What are Deconstructed Hotels and Where Can You Find Them?

As travelers look for ways to slow down, be present and be a little more mindful during their trips, some hotels and resorts tout a new accommodation concept: the deconstructed hotel. Just like a deconstructed dish separates all of the dish’s individual ingredients so one can experience each separately but still enjoy the overall effect of the whole, a deconstructed hotel breaks down a property into its separate components, requiring a traveler to move between each in a more mindful, present manner.

For example, at Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort in Mexico, travelers stay in 15 luxury tents situated across the property’s near 50 acres of forest, most left untouched. The layout requires guests to immerse themselves in nature, traveling through the forest to get to the hotel’s amenities, which might normally and otherwise all be housed in the same building.

A similar set up embraces the deconstructed hotel concept in Montego Bay, Jamaica. There, The Tryall Club sits on more than 2,000 acres of jungle. Guests stay in private villas and must stroll through nature in order to reach the property’s other highlights, such as the beach and on-site dining.

Scott LaMont, CEO, EDSA, a planning, landscape architecture and urban design firm behind Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, weighed in on the concept, “With many new hospitality builds and phased renovation programs in play, we are needing to design for future travel trends within a 3-5 year timeframe. As such, we have been directing owners, operators and developers toward a deconstructed resort model that empowers guests to forge their own journeys with curated moments that foster outdoor experiences. In practice this might realign the check-in process away from the traditional disembarking from a taxi/Uber/transport with luggage in hand and queuing at a desk for check-in. A more holistic experience that choreographs guest movement in a more meaningful way is preferred.”