Jashita: Tulum’s Only Relais & Châteaux Luxury Boutique Hotel.

From Casa Soliman to Jashita: A Family Legacy at the Heart of Soliman Bay

Like most extraordinary properties, there’s usually an equally extraordinary backstory.

In the 90’s, Tulum was a destination only those with a sense of adventure felt comfortable enough to travel to. At the time, Tulum was composed exclusively of dirt roads, hammock hostels, beach fish shacks and VW bugs. Supermarkets were but a faraway reality that required an hour drive to access. It became the dream destination for international backpackers and Robinson Cruiseway admirers, having the second longest coral reef in the world form a protective barrier over pristine beaches.

The Truffle Hunters: A 1990s Tulum Discovery

It just so happened that the owner was one of those admirers. With an unmatched sense of adventure and curiosity to see the world in a way few do, he and his wife arrived in Mexico. After weeks of driving around the country, their last destination before flying back to Italy was Tulum. As avid real estate enthusiasts, at every destination they traveled to, there was a mandatory real estate office pitstop. Tulum however, did not have a real estate office, it didn’t even have a supermarket. Within the family there’s a nickname for the owner and his wife. “Cani da Tartuffo” or in english “Truffle hunting dogs”. Their sixth sense leads them to wander around and stumble upon properties that people wait a lifetime to find.

Finding Soliman Bay

So they went on an excursion led by curiosity. Driving around Tulum in their little Volkswagen Bug, they found an entry by the road which went in the direction of the beach. They drove down that dirt road with no expectations of what was on the other side.

At the end of the road, there was a ‘Se Vende’ sign, a ‘For Sale’ sign. The property consisted of a construction site with a half built house on it. So they went wandering around, looking at this incomplete project and walked onto the beach. As the owner would describe it: “It was the perfect day, the perfect light, with colors of the ocean that left you breathless. It was just one of those perfect days.” They called the number on the ‘For Sale’ sign where a real estate agent called Vicky picked up. The agency she worked for was based in Playa Del Carmen, and with only a few days left in Tulum, they proceeded at full speed.

Casa Soliman

Upon speaking to Vicky they found out that the owner of the property was somewhat of a real estate mogul, owning 20km of beachfront real estate in the Riviera Maya. The half built house was one of 4 that he had planned to build for him and his children. The owners original plan had been a family compound on the most beautiful piece of land he owned in all of the Riviera Maya. Plans however change, and with that the “For Sale” sign went up.

The “Truffle Dogs” had just sold their small sail boat which was a heartbreak in itself, the owner being a sailor since he was a child. This piece of land however, would be one of the few things to mend that heartbreak. Within three days they went from seeing the half built house and perfect ocean to having purchased their new holiday home, Casa Soliman.

From Family Compound to Something Else

Casa Soliman became the focal point of family gatherings, spending winters, summers, and holidays on this bay that saw their children learn how to swim and spearfish. There appeared to be one unspoken priority for the family - protecting the bay. Safeguarding the magic they had found over 30 years ago, their corner of paradise remained just that. But there started to be a shift.

In 2009 Tulum started becoming a place that travellers began actively seeking out for its understated charm, heightened privacy and pristine beaches. From artists, writers and architects, it became a place where they could feel inspired and flourish. Tulum started to become a “if you know you know” place.

The owners were not surprised, Tulum having such a strategic proximity to the US while escaping all the crowds, so they decided to give it a go. With no previous hospitality experience, they decided to start a passion project. This passion project however needed a name. The owner was wishing her daughter, Jasmine, and her inseparable stuffed cheetah good night when a lightbulb went off. “Jas” and “Cheetah” blended into “jascheetah,” which, pronounced in a thick Italian accent, became Jashita. And so, the project got given a name.

With no marketing team, no website and only a Tripadvisor page, those 10 rooms were booked 365 days of the year. Two years later, the demand only kept increasing.

Since then, the primary home has been removed, two additional buildings were built along with an expansion of the restaurant, spa, gym and pools. Although bitter sweet, the ability to share the magic of Soliman bay has been one of the most rewarding experiences the family has been able to give back.

A More Personal Approach to Luxury Hospitality

The family is still intricately involved and remains onsite throughout the year. The husband is the architect along with his wife being solely responsible for the impeccable design of the hotel, sourcing furniture from all their travels and merging Italian design with Mexican craftsmanship. Their son is the general manager and exceptional cook, personally overseeing all the homemade pasta that gets made daily in our ‘Pasta Casita’. One of their daughters similarly works onsite as the PR and partnership manager while the other daughter launched her own linen brand called Once Milano, which provides linens to the hotel amongst other impressive clients. Their grandson, having recently graduated from Glion, is now the most recent family member to join the workforce, integrating crypto and blockchain as payment solutions for the hotel.

The Golden Plaque: Joining Relais & Châteaux

There was a seamless harmony between every member of the team, and it was this harmony that allowed the property to excel. Over the years Jashita Hotel received several offers for the best affiliate hotel programs, however there was never one that sparked their interest beyond mild curiosity. That was until they got contacted by the Relais & Châteaux ‘s network development manager. This time, their interest peaked. They understood the honor of being reached out to. Relais & Chateaux works as a membership program that individually run hotels can apply to be a part of, and with a 5% acceptance rate, being accepted is within itself an immense achievement. Jashita Hotel did not apply. They got contacted directly. You can only imagine the pride that after over a decade of dedication, the property finally felt there was a partnership that was mutually beneficial.

The turnaround time between the initial contact and becoming part of the Relais & Châteaux family was astounding. After the visit to the property, there was an undercover inspector who came and stayed at the property, only revealing himself upon checkout. The owner/interior designer was eager to hear about his feedback and improvement recommendations. He had none. She’s a perfectionist and although disheartened at the lack of feedback, the recognition was undeniable.

Jashita Hotel Proud Member of Relais & Châteaux.

Soon after the partnership was made official and the golden plaque went up. Casa Soliman became Jashita Hotel, which now became Jashita Hotel Relais & Châteaux.

It took a lot of effort, passion and hard work to get to this point, but most importantly it took love. Love for the bay, the people, the property. Everyone did their part, every member of the family and team worked hard out of respect to the property, and inevitably, global recognition followed.