Ilha de Toque Toque
When you imagine paradise, Ilha de Toque Toque will surely comes to mind. Beautiful oceanfront views, sustainable buildings, and proximity with nature in addition to luxurious comfort, Ilha de Toque Toque in São Sebastião, Brazil has it all. We were lucky enough to talk to Edson Pavao, the owner and creator of Ilha de Toque Toque, about his mission, his experience, and his story.
A life project
How does one go about opening a hotel? It is probably assumed that you must have experience in the industry, perhaps worked at the lower levels of another hotel before raising enough money to carry out your own dreams. In the case of Edson Pavao, this is entirely untrue. Mr. Pavao and his wife Renata, “a multinational executive and an insurance broker decided to give up a good life in Brazil’s largest city to live in the middle of nowhere to open and run a Boutique Hotel from scratch.” Mr. Pavao claims about his hotel that “This is not purely a job. It is a life project!” Indeed, the passion that Mr. Pavao and his wife have for their career and their “life project” shows in the detail and care that is given to the hotel.
The dream came true: Ilha de Toque Toque
The “dream” came true for Mr. Pavao in 2005 when he purchased an old beach ranch in Toque Toque Grande. Life as a legal and business director had run its course for Mr. Pavao, and despite his lack of experience in the hotel industry, he began to pursue his dream project. Every aspect of the hotel, from the planning of the renovations of the old house, to building new rooms with a sustainable frame of mind, to creating the restaurant menu, equipping the suites, building a successful hotel team and even renovating the pool and spa has been designed by the Pavaos. Nowadays, as General Manager, Mr.Pavao finds himself more occupied with sales and marketing and business planning and finances, whereas Renata is in charge of the day to day operations. One of the greatest aspects of owning a hotel for the Pavaos is the opportunity to meet and interact with all of their guests, making sure that each guest’s stay is cared for with every detail in mind.
A boutique hotel
The Pavaos themselves love to travel, both within Brazil and abroad. For them, a hotel should “keep it simple” with a great deal of sympathy and efficiency, which is exactly how they aim to run their own hotel.
A boutique hotel, for the Pavaos, should be “A hotel that has character, whose identity blends perfectly with its surroundings, that has first rate services and most of all that is run by its own proprietors,” and consequently the best aspect of Ilha de Toque Toque is that it suits all of these characteristics. The Pavaos are not hypocritical in their criteria for a hotel, and have put in ample to care to make sure that their own hotel exemplifies all of the aspects they seek when they travel to other locations.
Sustainability
Possibly the greatest feature about Ilha de Toque Toque is its location. Located amidst the abundant Atlantic Forest with breathtaking views of the ocean, the area is protected by environmental laws and listed as a cultural and touristic heritage site by the state of Sao Paolo. The hotel accurately portrays the surrounding environment through its sustainable style, managing to be built without cutting down a single tree. The rooms are built using eco-brick and all internal materials are made from recycled materials such as reclaimed woods from old lighting poles. The hotel portrays the beauty of the surrounding nature, from the interiors to the incredible exterior views.
Hospitality
As a team of 16 people working at Ilha de Toque Toque, Mr. Pavao has managed to create a team large enough to run his hotel smoothly and small enough to get to know the guests personally. For Mr. Pavao, the mission of the hotel is “To create agreeable and pleasant experiences for our clients and workers, with respect, dedication and determination, with a view to generating satisfaction and always caring for the environment.” Mr. Pavao has succeeded in his goals and one of his greatest accomplishments includes that he and his wife “have managed to put together a place that is becoming a reference to hospitality in our city.”
From insurance broker and legal director to entrepreneurs in the hotel industry, the Pavaos are able to prove that any aspiration can be reached. They have successfully created a sanctuary of luxury and hospitality in a country where they had no experience in the industry; the Pavaos are a true success story for the boutique hotel industry.
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