A hotel chain that offers co-living
Selina Medellin's lobby and café.
With 22 unique locations spread over seven Latin American countries including Colombia, Panama and Mexico, and eight upcoming spots, hotel brand Selina caters to what has been dubbed as the millennial generations’ digital nomadism: a wanderlust combined with a desire for work flexibility.
A view through the window of the co-working area.
Created in 2014 by Rafael Museri and Daniel Rudasevski, the hotel idea came about while the pair carried out real estate projects in a small fishing town in Panamá. Realizing the potential of a community-centered hospitality model, they took a leap and opened the first Selina in the nearby surf town of Venao.
Since then, the enterprise has expanded at an alarming rate, always with a strong emphasis in giving back to the community. Each property includes a volunteering program for staff, guests, and “Amigos de Selina” who want to promote local arts and culture initiatives, take care of the environment through reforestation or a beach cleanup, or even teach English, yoga, surfing, and other skills.
But at the core of the Selina philosophy is a promise for connection with others. Set on prime real estate and featuring beautiful design, each center combines the idea behind an affordable hostel/ co-living space with that of a boutique hotel, plus open-plan office spaces, wellness centers, and even “playgrounds” including bars, shops, restaurants and cafés.
And with group activities, guided tours, music festivals and other events on offer, the possibilities at Selina are endless, unique, and always filled with purpose.
Selina Medellin
Kriteria spoke with Selina’s interior designer, Andrea Upegui, who walked us through the Medellin location’s intricate creative design details. The nine-story building in Medellin’s popular Parque Lleras was reappropriated by Selina’s in-house creative team, in charge of building all the furniture and décor and injecting Selina with its signature “wow factor.”
The design concept behind the Medellin location called for an urban feel mixed with industrial details, and features a selection of local graffiti talents that display Medellin’s artistic diversity.
The Medellin spot features nine floors that foster harmonious co-living, with a shared kitchen, an in-house theater (for Colombian movie premieres), and a dance club on the first floor; and a lobby, reception, co-working area and café on the second floor.
The Selina Playground.
The remainder of the building is reserved for rooms, with shared dorms on the bottom floors, standard and deluxe rooms to follow, and finally, private rooms, or “uniques” on the top levels. Finally, the ninth floor features a recently-opened recording studio to promote local music culture.
The brand new Selina Cartagena located in Getsemaní.
Selina’s most recent opening is in Cartagena, Colombia, a promising location for beach-goers, digital nomads, and explorers looking to immerse themselves in tropical, old-world charm. With dorm rates starting at $10, there is no excuse not to check it out. Below are some of their photos to get into the Cartagena mood. selina.com
Selina Medellín
Address: Cra. 32d #9 - 17, Medellín, Antioquia
Phone Number: +57 034 480 7250
Follow them on Facebook/Instagram: facebook.com/selinamedellinco; instagram.com/selinathenomad
Selina cartagena
Address: Calle Larga No. 8B - 148, Getsemaní, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
Phone Number: +57 034 664 4806
Follow them on Instagram: instagram.com/selinathenomad