Lia Hotel pool deck with cushioned timber loungers, a slatted cabana, and the Besos Beach House bar beneath a pergola
Costa Rica — 2026

Lia Hotel

All Work
LocationCosta Rica
TypeHotel — Hospitality
Square FootageRestaurant & Bar — 4,450 sq ft
Pool Bar — 1,200 sq ft
CharacterCoastal Indoor–Outdoor Retreat
StatusCompleted January 2026
SeatsRestaurant & Bar — 114
Pool Bar — 24

A coastal hotel where shade, texture, and filtered light do the work of walls — layered timber pergolas, sculpted fabric ceilings, and open lounges that let the building breathe with the Costa Rican climate from the entry to the pool deck.

Architectural Services
  • Schematic Design
  • Construction Consulting
  • Bar & Bar Equipment Design

The palette is deliberately quiet: white plaster, warm-toned timber, terrazzo floors, and woven rattan, softened throughout by blush and terracotta accents. Against that restrained base, a few sculptural gestures carry the identity of the hotel — a rippling fabric ceiling at the arrival sequence, a wave-profiled slatted wall in the lounge, and clusters of tiered bamboo lanterns that repeat from the interior bar out across every terrace.

Arrival is framed by tall slatted pivot doors set into a gallery of built-in display niches, with a herringbone terracotta threshold marking the step inside. From there the plan opens progressively — lounge, bar, and terrace read as one continuous, indoor–outdoor room, with pergola roofs casting striped shade across the floor as the sun moves.

StudioChunk led the project through schematic design and continued as construction consultant, helping carry the design intent — the ceiling installations, custom millwork, and outdoor structures — through to completion in January 2026.

Lia Hotel entry with slatted timber pivot doors, a sculpted fabric ceiling, display niches, and a terracotta brick threshold
Open lounge with low timber seating, rattan chairs, tiered bamboo lanterns, and a neon lips sign on a slatted wave wall Lounge seating nook with rattan drum tables beneath a glowing neon lips sign reading Dame Más Besos

Interiors

Inside, the lounge is built around a single moment of play — a glowing neon kiss and a "Dame Más Besos" script set against a sculpted, wave-profiled slat wall — balanced by linen upholstery, graphic cushions, and a soft, sun-washed tone.

Covered terrace with timber lounge chairs, rattan dining chairs, and tiered bamboo lanterns overlooking green hills
Sunlit terrace with a built-in plaster banquette and striped shadows cast by the slatted pergola roof Mama's Beachside Cafe counter beneath a rippling fabric ceiling, with a flagstone patio and open-air walkway

Terrace & Pool

Outdoors, the timber pergola becomes the organizing element — shading the terrace, framing the café, and wrapping the Besos Beach House bar at the pool's edge, where a curved plaster back bar and warm lantern light carry the evening.

Besos Beach House bar at dusk with a curved plaster back bar, lantern lighting, and lounge seating on a timber deck