Image courtesy of @mariefeandjakesnow & @explorerssaurus_
Have you ever wondered what it's like to design and build your own hotel? Here we take a peek inside the process of creating Hotel Belajar in Canggu Bali from start to finish.
Belajar was founded by Raquel Janeiro and Miguel Mimoso, the Portuguese husband and wife team who see the world as their backyard on @explorerssaurus_ and Marie Fe and Jake Snow, the creative couple who successfully live an alternative lifestyle with the freedom to travel and work around the world and share it all on their Instagram account @mariefeandjakesnow.
Having conquered the world of social media and establishing themselves as archetypes of two of the most successful travel Instagram accounts, Marie, Jake, Raquel, and Miguel are now pairing up on various entrepreneur adventures, with Belajar Hotel being one close to their hearts.
The creative duos met up for the first time in person in Bali in 2019 after having found inspiration from each other's social media accounts for a few years. The group instantly bonded with a shared passion for travel, connecting with people from different cultures and an entrepreneurial mindset towards social media and its multifaceted avenues.
A year later, they all met again in Santorini by coincidence. They very quickly discovered that they shared an understanding of what it takes to work, travel, and build a business with your life partner while also supporting each other along the way; that's when the idea of working together was born.
Their first joint business, @clublifedesign, a supportive approach to teaching others how to make a living online, was quickly followed by their second venture – their summer-inspired fashion line @mirahmaja. During this time, Marie and Jake began sketching their own dream villa - @majacanggu; the idea for the two couples to build a boutique hotel with an inviting co-working space naturally followed, and the concept of @Belajar came to life.
When it came time to design Hotel Belajar, Marie, Jake, Raquel, and Miguel had a clear vision of how they wanted the final product to look and feel with the desired outcome of a tropical paradise retreat. They drew inspiration from other boutique hotels around the world and used those ideas to form the design of their own hotel. In addition, the couples also considered the unique features of Canggu Bali, the location where Hotel Belajar would be built, all while ensuring that the hotel's design complemented its natural surroundings as much as possible.
After the initial ideas and brainstorming process, Marie, Jake, Raquel, and Miguel got to work on creating actual blueprints and floor plans. This part of the process took several months, as they had to ensure that every detail was right. Once the plans were finalized, construction could finally begin!
Construction on Hotel Belajar took approximately one year to complete. During that time, Marie and Jake worked tirelessly alongside Raquel and Miguel to make everything perfect for opening day. From selecting the perfect furniture - a curated collection of Uniqwa pieces, to training staff members, a lot of work was needed before guests could start checking in. After all the ups and downs that came with the building process, their hard work paid off with Hotel Belajar opening its doors in September 2022 to rave reviews!
Belajar, which fittingly means 'learn' in Indonesian Bahasa, is created to be a physical extension of Marie, Jake, Raquel and Miguel's mission to give others the knowledge and skills to succeed at living an alternative lifestyle with the freedom to travel and work overseas. The space is designed to inspire guests to dream about the endless possibilities out there in the world and meet other like-minded people. The two-storey communal dining area is an open space for all to enjoy, with a sunken seating area, an upstairs library, a floating net lounge and a second-storey plunge pool for the perfect Instagram photo.
Jake selected a collection of natural Uniqwa pieces that perfectly complement the Alang Alang hut-themed rooms and tree trunk feature posts. Located on Batu Balong in the heart of Canggu, Belajar is a 5-minute bike ride from the beach, with several beautiful cafes and restaurants to visit along the way.
Designing and building your own hotel is no small feat – but it's certainly possible with enough dedication (and help from friends). Marie, Jake, Raquel and Miguel agree that together they can do incredible things and are living proof that you can turn even your wildest dreams into reality with enough passion and perseverance. The couples sum it all up; "travelling is all about learning and experiencing new ways of life, and this is the essence of our boutique hotel Belajar. A tropical paradise on the Island we all love, Bali."
If you're feeling inspired by their story and are interested in learning more about alternative lifestyles or ways to make a living while travelling, be sure to check out Clublife Design's website for advice for aspiring entrepreneurs or follow @explorerssaurus_ and @mariefeandjakesnow.
Image courtesy of @mariefeandjakesnow & @explorerssaurus_
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