The hotel chain Selina, which was born in Pedasí by the hand of entrepreneurs and travelers Rafael Museri and Daniel Rudasevski, currently operates 46 locations in Latin America and Europe; and by the end of the year he expects to have more than 60 open.

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Worldwide, different hotel chains and entrepreneurs in the sector are revolutionizing the experience offered to tourists and travelers, giving them the chance to forget the keys to smart rooms, to insert them into unimagined spaces and escape from routine.

Revolution and innovation is the target of Selina, a network of hotels that was born in Pedasí about five years ago, by the hand of Rafael Museri and Daniel Rudasevski.

How was Selina born? It was in 2007, when Rafi and Daniel lived in Pedasí. There they began their idea of ​​real estate project with a broader vision: ‘a unique hospitality offer that could change the world’, told La Estrella de Panama Ambar Wong, experience manager of Selina.

To experience it, Rafi and Daniel traveled extensively and after visiting several places in the world, they realized that the tourist industry was ready for a change.

Focusing on that north, Wong said that they set themselves the goal of ‘building an innovative product that could not be found anywhere else’.

The first of them was Selina Playa Venao and was founded in 2015. From then on, it began its expansion throughout Latin America and globally. Today, there are 46 locations in Latin America and around the world, with more than 22,000 beds between hotels that are open and under development.

To date it has raised $ 100 million in a round of capital raising Series C, which raised its capacity to finance its global expansion to $ 225 million. ‘Selina was born as a unique platform for travel, lifestyle and hospitality. It allows guests to discover, learn and create meaningful personal and cultural connections in every place they visit, “said Wong.

The hotel chain was also recognized as one of the most innovative companies, according to Fast Company’s 2019.

CONCEPT

Selina is an integrated hospitality platform that offers spaces for accommodation, boutique, coworking (joint work), recreation, well-being and authentic local experiences. His designs are tailored for today’s nomad traveler.

Its business model is based on identifying and acquiring long-term leases of existing properties in attractive locations, which are then renewed in collaboration with local communities, artists and designers in a transition from 90 to 120 days. It combines local talent, creativity, waste materials and disused objects to create incredible projects, spaces and pieces of art.

‘It is a method of developing light assets. Game change for local communities, new employees and travelers alike, “said Wong.

OPTIONS THAT ADJUST TO ANY POCKET

According to Wong, Selina does not focus on what the hotel market is doing, but rather, on those people who want to travel longer and maintain a high level of work and in their product can find options that fit in your pocket . The traveler can choose a shared room to a luxury suite, accompanied by coworking spaces.

He also said that soon people can pay a monthly fee and choose any location of Selina for as long as they want. Room costs range between $ 20 and $ 200.

THE SECRET OF YOUR SUCCESS

Wong revealed that the secret of the hotel chain is that they are capable of evolving, understanding that there is a need to change and adapt as society adopts new ways of traveling and building communities. ‘We know that people travel today with the hope of knowing someone, of learning something new, of interacting with a new community. That’s why our offer is so wide, “he said.

And it is that Selina offers from accommodation to food and drinks, cultural content (such as workshops, talks, music, well-being, joint work). “Our properties are complete ecosystems that are fed by the community of travelers who pass through them,” he said.

EXPANSION

Selina ended 2018 with a total of 21,000 beds in its inventory (9,500 open and 10,500 signed and under development). The goal is to have 100, 000 beds and 400 properties by the year 2023.

Currently operates 46 locations in Latin America and Europe; and by the end of the year it expects to consolidate more than 60 open locations. They currently have their brand in 12 countries with open properties and seven countries with properties in development.

For this 2019 it will open locations in Miami, Lisbon and additional locations in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Greece, Israel, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru and Chile. “It is a challenging task, but we are going to put all our energy into this goal,” he said.

Selina is also found in Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Portugal.

According to the World Tourism Organization, hospitality, catering and tourism is one of the sectors of the world economy that has experienced faster growth; and it is among those that have created the most jobs, due to its high labor force ratio and the considerable multiplier effect in employment in other related sectors.