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Steve Case's Eco-Getaway
Now the former AOL entrepreneur and Time Warner chairman is targeting the high-end ecotourism crowd.
(By Katherine Frey -- The Washington Post)
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"For someone who made money in the high-tech boom, they may have some ecological guilt about a high-consumption lifestyle," Angel said. "Spending time at a resort where they feel they are having minimal impact on land will make them feel better than going to some resort where the virgin wilderness is hacked away."
Like Revolution's other ventures, Revolution Places caters to a new generation of consumer. In the past, high-end vacations were equated with pristine hotels and fine dining, said Donn Davis, chief executive of Revolution Places. Today's affluent tourists prefer swimming with dolphins and swinging down zip lines, he said. They want to eat authentic local food. And they want to take their kids, he said.
"It's a whole new definition of luxury," Davis said.
The project brings together several high-end travel brands. One & Only Resorts, a hotel firm with locations worldwide, will operate the beachfront hotel. Exclusive Resorts, a luxury time-share business owned by Revolution, will build 30 of the resort's homes. Miraval, a destination spa featured on "Oprah" and owned by Revolution, will operate a facility with 120 rooms and 60 villas.
The resort will also have some star power. Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, who signed a partnership agreement last fall with Exclusive Resorts, will design the tennis and fitness center. Tom Doak, a renowned golf course designer, will build an 18-hole course that limits the impact on the local terrain. Philippe Cousteau, grandson of the famous underwater explorer, will serve as Revolution Places' special adviser on environmental issues and will develop activities.
To preserve the region's culture, the company says, Cacique will feature local retailers, not Gucci or Prada, in the resort's shopping center. Restaurants will serve regional cuisine prepared by local chefs.
The resort, 25 miles from the international airport in the town of Liberia, will be completed in phases. All services will be operating by 2010, but some houses will still be under construction. Residences will range from 4,000-square-foot homes to lofts of less than 2,000 square feet.
Though Revolution Places says it's too early to set rates for Cacique, a look at One & Only Resorts' other properties offers some clues. A deluxe villa in its Maldives location can run up to $2,180 a night.
"These will be some of the most expensive homes and hotels," Davis said. "It's for the affluent families who want the best of the best. We're targeting the high-end, most discerning buyers and travelers."
Revolution Places says it wants to get its Costa Rican resort right before exploring other properties. Case says he doesn't want it to be too manufactured or theme-park-ish.
"It'll be like the best of Hawaii without the parts us locals are not as proud of," he said.
