Latest / Brand Insiders / Nicolas Peluffo of Awasi on Ultra-Luxury Lodge Travel, One Villa One Guide One Vehicle, and the Last Untouched Frontier in Luxury Travel

Transcript

Nicolas Peluffo of Awasi on Ultra-Luxury Lodge Travel, One Villa One Guide One Vehicle, and the Last Untouched Frontier in Luxury Travel · Brand Insiders

• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to a very exciting episode of Brand Insiders.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: I'm joined today by the CEO of AWASTI, Nicholas Palufo.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: How are you?
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm doing great.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: How about you?
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'm doing fantastic now that you're here.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's always fun to talk to people that are innovating in hospitality, and there's so much happening in Awasay that I can't wait to dive into it.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: So to start off, what is Awasee?
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: Awasa is a collection of five small lodges in some of the most epic destinations in South America.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_02: We start our journey in the driest desert in the world at uh 4000 T in Atacama Desert, and you move into the end of the world, Paragonia, Torres del Paine.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_02: You cross the Andes into Argentina's wine land, Mendoza, keep going east, and you're facing one of the seven natural wonders of the world with Iguazu.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: And then you end up in the beach, floating in an island in the middle of the ocean, scuba diving, trekking, um, kayaking, and reloading your batteries in our innovative wellness program in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_02: So it essentially allows you to experience South America in one fell swoop in a very unique and uh explicit manner.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: And uh speaking of exclusive, what sort of amenities are exclusive to guests there that come along with the package of booking an Awassi uh vacation?
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_02: What we're known for is one villa, one guide, one vehicle.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_02: So essentially what we realize is people so we don't sell rooms, right?
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_02: We sell a private way to experience and move around territory, right?
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_02: You don't come to Patagonia or to any of our destinations because you want to taste our food or taste our beds, right?
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: You really want to explore those destinations.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: And if you have the means to do so, doing that privately with someone who really knows you and you have the best infrastructure, and yes, of course, the best room, the best service, the best food, uh is really uh a unique experience.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: That's why we try to deliver.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: So, for example, your uh experience with the guide will start that the moment you arrive in the airport.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: The guide will pick you up, will drive you to the hotel, you're gonna start chatting.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, during that conversation, the guide, he or she will start uh getting to know you better uh once you arrive on property.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_02: They'll open a bunch of maps and you're gonna start understanding better the location, what are the options.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_02: So, based on your interest, the weather, your level of fitness, and so forth and so on, how much time you have, you're gonna design the trip yourself in the spot.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_02: So there's nothing pre-packaged, there's nothing uh pre-scripted, right?
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: It's your space, your pace, and you're gonna stay with that same guy throughout your entire trip, which means the guy knows you super well.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: Every minute that goes by, you guys get to know each other better.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_02: That relationship ends once you check in back at the airline, you get a boarding pass, the guide will give you the boarding pass, and that's it.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: So for the entire estate, you're with the same person.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: That continuity uh provides a very personalized and very unique kind of uh experience.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: That's incredible.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Now, a little bit about your background.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: Your career spans finance, technology, real estate along with hospitality.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: How does that cross disciplinary lens really help to shape a lossy and increase the guest experience?
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_02: I think it gives me uh makes a I think a balance of understanding between product, service, experience, customers, capital discipline, systems thinking, and be able to have uh uh a more broad range of thinking and consolidate that all together.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I mean in reality, what we're building uh at Owasi is a platform for experiences, and that takes a lot, right?
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_02: We have over seven, uh, over 600 employees, we have a complicated tax stack like every other hospitality company.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh there's a lot of moving parts, right?
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we're we're small in the number of rooms, but we're pretty big in terms of the complexity that entails operating uh these properties in in different countries and remote locations.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: And uh the last question we always start for the opener here is how is Awasi innovating hospitality?
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_02: I think our first our first layer was the one villa, one guy, uh, one vehicle.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_02: That's what made us famous and allowed us to be where we are today.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_02: The next stage of that is how do we go deeper?
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_02: Right, and going deeper really is uh seeking the the essential and extracting the best and most authentic experience at each different destination where we're at.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, on the back end, we invest uh heavily in technology and infrastructure, in teams, and training, and you know, uh all the things that you can possibly imagine.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: For the guests, none of that shows, right?
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_02: They interact, it's a people-to-people uh business.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_02: So all of that needs to be perfect.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_02: So all of us have all the time and the resources available to when we're in front of a guest, provide them with that uh you know, that exceptional experience.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_02: So today, every different place we are, uh we're we're looking for new uh projects essentially in in conservation, community, and wellness.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_02: So in I'll give you a few examples, right?
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: So in in Patagonia, uh we just launched a new private reserve, uh, 7,000 acres of private land that is being conserved for the Pumas.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_02: We are inside of the woods on top of a mountain where the Pumas already live.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_02: So they live, you know, throughout the property.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_02: They actually cross the property sometimes.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: And around that mountain, uh there used to be a cattle farm, and Pumas are afraid of cattle.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: So we lease that long term, uh, very, very long term.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_02: We pushed the cattle out, letting the the land grow back to what it was at Guanacas, be there more present, therefore let the Pumas uh road free.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um we're doing that with uh with the team of scientists and uh you know being able uh to really have an impact there.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um on you know on the other extreme of of the continent, right, which would be kind of like the other side of your of your itinerary in Brazil.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_02: So Brazil is a new country for us, um and it's also a new biome, right?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_02: It's the first Awassi property in the ocean.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_02: So you spend a lot of time in in different versions of the world.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_02: And because the Awassi um DNA was essentially different variations of being active, hiking, walking, uh horseback riding, biking, etc., we came up with this idea of active bumps, right?
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_02: So focus on longevity, focused on changing habits, and focusing on on long-term benefits for your health, not in terms of uh diagnostics or KPIs or uh you know, not the typical medical spot, let's put it this way, but how do we um how do we fully integrate that with the concept of you know having one guide, uh having these uh explorations, so really mixing being out and about, being outdoors, and at the same time uh all the benefits of uh a very interesting uh longevity program that we created.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: So to drill into our first section to discuss uh the both the birth and the growth of South American ultra luxury.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned the word biome, and you talk about how a wastey allows you to see the entire continent at once.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I always revert back to a phrase I've heard and said multiple times, which is that South America as a continent is absolutely blessed with geography.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: All the landscapes are beautiful, there's so many different terrains to see.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: Could you unpack the beauty of South America insofar as the various locations by which Owasi is located?
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_03: Um I'm gonna respond to that in a different way, if you allow me.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: And listen, um nature, beauty, like many other things, are difficult to say, to put on the scale and say if they're better, worse, more beautiful, less beautiful.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_02: So I think that's hard and it's very personal.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm not gonna go there.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: But I can tell you a personal story, right?
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_02: I well, I obviously go to those destinations very often.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_02: I live in California, but I go several times a year down South America, and I'm I'm always in our properties and out in different locations.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I recently did something that I've always wanted to do with my family.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: I drove from Santa Barbara where we live all the way to Montana and back.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_02: So we drove through Zion, Bryce, Moab, um Wyoming, the Jackson, the Titans, the Yellowstone uh Park, and then around.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, those pieces are awesome.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_02: There's I it's hard to say that there is anywhere in the world that is more beautiful than that.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_02: The same way it's hard to say that there's anywhere in the world more beautiful than Patagonia or the Iguasu or whatnot, right?
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: They're all unique.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_02: The big difference, however, is those parks, as mind-blowing as they are, they have phenomenal infrastructure, which is great for society, right?
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody has access.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_02: It's easy to get in and get out.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_02: But there's a lot of people, right?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I didn't really see much wildlife.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_02: There were cars all the time, everywhere.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: The food was essentially burgers, pizzas, and you know, variations of that.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_02: Whereas the experience you got in South America is very raw, right?
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: So even in Africa, I mean, I think we've all seen the you know, the Instagram reels that went uh viral last year of you know, like uh herds of animals and then a bunch of trucks and people around them, and kind of like the animals didn't have where to go, and they were kind of like getting, you know, drowning on the river.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: You you're never gonna get that.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_02: Well, unlikely that you get that in in South America, just because the sheer um you know volume of tourists, uh the places where you typically go are you know either remote or semi-remote.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_02: So there isn't a lot going on, right?
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: So just compare Thursday.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_02: There is, I think roughly from the numbers that I can remember from the top of my head, there's 300,000 people that uh visit every year.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_02: Zion is five million.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_02: So and you're talking about Zion is probably 0.05% of the size of Patagonia, right?
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_02: So Patagonia is a massive uh um landmark, landmass.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_02: So I think the the difference is is that you're it's not difficult to be there and feel like you're the first person whoever sets foot on that place.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_02: You look around, you don't see a single person, you don't see um any human-built infrastructure.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_02: Everything is the way it's always been.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: And that's a very powerful experience, right?
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: For you to be able to really disconnect from your day-to-day, for you to be able to really connect with nature, with yourself, uh, go back to you know what's essential.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_02: I think you need to have something that different, right?
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_02: When you're beautiful nature, there's cars everywhere, there's RVs, there's pizzas, you don't really disconnect, right?
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_02: It it sort of feels like a little bit of shopping mall.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's not that that's how it feels.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's great to hear it put that way in terms of raw, remote, and just the scale of everything.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um so to then dovetail that into the growth of ultra-luxury lodge travel, which is a very specific segment.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, that obviously is a factor, but what else has led to that growth?
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_02: I think uh piggybacking a little bit on what I was saying before, um we we're at the frontier, right?
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: Frontier meaning everywhere in the world, tourism has gone, you know, bananas and luxury travel more so, right?
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um I always make this joke, right?
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_02: If you were uh in the moon and you called someone on earth and said, hey, turn off all the lights, and I'll turn on the lights of luxury hotels, right?
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_02: You would see lights everywhere except in South America, right?
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: There isn't a lot of product, there isn't a lot of stuff going on.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_02: So it's kind of like the last place to go, right?
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_02: That's the re that's you know why I meant before.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_02: If you go to one of the national parks or one of the destinations we're at, you rarely see anyone, right?
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: That um I think that that authenticity, I it's kind of like an overused word that's uh maybe not the best here, uh, but it makes it different.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh because it's different, people are willing to go, right?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone has been to you know Europe and Asia and this and that.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_02: And what what next?
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_02: What's the next place to go?
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_02: What's the cool place that is really different, right?
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: Because you oftentimes today with uh globalization, you travel around the world and you get there, and you eat the same stuff, you speak the same language, you do the same things, right?
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_02: We're all trying to homogenize the experience to make it more uh more comfortable, but that kind of kills the experience as well.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_02: And so we're all trying to live something really different.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I think as as a region, South America has that opportunity, which is crazy, right?
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_02: Because it's right next to the US.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_02: There's essentially no time zone difference, um, easy to get to in and out.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: So we we think that there is massive opportunity, very long tail uh on that thesis.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would wholeheartedly agree on that thesis, the long tail and the growth and the whole idea of just looking at from literally the moon point of view to get the lights and see where things are.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um but you talk about the booming luxury market and how they're sort of playing it safe by having quote unquote a Starbucks or equivalent in the lobby at every single luxury hotel or resort around the world.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh nevertheless, there is a service standard and a service bar that has to be passed in order to be called luxury or ultra luxury.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: So what in your mind defines that service standard for AWASTI and how do you uh how do you replicate these standards?
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_03: I'm glad you asked.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I'm not sure if I have a great uh answer, but if I had to pistol it down to one word, it would be personalization.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: So of course, like everyone else, uh we do our best to have SOPs and manuals and training and processes and infrastructure and so on and so forth, right?
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: As a matter of fact, as small of a company as we are, we have an entire department called AWAS Academy, which is sole mission day in, day out, is to train our 600 um you know team members uh to be better every day, right?
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_02: And in in all aspects of the business.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_02: But they're all told, listen, these are the guidelines.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_02: Uh this is what we know that works, but you have freedom, right?
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_02: You have judgment.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_02: You are empowered to adjust according to the situation, according to the guest.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's where we excel, right?
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: Uh our properties have roughly, depending on the property, somewhere between three to four uh staff to guest ratio.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: And again, because of all the work that we do on the back office, right, with technology, infrastructure, et cetera, uh, we make it so so that uh the team members have a lot of time and resources in their hands when they're guest-facing.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: And all of that comes to reality when during that interaction, they're present, they can listen, they can read the room, they can understand, and they can adjust and they can share with their colleagues and say, hey, Mr.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_02: Smith likes so and so and so.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_02: So there's actually uh a good story, I think uh illustrates that.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um anyway, uh a guest in the past uh was by himself and he was in Patagonia and he commented with his guide that he really missed his granddad.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_02: And as he was talking about his granddad, he said, Well, you know what?
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_02: Uh he used to give me a dollar when I was a kid uh to run around um shop and buy cheromisu every Sunday, right?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: And I'll buy this tiramisu and then we'd have it as a family, and uh I mean this is when you know a dollar would buy that.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I have really fun memories of that.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_02: The guy didn't say a word, uh, and you know, that's it.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_02: Uh they keep going with their day.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: And then at night, so the guy shares with the with the chef in the meantime, right?
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_02: The chef is like, oh, I don't really do tiramisuits very often.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: So he calls another relationship chef in Europe, learns how to do it, right, prepares it, puts it on the menu, and then when the get when the guest gets to uh the dessert park, right, separate menu, they bring the menu with a dollar bill.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_02: And only one option, the tiramisu.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: This guy breaks into tears, like on the spot, right?
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_02: That that level of personalization, like I'm listening to you, I'm connecting with you, right?
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_02: We're on the same uh energy.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_02: That's what we do, right?
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_02: It's not about white gloves, it's not about you know the traditional uh glitter and uh you know gold doorknobs, and that that doesn't really matter for us.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: No, that's that's a beautiful story.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely beautiful, and that's really the heart of hospitality.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's about those memor those memories.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: And the fact that you made that all happen inside of several hours is is it's it's an orchestration.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's an orchestra, it's an opera.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's it is incredible.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um it is.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: Keep in mind, sorry to interrupt you, but keep in mind that at that specific location in Patagonia, your average lead time between lifting the phone and ordering something, anything, and actually getting it into the property is about two months ago.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_02: So it's an extremely complex operation.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_02: It's very difficult to get anything done.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: Well, uh speaking of complex operations, uh a large proportion of AWASCI's book of business comes through travel advisors.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: So um how how do you work with them to facilitate these once-in-a-lifetime occasions?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: So, I mean, travel advisors are life and blood of our business, right?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: I think like every other uh product or service that is high value, high stakes, complex, and essentially important to you, uh, there's a tendency of looking for an expert.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_02: Right, because you don't want to blow that opportunity, right?
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: You want to make sure that you maximize impact and and and your your joyspan, let's call it.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: So that's why, you know, again, 50% is a lot of our business.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_02: We A have a team uh globally, so we have someone in Europe, uh two people in the US, three people in South America, uh that are constantly covering uh our partners.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we're part of the most well known uh consortios like Forichuoso, uh American Express for um um Defining Hotels and Resorts program, uh and and many others like that.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_02: So we're part of Rela Chateau.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_02: So in between the different consortias, uh affiliations, our own team.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: And two decades of putting effort into it, I think we have a really good relationship with the industry.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I guess uh I love that you introduced the term joy spin.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and the latest term, I guess, is joy maxing or optimizing for joy.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_01: And you you put it very clearly is that there's a risk to all of these stays, insofar as time being the limiting variable and only having one shot at really experiencing a destination, whether it's for a multifamily trip or a husband and wife couple or something, uh an adventure or solo travel.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: So it really is comes back to that joysband concept.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um to shift gears now and to discuss the design and what it takes to operate in these remote locations.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: Could you start with Awasi Atacama, the first property in the collection, and tell us about the design and how that shaped the guest experience?
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_02: So the villas there.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_02: So if you if you enter, first of all, the property is inside the village of San Pedro de Cama.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_02: You're a couple blocks from Cachegaracores, which is like the main the main street.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um keep in mind all the streets there are there.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_02: Like you just walk into it there.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: It's not like you're you know a big city.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but that gives you uh a really fun opportunity of you know interacting uh with the town.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh there's a beautiful uh church at the end of that street, there's a market, there's you know all kinds of different things going on.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: But you're also far enough that you know you have your own little sanctuary there.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_02: The property is built to um inspired on the Tular village.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_02: So the Tular village is in the middle of the desert.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's the most ancient um um civilization or or remainers of a civilization in that region.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_02: They're round um adobe uh constructions.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: So we made in, you know, our villas are all round made of adobe, um like a tatchroof.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_02: And of course, inside uh, you know, they're they're beautiful and super luxurious and super comfortable.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: But the idea was to to you know kind of I wouldn't say replicate, but inspired on that, that you felt that you were in the little community.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_02: That property is our smallest.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: There's only 12 villas.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_02: So you have these little you know, round villas spread out through the property, beautiful garden in the middle.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_02: Uh there's a little uh piece of water running.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, one thing that is uh very unique to San Pedro Takama and and also to uh Mendoza is they still do irrigation by channels, right?
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_02: So the water just runs through the middle of these random places, including our property.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: And you feel like you're in uh a world of its own.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: And then you can step out and go to Dillage, or of course you're gonna go out into you know into the desert, into Lika Kabur, uh volcano.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_02: So you're gonna be out and about all day.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_02: That's um demanding physically, and then you come back and you're again in that little oasis, right?
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: With a phenomenal restaurant and that team taking care of you.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_02: So you feel very cuzzy, very well taken care of.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it's easy to to get around.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think that first property is you know, it's issue what uh launched at us, launched us into uh what we're at today.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: And the second property launched was Patagonia, correct?
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so Takama was 2007, Patagonia was 2014.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_01: And uh to revert back to what you said, you took a piece of farmland and created a natural wildlife corridor because uh news to me, I I didn't know that pumas were afraid of cattle.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, you figure uh, you know, apex predator would uh would be hunting cattle, not afraid of them.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: But um I guess that's the conservation commitment that you've made at Owasi.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's actually pretty interesting because the Puma in South America is the same as the mountain lion uh here in the States.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, again, I live in Santa Barbara, California.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_02: We have a ton of them in our mountains, and people are super afraid of them here because they're aggressive.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_02: They come after your dogs, your cats, and people themselves.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_02: So everyone is always looking out for it.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: If you're hiking, uh, you know, it's not a good uh situation if you come across one of them.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_02: Whereas there, they walk right past our guests, right?
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_02: There's a bunch of pictures of them on top of a hot tub, on top of a deck, in front of uh uh in front of a villa.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_02: So the Chilean uh Argentina Puma, for some reason, is super scared of cattle, super scared of dogs.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_02: And I wouldn't say they're scared of people, but they don't really care about people, right?
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_02: There are no records of of any attacks.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_02: So they're super docile.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_02: They go after sheep, uh, because the sheep don't really move very fast, and they're a natural predator of the guanacas.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh interesting thing is the pumas run very fast for a short distance.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_02: The guanacos are very slow initially, but then they get a lot of speed.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_02: So the puma only has like a certain speed and a very short, limited time to get to the guanacos.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_02: That's why they try whenever they can to go after the sheep, because they're easier prey.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and the Owassi Patagonia location is unveiling two new villas that are a absolutely incredible design.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's there, they're the Senate villas.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: Zenit.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_02: Senate Villas uh would be in English Zenit.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um so they're different shaped, they're they're like a uh a halo or a ring.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_02: Uh both of them are uh on the edge of the property, again, top of the mountain, so facing the Torresel Pioneer right away.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_02: Uh those villas are with two suites, so they're for a family.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_02: They have their own uh in addition to bought um to your your lounge area, they also have a kitchen uh and you can have a shaf uh just for you all day long if you want to.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh those villas come with two guides and two vehicles each.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I mean their design is amazing.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: The architect there, Felipe Asadi, is an incredible architect, uh known all over the world.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_02: Uh right now the property is completely white, covered in snow.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh they're working on it.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_02: He was just there last week.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_02: He sent some amazing pictures.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's getting it's becoming really, really, really beautiful.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so next property.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_01: Uh we're gonna move on to Iguazu, which I believe was the third one added to the the collection.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: Is that correct?
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, 2018.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm recording here in Toronto and we're close to Niagara Falls.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I thought Niagara Falls was cool until I visited Iguazu, which uh blows Niagara Falls right out of the water to uh and uh in in imply the pun.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: So uh Iguazu, describe that location and how it's one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the Atlantic rainforest uh along that triple frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, and then the unique experiences you have on site there.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I I I think that's another good example of what we were discussing before, right?
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_02: So I've been in Niagara as well.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_02: It's beautiful.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_02: I loved it.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_02: But it was very urban, right?
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_02: So if you're in this on the US side, it's developed.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_02: If you look towards Canada, it's like super developed.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_02: And uh Iguas is like the opposite.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_02: It's super, super thick, lush green on both sides.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and birds, uh, it's just incredible uh biodiversity, as you said.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_02: Very, very rich nature.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you can hear it all the time.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, if you're at the falls and and nearby the park, you're just not going to see any any construction or uh human interference, except for the structure to walk around it, of course, and the train that gets you there.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um also the second thing that is quite different is you know the sheer volume of water.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's it's substantially uh larger.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: And then finally, one thing that people don't talk about enough, uh, and I think it's one of the nicest parts of that experience, is uh the um native inheritance.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_02: So the Guaranese, we choose to be uh the regional uh people from that land.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_02: There are still several villages.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_02: Uh as a matter of fact, there is uh three right around our property.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we have always had uh a pretty close relationship with them.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_02: And one of the things, you know, uh in when we're talking about innovation, I gave an example from Paragonin from Sele Catarina.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_02: The example here is we're going deeper into that relationship uh with the gardening community and not only helping them in in developing more infrastructure uh in a garden, uh bringing, they already do a lot of handcraft, so we're helping them set up, you know, a a bigger, better shop, not only for us, for anyone they want, right?
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_02: So bringing them more into the property, bringing our guests more into um into the village, a lot of the excursions, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking uh that we used to do elsewhere, we're now doing uh in their in their land.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so essentially just getting closer and closer to them and making that relationship um always more you know more more authentic and and more interesting for for all for everyone.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_02: Essentially, our team is in Negwasu, the team is all from that town.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, when they present you a dish, they'll tell you, and it's real, that they used to eat that with their moms or with their grandmoms or their uncles and et cetera.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_02: So all the the dishes themselves, the products, uh are an integral part of their culture.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_02: And all of that is originally Guarani.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_02: So it it's all very intertwined.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_02: And essentially what we're trying to do is try to recover as much as we can from from that um from that background.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh the whole idea of stewardship and paying forward traditional ecological knowledge and traditional culture, whether that's expressed through food or art, it's so important uh extending beyond just luxury travel into really continuing these traditions forward and then through that delivering to use that buzzword again, an authentic experience.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_01: But that's really what's required.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, what what I feel happens in in many places is a staged version of it.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_02: And anyone can tell, and that's not, you know, honestly, it's not very beautiful to watch.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it feels strange to say the least.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_02: And I think what we're striving to do is to create something real, uh, but not only real, but significant, right?
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_02: That it means something for everyone, that it's positive impact for everyone.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we're not reinventing the wheel, we're not colonizing Mars, right?
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_02: We're just people with people and trying to make that those experiences, those exchanges amongst different people are meaningful to all of us.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you say that until Elon Musk visits one of your lodges and then he wants you to put an Awasti on Mars.
• 34:33
  SPEAKER_01: Not happening.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, fourth location, Awasti Mendoza.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_01: Tell us about how you've carved out a winery lodge or at least uh lodging experience in wine country.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_02: So Mendo, like Santa Catarina, they were acquisitions.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_02: And with those acquisitions, uh investment and a lot of uh a lot of thinking and adaptation came into it.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_02: And essentially what we extracted from from Mendoza was I mean, they they already had uh you know the best possible bones.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_02: They're agrero, which is the you know, the OG of that wine region.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_02: So we have uh Cobos is our neighbor, uh Catena is right behind us, uh Chaval Ferrer is next door.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_02: So some of the the most well-known, most iconic Argentinian wines are literally just down the road from us.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_02: And we ourselves have our own vineyard uh around the property.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_02: So you're there facing the Andes.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_02: It's like the most beautiful sight, whether it's summer or winter.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_02: It's always beautiful.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_02: It changes every day.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_02: Every time I go, I'm in awe.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, we wake up and just for hours, they just stare at those mountains.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_02: And the food is amazing, uh, the gaucha culture, the horseback riding, all those things are natural elements from that region, which they already did very well, where we added value.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_02: Was we we thought, okay, given our experience with explorations in an ultra-personalized manner, what else can we do that nobody else is doing?
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_02: So we started reaching out to those super well-known wines that don't really have an infrastructure at where they grow those specific uh grapes, right?
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_02: Usually they have like a winery somewhere else that's where the tourists go, but where this you know specific grape grows is like somewhere distant.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_02: And we were able to open doors doors, visit that, have a dinner, lunch, or you know, a snack at that location, taste the very best wines.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_02: Typically, when you go, whether it's Napa or Bordeaux or Argentina, it's you know all very similar.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_02: You you go in some group fashion, or even if you're not in a group, you sort of become part of one uh unwillingly, and you pay 50 bucks, and then you get uh you know, like a random entry-level wine, and you shoosh the other door, right?
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_02: And then more people come in.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_02: And we didn't want that.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_02: So we wanted you to be able to sit down with the winemaker, uh, sit down with the family that owns the place, etc.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_02: So one of the coolest experiences going to um uh a wine producer that's been there for three generations, they host you in their house, they you know, walk you through the place when you come back, uh when the family members have set up a you know this wooden table just under a tree in front of their house, you sit there, you share a meal with them, they're gonna tell you about their great-granddad came from Europe and you know all the struggles they had and this and that, when they lost a crop, etc.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_02: And through those experiences and the hardships and the you know the beauty that came with it, you're gonna relate, right?
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_02: We're all human beings.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_02: We all have had uh different things that happen in our lives, and you realize that it it doesn't matter uh which country it's at, uh, we all share you know similar experiences.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: But it's very it's very impactful.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_02: And you're drinking phenomenal wine, that it's not the typical wine that everybody goes.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_02: So the idea is that you come back home uh and someone's like, oh, you've been in Mendoza.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I did this, this, and that.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_02: They're like, oh, I didn't do that.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, of course.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_02: Where did you stay?
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_02: No, I stay with Hawasi.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay, of course.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_02: So providing something unique.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's unique, but it goes back to that principle that you've ex talked on multiple times, which is it's about people connecting with people.
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_01: And everything from the private guide through to curating a one-on-one wine winemaker experience is all about that.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: So it's that core layer, that first principle, then expressed through beautiful layers of hospitality.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it it goes back to uh the brand, right?
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_02: Awasi.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_02: So wasi means uh home in Kechua.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_02: And the way we go about it is not the typical hospitality, uh, this is your home away from home.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_02: No, no, no.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_02: This is your best friend's home.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_02: So you have a best friend who knows you really, really well, is very wealthy and lives in one of these crazy beautiful remote destinations, and you call them up and say, Hey, I'm thinking about visiting.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, I got you.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_02: What should I bring?
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_02: What should I do?
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_02: Forget it.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_02: I got you.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_02: You're with me now.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_02: And you're in their hands.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_02: That that's the experience.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: So um shifting gears again.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_01: I want to save the fifth location for when we talk about wellness.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_01: Shifting gears now, you talk about people connecting with people.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_01: So what type of guests or people does awassi attract?
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um I mean, I I could give you stats, right?
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_02: So 60% comes from the US, 30% from Europe, 15% from Brazil, South America, 5% the rest of the world, uh, roughly, you know, 40 to 80 years old.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um but I think those are just numbers.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_02: They don't really tell you about who they are.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_02: I think uh personality-wise, right, the part that that matters, that you can connect to, talk to, touch, is these are curious people, right?
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_02: So someone who typically um has been there, done that, right?
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_02: So they've been everywhere else, and they're looking for something new, something different.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_02: I think they're looking for that feeling of when they first started traveling, right?
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_02: That that marvel, that awe, that you know, wow, I you know, this is different in me, right?
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_02: It's not the same service, it's not the same process, not the same infrastructure, not the same flow.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_02: This is quite like it throws you off.
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_02: So I think people are looking for that, right?
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_02: And and they're in different times of their lives, right?
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_02: So you have on one end, uh people who retired, the kids are out of home, uh, they don't have a mortgage, they don't have uh any you know financial preoccupations, just a uh you know, bigger or smaller bucket list of you know, this crazy places to go.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_02: And then on the other extreme of that, you have super young couples newly married, uh, that also want a remarkable place for their honeymoon and essentially everything in between, right?
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_02: So there is no really age or moment in life.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's more about a mindset, right?
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_02: So are you curious?
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_02: Uh do you like adventure?
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh are you willing to go off the beaten path?
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_02: And at the same time, you want to make sure that once you get there, you have the possible best experience.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that that joy span or that joy maxing, I guess, to throw in another term.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and Owasi curates multi-lodge itineraries, correct?
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that's that's a whole other other can of worms in terms of crafting that.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I mean, we we do uh either the five lodges sort of in the in the order I first described them, or variations of that.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_02: It really depends on your time and and interest.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um again, the reservation process for some people it takes three months, right?
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_02: Depending on how much time and interest and necessities they have.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, we're gonna go as deep and curate it as you need.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_02: Some people they might go online, they like what they see, they you know, click one, two, three lodges and click a button and they're done.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh again, very flexible on that.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_02: But um I think where we are able to add value is a same same thing we do with the guides, understand you and what your expectations and your needs are to be able to cater that trip uh to you know what you expect.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_02: And also a little bit on logistics.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we don't do um the air component, right?
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_02: So we try to help you and guide you.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_02: Uh what are the best options?
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_02: Just the same way, you know, an European, Asian, South American would probably wouldn't know what Southwest is, right?
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_02: Uh or if they know they're not going to remember it.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's just because it's not so normal, right?
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_02: They're only in the US.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but for example, to go to Santa Barbara to Vegas, the only option to fly direct is with that, or uh a few years ago was Contour, which I had never heard of before.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_02: You have a lot of those in South America too, right?
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_02: And because it's not so easy sometimes to go from point A to point B, you might be able to do that with one of the local airlines, which maybe maybe they fly every day, maybe they fly, you know, every three days.
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_02: So we're gonna know that.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: And and a lot of other idiosyncrasies that we're going to be able to guide you through the process to make your time there uh as smooth and easy as possible.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_01: So you don't uh take control of the chain of custody of the air component, but you ensure that it is as frictionless as possible using your insider knowledge.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 44:25
  SPEAKER_02: And we have uh we have a team 24-7.
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_02: So uh regardless of uh as a matter of fact, we just did a dinner with some of our clients in in New York, and uh this couple was telling me that they actually got stranded in an airport.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um they were with us in Intersepaine, they crossed over by car to Calafate in Argentina, and I think it was a strike or something, so they got stranded in there.
• 44:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh they you know couldn't remember who to call.
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_02: They called us.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_02: They were staying in different properties, right?
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_02: So it wasn't the whole trip with us, but they called us.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_02: It was who they naturally felt more comfortable with, and the operator took care of them like immediately.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_02: Said, Where are you, where are you?
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_02: What do you need?
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, I'm booking a hotel for you, I'm rebooking your flight, this, that.
• 45:15
  SPEAKER_02: That person did not have to do that, right?
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_02: It was not her her job, so to speak, but it is.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_02: That's what we do.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_02: But we take care of you.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_02: Again, this is your best friend, you're coming to visit, I got you.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that that harks down back to a core principle of ultra luxury in that it's trust.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, you've built that, you've built the brand over almost 20 years now to build that trust.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_01: And so that way, no, regardless of where somebody is, they're gonna call you ahead of a travel advisor or an airport to figure out where they are.
• 45:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, again, it it depends, right?
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_02: If they're using a travel advisor for sure, they'll call them.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but uh we want them to feel comfortable in calling us and knowing that we will get them.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_02: I think trust is earned and you only earn trust, real trust, with performance, especially long-term performance.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, a quick interaction, you kind of start trusting someone.
• 46:20
  SPEAKER_02: That's more perception than reality.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, for being 20 some uh years in the business um and having the the longevity, the recognition uh that we have, I think it's because we've been doing things right for a while.
• 46:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, very true.
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_01: So now uh to go back to the fifth property, Awassi Santa Catarina.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh tell us about this property as well as the new launch, the active longevity and wellness program.
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_02: So again, this is new country for us, Brazil, uh new biome, being on the beach in the ocean.
• 47:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh there's a few differences here.
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_02: So A, um because we were on the beach and there is uh you know these islands around where we are, uh, we decided to buy four boats uh and offer that as part of the what's included, right?
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_02: So essentially you have a fleet of cars, which you can go anywhere, do whatever you want.
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh you also have a fleet of boats that you can go diving, scuba diving, fishing, you know, uh as you wish every day, anytime.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh again, your uh your pace, your space.
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_02: That combination um of activity, right, is is something very uh wassi.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_02: And we were trying to to to get what's very Brazilian, right?
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_02: Uh in addition to the obvious, right?
• 47:54
  SPEAKER_02: The food, the service, the design, and this and that.
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Brazilians are very much into beauty and into um health.
• 48:04
  SPEAKER_02: Very, very um concerned about food, about exercise, about living healthily, about living longer, uh, again, in a different way, right?
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_02: So it's very common for you to walk in any city uh in Brazil and you see people going back and forth from the gym or just doing different exercises, or you know, if you go eat in a restaurant, uh it's very rare that you see processed or ultra-processed food.
• 48:33
  SPEAKER_02: Everything is very natural.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_02: And of course, spas and and wellness programs are pretty common uh in in the country.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_02: We thought that what was missing was a top-notch uh international level um wellness and longevity program and combining those things, right?
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_02: So essentially the core that we brought to Mawasi of exploring the outdoors and that very Brazilian feeling of feeling healthy.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_02: Also, because that's typically the last stop on your trip, right?
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_02: You start on a very physically demanding area, Chile.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_02: Then you go to Argentina, which is kind of like halfway through, and then you end up on the least uh physically demanding, which is Brazil.
• 49:21
  SPEAKER_02: You take care of yourself, your body, your mind.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you hopefully learn some new habits uh that you can bring home uh and that can reset you, and then you take off.
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and it's probably the easiest place to get out as well, because there's a lot of flights uh from there.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, this whole idea of habits.
• 49:42
  SPEAKER_01: Before we uh started recording, we were talking about uh James Clear's atomic habits and about how so much of longevity lifestyle is the habits and the microhabits by which you design your life.
• 49:58
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and how the program, uh, all five pathways uh are designed not so much around the medical side, but around really giving people some set of instructions and a reset so that way they can change back at home.
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_01: Could you talk about the design of the longevity program through that lens?
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I think uh based based on um on James's uh work, uh he he said I I was just hearing him the other day, and he said that habits are not a goal, they're a lifestyle, right?
• 50:39
  SPEAKER_02: Essentially you have to work for the rest of your life, otherwise, uh as financial markets would say, you revert back to the mean, right?
• 50:46
  SPEAKER_02: So you go back to your whole old habits.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's very easy to do that.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_02: That's our tendency.
• 50:51
  SPEAKER_02: And there's all kinds of theories about how long it takes uh for you to acquire a new habit for good.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and he was saying that the range is is very large depending on the activity, and uh even if you get there, you need to work on it.
• 51:08
  SPEAKER_02: So where well we our approach was I think the market is is full of um diagnostics, KPIs, gadgets, and all kinds of stuff, and this is all great, right?
• 51:23
  SPEAKER_02: But it's not who we are.
• 51:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um we really wanted something more basic, essentially try to understand who you are, program something specifically for you, whether it's women's health or uh gut or longevity or stress, sleep, etc.
• 51:41
  SPEAKER_02: Right, and then help you acquire the habits, right?
• 51:45
  SPEAKER_02: For however many long uh many days you're with us, we'll help you get that kickstart, right?
• 51:51
  SPEAKER_02: That that first push.
• 51:53
  SPEAKER_02: And that is in physical activity that will be uh personalized for you, right?
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_02: We we all are in different stages.
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um your uh your food, so there is a nutritionist uh only for the program.
• 52:08
  SPEAKER_02: There is a medical doctor that created the program, um, everything related to longevity.
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um and if you're interested in the beauty part, uh we have a partnership with La Mer as well.
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a very um it's a very uh encompassing, very complete uh work.
• 52:28
  SPEAKER_02: And there are different kinds of programs.
• 52:30
  SPEAKER_02: Typically you would choose a program beforehand, uh, but you can get there.
• 52:35
  SPEAKER_02: So the same way you would start your trip uh in the other properties with a guide and trying to understand the lay of the land and decide and design the trip, you can do that with a consultant on site and uh say, I'm feeling like this, I you know, I struggle with that.
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_02: And together you'll say, Oh, maybe you know, we should uh opt for this program.
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and then that's what you will be doing for the rest of your estate.
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 53:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it reminds me uh just of how people in the blue zones design their lives in a lot of ways, where you know, they never see a doctor, they don't do any of this advanced biohacking uh or these medical procedures, and yet they all live till almost uh or thereafter centenarian years just by living naturally with good food, good sleep, natural exercise, and community.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 53:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, my my my favorite book is Essentialism.
• 53:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and you know, uh although the main message is usually is around different topics, that's that's what it is.
• 53:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's what we we try to achieve as well.
• 53:43
  SPEAKER_02: And in true um Awassi fashion, um you have endless uh massage treatments.
• 53:52
  SPEAKER_02: Um I mean, everything is included, or we call it fully hosted.
• 53:56
  SPEAKER_02: So again, now you have a best friend who has you know an amazing spa, and you can use it as much as you want.
• 54:04
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 54:05
  SPEAKER_01: That's amazing.
• 54:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the all-inclusive spa.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh that's some people would go just for that.
• 54:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 54:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, 100%.
• 54:15
  SPEAKER_02: That's it's what that's what they say once they get there.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's really interesting seeing the difference between uh, you know, guess it used to go to the property once, you know, when it was different, but it's a very well-known property.
• 54:27
  SPEAKER_02: But uh people come back and they're like, wow, you know, this new facilities are incredible.
• 54:32
  SPEAKER_02: The design, the this, the that, everything improved so much.
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_02: And now we have boats and we have the spa.
• 54:37
  SPEAKER_02: And they're like, well, I used to stay here for two or three days and I was kind of done.
• 54:41
  SPEAKER_02: And now I'm here for a week, and I haven't even gotten to half of what I could do.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_02: And I would easily stay here for a month.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, we we're obviously very happy to hear that.
• 54:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, that's the uh that's a good problem to have, right?
• 54:55
  SPEAKER_01: When people want to extend their stay.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_01: So um, right now the longevity and wellness community is very centered around this buzz term, health span.
• 55:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yet we've talked about joy span.
• 55:11
  SPEAKER_01: So tell us about the difference and really what the Owasi Active Wellness and Longevity Program is doing to reinforce not just health span, but uh joy span.
• 55:27
  SPEAKER_02: I think again, our our approach to it, um I'm not gonna preach on you know the industry because it's not my not my forte.
• 55:37
  SPEAKER_02: But our approach is uh making you or helping you enjoy life at its fullest.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 55:47
  SPEAKER_02: So there's the disconnection that we talked about before, you know, being off the creed, being present, going back to what's essential, to what's important, uh, that's part of it.
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_02: And and that, you know, makes a difference uh when you're in uh in a wellness uh program as well.
• 56:05
  SPEAKER_02: But then in this specific property, we go deeper, right?
• 56:09
  SPEAKER_02: So what are you eating?
• 56:10
  SPEAKER_02: How are you feeling?
• 56:12
  SPEAKER_02: How are you exercising, and following you at every step of the way.
• 56:17
  SPEAKER_02: So we understand you before, we help you through the entire time you're there, we give you a booklet where you essentially can follow, can continue to follow that uh going forward.
• 56:28
  SPEAKER_02: And when when we see the work that we do together, we're looking at infinite horizon, right?
• 56:35
  SPEAKER_02: We're we're trying to imagine the rest of your life.
• 56:38
  SPEAKER_02: So again, just using uh Atomic Habit's example again, right?
• 56:44
  SPEAKER_02: Uh he said that if you leave LA uh to New York and you're four degrees off, you're gonna end up in Washington, DC.
• 56:51
  SPEAKER_02: So kind of the same idea, right?
• 56:52
  SPEAKER_02: If we if we can tilt your life a little bit on the positive side through health and wellness, um, you know, that's gonna have a very long tail, right, of impact in your life.
• 57:07
  SPEAKER_02: So if you if you go back home, you're stressed, and you're about to, you know, uh succumb to a craving, right?
• 57:15
  SPEAKER_02: And but you remember that for a week you were eating healthy, you were doing exercise, how you were feeling, how your mind and your body were reacting to to that routine, there's a pretty good chance that you have a stronger um tendency of holding back and then seeking something healthier, right?
• 57:36
  SPEAKER_02: If you don't want to go to the gym uh in that early morning, right?
• 57:41
  SPEAKER_02: But again, you remember how you were feeling and you know, all the promises you've made to yourself.
• 57:46
  SPEAKER_02: I want to go back to the trip, I want to do that hiking again.
• 57:49
  SPEAKER_02: I did that one mountain, but there's another mountain that is bigger and nicer and cooler behind it.
• 57:53
  SPEAKER_02: I promise myself I'll get to that tip the next trip, right?
• 57:57
  SPEAKER_02: So that helps and and that changes our mindset.
• 58:00
  SPEAKER_02: And again, I think it's uh it's a lifestyle, it's an effort for all of us.
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh all we're trying to do is, you know, tilting it a little bit, giving you that one push, uh initial push, um, that hopefully has uh an impact for the rest of your life.
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I love what you just said because uh you know you look at why diets fail.
• 58:20
  SPEAKER_01: And most diets, they don't fail because people don't know the difference between a donut and a salad.
• 58:28
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone knows that salads are healthy.
• 58:30
  SPEAKER_01: They they fail because when the cravings kick in, they have no memory to fall back on to then give them that extra little, that extra little bit to say, don't go for that sweet, that alter-processed whatever.
• 58:48
  SPEAKER_01: Stick with it, you can be better.
• 58:50
  SPEAKER_01: And it it's that initial core drive to give them that little bit of extra willpower to then uh give them that momentum for change.
• 59:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 59:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 59:01
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that's that's what we're trying to achieve.
• 59:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and it's it's beautiful and uh it's it's gonna help so many people.
• 59:09
  SPEAKER_01: So helping people looking ahead now, what's next for Owasi and what gets you excited?
• 59:19
  SPEAKER_02: Uh listen, um, what gets me excited is to make a difference in in people's lives.
• 59:26
  SPEAKER_02: Um again, I I wish we were curing cancer, that's not the case.
• 59:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I wish we were traveling to a different planet, that's not the case.
• 59:35
  SPEAKER_02: Uh what we do is not that dramatic.
• 59:38
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but it is important.
• 59:40
  SPEAKER_02: It's important in the sense that any traveler, right, whether you stay with the lossie or not, um, when you go to a far calling location, it's high stakes, right?
• 59:52
  SPEAKER_02: It means a lot to you.
• 59:54
  SPEAKER_02: You saved time or money, or you know, there's always some sort of trade-off.
• 59:59
  SPEAKER_02: There's a commitment of taking multiple flights, and all that is because you want to have a phenomenal experience, right?
• 1:00:09
  SPEAKER_02: You want to be able to remember that for the rest of your life.
• 1:00:12
  SPEAKER_02: You want to be able to talk about it, right?
• 1:00:14
  SPEAKER_02: Tell your kids, your friends.
• 1:00:16
  SPEAKER_02: So you want it to be successful, right?
• 1:00:18
  SPEAKER_02: So being able to touch someone that um you know that that deeply that um it's a very close uh relationship.
• 1:00:31
  SPEAKER_02: Think of a uh what other product or service um allows you to you know have someone to eat with you, sleep with you, talk to you, spend 24-7 with you, uh, have their families with you, spend some of the most uh important moments of their life with you.
• 1:00:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um so i it's very uh there's a degree of proximity which is unusual.
• 1:00:57
  SPEAKER_02: And to be able to do that when it's so important for them and be remembered, I think that's what really gets us up uh every day.
• 1:01:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it's it's what we strive for every day.
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_01: Wow, and that's uh that's joy, that's luxury.
• 1:01:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:01:16
  SPEAKER_02: We think so.
• 1:01:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:01:18
  SPEAKER_01: So uh is there any announcement for upcoming uh properties or any new programs you want to or can say that Owassi is going to be launching in the next few years?
• 1:01:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think uh so property-wise, you know, uh we would love to continue to expand, but I think we're being very, very thoughtful.
• 1:01:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um and we don't really have uh we're privately owned, we don't have a mandate.
• 1:01:47
  SPEAKER_02: Uh if something that we feel makes sense comes up, then uh, you know, we'll we'll pursue it.
• 1:01:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh if not, that's okay as well.
• 1:01:55
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it's not about volume, right?
• 1:01:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's about quality and making sure that we can continue to uh replicate that experience in in different locations with their and being respectful to each culture and destination.
• 1:02:09
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I think we touched upon all the news.
• 1:02:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think the only thing that we didn't touch upon is uh Patagonia for the first time ever will open in winter uh from next year onwards.
• 1:02:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so we've we've typically closed for five months of a year.
• 1:02:26
  SPEAKER_02: As I mentioned before, right now the whole property is covered in snow.
• 1:02:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and that's a moment where the park is uh empty, right?
• 1:02:33
  SPEAKER_02: There's not a single soul in there.
• 1:02:35
  SPEAKER_02: So I think that's a really cool experience to have.
• 1:02:38
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we end up going there, right, because of work.
• 1:02:41
  SPEAKER_02: And it's amazing.
• 1:02:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's just so useful, so beautiful.
• 1:02:45
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, then you know, we thought that all the people are gonna like that experience too.
• 1:02:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh I I can guarantee it.
• 1:02:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I've only seen pictures of Patagonia in winter, but it looks even maybe even better than Canada in winter along the Rocky Mountains.
• 1:03:03
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe.
• 1:03:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um I don't know, but it's statual.
• 1:03:09
  SPEAKER_01: N Nicholas, uh, is there anything else important we haven't talked about outside of everything over the past hour that you want to close out by mentioning?
• 1:03:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um I just wanted, you know, to express my gratitude to you uh for uh allowing us uh this time, uh meet this time to tell a little bit of our story and share with uh your listeners uh what we're doing.
• 1:03:35
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I I hope to see you all there in in Owasi.
• 1:03:40
  SPEAKER_01: Of course.
• 1:03:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well, thank you so much for coming on.
• 1:03:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's been an absolute delight to learn about the incredible hospitality that you're curating across South America.
• 1:03:50
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks, Adam.
• 1:03:51
  SPEAKER_02: I really appreciate it.
• 1:03:53
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks.