1,670-Acre Low-Density Private Beach Community on Nicaragua’S Emerald Coast, Opened on February 1, 2013
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MUKUL BEACH, GOLF & SPA FACT SHEET OVERVIEW: Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa, a luxury boutique hotel and spa in Guacalito de la Isla, a $250-million, 1,670-acre low-density private beach community on Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast, opened on February 1, 2013. Mukul – “mukul” is the Mayan word for “secret” – features 37 spacious accommodations, each with an ocean view, pool and private staff. Other resort amenities include Spa Mukul, with six private spa-treatment sanctuaries; a palapa covered lounge featuring dining areas and a swimming pool; and the 18-hole Guacalito Golf Course. Guests enjoy access to the property’s four miles of white-sand beach and rugged coastline, and seven miles of nature trails on which they can hike or bike to observe the four species of monkeys and other wildlife that reside in the lush coastal forest. Guests can also explore Nicaragua through customized experiences that introduce them to the nature, culture and people of this up-and-coming tourism destination, known as the “land of lakes and volcanoes.” AWARDS: Mukul has won many accolades, including ranking in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2015 “Top 15 Resorts in Central & South America” and “Top 100 Hotels & Resorts in the World,” Travel + Leisure’s “It List,” Conde Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” and Robb Report’s “Best New Hotels” and “Top 100 Resorts.” Spa Mukul was named “Best Spa in the World” by Virtuoso, while Guacalito Golf Course was named one of the “Best Golf Courses” by Robb Report. THE VISION: Mukul and Guacalito de la Isla are the vision of prominent Nicaraguan entrepreneur Don Carlos Pellas, whose family has roots in the country that date back to the 19th century. The Pellas family businesses include transportation, computers, sugar, ethanol, Flor de Caña Rum and the world-class Vivian Pellas Hospital. Pellas also founded the BAC Credomatic financial network in 1985, which he sold to GE Capital in 2011 in what was the largest business transaction in Central American history. With Mukul and Guacalito de la Isla, Pellas is establishing his family legacy – a pristine natural sanctuary where guests enjoy luxurious pampering while connecting to the land, culture and people of Nicaragua in authentic ways, and the surrounding community benefits from the resulting jobs, schools and improved infrastructure. DESIGN TEAM: Pellas assembled a team of proven industry leaders to position Mukul among the most exclusive luxury boutique hotels in the world. The designers include Jeff Jensen, Principal designer at HKS Hill Glazier Architects, in collaboration with Frank Butler and Song Chia of FAB Studio; SWA Landscape Architects; and Paul Duesing Partners Interior Designers. Their resort projects, among others, include Las Ventanas al Paraiso and Palmilla One & Only Hotel in Cabo San Lucas, and Rosewood Mayakoba and Tucker’s Point Club in Bermuda. The Guacalito Golf Course was designed by David McLay Kidd, named the “hottest architect in golf” by Golf World. The concept and treatments at Spa Mukul were created by Angel Vezina Stewart, who was the founding Spa director at the Spa at Las Ventanas al Paraiso. 1 Interior designer Paul Duesing worked with Nicaraguan artisans to craft furnishings and decorations that reflect the traditions of the country, including patterned floor tiles, tables made of carved native teak, headboards made of Flor de Caña rum barrel staves, accent pieces made of sand-casted polished pewter and etched ceramic lamp bases made of clay from nearby Masaya Volcano. ACCOMMODATIONS: Mukul was designed as a luxurious yet relaxed private estate by the ocean, with 37 accommodations designed in a style that combines modern elegance with traditional Nicaraguan roots to create a distinct sense of place. Guests can select from Beach Villas, Bohios or the stately Casona don Carlos: BEACH VILLAS 12 one- and two-bedroom Beach Villas, beginning in size at 881 square feet and boasting nine-foot ceilings and walls of glass, face the gently rolling surf of Playa Manzanillo. With stone walls and gardens providing privacy, the white-stucco, red-tile- roofed Beach Villas exude the ambiance of luxurious vacation homes. Mukul’s “carefree luxury” philosophy is embodied by each Beach Villa’s spacious “barefoot chic” indoor- outdoor setting, complete with swimming pool, wrap-around deck, outdoor-lounging palapa and secret garden with an outdoor shower. The impressive 500 square-foot bathroom suites, designed as true sanctuaries for the senses, include separate “his and hers” vanity areas and a “LiQuid Temple” wet room with a soaking tub and monsoon shower. The two-bedroom villas are family compounds with their own private show kitchen, pantry and living room. BOHIOS Like tree houses nestled in the lush canopy, Mukul’s 23 Bohios perch dramatically on a steep hillside 300 feet above Playa Manzanillo, offering breathtaking ocean views all the way to the horizon. Built of sustainable native teak and pine, each of the 621-square- foot cliff houses features high ceilings and a wall of glass that opens onto a sweeping wooden deck with a private plunge pool. The spacious bathrooms are finished in Nicaraguan travertine marble and boast couples’ “showers-with-a-view.” CASONA DON CARLOS The jewel in the crown, embodying the essence of Mukul’s hospitality philosophy, is Casona Don Carlos, the Pellas’ private beach house. Located adjacent to the Beach Villas, the 20,000 square foot oceanfront compound features an expansive indoor- outdoor living area with a soaring 80-foot-high palapa ceiling. The six bedroom suites are divided into two buildings – Casona don Carlos with four suites and Suite doña Vivian, named for the wife of Guacalito’s owner don Carlos Pellas, with two suites. The suites have a wrap-around stone terrace and share a large private swimming pool. Suites within the compound may be booked by guests when the Pellas family is not in residence. Suite doña Vivian may be rented as a separate accommodation option from the Casona Dona Carlos building when the family is not in residence. The luxurious suite features 2 7,746 square foot of indoor/outdoor living spaces, two complete master bedroom suites, one with indoor and outdoor shower gardens and nearly 360 degree ocean views. On the lower level, reached by steps, the beachfront swimming pool is flanked by a bathroom featuring the only private sauna at Mukul. If guests choose to book the adjoining Casona don Carlos building, the total space leads to a 20,000-square-foot, six- bedroom suite accommodation option with two swimming pools. SPA MUKUL: Spa Mukul consists of six spacious spa sanctuaries, each with its own décor, ambiance and signature spa ritual, each harnessing a different ancient healing tradition and offering guests a holistic spa experience. Guests of Spa Mukul are personally escorted by a spa concierge from their guest room at Mukul directly to the spa sanctuary of their choice, bypassing the check-in process and preparing the guest for their journey. Each of the six spa sanctuaries focuses on a different spa experience: • Secret Garden: Water is the theme in this shadowy, womb-like spa sanctuary where guests float in a pool as a therapist administers a relaxing “Watsu” treatment that combines Shiatsu and stretching. Other treatments include moisturizing wraps and facials. Guests can relax on their own private “island.” • Hammam: Moorish architecture and tiles create this homage to a traditional Turkish “sweat bath,” where the five-step detox and cleansing treatment includes steam, massage, exfoliation, soaping and relaxation. • Rain Forest: Here guests immerse themselves in hydrotherapy that involves a salt water soaking pool, a Monsoon shower, a Vichy shower, scrubs, massage and moisturizing wraps. • Crystal Temple: Quartz crystals and stones shimmer in the dim light of this two- story-high spa sanctuary where guests indulge in healing crystal, light and aromatherapy treatments that include baths and massages. The Crystal Temple boasts a beautiful ocean view. • Healing Hut: East meets west in this mountain-view spa sanctuary where guests can enjoy a fusion of the best-known traditional Asian and international healing rituals including Indian Ayurveda, Thai and barefoot Indonesian massages and Chinese reflexology. • Ancient Sanctuary: Here guests enjoy treatments incorporating ancient indigenous healing practices and traditional Nicaraguan medicinal plants grown on property. GUACALITO GOLF COURSE: The 18 hole, par 72 golf course was designed by world-famous Scottish golf architect David McLay Kidd to embrace and preserve the natural landscape and offer golfers of all levels an enjoyable experience. Guacalito Golf Course features a clubhouse; putting green; driving range; state-of-the-art pro shop with rental clubs, shoes and complimentary bag storage; new golf carts; a Golf Academy where golfers can fine tune their skills; and SNAG golf-training games for children. 3 BEACH CLUB: Set in and around a towering 85-ft.-wide palapa, the Mukul Beach Club is the heart of Mukul, a gathering place where guests can enjoy snacks by the pool, cocktails in the split-level bar and lounge furnished with sumptuous hand-crafted sofas and chairs, and breakfast, lunch and dinner. KUL KIDS CLUB: Family is at the core of don Carlos Pellas’ values, the Mukul Beach Club features a separate area for children. The Kul Kids Club offers a pool, playground and activities specially geared to different age groups. Trained nannies are onsite to supervise children. DINING: The cuisine at Mukul is a fusion of foods from the Americas and authentic Nicaraguan flavors. Much of the produce is grown by local farmers; seafood is selected from the daily catch of local fishermen; steaks are grass-fed Nicaraguan beef, known for its juiciness and intense flavor. The resort’s “Cocina NiKul” cuisine includes some of owner Carlos Pellas’ favorite traditional Nicaraguan dishes. International specialties such as fresh-made pastas and beef, chicken and fresh fish cooked simply on the wood-fired grill; and contemporary take on Nicaraguan and other Latin specialties.