Nayara Tented Camp

Nayara Tented Camp COSTA RICA

Nayara Resorts adds a tented camp to its complex, offering close encounters with the flora and fauna of Arenal Volcano National Park.

Words: Regina Winkle-Bryan Photography: © Brice Ferré Studio

Nestled in the hills of La Fortuna in Costa Rica, Nayara Resorts has long been a go-to for travellers visiting Arenal Volcano National Park. Surrounded by an area of lively geothermal activity, where hot springs bubble within dense jungle, the resort offers accommodation, dining and leisure pursuits across its two properties – the adults-only Nayara Springs and family-friendly Nayara Gardens. With the two destinations already well established, the group has now added a third component to its offer, this time in the form of a tented camp.

One of only a handful of its kind in Central America, the new camp sits adjacent to its sister properties, connected via footbridges through the vegetation. It’s the brainchild of owner Leo Ghitis, who was inspired to bring barefoot luxury to Costa Rica while globe-trotting himself. “The concept of this camp began as an idea when I was travelling to tented camps around the world; I was inspired by those in Thailand, Morocco and Africa. I fell in love with the experience you get when you are in direct contact with nature – you can hear birds, see sloth in the trees. It’s much more of an immersive feeling than anything else I’ve experienced,” he explains, adding that his own childhood played a key role in the vision too. “Growing up, I used to go camping with my family in Colombia, so I wanted to recreate that adventure in the rainforest but combine it with an incredible luxury experience.”

The centrepiece of the camp is a series of six cascading hot spring pools of varying temperatures, surrounded by lush flora. To the untrained eye, the forest enveloping the pools seems as though it has always been there. In fact, the camp sits on what was once cattle pastures. Ghitis brought in over 20,000 trees to reforest the land and more are on the way. Thankfully, the jungle works quickly, and orchids, strangler figs and bromeliads are filling in empty spaces. As the forest returns, so too will the animals; sloth, coatis, hummingbirds, toucans and frogs have all be spotted on site. Fauna is a major draw in this area and Nayara provides access

to local guides, who lead early morning birding tours and nature walks. Eventually, Ghitis hopes to plant 1,000 Cecropia trees, creating an ideal habitat for sloth and the expansion of the property’s sanctuary.

Ghitis and his wife Ruthy headed up Nayara’s design too, collaborating with Vida Design Studio and C2 Arquitectura. The couple also tapped Luxury Frontiers to create the 32 safaristyle tents, five of which are Presidential Suites sleeping up to 10, complete with a personal chef and entertainment area, currently slated for completion in August. “After visiting tented camps around the world, I was most drawn to those Luxury Frontiers had designed because of their low impact on the environment,” Ghitis explains. Each tent in Nayara’s canvas lodge is a spacious 1,496ft 2 , with outdoor plunge pools set atop decks offering unobstructed views of the Arenal Volcano. Inside, canopy beds in North American ash are draped in mosquito netting. Leather headboards from South Africa are mounted against botanical murals in green and yellow, a nod to the hotel’s lush surroundings, while daybeds flank either side of the room, enclosed by windows with jungle vistas.

In the ample bathroom spaces, a cavernous bespoke tub in black and gold awaits atop travertine floors, illuminated by a pendant lamp in brushed gold. Dual sinks are topped in Carrara marble with gold fixtures, while Ghitis has applied green Verde Tikal stone quarried from nearby Guatemala to tile the indoor

and outdoor shower, both fitted with double showerheads. Deep walk-in closets featuring local laurel wood cabinetry also extend from the bath area, as does a private toilet.

Other than the canopy ceiling, the units don’t feel like tents at all. “The tents are made from canvas and the technology was developed by Ferrari,” says Ghitis. “The interior canvas is cosier and makes them feel homely, while the exterior is more robust and durable to endure the rainforest’s weather conditions, which are very different from the African savanna.”

But this is not the African savanna, so why tents in a place as wet as Costa Rica? “I wanted to create that camping trip that so many of us had growing up with our families, but in my favourite place in the world, the rainforest of Costa Rica,” he concludes. “By omitting the fourth wall on our tents, guests are immersed in nature the entire trip and can sleep and stargaze outside – all the good things that we used to have on camping trips growing up. The silence that visitors experience at the camp – nothing but the sounds of the rainforest – is rare nowadays.”

Be assured, however, that Nayara’s version of camping is quite different to the stereotype, providing a front-row seat to one of earth’s most awe-inspiring geological wonders.

EXPRESS CHECK-OUT Owner / Operator: Nayara Resorts Developer: Luxury Frontiers Architecture: C2 Arquitectura Interior Design: Luxury Frontiers, Vida Design Studio www.nayaratentedcamp.com

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LOCATION REPORT JAPAN

With travel restrictions in place and the 2020 Olympics postponed, what does the future hold for Japan’s burgeoning hotel sector?

Words: Catherine Martin

In 1990, Japan – a land of one-of-a-kind cultural experiences, authentic cuisine and the magnificent

Mount Fuji – was yet to find its place on the world stage, attracting a modest 3.2 million travellers to its shores. In the years that followed, international arrivals rose steadily, though the figure noticeably lagged behind other Asian nations. It wasn’t until 2013 that there was a significant rise in popularity, with a 24% increase in visitor numbers from the previous year due to a relaxation in visa requirements together with the falling value of the yen – the latter making the historically expensive country more accessible to the middle classes. At around the same time, Instagram was on its own upward trajectory, and Japan’s captivating temples, geishas and flowering cherry blossoms lent themselves well to the photo-sharing network, helping spread the word of the land of the rising sun. 2013 was also the year Tokyo was announced as the host city of the 2020 Olympic Games, something of a green light for hotel development, and so many put the wheels in motion to fill the guestroom deficit in time for the opening ceremony. But the boom came much quicker, and between 2013 and 2015, tourist arrivals doubled, no doubt filling developers with confidence that growth was about more than a one-off event. 2019 was yet another record-breaking year, with visitor numbers hitting 31.9 million – a step closer to the 40 million target set by the government. But it wasn’t to be; the global pandemic has led to travel restrictions around the world and the eventual postponement of the Olympics. According to the Japan National Tourist Organization, visitor arrivals for March 2020 dropped to under 200,000, down 93% from the previous year.

While this has no doubt come as a blow to the influx of new hotels, those in it for the long haul can be reassured by the fact that Japan has plenty to offer, from the bustling metropolises of Tokyo and Kyoto, to the national parks, powdery slopes and natural hot springs. Recent openings in addition to those featured in the following pages include the much-anticipated Ace Hotel Kyoto, a 213-key part-newbuild partconversion designed by Kengo Kuma in collaboration with Commune Design; and The Okura Tokyo, a reincarnation of the former Hotel Okura designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, son of the architect responsible for

the original modernist masterpiece which first opened for the 1964 Olympics. Add to that new properties from international brands and local players, not to mention the countless capsule hotels, and the market is on its way to 7,000 new rooms this year.

So far, the new supply has had only a minor impact on performance. Figures from STR for 2019 show a 1.5% decline in occupancy to 82.9%, while RevPAR fell by just 0.6% from the previous year. Preliminary data for 2020 is of course less positive, and the agency has adjusted its forecast for 2021; Tokyo is expected to see double-digit increases in RevPAR in both July (+22.1%) and August (+27.2%), however absolute levels will be lower coming from a much lower base.

While the full impact of COVID-19 on future hotel development remains to be seen, at the time of writing, Tophotelprojects currently has 81 projects, totalling 16,471 rooms, listed in its database in planning or under construction. According to the data service, 39 of the total pipeline projects will open this year, 20 will open in 2021, 12 in 2022, and a further 10 in 2023 and beyond.

Amongst them are a number of branded offers from Marriott International including Bulgari, Ritz-Carlton, W and Edition; ventures from Hyatt, Hilton and Four Seasons; and from IHG, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo will enter the realm. In addition, Prince Hotels – one of the largest operators in Japan – has announced three openings throughout 2020; and Hoshino Resorts will open a number of properties, both under the midrange economy brand Omo, and its flagship Hoshinoya.

With this data collected pre-pandemic and the future of travel and hospitality full of unknowns, it’s possible that cancellations, or at least delays, are on the cards. But Japan has plenty working in its favour. It ranks highly for safety, security, health and hygiene; it has an extensive rail network for domestic travel; and since 2010, it has been the world’s fastest growing major travel destination, showing that interest in the nation is more than a flash-in-the-pan. Finally, the sheer diversity of Japan’s hotel sector will no doubt keep travellers talking, from the futuristic robotoperated check-in to the wildly themed design schemes; even the tiny capsule hotels have to be seen to be believed. Plus Japan has what is widely regarded as one of the most authentic hospitality experiences in the world – the ryokan. It’s incredibly rare that travellers chose a holiday destination based on a hotel, but the future success of Japan’s hospitality sector may well lie in its past.

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LOCATION REPORT UNDER CONSTRUCTION

1. Aman Niseko

Sitting on the slopes of Mount Moiwa, an untouched nature reserve in Hokkaido, Aman Niseko will be the brand’s fourth property in Japan when it opens in 2023. Featuring 30 suites, a full spa and multiple dining venues, the all-season retreat is designed by Kerry Hill Architects to pay homage to the ryokan, with wooden accents, open fireplaces, private Furo bathtubs and onsen facilities.

Operator: Aman Architecture: Kerry Hill Architects

2. The Ritz-Carlton Nikko

The first international luxury hotel in the Tochigi prefecture, The Ritz-Carlton Nikko will open on the eastern shore of Lake Chuzenji later this year. Designed by Melbourne-based studio Layan, the 94-key resort will unite Japanese and western aesthetics, with the transition of light and shadow and an abundance of natural wood and stone creating a tranquil atmosphere.

Developer: Tobu Railway Operator: Marriott International Interior Design: Layan

3. The Tokyo Edition

Marriott International and Ian Schrager Company have signed agreements with Mori Trust for the opening of two Edition hotels in the capital. The Tokyo Edition Ginza will be a 13-storey newbuild with 80 guestrooms, while The Tokyo Edition Toranomon forms part of a redevelopment of the former Pastoral Building, a mixeduse project comprising offices, residences and a medical centre.

Developer: Mori Trust Operator: Marriott International and Ian Schrager Company For more information on new hotel projects in planning or under construction, visit: www.tophotelprojects.com