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Interior Design
On Mexico’s Pacific Coast, between the Sierra Madres and the rolling surf, Hotelito by MUSA is a 177-acre destination that transcends the bounds of hospitality. Yes, there’s the sleek Hotelito, where sweeping vistas of ocean and jungle are complemented by airy interiors and a wabi-sabi sensibility. But founders Andrés Saavedra and Tara Medina are also building a village—rooted in art, innovation, exploration, regeneration, and philanthropy that goes above and beyond what a traditional hotel experience can be.
The hotel’s design employs traditional local natural materials, sourced from family-owned businesses, such as Parota wood and bricks from within a 10-kilometer radius as well as local craftspeople and local techniques from as early as the 1800s for the copper tubs. Palapa structures allow cross-breeze ventilation and provide natural cooling.
A custom waste management infrastructure allows a lot of materials to be processed. The landscape team composts all organic waste and uses it for soil regeneration and permaculture. Soil regeneration programs (so gardens can retain more water) use oceanic biomass for topsoil and mulch.
Solar panels have been built across all structures and the excess energy is redistributed back to the grid. The hotel uses low-energy, high-efficiency appliances and low-impact, intelligent lighting for outdoor and indoor areas, to maintain the circadian rhythms of sea life and birdlife. No batteries are used.
All gray and black water is captured, treated, and used in the gardens or filtered through onsite treatment systems. Every private residence has a water capture roof system. Water saving bathroom fixtures have been implemented while a freshwater, bio pool doubles as a fresh water source for wildlife. The hotel supplies refillable glass water bottles.
MUSA invites guests and its extended community to collaborate on programming and events. The hotel has artist-in-residence programs for global and local artists. Local farm tours on- and off-property, visit to the salt flats, sea-to-plate fishing experience, surf guides, and support of local initiatives ensures that the hotel is deeply ingrained in the community.
Natural activities such as surfing, swimming, yoga, movement, stargazing, and creative interventions are encouraged. Donations are collected for the release of baby turtles by a partnering sanctuary. More than 3,000 trees have been planted to date and increased natural habitats for wildlife. Artificial reefs are regenerating sea life.
Labor is hired directly from the local communities, especially women. The code of conduct for visitors and ethos is printed on staff T-shirts to openly display policies around respect of the people and the land.
Vegetables, fruits, and seafood prepared in the kitchens is grown in the hotel’s organic edible gardens or sourced from nearby farms and independent fishermen. Salt is supplied from a neighboring lagoon, natural soaps from the gender-neutral Mexican skincare brand For All Folks, and custom room fragrance by Izaskun.
Across all channels, the hotel openly asks people to contribute and engage positively to make the vision of a future community possible.
We spoke with the team to learn the latest on the hotel’s conscious journey.
Every element of MUSA’s blueprint has been carefully selected to integrate circular solutions for a highly efficient, self-sustaining philosophy. It’s part of the DNA of the project in that there is no separation between the core of what we are doing and being environmentally friendly. We look to nature to inspire futuristic design within an eco-conscious paradigm that demonstrates a positive impact on the communities around us, ourselves, and the environment. MUSA’s everyday workings integrate regenerative and ethical practices within a self-contained model designed for conservation and preservation of the landscape, the local surroundings, and their traditions. We implement mechanical initiatives that are fundamental, such as farming, water harvesting, solar, and how the building operates. Then there are the system initiatives, such as soil regeneration and waste management, that we are putting into practice as we develop the infrastructure of the future. Since we are in a remote community, it is our goal to educate and be responsible for acting positively and reducing our imprint. We aim to preserve the sacredness of the place, maximize the social capital of our people, and stand by those that are delivering the experience.
As stewards of the land, we invest into our direct ecosystem through soil regeneration programs with eco and landscape partners, such as Fenix Farms and ECo Studio (Estudio Contexto). Ideal for local fishermen, we’re working to regenerate sea life in the reefs and encourage a healthy environment for a biodiverse region. We have enforced administration programs for local employment in all areas of building and hospitality. We support the local turtle sanctuary through facilitating tours and donations. We engage in animal rescue programs and provide shelter and care on the MUSA reserve.
Transportation to the hotel is not sustainable so we encourage longer stays, instead of short one-night stays.
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