Villa Pelícanos

Mexico is home to some amazing holiday homes and you can certainly add the complex of Villa Pelícanos to that list. Located in Sayulita region of the country and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, we can think of few more relaxing places to unwind here at Coolector HQ. Designed by architecture studio Main Office who have renovated a 1980s seaside holiday village with traditional thatch roofs and providing some truly luxurious 21st century villas.

The abundant quality of Villa Pelícanos is evident throughout their design and finish and we’re loving the use of local materials and practices in their creation. This 20 guest complex sits atop a sloping site where the tropical forest meets the Mexican west coast and has access to a private beach for the ultimate in luxurious, relaxing retreats.

Mexican Marvel

The architecture studio behind the build, Main Office, are a practice based in Mexico and Sweden, and they took it upon themselves to completely redesign the eight villas along with the hilltop communal space and swimming pool. Thatched villas have private outdoor shower or bathtub nesting amongst the rocks and plant fronds to ensure you feel completely connected with nature during a stay here.

There is a platform for practising yoga shaped like a half-moon and it can be found further down the hill from Villa Pelícanos, and it is completely surround by jungle. Cut into the hillside, the yoga space has a retaining wall which has been crafted from local stone and a cumaru wood floor. The architects wanted to provide series of small, private spaces which blurred the usual boundaries between inside and outside.

Villa Pelícanos provides a unique experience with the natural setting while also ensuring a cosy, homey feeling from the minute you arrive. The villas’ traditional palapa roofs have been completely re-thatched with palm leaves and the original doors and windows have been restored to exacting standards to make these villas look and feel a million dollars.

Material Matters

Concrete beds, sinks and outdoor bathtubs were cast in situ, and a new terrazzo floor laid to give a cooling feel to the villas which is important in a climate as tropical as Mexico’s Pacific coast. Mexican parota wood was picked for interior elements such as furniture, room dividers and wardrobe doors. In addition to being a local and low carbon option, parota wood is resistant to humidity and salinity – a robust choice for the ocean side location.

The walls of Villa Pelícanos are painted white to create a bright, blank backdrop to the concrete and wood. Bathrooms and bedrooms open on to outdoor terraces and gauzy white curtains are hung from the wooden rails of four-poster beds for a really luxurious aesthetic. The architects expertly combined Mexican materials and aesthetics with South African design elements, in a nod to the owner of Villa Pelícanos’ heritage.