Accommodation in this new decade that is just beginning will be increasingly multimodal. It is a trend that points far and grows unstoppably since the number of places for tourist rentals has exceeded worldwide the records of the hotel industry. This new formula is the result of a hybridization between the facilities and services of hotels and tourist accommodation. And even more with the so-called youth hostels (rooms with bunk beds), glamping ( glamorous camps, hostels, motorhomes and tree houses) and other essential accessories for new digital nomads, such as the growing shared work spaces ( coworking) .
One step further in the development of this multimodality, today represented by the Airbnb travel community, has just been taken over by a brand that is going to give a lot to talk about in the tourist scene in the coming years. Created in Panama by two young Israeli entrepreneurs, the Selina accommodation chain has managed in just five years to open 64 multimodal accommodation in 15 different countries in Latin America and Europe.
New post-Covid measures
The pandemic has forced these hotels to adopt new security and sanitation protocols, such as contactless check-in , periodic and frequent disinfection of common places, limitations in occupancy and change of policy in the communal rooms, which can now only be used for a maximum of two or four people, belonging to the same travel group, or by families.
Selina experiences - their founders do not like to call them hostels - include, in addition to accommodation, a common wellness program with yoga workshops and relaxation sessions, group cooking and preparation classes for children, scenic venues for concerts and other expressions artistic, coworking rooms with snacks and restaurants, as well as a surf club in beach destinations. These services are aimed at digital nomads who will populate even more the world of work and leisure in the near future. And they are based on a philosophy committed to sustainability and environmental awareness, personal well-being, relations with local communities and the promotion of their crafts, volunteering and collaborative networks, natural life, free spirit, the value of the authenticity and personalization of the entire offer, through colorful, multidisciplinary activities and with special emphasis on architecture.
Each place has its own personality, led by an experience manager and a committee of local citizens who give their opinions and recommend how to do things better during the guests' stay. In tune with the Airbnb spirit, the Selina faithful form a community of travelers who recognize each other in all parts of the world. Whether in Palermo Soho, an establishment with generous views of this Buenos Aires neighborhood, or in La Candelaria, a cobbled historic area of Bogotá with the charm of colonial buildings; in the Selina de Jacó, where you can enjoy unusual sunsets on the Costa Rican Playa Hermosa; in the accommodation of Baños, at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano, in Ecuador, or that of Atitlán, which is named after the most energetic volcano in Guatemala. At its Mexican hotel Puerto Escondido, its main attraction is going out to surf the waves of the Zicatela beach tube; They also have the Secret Garden, in the popular Lisbon neighborhood of Cais do Sodré, and Selina Liverpool, in whose genuine tavern the schedule of the matches of the legendary local soccer team is published. For a digital nomad, all of these milestones on the journey add the same rebellious signs to their local identity as a graffiti artist on their walls.
The average number of rooms in a Selina destination ranges from 30 to 180 euros, whether they are double bedrooms, suites , apartments or bedrooms with bunk beds. And prices range from 10 euros for a bunk bed in a communal room to 350 euros for a suite with all the luxuries.
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