Governor Celso Ramos - The discreet black gate of the former Hotel Ponta dos Ganchos shows no sign of change. Opened in 2002 in the city of Governador Celso Ramos, 45 kilometers from Florianópolis , it has established itself over more than two decades as one of the most popular hotels in Brazil . Upon crossing the entrance of the property, frequent guests might imagine that everything looks the same.
The hills and valleys, which follow the region's topography, are still there. The 25 private villas, ranging from 80 to 300 square meters in size, with swimming pools and sea views, seem the same. The concept, however, changed with the acquisition of the hotel by the Uruguayan luxury lodge group Awasi at the end of 2024.
The previous owners focused on keeping guests on the property. The new owners want to make the hotel a high-end luxury base for those who, in addition to relaxing, seek to explore the area's natural beauty and experience the culture and way of life of that stretch of the Santa Catarina coast – a growing trend in the global tourism industry.
“After the acquisition, we needed to understand how we would transform that place, which was already wonderful, into an Awasi experience,” says Nicolas Peluffo, CEO of the group, in an interview with NeoFeed .
"Although the hotel is a benchmark in many ways, the wellness and experiences aspect was still underexplored. This needed to change to align with the group's philosophy," he adds.
To make this turning point, Awasi invested approximately R$ 20 million. With this amount, the doors to the sea were opened, with the acquisition of three boats responsible for exploration in the region. With these boats, the group hired and trained, in its own school, guides specialized in the fauna and flora, to accompany guests on their discoveries.
They are also responsible for land-based excursions, which include various trails to hidden beaches in the region, as well as routes used by the Portuguese during the colonization period, and even horseback riding tours.
A new spa was also built on the property. Featuring products from the French brand Sisley, the hotel offers everything from Japanese-style baths to yoga classes, as well as facial, body, and hair treatments.
There, an alchemy service allows guests to develop fragrances and creams that can be used in treatments, or even in their daily lives, to help with issues such as anxiety, sleep problems, and so on…
With a focus on wellness , the gym tripled in size and gained an outdoor pool overlooking Gancho de Fora Bay.
"Before, we were an inward-looking hotel, focused on services, infrastructure, and gastronomy, which was incredible. However, people would stay for three days and already be satisfied with everything they had seen and done," says Peluffo.
"Now, guests stay for a week and leave saying they didn't get to enjoy even half of what they wanted and that they need to come back as soon as possible," he continues.
In the executive's view, "enjoying" is a very personal matter. For some, it means sitting on the hotel's private beach, or even crossing the bridge and spending some time on the island, which also belongs to the property. Perhaps, for others, it's spending the day getting treatments at the spa or even going out by boat and visiting Ilha do Arvoredo, the main diving spot in southern Brazil.
With this in mind, the group developed a completely tailor-made service. The guest decides what to do. If the focus is on a wellness trip, the excursion concierge will arrange such programs during the stay. In addition, the visitor will have a menu of meals focused on health and developed in-house by chef Daniela Damasceno.
This decision is made during the booking process, so that once on the property, there's no need to think about anything, not even money.
“Our clientele has already taken all the international trips they wanted, they already have all the possible comforts in their own homes, so they know they will receive that at our hotel, but what more can we do for them that goes beyond their expectations?” says Álvaro Valeriani, CCO of the group. “Here, they control their time, their space, they have everything privately, from tours to treatments. In short, the decision is theirs.”
With this in mind, the group implemented the " fully hosted " philosophy, which is nothing more than a luxury all-inclusive experience, already practiced in the other four Awasi properties.
With a rate at least three times more expensive than that offered for those who choose a room and breakfast, guests in this option can enjoy everything the property has to offer, as many times as they want.
“You can have as many spa treatments as you want, take 200 boat trips, go for car rides, eat and drink whatever you feel like, in short, everything is included,” says the executive. All this for a mere US$920 per person per day, in the most “basic” villa on the property.
With this revamp, the clientele of the place has changed significantly. For regular guests, everything remains the same, with the option of simply booking a room. However, with the fully hosted concept , foreigners have started to appear consistently.
Today, Awasi Santa Catarina has approximately 50% of its clientele made up of Brazilians, while the other 50% is divided between Americans, South Americans, and Europeans. In less than a year of the new format, about 40% of guests choose the fully hosted system, which, in the view of executives, is a great number.
“I believe we fit very well into the new phase of luxury, which involves absence, silence, and connectivity with what is real,” says Valeriani. “Guests can buy everything that is available, but they are looking for intangible things, and that is what we want to deliver to them.”
Awasi Plans
Created in 2007, the Awasi group has five properties immersed in nature. Three of them were developed from scratch, one in Chilean Patagonia, one in the Atacama Desert, and the last in Iguazu, near the waterfalls, in Argentina.
Over the past two years, the group has been searching for properties that could be converted to the Awasi model, as was the case with Ponta dos Ganchos. In addition to the hotel in Brazil, a property focused on the wine industry was acquired in Mendoza, Argentina .
According to executives, another hotel should be added to the portfolio next year, and this time it will be built from scratch. The location remains unknown. The plan is to have ten properties in South America within the next five to six years. "It's a very achievable goal," says Valeriani.
There are also plans to expand beyond the region, although it is not a priority.
“Awasi hotels have been a very well-kept secret for a long time, and it worked,” says the executive. “But now we want to expand that story so that more people can experience what we offer.”
The journalist traveled at the invitation of the Awasi group.
