Very few hotels can say that Robert De Niro was their very first guest, but Las Alamandas can. The unique destination, premium accommodation, and secluded beaches have since attracted guests from all over the world. Nestled on the unspoiled coast of Costalegre, the location is so unique.
We caught up with owner Isabel Goldsmith to find out all about this really special place.
How did it all start?
Las Alamandas was a property that my grandfather, Antenor Patiño, bought. He was Bolivian, and he built a resort called Las Hadas, which is a resort in Manzanillo. Nobody knew where Manzanillo was at the time. He actually built Manzanillo airport, and for the opening of Las Haras, for the first time, there was an Air France flight nonstop from Paris to Manzanillo. The location has since gained fame after the movie 10, with Bo Derek, was shot there in 1978.
After my grandfather built Las Hadas in 1972 and sold it in 1975, he was looking for some more land to develop. He flew over the land where Las Alamandas now stands, and he landed in a tiny plane, and he thought that it was such a beautiful piece of coast. The main road 200 that people drive down from Puerto Vallarta to Manzanillo didn’t exist at the time, so it was fly in only. But he bought the land and put together the property he bought from 18 different owners.
He started plans of doing a golf course, a 200-room hotel, and another 150 condominiums. My grandfather had a plan for the next 25 years, but he was already 85 at the time, so it was a bit optimistic. He put in the roads, put in wells, and started carving out the golf course. In the 1980s, there were some areas within the property along the coast where you could see the mounds where the tees would’ve been placed. He put in quite a bit of infrastructure, but then he passed away, and nothing much happened. As his granddaughter, I inherited the area. I was very happy because I thought it was spectacularly beautiful, so that’s how it started.
Tell us about the concept at Las Alamandas?
When I arrived, I went and saw this deserted beach, and I thought, “Oh, how beautiful! Can’t you just put a house there instead of having this hotel project?” He wanted to do the hotel project, and when he passed away, according to the Mexican Law, I had to have a development of some kind. It could be agriculture or hospitality. I chose hospitality and opened Las Alamandas with nine rooms. The law did not say how big the hotel had to be, and I don’t want too many crowds. I want people to have the same experience I have when I arrive of peace, quiet, and comfort. Because if you want a deserted beach, very often you are in the middle of nowhere with no running water or other modern conveniences. Whereas here you feel safe and you are comfortable, and you have these spectacular beaches, it’s six kilometers of beachfront property.
This is one of the most unique resorts in the world. Why should people come?
If you want crowds, you have a lot of choices. If you want comfort and an escape, you don’t have as many choices. Las Alamandas is very close to North America, and Mexico is easy to reach from all over the world, including Europe. The location is easy to get to, and guests still have an escape in a secluded area, and that’s a very good reason for coming here.
I receive so many letters from guests who I see again and again. These letters I receive from guests after they leave really make me smile.
What about the food?
The orchard at Las Alamandas came from the desire to eat organic and seasonally. So we eat according to the seasons, and we have a few extra vegetables which wouldn’t be available elsewhere. We have a wide variety of fruits, including bananas, papayas, mangoes, and pineapples. Our produce is matured on the plant as opposed to a warehouse, so they taste much sweeter. The quality of food is important for people’s health, and so that was a main focus. Get away and be healthy. Get away from the stress, cars, traffic, and eat healthy. The catch of the day immediately goes from the ocean to the plate.
What inspires you from an art and design point of view?
My first villas were inspired by my breakfast fruit plate. The wall was a papaya color, which looked nice next to the pink hibiscus, so that’s how that started. The pink hibiscus came from a wonderful Mexican architect called Luis Barragán, who made pink stables. So we took inspiration from this and have a hot pink restaurant, which is flattering to everyone and makes people happy. I was inspired by what I could see around me.
What kind of activities can guests do?
I recommend that first they should relax and enjoy the beach, and I think they should chill out in a hammock and get a nice massage. But then there is tennis, pickleball, horse riding, and bicycles. We also have many hikes, because with six kilometers of beachfront and 870 hectares, there’s plenty of trails and outdoor space for guests to explore. There’s kayaking, and boats people can take out to go whale watching. We do picnics; we do wonderful sunset cocktails at a sunset point, which is very fun. So you can be as busy or as lazy as you want.
If people come with small children, there’s a kids’ club, so that the kids are entertained. They’re painting t-shirts and learning how to make piñatas. Although I had a piñata class, the kids weren’t very interested, but the parents were fascinated. I had the fathers concerned about how they were going to put the false eyelashes on the cow piñata. So it was a good surprise that the piñata class was more popular with the adults!
What are your favourite hotels in the world?
There are a lot of haunts that I really enjoy. I love doing lunch at The Beverly Hills Hotel, dinner at The Ritz London and ANYTHING at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris. I also love the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, which is such a wonderful city.
What about the people who work at the Las Alamandas?
I’m very lucky that people are incredibly brilliant. The parents of the waiters at our resort are fishermen, and I taught a lot of them how to be their best. A lot of the staff have been here for over twenty years. It is very important to be a part of the community, which is something I have been very focused on by donating to the school, hosting events for the staff when they have a family celebration, and making Las Alamandas part of their lives. The staff has been here a long time, and guests enjoy that. When a guest returns, they are recognised, they are part of the family, and they feel like they are coming home. There is a very welcoming feel about Las Alamandas, and this wouldn’t be possible without my staff.
What about sustainability and the future of sustainable travel?
I think more and more places are focusing on sustainability. We went solar last year, and all our energy is now solar energy. A lot of hotels are focused on being more energy efficient. One has to contribute and focus on sustainability; it’s a big concern for our generation and the next generations to come. And with being able to produce our own food at Las Alamandas, I can live completely off-grid. We can be at Las Alamandas and have no idea what’s happening in the rest of the world!
What is next for Las Alamandas?
This year, we are adding two villas with two bedrooms each. The villas at Las Alamandas have all been done so that each bedroom has its own access. I think it’s important that hotels are built by people who are shy. I’m rather shy, and I like being very private. I don’t want to be bumping into anyone in the corridor, so each bedroom has its own access. I absolutely hate when room service puts a tray at my bed if I ask for dinner or tea during the day. So even in our first original rooms, all have a terrace; and they all have a place for dining “al fresco”, outside. So privacy was my main focus here. You can come down to the pool, you can stay in your room, or you can have the sun lounges in front of your room. Everyone here can get away and have their moment of privacy.
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All Images Courtesy of Las Alamandas.