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Special Places of Costa Rica is a leading full-service vacation rental company in the province of Guanacaste, on Costa Rica’s resplendent Gold Coast. We offer an extensive list of rentals ranging from modest budget condos to spectacular beachfront mansions, covering an area that includes Playa Flamingo, Potrero, Playas del Coco and more.

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Kenny Segers

Operations Director

A native of Antwerp, Belgium, Kenny emigrated to Costa Rica in 2008. Having graduated from high school in Belgium, he studied economics and business administration in Costa Rica. Eager to go into business, Kenny left university to work as a property manager for House of Rentals in Flamingo, which he acquired not long after starting the job. House of Rentals grew into Special Places of Costa Rica, currently represented by offices in Playa Flamingo and Playas del Coco, and known as one of the leading agencies in the area.

Kenny speaks and writes fluent Spanish, English and Dutch. He is the proud father of a Costa Rican son, Khael, who was born in 2016.

Passionate about his growing vacation rental and management business, Kenny is always looking for investments and opportunities. Hotel Pitaya Lodge (formerly Kakaos Lodge) is also under his management.

In 2020, he began building the first of several homes as part of a newly launched project development/construction company.

Pascale Verhaert

Accountant

Pascale, Kenny’s mother and business partner, is the head accountant at Special Places. She is responsible for all the accounting, billing and taxes, managing the maid service, setting work schedules and procuring cleaning products.

Pascale is from Antwerp, Belgium, where she and her husband had a food-service business specializing in poultry. But they often traveled to the Caribbean and Central America, and in 2009 decided to move to Costa Rica.

“We thought it was time to follow some dreams, so we sold the business and came to Costa Rica,” she said. They traveled to every corner of the country, but they fell in love with Guanacaste and decided to settle in Flamingo. They couldn’t find a house that satisfied Pascale’s handyman husband, so they built their own on the hills above Potrero in Pacific Heights.

She says her proudest accomplishment is “bringing two beautiful sons into the world.”

Quote: “The way we raised them, they were very independent. We taught them to work also. Of course, school came first. To us it’s white and black, and the gray doesn’t exist. It’s good or bad.”

Carla Rodríguez

Accounting Assistant

Carla works as an accounting assistant at Special Places and is also involved in property management.

She was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in Ciudad Guayana, where she earned a law and accountant degree and worked as a lawyer and accountant. Since coming to Costa Rica, she has worked as a manicurist, masseuse, bartender, waitress and artist.

A gifted artist and something of a Renaissance woman, Carla also draws and makes earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Her varied interests include dancing, hiking, scuba diving, traveling and discovering new cultures.

Quote: “My motto is ‘I know that I own the weak and fragile body of a woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king.’ ”

Carlos Cascante Cascante

Department Head of Rentals and Concierge

Carlos is a concierge for Special Places, serving as a reliable contact for guests in helping them to plan their vacation with different options and suggestions from before their arrival and during their stay.

Originally from Coyolito de Belén, Carlos lives in Cartagena with his wife, two sons and two dogs.

He studied at Universidad Latina de Costa Rica, earning a degree in teaching English, and he’s currently studying at Universidad Hispanoamericana. He also has a degree in technology from Monterrey in analysis of hotel processes.

He worked previously for Marriott, Westin and other hotels. His hobbies are music and television.

Quote: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Arith José Artavia Angulo

Human Resources Manager

Arith’s responsibilities include the management and coordination of personnel, training, recruitment, human talent and leadership within Special Places.

Arith was born in Heredia and currently lives in Cartagena on a farm with his girlfriend and their cat. He studied industrial engineering at the Universidad Latina for five years, and he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in business project management.

Arith has broad employment experience in multiple fields. He previously worked as an accounting assistant for a law firm, as a quality control manager for a development group, as an engineering assistant working on water and sewers for an international builder, and as a specialist in irrigation, human resources, fleet management and accounting for a Papagayo design and gardening firm. More recently, he was general manager of a hotel in La Fortuna. Arith is an avid runner who also does calisthenics.

Quote: “Persevere and you will achieve your goals.”

Mariana Baquero

Owner Manager

Mariana is our liaison to all our property owners, in charge of new owner onboarding, arranging property inspections and building out each listing through all our teams and departments. She coordinates owners’ vacations and manages their reservations, tours and transportation needs in Costa Rica. She meets with owners when they visit and serves as their primary contact with us.

Mariana was born in San José and currently lives in Matapalo with her husband, her 11-year-old and her Australian shepherd, but she has quite an international background. She spent the past 11 years working in Marseille, France, as a travel specialist, both at the Marseille Tourism Office and at the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations.

Mariana has an N.D. (Naturopathic Doctor) degree from France, and is a specialist in naturopathy and holistic therapy. Before France, she worked as an international customer service specialist in Costa Rica for several U.S. companies.

Mariana’s hobbies include swimming and snorkeling at the beach. She loves the arts, drawing, photography, painting, dance and travel.

Quote: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

Alex Matarrita

Field Manager

Alex is a field manager for Special Places, coordinating the inspection of rental properties for cleanliness and maintenance.

Originally from Golfito and now living in Brasilito, Alex installs security cameras, configures internet service, makes sure remote controls for gates work properly, and more. His job is to ensure that every property is immaculate and fully functional before guests arrive.

Quote: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing.”

Kevin Matarrita Vásquez

Field Manager

Kevin is a field manager for Special Places, responsible for property inspections, receiving clients, coordinating maintenance, resolving basic maintenance problems, ordering products and maintaining active communication with clients.

Originally from Golfito, Kevin now lives in Playas de Coco with his wife.

He has a degree in business administration for sustainable tourism from the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. He previously worked four years as a receptionist and reservations manager at Borinquen Thermal Resort in Rincón de la Vieja.

In his free time he likes to explore places little visited by tourists, to spend time with his family, to film sunsets and to play volleyball and soccer.

Quote: “Life begins when fear ends.”

Yenifer María Mendoza Ramírez

Administrative Assistant of Housekeeping

Yenifer is responsible for coordination of transportation for maids, managing the warehouse and cleaning supplies, accounting functions and management of the Breezeway inventory platform.

Born in Liberia, Yenifer currently lives in Santa Ana de Belén. She is married and has a son, a dog and a cat.

Yenifer studied accounting at a public technical school in Carrillo and also attended the Universidad Técnica Nacional, where she earned a degree in business management.

She previously worked as a warehouse assistant at Tempisque Sugar Cane Industries, as a secretary at World Vision (an organization dedicated to the well-being of children and teens), and as an administrative assistant for checkout and customer service at SVG Window Systems.

Quote: “Don’t make decisions lightly because they could affect you in the future.”

Glenda Vargas Vásquez

Assistant Manager of Maintenance and Inspections

Glenda is in charge of coordinating maintenance and inspections, as well as meeting with property owners to seek solutions to infrastructure problems and assist with logistical planning.

A native of Jacó, Glenda currently lives in Tamarindo with a big, beautiful dog. She attended a bilingual school in Jacó and studied at the Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje to be an administrative assistant. She is also a professional makeup artist and spa therapist.

Glenda worked five years at the Hotel Marriott Los Sueños, partly in the spa and partly as a waitress. She also worked at Lost Beach Vacation Rentals as a 24/7 concierge, rental agent and on-site manager, acquiring experience in property management and tourism, to which she has dedicated 10 years.

A lover of music, plants and animals, Glenda is interested in engineering, architecture and interior design. She likes sewing, crafts, painting and doing child-oriented community service.

Quote: “Anyone who lacks the spirit to serve doesn’t serve to live.”

Ana Gabriela Siles

OTA Manager

Responsible for coordinating our work with online travel agencies, Ana creates profiles for new properties and updates those of existing properties.

Ana was born in Liberia and currently lives in Nicoya. She has an 18-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. In her free time she likes to go to the beach.

Ana has a degree in English from Universidad Nacional and has taken various courses at the Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje and Universidad Latina. She has spent most of her 15-year career in customer service, both in the medical field and in hotels.

Quote: “Being a resilient person has gotten me where I am today, because what doesn’t break me rebuilds and transforms me.”

Anthony Sosa

Marketing Assistant

Anthony works in promotion and marketing, focused especially on digital platforms and social networks. Originally from San José and Heredia, he currently lives in Cartagena and works out of the Special Places office in Flamingo.

Anthony has a bachelor’s degree in politics and commerce from the Universidad Nacional in Heredia. He has two years of experience as an online marketing manager for the Blue River Resort & Hot Springs, which has a Dino Park that features life-size animatronic dinosaurs.

Anthony’s hobbies include soccer, reading (politics, economics, history), listening to music and traveling to parts of the country he’d like to know better. He has an American Staffordshire terrier named Diler to keep him company.

Quote: “Each person is a reality, but everyone is an abstraction.” (Jorge Luis Borges)

Gustavo Jose Angulo Dinarte

Accounting Assistant

Gustavo is an accounting assistant who works in billing, revenue and expenses, as well as archiving information about Special Places properties.

A native of Guanacaste, Gustavo lives in La Garita with one dog and three cats. He has a degree in criminology from the Universidad Libre de Costa Rica and a chef certificate from the Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje (INA). He is currently studying accounting at Universidad San Marcos.

Gustavo formerly worked as operating manager of La Boya water park in Huacas, as head chef at the Crazy Monkey and Anclas, and in other roles at Best Western and Super Compro in Tamarindo.

His greatest passion is cooking, and he likes to watch documentaries that analyze criminal behavior.

Quote: “Live one day at a time.”

Nesly Fabiana Bustos Viales

Accounting Assistant

Nesly is responsible for auditing rents and concierge services and registering new contracts in the system.

Originally from San José, Nesly has a degree in accounting from the Professional Technical College (CTP) in Cartagena. She previously worked as an accounting assistant for Casa y Más, a home furnishing store, and has three years of experience in her field.

Nesly enjoys traveling and has a dog to keep her company.

Qu0te: “What’s valuable is not how much you have, what’s valuable is living it while you pursue it.”

⁠Paula Liseth Martinez

Accounting Assistant

Paula is a staff accountant primarily in charge of keeping track of costs.
Originally from Nicoya, she now lives in Santa Cruz with two dogs named Cooper and Blossom and a cat named Lenna.

Paula is currently an accounting student at Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. She was previously an administrative assistant at SVG Window Systems in Santa Cruz.

She likes to spend time with her family, whether going out or planning an activity at home.

Quote: “Put a flower in your hair and be happy.”

Brenda Yariella Angulo Bellido

Accounting Assistant

Brenda works in the Special Places accounting department doing billing and receiving, filing and processing invoices.

Born in Liberia, Brenda currently lives in Belén. She studied public accounting at the Universidad Latina, and is currently studying business administration. She likes to watch the sunset on the beach and spend time with her parents.

Quote: “Always smile, and may the plans of God for my life always be the best.”

Luis Diego Downing Garita

Property Inspector

Luis works as an inspector for Special Places properties, making sure they’re ready for check-in and inspecting for damage after check-out. He also helps transport housekeeping staff and products to the various properties when needed.

Born in Liberia and currently living in Surfside, Luis went to high school in Liberia, studied English and also obtained a license to work as a private security guard.

He worked for eight years in security at Delta Air Lines, and also for JetBlue. He also worked in security at the JW Marriott Hotel at Hacienda Pinilla, and in customer service at Casa Chameleon Hotel in Las Catalinas.

In his free time, he likes to listen to music, ride his motorcycle and bicycle and enjoy the sunset. He likes to maintain a regular exercise routine.

Quote: “Roar or be devoured.”

Josías Ramírez Chavarría

Inspection Manager

Josías is responsible for inspection of rentals upon check-in and check-out. After check-out, he makes sure there’s no damage and nothing broken, and before check-in, he makes sure units are clean and in good condition, the air conditioning works right, beds are made, etc.

Josías was born in Santa Ana de Belén and still lives there with his mother, stepfather and grandfather. A big animal lover, he has horses, pigs, dogs and a mule.

In fact, he has studied veterinary science and is certified as a veterinarian technician and also in artificial insemination. He hopes to obtain a degree one day in agronomic engineering.

Josías worked six months at the Westin at Reserva Conchal, cleaning public areas and working in the laundry room. He has also worked in air conditioning installation and maintenance.

He likes playing soccer and horseback riding, and says his animals are his real hobby.

Quote: “Don’t look on the bad side of things — look on the positive, leave the bad behind and move forward.”

Erica Kok

Real Estate Advisor

Erica manages much of the real estate sales business at Special Places — listing properties, showing them to buyers, following up on leads and sharing her experiences as an expat property owner with kids. “I try to provide buyers and sellers honest and insider information of what real day to day life here is like,” she says.

Erica was born in Florida, grew up in northeast Tennessee, went to Atlanta for 20 years, and now lives in Surfside, Potrero.

“I take pride in my Southern upbringing and how it has shaped who I am,” she says. “I am a big believer in being positive and kind in all situations.”

Erica attended the University of South Carolina and East Tennessee State University, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice and business. She went to work as a flight attendant but was laid off after 9/11, and she became a teacher for 15 years.

Erica became a certified elementary educator in Georgia and Tennessee, where she taught kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade. She was also a reading specialist, preschool teacher and assistant director.

Erica has two teenage children who attend Costa Rica International Academy. She has two rescue Tica dogs and an Appaloosa horse named Nevado. “Riding and owning a horse is a completely new adventure that I have taken up here in Costa Rica,” she says.

In her free time, Erica likes to walk her dogs around town or on the beach, hang with her kids and friends, ride her horse and enjoy the slower pace of life in this country.

“We moved here for this reason and I love being outside, enjoying all that this beautiful country has to offer,” she says. “I also like to play trivia and bingo and sing karaoke. Luckily there are frequent opportunities to do this around town here.”

Quote: “Life is like a box of chocolates … you never know what you are gonna get. But I do like to think that you reap what you sow. So put your best foot forward, try your best, and know that tomorrow will be a new day, fresh with no mistakes.”

The Special Places of Costa Rica Housekeeping Team

We are very proud of our professional maid service staff, who provide regular cleaning for some 150 properties — and do it with a smile. A half-dozen maids provide full-time service at a single house, but all the rest rotate among a wide variety of properties from Matapalo to Playa del Coco.

Maids are responsible not just for cleaning but for staging the house, with everything in its proper place, and keeping track of inventory (so that, for example, new clients don’t check in and find there’s no toilet paper). At times, say on Jan. 2, there are so many checkouts and check-ins that the maids bring their sisters, brothers and mothers to get all the work done.

Full-time maids assigned to a single property assist clients with shopping, cooking and laundry, and they often form close bonds with clients. It’s no surprise that our clients often want to take their maids home with them.

The Special Places of Costa Rica Maintenance Team

Special Places of Costa Rica employs two full-time maintenance men who service all our properties, plus a handful of caretakers dedicated to a single property each.

These men will fix just about any problem that arises — leaks, electrical and plumbing issues, a door that scrapes on a floor, a noisy ceiling fan… you name it. They also paint homes and provide roofing maintenance.

Our maintenance staff are available 24/7 for emergencies like a burst pipe that causes a flood. Special Places of Costa Rica also enjoys a network of qualified subcontractors to handle swimming pool service, gardening / landscaping and repairs to air conditioning units & kitchen appliances.

Meet the Special Places Team!

Don't forget to book your vacation rentals with us

Table of Contents

Email Newsletter

Live Beach Cam Playa Flamingo

Kenny Segers

Pascale Verhaert

Carla Rodríguez

Carlos Cascante Cascante

Arith José Artavia Angulo

Mariana Baquero

Alex Matarrita

Kevin Matarrita Vásquez

Yenifer María Mendoza Ramírez

Glenda Vargas Vásquez

Ana Gabriela Siles

Anthony Sosa

Gustavo Jose Angulo Dinarte

Nesly Fabiana Bustos Viales

⁠Paula Liseth Martinez

Brenda Yariella Angulo Bellido

Luis Diego Downing Garita

Josías Ramírez Chavarría

Erica Kok

The Special Places of Costa Rica Housekeeping Team

The Special Places of Costa Rica Maintenance Team

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