A woman from the United States was found dead in Barrio La California, a residential district located near Downtown San Jose, by housekeepers who suspect she may have been killed by her romantic partner.

The incident, which took place earlier this week, was reported by metro reporter Manuel Estrada of daily tabloid Diario Extra. The victim has been identified by the last name of Lynn; she was 46 years old and a business owner who often traveled between the United States and Central America.

Mrs. Lynn checked in to the Hotel 69 on Tuesday night along with the suspect, a younger man who may have picked her up at the airport and who may have been in a relationship with the victim over a few months, which may have started as a gigolo-client tryst that developed into a more stable affair.

The Hotel 69 is a love hotel that can be booked by the hour or for the night. It is often visited by North American and European sexual tourists who frequent bars where prostitutes gather to ply their sexual trade. The hotel is a short taxi ride away from the “Gringo Gulch” section of San Jose.

The aptly-named Hotel 69 is also a favorite spot for the sexually adventurous in Costa Rica, particularly those who like engage in group sex activities; to this effect, some of the rooms are furnished with several beds.

Housekeeping staff at the Hotel 69 entered Mrs. Lynn’s room after knocking several times. On the night of the incident, hotel staff heard a heated discussion coming from that room, but they dismissed it as a lover’s quarrel. The next day, they found Mrs. Lynn lying in a pool of blood and a pillow covering her face. Blood pooled on the mattress, on the floor and on the walls; the mess in the room suggested signs of a struggle.

Red Cross paramedics and officers from Fuerza Publica, the national police force of Costa Rica, secured the scene until investigators arrived. The preliminary report by the medical examiner suggests the possibility that Mrs. Lynn was raped before being stabbed multiple times. The suspect fled with the victim’s belongings and used an emergency exit to escape. With hotel records and the installed surveillance equipment, detectives believe the arrest of the suspect is imminent.