The Rise of Community-Driven Hotels
Community-driven hotels represent a new vision of society where life, work, wellness, and pleasure coexist in effortless synergy. Built with the future in mind, these hotels are rooted in the collective spirit, fostering environments that promote sustainability, education, and intelligent design. They serve as vibrant hubs where guests and locals alike can connect, learn, and thrive together. By integrating communal spaces, local culture, and eco-friendly practices, community-inspired living hotels not only enhance the travel experience but also contribute to the well-being of the surrounding area. These innovative spaces embody a commitment to creating a harmonious and sustainable world, demonstrating the profound impact of thoughtful, community-focused hospitality.
Drake Devonshire
Canada
Drake Devonshire is a charming boutique hotel, residing lakeside in the scenic Wellington, Prince Edward County. The all-season Canadian retreat offers art installations throughout the property, weekly cultural programs, and a restaurant that proudly showcases the region's local flavors. The design seamlessly combines contemporary and traditional, rural and urban elements, creating a haven where travelers, artists, and locals converge.
The exclusive lakeside amenities accessible by both properties include a beach bar, an outdoor sauna near the water's edge, beachfront decks with loungers, and full access to lakeside swimming, all providing a perfect retreat by the lake. The Creekside area boasts a variety of garden games, including boules and pickleball on brand-new courts, as well as ping-pong, oversized Jenga, and other lawn games. Abundant wellness programs offer activities such as yoga and lakefront workouts in the summer, and snowshoeing in the winter months.
Innit
Lombok
Innit is an intimate beachfront sanctuary nestled along the secluded shores of Ekas Bay, offering a transformative escape for guests to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of Lombok, Indonesia. The hotel epitomizes sustainability, design, and authenticity against the backdrop of its idyllic remote location and diverse landscapes.
Collaborating with acclaimed Indonesian architects, the hotel showcases sustainable architecture that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding landscape, using natural, locally-sourced materials to minimize disruption. Inspired by traditional Lombok Lumbung homes, the seven beach houses blend harmoniously with the environment, offering uninterrupted ocean views and a seamless indoor-outdoor experience. Each beach house features two bedrooms with private ensuite bathrooms, ideal for family and friends, while the entire property can be rented for an exclusive retreat. Innit also offers 27 ocean-facing residences located on an elevated hillside just a short stroll from the beach. From magenta sunsets to vistas of Mount Rinjani, the hotel acts as a remote sanctuary for those craving a slower pace of life.
All photos are property of Innit Lombok
Fazenda Moreias
Brazil
It is a gift to discover a new destination - something that is almost impossible to do in today’s overconnected world. Fazenda Moreias has managed to surprise us, standing as an eco-hotel oasis nestled within the vibrant state of Ceará in northeastern Brazil, a hidden gem near the bustling hubs of Jericoacoara and Tatajuba. Renowned as one of the world's premier kitesurfing destinations, the region offers a unique blend of raw natural beauty and cultural richness.
Fazenda Moreias currently features four bungalows designed by Carlos Motta and Gui Mattos, award-winning Brazilian architects renowned for their expertise in sustainable luxury and commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Each bungalow, elevated three meters above ground to preserve the natural flow of the surrounding sand dunes, boasts its own private pool and embraces biophilic architecture principles, seamlessly integrating with the natural landscape. Designed with the elements in mind, specifically the wind, the bungalows are fully customizable to follow the natural air flow and light patterns. The hotel plans to unveil twenty new bungalows and twelve village houses in 2024. The expansion project will also include restaurants, shops, an art gallery, as well as a wellness hub, all designed with a community-driven approach and influenced by vernacular architecture that respects local customs and materials.
The regenerative ethos of Fazenda Moreias extends beyond its architectural design, encompassing sustainable engineering practices and minimal-impact construction techniques. Geo-environmental reports inform the hotel's engineering endeavors, ensuring minimal disruption to local biomes and promoting circularity in water, energy, and sanitation systems. Fazenda Moreias’ commitment to ecology and respect for nature has earned it recognition as a B Corp Certified establishment.
From kite surfing to dreaming under the shade of a century-old cashew nut tree, every aspect of the hotel is thoughtfully curated to promote a "slow life" philosophy. Here, amidst the whispering winds and starlit skies, Fazenda Moreias encapsulates the essence of isolation and community, offering a sanctuary where guests can connect, recharge, and find solace in the embrace of the natural world.
All photos are property of Fazenda Moreias
Kudhva
England
KUDHVA is a creative community and 100% sustainable glamping site focussed on off-grid living in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Surrounded by willow forests and 180-degrees of the North Atlantic ocean, the unique space also harbours a 40-foot waterfall and a 43-acre slate quarry, presenting full landscape integration.
Stay at one of four architectural Kudhvas (‘hideout’ in Cornish), built with larch, glass and steel, and standing 7 metres off the ground. The futuristic treehouses juxtaposed against organic surroundings have been designed with floor to ceiling windows and built to experience both the sunrise and sunset. Those who would like to take sleeping in the wild to the next level can stay in one of five Tree Tents in the willow groves, or the Shanti Tipis with the ocean below. Families and groups can reside at the solar-powered wooden Danish Cabin, suitable for 6 people, with a unique location above a waterfall.
Kudhva’s essence of wellness, adventure, nature, and design, combined with its one-of-a-kind accommodation offers a surreal and unparalleled nature experience.
Video by Nic Cane, Photos by Cat Vinton, Lucy Laucht among others. All photos are property of Kudhva.
Musa
Mexico
Musa is a beachfront retreat designed for nomads, creators, and thinkers, offering a utopian community focused on conscious design, modern luxury, and a relaxed, natural lifestyle. Located on a pristine stretch of the Pacific coast in Guerrero, Mexico, amidst the vibrant rural seaside towns of Costa Grande, Musa offers an innovative residential and hotel-serviced community. It emphasizes conscious design, art, sustainability, and a seamless connection to nature. The property includes the luxurious Hotelito and bespoke Hideaways, creating an immersive retreat that redefines travel, living, and working in paradise.
MUSA fosters a sense of togetherness through intentional collaboration, aspiring to curate timelessness and exemplify a blueprint for future collective communities,
Photos by Lover Lover for MUSA
Sri Panwa
Thailand
Sri Panwa is a beautiful luxury hotel in Phuket, Thailand and a destination in itself. The private pool villa & spa resort is high up on Cape Panwa with surreal views of the Andaman Ocean and PhiPhi Islands.Choose a one or two bedroom pool villa, all facing the water, and surrounded by dense lush jungle for maximum privacy. Stay at the new Habita Suite complex, complete with an infinity waterfall pool and unique leaf shaped roof. Everything at Sri Panwa is inspired by nature, making it the ultimate landscape-enhanced retreat.
The resort fosters a sense of community through a variety of engaging activities and events designed to bring guests together. From yoga and fitness classes in scenic outdoor settings to cooking classes that immerse participants in Thai culinary traditions, Sri Panwa encourages social interaction and cultural exchange. The resort's communal spaces, such as the stunning Baba Nest rooftop bar and the vibrant beach club, provide perfect venues for guests to mingle while enjoying breathtaking views and exquisite cocktails. Additionally, Sri Panwa often hosts live music performances, themed dinners, and other social events that create a lively and inclusive atmosphere.
Photos property of Sri Panwa
Rancho La Puerta
Mexico
Rancho La Puerta is an all-inclusive restorative wellness sanctuary located in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. Nestled in the scenic valley at the base of the mystical Mount Kuchumaa, a mountain revered by the Native American Kumeyaay tribe as a sacred site, the resort is surrounded by oak groves, offering a serene and immersive environment. Established in 1940 by Professor Edmond Szekely and his wife Deborah, the retreat aims to transform guests' lives. Known as “the friendly spa,” Rancho La Puerta offers a warm, community-like atmosphere akin to an eco-village. Encompassing a private 4,000-acre nature preserve, the resort integrates its facilities with the surrounding landscape, featuring organic gardens, medicinal plants, and a meditation labyrinth.
The design of Rancho La Puerta is deeply connected to nature, with 87 individually designed casitas seamlessly integrated into the chaparral landscape. The interiors feature wood-beamed ceilings, hand-painted tiles, spacious patios and fireplaces in many, preserving traditional craftsmanship and supporting local artisans. All of the guest accommodations, as well as facilities, feature air conditioning in addition to natural ventilation.The expansive property includes 40 miles of hiking trails, 32 acres of landscaped gardens, and an organic farm with a cooking school. Guests can enjoy various amenities such as three full-service holistic spas, eleven gyms, four pools, a running track, numerous sports courts, as well as a wine bar, a juice bar, an art studio, and multiple indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. The onsite spas offer treatments using fresh, organic herbs and plants grown on-site, providing therapeutic benefits that complement the balanced mind, body, and spirit experience the Ranch promotes.
All photos are property Rancho La Puerta
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