of volatility if you’re heading to those commodity-rich nations. Things are a little brighter right now though: the dollar is up 6% in Brazil and 7.1% in Chile since the new year started.

The bad news is, that’s coming off a very strong 2009 for those currencies. The news is worse elsewhere, with the dollar faltering a bit against the currencies of Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, Uruguay, and Costa Rica. Not by much though—the declines are all under 5%.

Mexico is basically flat for the year, which means around 12.5 to the dollar—still a great exchange rate in historic terms. Argentina is still hovering around 3.9 to the dollar, after being at 3-to-1 before last year. (Unfortunately, they’re making up for it with high inflation and increased visa fees upon arrival.)

Does any of this matter if the changes aren’t dramatic? Not a whole lot for your biggest expenses. If you book a tour with a company marketing to North Americans, they’re pricing things in dollars anyway. Most luxury hotels set their rates in dollars as well in this hemisphere, with Brazil being the main exception. Latin America real estate may or may not be priced in the local currency: it depends on the target market and the location.

Where you really lose or win is when you buy things or services that are priced in local terms. When the dollar is strong, you will pay less for taxis, restaurant meals outside the hotel, and excursions you book with a local company not affiliated with your hotel. Local flights will usually be in the local currency, except for places like Peru and Argentina where they like to play the game called “soak the foreigners.”

Naturally if you’re living somewhere for a while in a vacation home or retirement home, these fluctuations matter more. They then affect your property expenses and labor expenses.

To see historic exchange rates, follow this link to fxtop.com

If any country has proved that luxury guests are willing to pay for hotels that are taking care of their environment, it’s Costa Rica. Monte Azul Boutique Hotel, situated on 125 acres in the foothills of the country’s highest mountain, this is luxe lodging that’s really green. Most furniture found in the rooms is designed and produced on site using salvaged, recycled and certified woods. The organic produce and organic coffee served here are grown on site. With composting, furniture made from salvaged wood, and a reforestation nursery, you can feel confident that you’re staying at a place that works in harmony with its surroundings. If you stay here, you’ll even have a tree planted in your name.

Monte Azul is a big step above most nature lodges though in terms of aesthetics.

Stretching the creative element to new heights and placing the Monte Azul Boutique Hotel in a category of its own is the fact that all spaces are regularly curated with fine art by both national and international artists. Many pieces are produced in Monte Azul’s on-site artist-in-residence program and some travel to the Monte Azul Contemporary Art (MACA) gallery in New York City. Inspired by the natural surroundings and the local community, the artwork adds a new dimension to your experience. In your room, there are halogen lights to illuminate the art and a pricelist with artist biographies.

Because the public and private spaces function as galleries, they are continually changing; you can request that your room be curated with a particular artist, or you may discover new fine art pieces on a return visit.

There are only six casitas and villas in this huge expanse of property intersected by wildlife trails and streams. The top choice is Casa Palo Alto, a 3,300-square-foot home with three bedrooms, a huge upper terrace lining the open and expansive indoor living area, another lower terrace, and a pool area. See our extensive detailed review of Monte Azul Hotel in Costa Rica.

See more reviews of the best hotels in Costa Rica