Mint Santa Teresa | Costa Rica

Description

Crossing a steep hillside, overlooking the ocean in the distance, we come across Mint Santa Teresa, a new hotel that combines European design aesthetics with Costa Rican craftsmanship, which is also designed so that its guests can interact with the natural environment. The Swedish owners fell in love with Santa Teresa, as it is a paradise for the South as well as its growing yoga community. Inspired by Greek architecture, minimalism and Scandinavian design, they commissioned Grupo BIM, which has developed a reputation for its approach to architecture that harmonizes with tropical landscapes.

Concept

The hotel’s residents occupy individual pavilion-like structures where they can retreat to a private area and still interact with the nature around them. The spacious rooms can be completely opened out to a personal terrace with ocean views in the front and a garden with tropical plants in the back. Even the bathrooms have an open layout, giving guests the opportunity to shower while listening to the sound of the waves. Each room has its own rooftop terrace, with lush plants and wicker furniture made in Sarchí, a Costa Rican town famous for its inhabitants’ handicrafts. The architects have used locally sourced materials throughout the project, such as roofs made from “caña brava” (a type of grass) installed in an intricate herringbone pattern. Local artisans have also created custom furniture made from local wood and using traditional techniques in new ways.

Design

The heart of Mint Santa Teresa consists of a common area with its infinity pool and a bar where you can watch the sunset. Its exposed areas in its surroundings, except for a single wall of plants next to the entrance, provide its guests with a bit of privacy so that it maintains a direct connection with its natural surroundings. This area serves as a meeting point for guests, owners and locals of the area. In the morning, a buffet breakfast is served in the common space and in the afternoon stories are exchanged between those present. The experience at Mint Santa Teresa is part of a new form of tourism, where visitors want to learn more about a different destination and get a sense of what it feels like to inhabit that space.