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A retired Boeing 727 stopped being scrap, was transported by trucks to Manuel Antonio, and today became one of the most curious accommodations in Costa Rica
A plane that could have ended up forgotten in a yard became a tourist attraction in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle. The fuselage of a 1965 Boeing 727 was transformed into a luxury suite suspended among the trees, with a view of the Pacific Ocean and daily rates that can exceed R$ 2,000, depending on the season and dollar conversion.
The accommodation is located at Hotel Costa Verde, in Manuel Antonio, one of the country’s most well-known regions for combining tropical forest, beaches, and nature tourism. As reported by O Globo on June 19, 2026, the case has drawn attention again for seemingly being an abandoned plane in the middle of the forest at first glance.
But the story is quite different. The old jet was repurposed, installed on an elevated structure and adapted to accommodate guests who want to sleep inside a plane without leaving the ground.
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The retired plane that left the airport and ended up in the treetops
According to information from Hotel Costa Verde, the plane used in the project is a fuselage of a 1965 Boeing 727, which in the past flew for airlines such as South Africa Air and Avianca, from Colombia. After being retired, the equipment was rescued from an area near the San José airport.
The transport was not simple. The structure had to be dismantled and transported in parts by five large trucks to Manuel Antonio, on the Pacific coast.
There, the fuselage was reassembled in an area surrounded by vegetation, near the national park that made the region famous among tourists.
The result is a scene that seems straight out of a movie but functions as a real accommodation. The jet sits on a base about 15 meters high, creating the impression that the plane landed on top of the forest.
Inside, the scrap turned into a suite with rooms, balcony, and view of the Pacific
The most curious part is that the project not only maintained the external appearance of the plane. The interior was fully adapted to become a suite with two air-conditioned bedrooms, private bathrooms, living room, compact kitchen, TV, dining area, and terrace with a view of the forest.
The fuselage received a wooden finish, sculpted furniture, and an independent entrance via stairs. Where there were once cramped seats, narrow aisles, and luggage compartments, there are now beds, a balcony, and space for guests to move around comfortably.
The daily rate varies according to the time of year. For 2026, the property’s own rate page shows dollar values starting in the hundreds of dollars per night and rising significantly during peak periods. Therefore, when converted to reais, the amount can easily exceed R$ 2,000 per night, before or after taxes, depending on the exchange rate used at the time of booking.
The charm of the hotel lies in the clash between luxury, jungle, and reuse
The project’s success comes not only from comfort. What draws attention is the contrast between the idea of abandonment and the new use of the plane. From afar, the image seems to show an aircraft lost in the forest, but upon closer inspection, the visitor finds a suite set up for high-end tourism.
This type of accommodation aligns with a strong trend in the travel sector: experiences that deliver a story, not just a bed. Instead of competing with conventional hotels, the suite markets itself as something rare, photogenic, and hard to replicate.
Moreover, the case shows how old structures can gain new functions when there is planning. The plane did not return to flying, but it became a tourist product that uses its history as a differential.
Manuel Antonio helps explain why the idea became an attraction
The location greatly contributes to the success of the accommodation. Manuel Antonio is located in the province of Puntarenas and is one of the most visited areas in Costa Rica, combining forest, beaches, trails, and wildlife in a relatively small stretch of coastline.
According to the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, Costa Rica received 2.66 million tourists by air in 2024, a growth of 7.7% compared to 2023. This data helps explain why unusual accommodations, linked to nature and visual experience, find an audience in the country.
The Visit Costa Rica, the official tourism portal, also highlights that the country holds a significant portion of the world’s biodiversity and maintains a relevant part of the territory under environmental protection. In this scenario, hotels that explore the landscape without losing the appeal of adventure end up gaining strength among foreign travelers.
The old 727 became a showcase for tourism that sells memory and curiosity
The transformation of the Boeing 727 into a suite is not just an architectural curiosity. It shows how modern tourism has come to value places that yield memory, photography, and personal narrative. The guest does not just say they stayed at a hotel in Costa Rica; they say they slept inside a plane in the middle of the jungle.
This type of experience also depends on balance. In sensitive natural areas, the challenge is to ensure that the search for different accommodations does not increase pressure on the landscape, fauna, and local communities.
Even so, the case of the airplane-hotel shows how a structure without use can gain new value when it finds a strong tourist destination, a good story, and a setting capable of turning curiosity into business.
Would you have the courage to spend a night inside a suspended plane in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by forest, animals, and a view of the Pacific? Leave your opinion in the comments and say if this accommodation seems like luxury, adventure, or tourist exaggeration.
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