The massive Santa Elena luxury resort and housing complex in Guanacaste is set to expand within its 1,000 hectares over the next 15 years with new hotels and gated communities. Such was the report filed by Cristina Fallas Villalobos of business weekly El Financiero earlier this week.

Readers of The Costa Rica Star will remember that we reported on the Dreams Las Mareas beach resort earlier this month:

AMResorts, an Apple Leisure Group subsidiary, officially opened its first property in Costa Rica and 34th overall: Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica. The introduction of this flagship hotel for the Dreams Resorts & Spas brand marks another milestone for AMResorts, as the company enters its fifth country as part of its aggressive growth including the introduction of five new resorts in 2014.

Just a few weeks later, developers at Santa Elena have announced two new major projects. One of these projects involves the construction of gated communities in the suburban areas of La Cruz; the other project consists of a couples-only hotel that is intended to be even more luxurious than the Dreams Las Mareas.

The first project involves the transformation of La Cruz into a residential coastal town that can attract middle-class families in Costa Rica. This will be the first attempt by Santa Elena’s developers to go beyond the ultra-upscale options that they have already completed. This project will entail creating mixed-use communities that combine residential and commercial zoning, and it should be completed within three years.

The second project is contingent upon the success of the Dreams Las Mareas resort, and it would consist of a secluded and exuberant boutique hotel specially designed for couples. This private and intimate hotel would be located in the Punta Clara section of the coast, but the green light for this project will be determined by AMResorts’ success in attracting guests and visitors to their properties in Costa Rica.

It may take five years of operations and financials before the Santa Elena developers can make a decision on when to break ground for the couples-only project, which may require an investment greater than a billion dollars.