Guadalajara’s reputation as one of Mexico’s hottest cultural destinations has been cemented by the opening of Grupo HABITA’s latest hotel, Casa Fayette, on September 17, 2015. Located in the Lafayette neighborhood, this Design Hotels™ member incoporates 37 rooms and suites, alongside a restaurant, bar, terrace, pool and rooftop spa. Designed to reflect the modernist aesthetics of its surroundings, Casa Fayette emerges as a creative and thoughtful addition to Mexico’s second city.
Hoteliers Carlos Couturier and Moisés Micha, the creative minds behind Grupo HABITA, joined forces with local architectural firm, Estudio5, to transform the 1940s mansion into Guadalajara’s first design-led hotel. The original Art Deco structure plays host to a retro-inspired bar and restaurant, leading out to an alfresco patio with adjoining conference room and private terrace. On the second floor of the original house there is a pool, bar and terrace – signature trademarks of the Grupo HABITA hotels in Mexico and New York. An adjacent minimalist building was constructed to house Casa Fayette’s rooms and suites, which are divided into 6 categories.
Milanese architects DIMORESTUDIO (as seen in the photo) were responsible for Casa Fayette’s aesthetics, which have been inspired by traditional Jaliscan design, underpinned with the studio’s signature European style. The interiors are cool and defined by a color palette of greens and blues, and accented with hand-blown glass lighting and locally-sourced textiles and ceramics. Marble flooring, highly polished wood and Mackintosh-inspired glass screens pay homage to the hotel’s Art Deco roots.
Boasting some of the finest examples of modernist architecture in Mexico, and museums showcasing contemporary Latin American art, Guadalajara has long been the reserve of committed art and architecture aficionados. However, the arrival of world-class galleries such as Curro y Poncho and Travesia Cuatro has attracted international attention and established the city as one of Central America’s most exciting cultural hubs. Throw in a thriving food and tequila culture and you have a serious contender to Mexico City’s crown.
For Carlos Couturier and Moisés Micha building hotels that reflect their surroundings is more than just a job – it’s a passion that drove these Mexican entrepreneurs to leave their respective former careers in citrus farming and investment banking. In 2000, Couturier and Micha launched Grupo HABITA, a diverse collection of 14 hotels, including New York’s Hôtel Americano and DOWNTOWN Mexico.