YOUR HOSTS
Get to know the people behind Singular Places
Get to know the people behind Singular Places
Gocta Natura Reserve (GNR) has become a living space and a source of inspiration for me and my whole family. I live in this corner of the world, privileged by its beauty and natural wealth, home to hard-working, joyful and generous families. Living and sharing, working, creating, dreaming, laughing with the women, men and young people of this province, makes the everyday exceptional.
Deeply committed to the land I was born and grew up in, Hacienda El Porvenir was a dream that came true thanks to the passion and compromise of our collaborators, staff, family and guests. Our name evokes much more than a place, it is a whole magical destination in a lonely, untouched nook of the Andes.
Welcome, mi casa es su casa!
Meet the owners of Hoteles Desconecta2, Sam Brocal and Laura Morillo, united by a shared passion to redefine luxury hospitality. Together, we’ve crafted a distinctive concept transcending traditional accommodation, with every detail, from architectural design to carefully chosen interiors, reflecting our collaborative effort.
The idea of Das Fort Boutique was initially sketched and later brought to life by our family. We, the owners of Das Fort, who have largely worked within the design and architecture field, take delight in our approach, blending the traditional Saxon elements of the area, restoring old painted ceilings, doors and hundreds of years old furniture.
The origins of the López Montero family in the world of wine and distillates date back to 1788, when the first of their wineries in Tomelloso was registered. In 2005, Belén, Juan, Pedro and Elías created Bodegas y Viñedos Verum, a brand that brings together the wines of the López Montero family from the best vineyards and terroirs of the property.
Hacienda Sarapampa is a family business dedicated to the production of Cusco Giant White corn. For three generations in the Sacred Valley, the owners have keep the traditions associated with corn farming, back country cuisine and the sweet and simple living of the hacienda life.
A family project that started with a change of life, a commitment to what we believed in. We have our own catering team led by our chef Lucía Arenzana, trained at the Basque Culinary Center, as well as a team led by Claudia Espinoza who will make sure you enjoy your experience at Los Confites to the fullest.
The manager at Gorilla Heights Lodge is Celestine Masiga. He has a wealth of experience working in the hospitality industry in Uganda. He started as a Fine Dining Restaurant Manager with Serena Hotels, worked his way up to food and beverage manager with Best Western, and has been the lodge manager since 2022. Celestine is at camp to ensure that all guests have a memorable stay.
Dr. Ian Clarke and his family first came to Uganda in 1988 and became Ugandan citizens. Over the past 25 years they have developed various businesses including clinics, health insurance, a university, and a school. But Dr. Clarke believes that life is in seasons and for his latest season he has turned to coffee farming with his Clark Farm Coffee Lodge.
Our family found the island fascinating, both for its location in Vietnam, where there aren’t many beach islands that others can name, and for its dramatic history and legends. My father had many fond memories of the island. He was a prisoner in Con Dao during the war, and he wanted to express his thanks to the island as best he could with Poulo Condor.
Together with her friend, the interior designer Lorenzo Castillo, Cristine has spent several years trawling antique shops and fairs looking for special, unique pieces steeped in history that perfectly match the local architecture, materials, and crafts of Menorca. Cristine Bedfor opens its doors and welcomes you to a boutique hotel full of experiences.
The Bach Suites team consists of proud Saigonese individuals likeThuan Chau who come from diverse backgrounds and have chosen to make Saigon their long-term home. Whether it’s for their livelihood, career growth, or finding purpose in life, they are thrilled to live in Saigon and are excited to share their unique perspectives with you.
At Canvas & Orchids Retreat, we consider our crew as family. Our crew are local Cambodians, fully responsible for the operations, are passionate about nature and wildlife while providing excellent service. The resort manager, Ravy, leads the welcoming staff team, who greets you and ensures that your stay is comfortable and personalized.
We are true career changers! With the opening of our MUSSEA Landhaus Chalet in the summer of 2016, we realized a long-cherished dream. As a real, down-to-earth Upper Franconia and love to spoil people with beautiful things and unique service. The small, fine luxury in absolute privacy is especially close to our hearts.
As the global conversation about sustainability heated up, I understood sustainability must start within each of us. Human resilience requires physical, mental and emotional balance. As I realigned my body, mind and spirit, wellness followed. The businessman in me curiously dug deeper, unsatisfied merely to have improved my own condition. Santani is about finding balance and thriving.
I’m an entrepreneur with a huge appetite for risk. Ambika is a culinary expert with a risk-mitigating persona. I come up with crazy, over-the-top ideas, and Ambika zooms in with an eye for detail, keeping everything as realistic as possible. That makes us a solid team at Panchabhuta Retreat.
If you can imagine it, then it is real,” said Pablo Picasso. I can imagine it, and my wife Ambika makes it real.
Simon & Cheryl Blackburn are both experienced safari and mountain guides who have travelled to many wild places on the African continent with their children. Together, with their shared passion for conservation and responsible tourism, they have curated an authentic experience at Three Tree Hill. They live at the lodge, so they are hands-on with their guests, recommending experiences to suit every guest’s ability and interest.
Radheesh, who heads up Leopard Trails, had a plan to draw his closest jungle-loving comrades together to launch a sustainable safari business in Sri Lanka. He was armed with enthusiasm, energy, and an extreme passion for wildlife. Today, Leopard Trails is thriving on an innovation-based ethos, constantly improving its offering in line with global safari trends, albeit with a unique Sri Lankan touch.
A Quinta da Auga is a family and personal project. Architect by profession, María Luisa García Gil fell in love with an abandoned building because of the potential she saw in it. She was in charge of carrying out the project that is today A Quinta da Auga and represents the soul of the establishment. Along with her, day by day and from the beginning, her daughter, Luisa Lorenzo, the current Maître de maison, accompanies her on this adventure.
Vaibhav has been guiding in the Indian Himalaya and beyond both mountain and river trips since 1992. He helped plan this oasis of solitude and curate many wonderful experiences that are available at the Foresterie. His passion has been to share the beautiful surrounding wilderness while also utilising his extensive experience of both hospitality and the outdoors.
Berny was born in Mozambique and Glenn was born in Australia. They met and married in South Africa. With their love of life and experiencing new cultures, they travelled all over the world, working and living in London, Singapore, Russia, and The Netherlands before settling in Portugal. These experiences have shaped and influenced how they brought their dream to fruition with the realization of ‘Paraíso Escondido’ (Hidden Paradise).
True to our commitment to the maintenance of local ways of life we promote respect for the environment and the people who inhabit it, showing the best of our territory, a journey through the senses where images, aromas, textures, sounds, flavors and good conversations will make your stay at Heredad Beragu a unique experience.
A man of action from Edi Simčič Estate
“I plan where we will be in ten years, how we will get there, who consumes our wines. Wine is passion, a love that warms the soul and sanctifies the work. And at the same time it is fair that emotions give way to reason. I can fall in love with wine: the right wine is that which take me over with the first glass.”
Lachic spent all her life outside of Ladakh, and somehow never felt quite satisfied with her life. “Dolkhar” was her answer to what tourism in Ladakh could possibly look like if it was built around love and respect for Ladakh, its people, and the planet. She named “Dolkhar” after her grandmother in aspiration of sustaining the space in a way that she would have imagined and nurtured it.
Sergio, a Peruvian driven by a love of exploration, gastronomy and learning, has the opportunity to be the manager of Antigua Casona San Blas, a boutique hotel in the heart of Cusco with a focus on hospitality and community. Today, he is proud to lead and nurture a passion for personal service in each member of the team.
Mas Oms is the accomplishment of a shared dream that Céline and Julien had been mulling over for many years. Discovering Mas Oms was the spark they needed to bring their project to life. Located at the very heart of a protected area of natural beauty, this authentic Catalan ‘masia’ is a truly magical, timeless spot.
Lucía Soria was born in Córdoba, Argentina in 1982. She began her career working with Argentinean chef Francis Mallmann at Los Negros (José Ignacio, Uruguay), Mendoza, (Argentina), Patagonia West (New York) and Patagonia Sur (Buenos Aires). She also worked with Paola Carosella, at Julia Restaurant (Sao Pablo). In 2012 she settled in Montevideo, where she set up the Jacinto project.
The name Los Nadies comes from the fact that we are nobodies. At our beginning we enjoyed the anonymity of no one knowing the owners, no one knowing the Tannat variety and no one knowing Uruguay as a wine-producing country. The possibilities that arise from this anonymity is liberating.
Las Majadas has the soul of a community that learns and improves, so that each of the participants reaches their maximum potential.
We believe in people, their talents, their potential and the opportunities to explore, learn, improve and grow together. Our work team is mobilized based on the values of respect, commitment, collaborative work and the spirit of service.
UGANDA
Growing up in Uganda, many of our family holidays were spent in the National Parks; we love to discover new horizons and encounter new faces. The reason why we love the region where Nile Safari Lodge is situated is because of the people; their kindness and workmanship is incomparable. Our business is composed of 5 siblings and parents who taught each and every child how to appreciate the simple things in life.
TANZANIA
Being part of a third generation family-owned safari company, Abbas is an expert on the hidden gems of Tanzania. Along with his team, they love to handcraft the most rewarding and memorable luxury safari experiences for their clients, while ensuring a positive impact on the local communities. With their team of expert safari guides, Takims Holidays is equipped to design, plan and operate tailormade holidays in Tanzania. You’re welcome to contact him directly to discuss and book your Tanzanian safari.
UNITED KINGDOM
Jools has 15+ years of experience in designing global yoga retreats and wellness adventures. With a background in international development and time spent living and working in East Africa, Jools is a passionate advocate for positive-impact travel and has set up her retreat company in 2005. It is now one of the leading and press-featured retreat companies in the UK and we are proud to have her as a partner for your group retreat requests. You can find out more about Reclaim Your Self here and connect with Jools by email
Poonam is a consultant for CBT, adventure, responsible & regenerative tourism designing, development, and execution. She has a proven track record in product development, strategy planning, eco-accommodation, and transformational travel designing while positively impacting the communities and environment.
She has a strong passion for adventure, people, nature, spirituality, culture, and permaculture. Poonam has a deep understanding of the power of travel and travel being a force for good.
Hospitality is about exceptional service and being an enabler for your guests.. to help them get the most out of their holiday or business trip alongside the need to have an eco-friendly and sustainable operation, were we recognise the realities of climate change and focus on reducing our footprint and being a responsible part of our community, that is what we work hard to achieve here at 19 Rooms.
Domingo a Sevillian native has spend over 30 years in hotels in Spain, Egypt and also in Brazil. His values for true hostmanship have kept his heart with those welcoming guests and showcasing the best in their region. He is a perfect fit to look out for great places that have values, passion and local impact – just like himself and we are so fortunate to count on his support!
Hellen is an amazing female delivering meaningful luxury tailormade travel in beautiful Uganda! With Giant Gorilla Safaris she is combining her passion for travel, sustainability and showcasing the happy people of Uganda – her being a living example of it.
Lasting impact is guaranteed – on her travellers, her country, the animals and the people! Contact her for further needs for your trip to Uganda.
Adel is a whizz with a chef’s knife, from bush camp cooking to weddings and private dinners. Ben, a former South African long bow champion, is not only a master of all motor works but also a carpenter with skilled hands. Peacefully observant, his attention to detail matches Adel’s creative thinking. With their intuitive minds, great understanding of guest relations and a passion for living in diverse locations, they are the kind of “specialised allrounder” that you need for a place like Travessia Beach Lodge.
Elisa is a travel writer and content creator, dedicated to telling the untold stories of the local communities. Her mission is to unveil the positive impacts at the grassroot level and to inspire better tourism practices around the world. With her broad international portfolio, she has the local insight we need as she collaborates with SME and local Tour Operators offering Community Storytelling and Ethical Marketing to strengthen their sustainability journey, while improving their digital presence and communication skills. You can read Elisa’s grassroots stories here and connect with her by email or LinkedIN.
The Magnolia team is always ready to welcome our guests and make them feel at home with the premise of offering them a unique and unforgettable experience. Leading the team is Consuelo as General Manager. She is part of the family that runs the Hotel Magnolia and ensures that everything works perfectly. And Angelo is in charge of capturing all the incredible moments that guests spend in the hotel.
Travelling and discovering the world, side by side, everything led us towards Almayer. Recognizing the potential of a forgotten house and a yard in the heart of this beautiful Dalmatian city we finally opened the doors to our guests.
Eko began making organic wines in 2011, after a career as a doctor. He is experimenting with different grape varieties to plant in the Kakheti region of Georgia. He also works very closely with organic small vine growers in Western Georgia as well as producing his own wines at Lagvinari.
After a ten year journey Stefan and Sabine created a place where people can step back and relax. Stefan left his work as a dentist to fully focus on La Montagnola Retreat. Sabine now realizes her passion to create space for peace and recreation of body and mind in a new context.
San Canzian is primarily a project with the soul of a small group of friends and enthusiasts. A small luxury gastronomic hotel with a constantly superior level of service in the relaxed and informal atmosphere of a peaceful destination located in the most beautiful Istrian countryside.
Can Morei is a family project; Jordi, Carlota, Angels, Lluis and Júlia. We all share a passion for our local region and love to discover, on foot and by bicycle, all corners that nature offers us as well as small producers of wine and organic craft beer. We savour the ancient stories of our destination and enjoy sharing them with our guests while sipping a glass of wine on the terrace.
We all have a part to play in protecting this great continent, its untouched wilderness spaces and creating a legacy for the next generation. We are proud to present our 3 luxury eco camps located in the very heart of the Tanzanian Serengeti; Nimali Central Serengeti, Nimali Mara and Nimali Tarangire.
Hotel Parque Quilquico was realised by friends and tourism entrepreneurs with the purpose of conserving and protecting the architectural and patrimonial heritage of the Island of Chiloé, its environment and nature. We want to share this experience with our guests and welcome you to become a part of the magic of Chiloé. We are waiting for you!
Real Conservera Española continues a saga of more than 100 years and three generations dedicated to quality fish and seafood canning. We are heirs to centuries of tradition of a people dedicated to the sea, with wisdom and knowledge being passed down from generation to generation.
Novavila was born thanks to the passion that the family Vilanova Peña has for wine, decor, places and people. We aim for our guests to enjoy their stay, to immerse themselves within the atmosphere, the produce and the people of our destination.
Since we opened our doors in May 2016, we have offered Escaramuza Library & Café as a meeting point between books and coffee. In an old house dating back to 1903, we invite you to discover the convergence of two worlds: the trade of the bookseller and the art of cooking.
La Tizná is a cosy eating house as well as an eco-shop with products direct from the Andalusian countryside, from small family producers. This unique space is named in homage to the women who worked in charcoal kitchens and were never professionally recognised.
Pedro Melnitzky is the owner and General Manager of Las Liebres; an Argentinean living in Uruguay for 14 years. It is he who conceived the Comarca, bit by bit, as a dream capable of creating a legacy. Hugo Soca is the Gastronomic Director and has established himself as the most emblematic chef of Uruguayan cuisine.
Óscar, a builder, and Clarisa, an English teacher, decided to build the dream of creating something together. La Cata Gastromarket was born, the first gastronomic market in the Sierra de Madrid, where every corner is cared for down to the smallest detail. A place to enjoy the town, gastronomy, culture and art.
Mercè has been dedicated to the world of wine for more than 30 years, she worked hard to become a sommelier and today she enjoys sharing her knowledge with our guests. She and her husband Xavi decided to bet on the reactivation of a lost area of vineyards and recover its historical legacy, so Pla de Morei was born.
After a long search within the surroundings of the Sierra de Aracena mountain range we found the perfect place to enjoy and share the Spanish way of life and our finca Valle del Arroyo with our guests. We have since spent the last 10 years cultivating our local knowledge in terms of nature, culture, gastronomy and people to provide a unique and insightful stay for each and every guest.
Cate and Dario are the silent and transparent souls of the Alma Historica hotel. They are not public figures but they love meeting guests to share their favourite recommendations. They are happy to come out from their offices and meet you if you wish to hear their story!
Pilar is a hotelier with nearly 30 years of international experience. She strongly believes there is still so much to do in this industry. Now based in Spain and we are super happy to have her on our panel.
Having travelled the world together while working in a variety of hospitality roles, Eugen and Hâfi are drawn to the idea of running their own resort one day. Both are proud advocates of slow, sustainable travel.
Sornthong is a new generation traveler who is interested in design, nature, and local experience. He has had experience in vacation home business in Bangkok for more than 2 years and desires to make the travel industry more sustainable in the future.
Monika has true leadership at heart. She worked in Hotels from Europe to Asia. She now lives in Sweden, where she will join a leading value-driven national hotel company. We are very proud to excite her with our project.
Alva is a Spanish hospitality and gastronomy professional passionate about sustainability. Based in Uruguay, she works as independent consultant, university professor and food and wine writer & journalist.
Elena leads various processes in the company, such as administration, finances and support in different projects. Her interests in architecture, interior design and travel have turned into a passion for the hotel industry.
Anna is a lawyer. She worked in the technology industry and created a company whose core business was CSR. She wrote books on personality development and is passionate about everything that can improve our lives.
Lars is a hotelier since …ever. In love from day one with the great idea of travel and hostmanship. Now wishing to create this unique network to drive change for the better with many passionate people around.
There’s no place like home, unless you have two homes. Or enjoy a really good hotel. Franco loves to commute between Bavarian lakes and the Croatian Adriatic. He also loves to put together new hotels, reanimate old hotels and turn around struggling hotels. It brings him the joy to feel at home in so many places.
Alejandro, since 39 years making Chile known throughout the world. Lover of his country and its nature, good gastronomy, new experiences. His wish is to show the beauties of Chile from north to south and from sea to mountain range, suggest to world travelers the best itinerary and the places to visit, where to stay, where to eat, what to visit…
Otar is an entrepreneur at heart, passionate about hospitality and with a keen eye for design, always looking for unique and distinctive properties with the aim of reviving. He studied in the USA and UK, now he lives in Georgia.
GERMANY
The Hotelcamp Reinsehlen team; a colourful, versatile mix of different personalities. We are united by the desire to accompany your time at the camp in a natural and friendly way. Get to know this unique place, we give everything for your eventful time-out from everyday life.
Our vision for Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio was to build a modern but beautiful winery and olive mill to showcase our love for design, art and architecture while also staying true to the quality of wine and oils our enriched land and experienced team can produce.
Here at Hotel Spirito Santo, we strive to make our guests feel like they are staying with good friends who take care of them.