The 51-room property is described as “an explorer’s basecamp and refuge in the desert”, where guests can participate in outdoor adventures, including hiking, biking, mountaineering, sandboarding and stargazing. Each room is designed and styled with local textiles, decor and furnishing, while a pool and wellness area and dedicated gathering space for events and concerts is also included in the property.
Our Habitas Atacama integrates the brand’s strict standard of “environmental consciousness” by committing to a single-use, plastic-free environment and a water management plan, while avoiding the removal of any trees on the property.
Guests have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the authentic culture of the Atacama through a range of workshops, ranging from cooking to crafts and wellness options.
Situated almost 8,000 feet [nearly 2.5km] above sea level and with no major cities, little rain and arid weather, the Atacama desert is the driest non-polar desert and largest fog desert in the world with over 300 cloudless nights a year, making it an ideal destination in northern Chile for stargazing and astronomy.
Our Habitas co-founder and CEO, Oliver Ripley, said: “Our Habitas Atacama is a haven for outdoor adventure seekers craving genuine experiences in an iconic part of the world. There is no place on Earth quite like the Atacama desert, the driest non-polar desert in the world, it’s an incredibly serene and humbling place, which is a draw for those seeking fully immersive adventure and authentic discovery.
“There’s something levelling about being surrounded in such natural beauty, whether it’s paragliding above the dunes during the day or being engulfed in the stars at night, we cannot wait to share this exquisite destination with guests,” he added.
Our Habitas is promising to support conscious tourism in Chile through its impact arm, RISE, which collaborates with local partners and initiatives to give back to the community by supporting cultural and environmental causes and donating into the fund for every guest who stays at Atacama.
Atacama represents Our Habitas’ 11th ‘home’, adding to a portfolio that includes properties in Tulum, Bacalar and San Miguel de Allende [Mexico], AlUla and Caravan AlUla [Saudi Arabia], Caravan Agafay and Caravan Dakhla [Morocco], upstate New York [United States], Santa Teresa [Costa Rica] and Namibia. The brand will soon open three more destinations in Todos Santos and Mazunte [Mexico] and Bhutan.
In June, Our Habitas announced that it had received US$400 million [1.5 billion riyal] from the Saudi government and investment community as the Kingdom builds up its travel and tourism industry for a wave of international visitors in the coming years.
The money was invested through a ‘Habitas Fund’, created by The Saudi Tourism Development Fund [TDF], to potentially help the company’s expansion across the Kingdom and attract more tourists.
Source : Horrter Merantal
