Art & Architecture

Club Intrawest – Zihuatanejo
Smart and fun is good for business
By Catherine Krantz

Photos by Ed White

In many ways Club Intrawest of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is an unusual company, from the moment you pass through the bright birds of paradises on the front gate of it’s Zihuatanejo property to the giant colored glass sculpture at the reception area you start to get an idea that you are in for something new, something fun. Just over ten years old and still showing youthful exuberance, Club Intrawest is a dynamic idea-driven company. Just talk to a few employees, you’ll see why. They love what they do and they are very proud of the niche they have been able to create for themselves in the hotel and resort industry and have many fans behind them.

Club Intrawest is the private resort club of Intrawest Corporation, a billion-dollar development corporation who owns and or manages 12 resorts world wide. Intrawest resorts are known for being located in areas of great natural beauty with many attractions and outdoor activities available. Of 32,000 Club Intrawest members from 47 countries, the common ingredients are that they are all active, affluent and have ski, golf and beach locations to choose from. A formula that has worked so well Club Intrawest decided to expand into Mexico. The Playa La Ropa location in Zihuatanejo is its ninth world wide and its first outside of the US and Canada. The Zihuatanejo resort opened its doors on December 15, 2004. It is now offering its vacation home suites to existing members and as hotel rooms to the public. Club Intrawest is not currently doing any membership sales locally. In launching its new development in Zihuatanejo, it brought together all the same elements that have garnered it so many fans in the US and Canada, an Intrawest standard of quality while keeping each resort special and unique.

One of Intrawest’s beliefs, says Jacqueline Voci, Marketing Director of Intrawest Corp./Resort Club Group in Vancouver, is, “When you go somewhere on vacation you want to experience that culture: we want to help people immerse themselves in that culture, so that when you are there you really get a taste of the region.” The exploration of the region, what makes it attractive to visitors, what are the unique elements it has to offer, are all things that are researched and contemplated, “We go in and we learn from the culture and local artists and take into account the geographical elements unique to that area: we look at all of these factors and incorporate them into the design,” says Voci. This is only one of many unique approaches that has fueled Club Intrawest’s successes in so many varied locations (British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Vancouver, Florida, California, Hawaii). It speaks of a sensitivity to each location that reflects the character of the region and is just smart destination promotion.

The Zihuatanejo project was a big expansion for Club Intrawest, a chance to break new ground, and it wanted that feeling to be mirrored in the design. A reinvigoration, an energetic focus on exploration and adventure, (not uncommon themes in a company whose job web site is called www.wework2play.com), the Zihuatanejo project brought together many energetic like minded forces. The architectural team consisted of Zihuatanejo’s own architect Enrique Mueller, known for his stunning environment inspired creations and architect Max Betancourt of BAI in Mexico City, who was the onsite architect during the construction. Walking through the open semi-circular Zihuatanejo property you are forever confronted with the view of Zihuatanejo Bay straight ahead of you, the view being not just its most obvious asset but its main design departure point. Prominently utilizing the clean lines and open air spaces of tropical architecture that we take for granted here, but that inspire awe and deep breaths in first time-visitors. There is just something about being confronted by the wide expanse of an ocean view while being under a soaring palapa that just lifts your spirits.

What is most striking about the architecture and design of Club Intrawest on Playa La Ropa is that it combines so many seemingly incongruous elements without seeming incongruent. The feeling is very whimsical and eclectic, but it works. Fun and funky you could also say, but that lacks the sense of intelligence you are left with. You could walk through and take in all the elements and never know the thought that went into it—seamless design—I think is what it is called. But look a little deeper and there are common threads.

The force behind the interior design was award winning Architectural Design firm, Vivian Nichols, of Dallas, Texas, that is known for its work with prestigious hotels and resorts. Project Designers Paget Ramsour and Matt Mars strove to create an authentic Mexican experience, so authentic you might not recognize it. They did a tremendous amount of research on Mexican history and were surprised to find the diversity of cultures that have left their mark on Mexico. The Asian and Indonesian thread that runs through the design is straight out of the history books and fits in very nicely with all things tropical, including the more traditional Mexican elements of bright, cheery colors. Blues, greens, earth tones, yellows and subtly dramatic purples in the building colors and in the fabrics are there to mirror the pacific sunset, one source of great inspiration evident throughout the resort. The raised seating sunset bar was designed to feel like an amphitheater for sunset watching, with the colors inside copying the melting colors of the sun right in front of you. A row of tiny lights behind you mimics the twinkling lights of town across the bay. And look down and you’ll see the lights of the pool ever so slowly changing colors, one small detail I felt to be especially fun and surprising.

Another detail that says more when you know more, is the water element. There was a creek that originally ran through the site: in homage to this, the stone paving in the walkways and the inlaid pebbles in the rooms are laid out in a meandering water pattern. The pebbles cascade toward the end of the spacious terraces and visually flow through the lobby fountain, down into the pool and out to sea. A visual river runs through it. The décor of the rooms and accessories and fixtures throughout boast of a wide array of Mexicos, all authentic and hand-crafted. “Designed by artists, created by craftsmen,” says Matt Mars, “The people I worked with are very much craftsmen; we didn’t look at them as contractors or construction workers—they are craftsmen.” Craftsmen from all over Mexico bringing together the crafts of many regions: hand-blown glass, hand-carved wardrobes from Puebla, copper lighting fixtures and accessories from Michoacan, fanciful iron animal sculptures throughout the grounds. A visual conglomeration of Mexico combined with all the North American conveniences of a first rate hotel. Club Intrawest Zihuatanejo boasts an airy serene environment, thoughtful design and breathtaking views of one of the most beautiful bays in the world: I am sure their members will be pleased with their newest choice in resorts.

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