Awasi: Setting the Table for Reopening
What have the staff at Awasi been up to during the pandemic? Setting the table for a spectacular reopening.
Awasi: Setting the Table for Reopening
Everyone who works in the travel and hospitality industry has been in a constant state of flux since March 2020. We find ourselves faced with a situation we don’t have immediate control over, the desire to get back to work in delivering outstanding experiences to international travelers. Until the borders are open and flights resume again, all we have is time on our hands. How have the top properties in Latin America been using this time besides fine tuning “health and safety protocols” which is just a given at this point, for every player in worldwide tourism and hospitality, and frankly should have been a matter of major importance even before this global pandemic.
Tomas and Chris - Guides at Awasi Patagonia
I wanted to share an inspiring story about some things that Awasi has been doing.
Awasi has made it a priority to retain all of their staff for as long as financially possible. No amount of beautiful hotel infrastructure is ever going to replace the talent and special energy brought by the hard working people behind the experience. You take away the people, you take away the soul of a property. So what do you do with such a large staff during such slow times? You take the opportunity to make them even better.
There is nothing more motivating than seeing and hearing an individual talking passionately about what they love to do. We seldom get a chance to really take a peek behind the scenes into professions that differ from our own. But running a top tier luxury hotel draws on so many diverse talents, and they all must come together perfectly, in order to deliver a seamless guest experience.
In that spirit, “Awasi Talks - For and By Us”, was created as an internal exercise to share knowledge between different sectors of staff and build company cohesion. The idea was simple enough, allow staff members from the three different geographic properties in the Atacama, Patagonia and Iguazu Falls - working in different sections of the hotel operation, to create and carry out a presentation for the whole company, via zoom. This was not mandatory, but put out there to staff if they wanted to share. The topics turned out to be fascinating, here are just a few of them that have already been completed:
“History of the Jesuit Missions” - by guide, Jimmy McCormick
“A Cup, A Story” - by sommelier, Dana Cordoba
“How to Make Churros” - by pastry chef, Valentina Marambio
“Electrical Installation” - by maintenance staff, Nicolas Arman
“How to Speak in Public” - by excursion manager, Paula Bertotto
“Excursions We Offer” - by excursion manager, Tomas Navarette
Nicolas Arman, maintenance at Awasi Iguazu, presenting on electrical installation.
The Awasi Talks have been a fantastic way for employees of Awasi to get to know one another on a personal level, and for each to deeply understand the small part they play in the big picture. The Chef and Sommelier probably don’t think much about what the guests and the guides are doing out on excursions every day, but after learning how strenuous certain excursions may be, it could just make them think about throwing in a few extra energy bars or picking a wine warmer on the palate for the picnic supplies when they know Tomas is hiking to the Base of the Towers with his guests today - and likewise, Diego might be more on top of his time management when he knows that the Chef has prepared a special asado for the guests that will begin promptly at 7pm. This creates a cross pollination of awareness and appreciation for the team and the role everyone plays in it. How great is it that the head of maintenance offered to do a presentation on electrical installations?! Again, every single part of the hotel operation has to be seamless, and these Awasi talks have allowed for the staff to deeply understand and appreciate this fact.
Matias de Cristobal, Managing Director
These talks have been capped by leadership webinars for all staff by Matias de Cristobal, Managing Director of Awasi on “The Awasi Concept” - exposing all staff to the concept and methodology behind what Awasi does and how Awasi does hospitality and tourism differently. My favorite analogy that Matias uses to describe the Awasi Concept is a round table, sitting outside in a natural setting - on which the guest experience sits. The natural setting, i.e The Atacama, Patagonia and Iguazu Falls cannot be improved upon and were carefully selected as a place to set down that table. However, that table, which holds up the guest experience, is only supported by three legs. Those three legs are; 1) The Physical Hotel 2) The Excursions 3) The Gastronomy. If any one of those three legs is shorter or not as strong as the other ones, the table will wobble and not be solid. The Awasi Talks play right into this analogy, the role of every employee at Awasi is vital in keeping their leg of the table strong, so the guest experience is phenomenal.
The Awasi table is set, the legs are stronger than ever, and we look forward to inviting you to pull up a chair to it very soon.
Explore the Awasi Properties:
Awasi Atacama Travel Trade Page
Three New Experiences at Awasi
Awasi is proud to introduce a new offering at each of their three intimate properties for guests in 2019: a new stargazing experience in Chile’s Atacama Desert, an exclusive look at endangered puma in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, and early access for guests to Iguazú Falls National Park in Argentina.
Three New Experiences at Awasi
Awasi continues to innovate and is proud to introduce a new offering at each of their three intimate properties for guests in 2019: a new stargazing experience in Chile’s Atacama Desert, an exclusive look at endangered puma in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, and early access for guests to Iguazú Falls National Park in Argentina.
Awasi Atacama has launched their new private stargazing excursion based near the pre-Inca ruins of Tulor, just outside the town of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. Guests will have the opportunity to learn about the night sky with Awasi’s astronomers while reveling in one of the world’s darkest skies and using powerful telescopes to identify deep space objects like nebulae and star clusters—bringing the ancient myths of constellations to life right before their eyes.
Awasi Patagonia, located beneath the peaks of the world-famous Torres del Paine in Chile, is turning the spotlight onto local wildlife with their Puma Foundation. Equal parts wildlife tourism and research endeavor, the foundation allows guests the opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal look at resident pumas while learning from experts about their habitat, behavior, and future here in this remote part of Chile, with hopes of protecting these magnificent predators for generations to come.
Awasi Iguazú is entering the new year celebrating early access permission for its guests to Iguazú Falls National Park. With a unique location in Argentina, tucked into the jungle just 15 minutes away from Iguazú Falls, this early access allows Awasi guests to visit the falls before official park opening hours, which solidifies Awasi Iguazú as the most bespoke way to experience this iconic South American destination.
About Awasi
Awasi is the only hotel company in South America that provides a 100% tailor-made experience for visitors, with a private guide and 4x4 vehicle allocated to each guest room. Their three Relais & Chateaux properties are located in South America’s most iconic destinations: the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, and Iguazu Falls in Argentina.
Latest News from the Properties - December 2018
Here is a roundup of the latest news and happenings from each of the properties, from faster boats and room improvements at Titilaka to the opening of a new spa at Hacienda Urubamba. In addition to updates from our existing properties, we also welcome UNESCO recognized El Otro Lado Private Retreat in Panama to the portfolio this year!
Latest News from the Properties
PERU
After a decade of innovation and setting the bar for exclusive & immersive luxury experiences on Lake Titicaca, Titilaka is in the midst of several renovation & expansion projects. These are being conducted in such a way as to not affect guests staying at the lodge and are set to conclude by mid 2019.
Chief among the improvements are:
Titilaka Corner Rooms
Outdoor hot tub and new-state-of-art motors for faster boats will be available (completed in November 2018)
All rooms, common and social areas as well as terraces are being redecorated while corner rooms are revamped with additional amenities
New services are being implemented including complimentary access to airport VIP lounge for all guest, Wi-Fi in all the hotel's vehicles and boats and enhanced culinary experiences are being put in place.
Titilaka is also adjusting their rates next year, the first increase since 2014. For clients desiring the utmost in privacy and flexibility, this is a great thing as the Titilaka Experience can now be booked on an all-inclusive, private basis. The traditional Titilaka Experience will also remain available for guests who want to participate in set excursions on a shared basis.
Lastly, the team behind Titilaka has announced plans to expand, with new lodges planned for Arequipa (2019) and Cusco (TBD). You can view a full presentation on Titilaka’s upgrades & changes here.
Inkaterra’s Hacienda Urubamba, a Virtuoso Property, recently celebrated the opening of Mayu Spa (“River” in Quechua) in August. With a rustic chic design inspired by traditional Andean architecture, Mayu Spa is located on a low hill between I Hacienda Urubamba’s organic orchard and an enchanting pepper tree forest. Treatments are based in 100% natural products derived from native medicinal herbs; the new wellness center has a plunge pool, four private therapy rooms and a dry sauna and offers a variety of massages, therapies, reflexology and facials. For more details, check out their blog post on Mayu Spa.
Some say that you hear the best stories while sitting at the bar. Axel Romero at Hotel B, the cocktail wizard who was recently awarded the Best Peruvian Bartender 2018 at the Summum 2018 Awards, knows the value of a good bar yarn and uses these as inspiration behind his cocktails. For this experienced bartender, each drink is a chance to write an exquisite and stimulating story in which spirits, juices and spices are cast in the leading roles. He is passionate about his career: after previously working at Astrid & Gastón for several years, he is now at Hotel B where he is committed to making each one of his drinks an experience. Read more about Axel and other winners of the Summum Awards (like the James Beard awards for Peru) here.
COLOMBIA
The team at Hacienda Bambusa has been busy in 2018, creating new activities & excursions and elevating the details of the 8 en suite bedrooms within the Hacienda. New photos are available via dropbox in the Hacienda Bambusa image library and the Activities Book can be easily shared with guests to help them select their desired excursions in advance. Choose the Best of Bambusa option for an all-inclusive experience and a great value for your guests.
COSTA RICA
To cope with increasing tourism in Manuel Antonio, Arenas Del Mar continues to pioneer new experiences for their guests to enjoy in the area. Coming soon are early morning visits to a private nature reserve with great wildlife viewing and mountain biking in the hills above Quepos.
Latitude 10 Resort in Santa Teresa closed for part of October & November to undergo renovations and has reopened looking better than ever! New king-size canopy beds in each suite, soft upgrades & in-room amenities, a completely revamped menu and on-site experiences (like complimentary on-site cooking classes and beachfront yoga) have completely elevated the Latitude 10 experience.
Kurà recently welcomed a new Spa Director (formerly of Hacienda Alta Gracia) and has completely revamped the menu at Spa Shà in addition to creating new breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Ask about full board options for guests, available for booking on request.
Lapa Rios Lodge has added themed dinner nights to their menus - including BBQ, Dock to Dish Night (make your own ceviche) and “Comida Tipica” to showcase local foods enjoyed in Costa Rica. This gives guests staying 3 or 4 nights an excellent variety in meal choice and is also fun & interactive for families.
Lastly, the Cayuga Collection team has been hard at work opening Senda Monteverde, a new boutique lodge just a short walk from town and adjacent to a private Cloud Forest Nature Reserve. Senda officially opens on December 15 and to celebrate, is offering 10% when booked in conjunction with another Cayuga property. Details and restrictions are found via the link.
ECUADOR & GALAPAGOS
If you have any clients looking for a last minute "festive season" option, we just had some unforeseen prime date cancellations at Hacienda Zuleta in Ecuador. Couldn't think of a more welcoming place to be than with the Galo-Plaza family over the holidays - hiking and horseback riding during the day and feasting on farm fresh cheese and wine by the fireplace in the evening. You can either contact your DMC or email mariafernanda@haciendazuleta.com for updated availability over Christmas, New Years and into January.
If you are unfamiliar with Hacienda Zuleta, check out the video below for an overview on this gem of a property. If you would like a copy branded with your own logo as an intro, please send Clark your logo and he can provide it to you.
Mashpi Lodge has always maintained a great blog, but recent posts are particularly helpful for travel advisors from a sales perspective.
Seasonal Weather, Birds & Animals at Mashpi
What’s the Ride to Mashpi Lodge Like? (Good hour by hour breakdown of the journey from Quito to Mashpi)
Family Friendly Activities at Mashpi Lodge (Divided into younger children, older children and teens)
Galapagos Safari Camp owner Stephanie Bonham-Carter recently wrote a great blog post about “Appropriate Luxury”, a concept we applaud and support across all of our properties that operate in remote and fragile environments. Creating a luxury guest experience that is equally respectful of the natural world is a balancing act, and there’s a good reason you won’t find imported fish or out of season produce on the menu or air conditioning in your tented suites.
Check out the full post here: Appropriate Luxury in the Galapagos - The Safari Camp Approach and share this with your clients.
Galapagos Safari Camp also recently become of the Traveller Made consortia in November.
Do you have travelers staying at Casa Gangotena who like to get out and explore on their own?
Share these “Three Recommended Walks Through Quito’s Old Town” for suggestions on great self-guided walking tours to local markets, churches, down interesting side streets and to beautiful vista points. Quito’s Historic Center is best explored on foot and the staff at Casa Gangotena are always happy to suggest activities tailored to your client’s interests.
CHILE & ARGENTINA
Due to last minute cancellations, Awasi Atacama has space in January, which was previously 100% full. Here are the available dates for Awasi Atacama in January 2019.
6-10 January
10-15 January
14-17 January
18-23 January
25-28 January
28-31 January
Contact your DMC or info@awasi.cl to book. Additionally, Awasi Atacama welcomed new General Manager, Nicolás García to the lodge this month.
Need a moment of calm during the always busy month of December? Transport yourself into nature with this video from Awasi Iguazu.
Juan Pablo Culasso was born blind. He taught himself how to identify birds by listening to their song. He has become one of the world’s most respected bird experts; using just his ears, not his eyes. Listen to some of his recordings in Awasi Iguazú:
NICARAGUA
It was a hard year for Nicaragua & for Jicaro Island Lodge. After enjoying a hugely successful year in 2017, tourism in Nicaragua came to a standstill following political protests & violence that began in April of 2018. Jicaro Island was forced to suspend guest operations for a few months, though as many staff as possible remained employed throughout the temporary closure. Laying people off in a time of crisis only contributes to a desperate spiral and owner Karen Emmanuel used her personal resources to keep staff on the payroll through six months of closure.
With a quiet but emotional celebration on November 15, Jicaro Island Lodge officially reopened their doors to guests and Karen was there to share in the experience. In the video below, Karen shares her love for Nicaragua, especially the people who make Jicaro Lodge and the country so enchanting. Special reopening rates are available - contact your local DMC or reservations@jicarolodge.com.
PANAMA
We’re thrilled to welcome El Otro Lado Private Retreat into our portfolio. Located across the bay from Portobelo (which just received UNESCO recognition for the significance of the local Congo Culture), this colorful hideaway is an ideal base for exploring the Caribbean reefs, beaches and rainforests of Portobelo National Park, learning the fascinating legends of the likes of Sir Francis Drake and the pirate Henry Morgan, and immersing oneself in the colors, rhythms and flavors of the Congo Culture. Cozy details in the rooms and public spaces and a new wellness program also make it a perfect retreat to relax & recharge.
New in 2019, El Otro Lado will offer all-inclusive rates (full board, excursions, on-site activities & wellness experiences) and we’ll be hosting an extensive webinar on all of the changes and updates soon. In the meantime, enjoy this short video highlighting the best of Portobelo & El Otro Lado.
Panama is hot right now and Isla Palenque has been enjoying a fair amount of press. Check out the latest Town & Country issue for their guide on Where to Travel in 2019, featuring Panama and Isla Palenque.
Isla Palenque also recently announced their Dock to Dish program, making it the first hotel to Panama offer certifiably sustainable, community-sourced seafood through the award-winning program out of Montauk, NY. Learn more about the mission of Dock to Dish via the link to their website.
About Awasi Iguazu
The opening of Awasi Iguazu is one of the most anticipated, and most needed, hotel openings in South America for quite some time - and everyone is hungry for details. Usually just a quick overnight trip to see the falls, Awasi Iguazu will change the paradigm and open the destination for travelers looking for something more in depth.
About Awasi Iguazu
Everyone is super excited about the opening of Awasi Iguazu this year, and questions abound. Below is a summary of everything there is to see and know so far about the property.
Location
Below is a map of the Iguazu area denoting the two airports in Brazil and Argentina, location of the falls, and the star where Awasi Iguazu is located. The property is on the Argentine side of the falls, a riverside property just outside the town of Puerto Iguazu and on your way towards the main falls on the Argentine side. For those familiar with other hotels in the area, Awasi's property is adjacent to Loi Suites. Awasi is approximately 25 minutes from the Argentine airport and about 15 minutes driving to the main falls visitor center on the Argentine side.
Images
Below is a gallery of the first completed villa at Awasi Iguazu, already decorated internally. If you would like to download and use any of these images for promoting the property comercially, feel free to do so, here is a link to a dropbox gallery with all images yet available.
Opening Date and Reservations
Construction is in full swing and set to finish in November 2017. We hope to start providing "soft opening" bookings for stays in December by mid-July 2017. Ensure that you are signed up to our newsletter by clicking here to be one of the first to know when reservations are starting to take place. Rates are expected to be in-line with rates at Awasi Patagonia and Atacama.
Management
We are pleased to announce that Nicolas Di Costanzo has been appointed General Manager of Awasi Iguazu. Nicolas is well known and respected within the tourism industry and has a breadth of knowledge and experience in hotel management, sales and marketing, guiding as well as natural and cultural history. This wide ranging experiences, as well as his natural warmth and charm, make Nicolas a well rounded figure to lead the team at Awasi Iguazu. Nicolas previously managed Puerto Valle, in the Esteros de Ibera wetlands, and before that was a naturalist guide at Bahia Bustamante in Chubut Province, on the southern Atlantic coast of Argentina.
The Property
Similar in overall characteristics to Awasi Atacama and Patagonia, Awasi Iguazu will consist of a main lodge and then 14 private guest villas, built on stilts in the rainforest and separated from one another to provide intimacy and privacy. There will be 13 regular vilas and then one master villa with two rooms for families or couples travelling together. Unique at Awasi Iguazu, due to the tropical setting each villa will have it's own private plunge pool. The property sits along the Iguazu river just downstream of the falls, the image on the right is a view from one of the villas.
Excursions
Same as all other properties, each of the 14 villas will have it's own dedicated guide and 4x4 vehicle for excursion in the Iguazu area. Apart from the obvious excursion of visiting the falls themselves in private, we will offer around 13 other excursions set to capture the unique natural and cultural history of the area.
On the natural history side of things, Iguazu Falls sits at the southern extreme of what is called the Mata Atlantica, or Atlantic Forest. Prior to European arrival, this forest stretched untouched from Rio de Janiero down to past Iguazu falls and boasts some of the highest biodiversity on planet earth and a staggering level of endemic plant and animal species. Excursions with Awasi's trained naturalist guides will be by foot and 4x4 vehicle on land to explore this unique ecosystem and taking advantage of our riverfront location we will also do excursions by boat, exploring the many nooks and crannies of the Iguazu river where wildlife abounds.
Less known about the Misiones Province, where Iguazu is located, is the incredible ethnic diversity that exists alongside an intriguing cultural history. Most famous is the arrival of the Jesuit order in the 17th century who established a string of missions in the area (from where the province gets its name) in order to christianize an Amerindian indigenous population of Guarani Tribes. Also, unlike the rest of Argentina which was settled by Europeans arriving to Buenos Aires, who were mainly and French and Italian, Misiones Province was settled by immigrants coming from Brazil that included Germans, Poles, Ukrainians, Swiss, Swedes and some Japanese and Arabs as well. So many of our excursions from Awasi Iguazu will aim to showcase the unique mixture of indigenous tribes, Jesuit missions and the cacophony of immigrant ethnic groups who populate this remote corner of Argentina.
