Proudly Family Owned Since 2011
Our Story
Kalon ~ Profound Beauty (Ancient Greek)
We Are Kalon
At its core, Kalon exists for one reason
To make you happy.
That may sound simple. It isn't.
We're not a hotel. We're not a surf retreat. We're in the business of making people happy — and we've designed every part of the week around that.
The food, the coaching, the space, the people — none of it is accidental. It's built with care, refined constantly, and delivered by a team that genuinely loves what they do.
We hold ourselves to one question every single week: did we make our guests happy?
If yes, we keep going. If not, we learn, we fix it, and we do better tomorrow.
That is the business we are in.
Before Kalon
Before Kalon, Kjeld built his career across Europe — Zurich, Paris, London — working for multinational companies. He loved the work. He was good at it.
He'd been working since he was twelve. If he wanted something, he worked for it — it was as simple as that.
But what drove him was never money alone. It was impact. Seeing people grow. Knowing the work mattered. He believes that when people follow what they're passionate about — and work hard at it — everything else follows.
Over dinner with a mentor, he talked through the idea for the first time. By the end of the night, the response was simple: "I think you might have a business."
When people follow what they're passionate about — and work hard — everything else follows.Costa Rica
In November 2010, Kjeld landed in Costa Rica for the first time to see if the research held up. It did. He quit his job, and in January 2011, he arrived in Dominical to start building Kalon.
On his very first day, he met Silene Vega Delgado. She was a relationship manager at HSBC — sharp, professional, and entirely unimpressed. She wouldn't go out with him. It would take eight months.
Meanwhile, Kalon began — not as a property, but as an experiment. Renting houses week by week. Testing what worked. Learning what didn't.
When Silene finally said yes, everything changed. It turned out they worked brilliantly together — her detail-orientation balanced his long-term thinking. They haven't stopped since.
Sharp, professional, and entirely unimpressed. It would take eight months.Building It Together
In 2012, Kjeld and Silene got married — first in the Netherlands, then in Costa Rica. That same year, they bought the property in Dominical.
Construction started in 2013 and finished in 2014. Six rooms. A small team. Everything built from scratch by two people who had never worked in hospitality — and who believe that's been one of their greatest strengths.
No inherited assumptions. No "this is how it's always done." Instead, they visited places they admired, cherry-picked what they loved, and asked: how can we do this the Kalon way?
Their first child arrived in 2015. Their second in 2018. The family and the business grew side by side.
No inherited assumptions. Just a clear question: how do we do this the Kalon way?The Turning Point
When global travel stopped, Kalon closed for eight months.
Every day during that period, the message to the team was the same: we come out of this stronger than we went in.
It became a gift. Time to step back and look at every part of the experience — what was working, what could be better, how to serve guests at a higher level.
The yoga deck. The expansion from 6 to 10 accommodations. A bigger, stronger team. All of it was born during COVID.
Silene also pushed to formalize Kalon's quality — earning official 5-star hotel status from Costa Rica's Tourism Board.
We come out of this stronger than we went in.Today
Ten accommodations. A team of 35. Five-star rated. Fully family-owned.
There are no outside investors. No pressure to scale beyond what feels right. Just two people who still show up every day with the same question they started with: are our guests happy?
What guests tell us most isn't about the waves or the food — though they love both. It's the people. The team. The feeling that everyone here genuinely cares.
That's not by accident. We hire for passion and drive. We'd rather train someone with the right heart than hire someone with the right résumé. The star is never one person — it's the guest. Everything and everyone points in that direction.
Every week, the goal is the same: make you happy.If you leave here saying "this is what I needed" — we did our job.
The People Behind It
Context first. People second.
Now you know why — meet who.
Kjeld Schigt
Co-Founder & Director
Before Kalon, Kjeld built his career across Europe — Zurich, Paris, London — working for multinational companies in high-potential programs alongside colleagues who now hold senior positions across industry.
He loved the work. But what drove him was never money alone — it was impact. Seeing people grow, knowing the work mattered, and believing that passion combined with hard work leads to everything else.
Today, Kjeld focuses on long-term direction, innovation, and constant improvement — always asking how tomorrow can be better than today.
Silene Vega Delgado
Co-Founder & Director
Silene came from finance and business, with the same self-made path as Kjeld — nothing given, everything earned. After completing her MBA and working at HSBC, she joined Kalon and never looked back.
Her strength is execution. She's detail-oriented, structured, and consistent — ensuring that systems support the team, and the team supports the guest experience.
Born and raised in Costa Rica, Silene brings a deep understanding of place, culture, and people. She protects the rhythm behind the scenes — so what guests feel is calm, effortless, and genuinely cared for.
She's also the one who pushed Kalon to its official 5-star hotel status. Standards only matter if they're maintained. Silene makes sure they are.
As Featured In
Named among the best Costa Rica surf camps — the luxury pick for discerning travelers.
Read ArticleFeatured on the official Costa Rica Tourism Board as a recommended surf hotel in Dominical.
Read ArticleProfiled on building a guest experience designed around happiness, discipline, and craft.
Read ArticleThe People Behind Your Experience
The experience at Kalon is created by people — not policies. Our team cares deeply about the details, and it shows in the week you feel here. Their goal is simple: that you leave happier than you arrived.
Freddy Mora Vasquez
Head Surf Coach
With over 15 years of expertise in surfing and coaching, Freddy heads our surf team. His deep understanding of the sport, charismatic personality, and emphasis on providing an outstanding guest experience position him and his team as the perfect guides for the ultimate surfing experience at Kalon Surf.
Josue Gomez
Head Chef
Josue brings his love for Costa Rica and culinary arts into every meal. His journey began in the playful sands of Matapalo, perfecting his craft in the kitchens of Jaco and Manuel Antonio. His passion for Creole flavors and homegrown recipes combined with international influences shapes the authentic dining experience at Kalon.