A privileged environment in the middle of nature helps a lot to develop the concept of a sustainable hotel. The reality is that not all hotels in the world have this location, but they have the same environmental commitment as everyone else.
At a time when hotel sustainability requires going beyond energy efficiency or waste reduction, innovative projects such as Nhow Lima They begin to explore a deeper and more lasting path from the big cities. It is the first hotel of the lifestyle brand of Minor Hotels Europe & Americas in Peruinaugurated in August of last year in the photogenic district of Miraflores. A few months after its opening, the hotel has been conceived as an exercise in conscious integration between culture, gastronomy and architecture.
Encounter with culture
Cultural sustainability is one of the least visible and yet most determining axes of contemporary tourism. When a foreign brand arrives in a city, locals often feel that there is a cultural loss of the country, a fact that nhow Lima he wanted to rule it out completely. Today, it is known as one of the most authentic and Peruvian hotels in the city for its impeccable modern recreation of local culture. The sustainability of the project transcends the technical and is based on an essential principle: generating cultural and economic value within the country itself.
Crafts and creativity
The architecture, signed by Barcelona architects Juli Capella and Miquel Garcíapart of a contemporary reading of the Andean worldview and ancestral cultures such as Nazca, Moche and Chavín. The building, articulated around a large 14-story central atrium that favors the entry of natural light and interior ventilation, not only seeks visual impact, but also energy efficiency and symbolic connection between spaces.
The collaboration with the Peruvian designer Annais Yucraresponsible for the team’s uniforms, is an example of creative economy applied to hospitality. Internationally recognized and present on platforms such as London Fashion WeekYucra works with ancestral textile techniques and local communities, integrating craftsmanship, social activism and contemporary design. It is a source of pride for Peruvians to see their local craftsmanship embodied in elegant pieces. For his part, the artist British-Peruvian Patrick Gardener has seen nhow Lima as a living gallery where each element tells a story. From Sofía, the vigilant flame of the lobby and guardian of ancestral wisdom, to the golden Inti, representation of the sun and vital energy, the pieces dialogue with the Andean heritage from a contemporary perspective. The «Apocryphal Oscars» that inhabit the hallways question the new myths of modern success, opening a reflection on collective identity and cultural transformation.
The Amazon at the table
Gastronomy becomes another of the main pillars of this sustainable vision. Of course, in Lima the fence is very high, but in its Zönico restaurant the culinary story is articulated around the natural and cultural wealth of the eight countries crossed by the Amazon.
They are committed to the quality of the product, which they feel from the first hours of the morning. For the rest of the day, organic practices are preserved, by making use of ingredients such as chestnuts. Mother of Godmacambo, copoazú or palm hearts from Putumayo highlight original products that support local economies and promote the circular economy.
The proposal, led by Chef Wilfred Dass and supported by Rodolfo Chocontá, corporate chef of the Andean Region of Minor Hotels Europe & Americas, integrates contemporary techniques with respect for origin, traceability and temporality. Peru does not present itself as an isolated enclave in the world, but as a strategic node of biodiversity and gastronomic tradition.
From the increasingly cosmopolitan Peruvian capital, nhow Lima has surprised Peruvians with the launch of the most attractive and iconic urban building in the city. In addition to its striking design, the hotel shows us a hospitality model that understands that reducing impact is important, but generating local value is even more so. Traveling responsibly is not only about minimizing your carbon footprint, but also about contributing positively to the place that welcomes you, along with its people.
