Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

Just a few steps away from the Caribbean Sea in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, sits BÁSICO hotel. A hedonistic design haven that blurs the lines of industrial accents, exposure, contemporary thinking and Mexican spirit.

 

From the outside the entrance looks as though it were a casual street bar with chairs and tables dotted around welcoming those who pass into a relaxing ambient environment. It is, infact, the lobby of the hotel that serves as the reception/check-in desk where guests can also nip in to grab snorkel gear and towels on-route to the beach. The entrance is only a taster of what else the guests will discover in this Mexican dream.

 

Opened in 2005, the architecture of BÁSICO is the handy work of design duo José Sanchez and Moisés Ison who have left their mark on Mexico in numerous locations. They created a space that was basic, simple and took strong influences from the local surroundings. The use of sand shaded construction materials and cement floor tiles matches the hotel with the nearby beach and makes one think of the typical “mexican patio” style.

The industrial accents are found in the materials which have been sourced or made in local factories and this line is continued within the curtains created with white and black latex, which reference a nearby tyre shop. The Mexican spirit is expressed with fun, cheeky additions to the guest rooms and mostly found stashed under the wonderful floating beds. Guests can find autographed footballs, beach equipment, magazine drawers, a journey notebook containing shopping suggestions and compliementary beach passes. Nice!  

They have kept the finishing touches young for the style-savvy but creating an air of retro pleasure with the use of colour, lighting and interior design. Designer Héctor Galván has made sure that most aspects of the interior design has been made out of recycled materials; resins, plumbing pipes, woods, paint, rubber etc. With these materials being intentionally used and exposed (pipework and electrical ducts) it creates the foundations for the sense of  easy-chic luxury. A constent sense of sexual tension is kept through the use of subdued neon pink and subdued lighting. The guest rooms feature a free standing tub and subtle orange and yellow lighting, oh and there are also huge mirrors found near the beds… ahem.

 

 

The jewels in the crown of this wonder are found on the upper levels where you are invited to eat locally sourced foods at the retro styled bar or take in the views whilst relaxing in two converted petroleum tankers that now feature as pools. I don’t think this place could get any more desirable and I am certainly putting it on my to-do list. For more information and booking click here.

 

All photos - photo © Hotel Básico 

Text by Ben Taylor 

TAGS: dolce&gabbana d&g online magazine dolce & gabbana d & g luxury online magazine stefano gabbana domenico dolce online luxury magazine luxury hotels hotel mexico design hotel basico basico hotel José Sanchez Moisés Ison Héctor Galván chic recycled carribean sea local influence Playa Del Carmen