Located on the jungle-lined coast of Sayulita, a bohemian surf town an hour north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, sits NICO SAYULITA, a micro-hospitality concept switching back and forth from a full five-suite buy-out to a small boutique hotel, according to need.

© Alex Herbig

Designed by Seattle-based architecture and development firm HYBRID, in collaboration with Mexico City-based architecture firm Palma, NICO offers a unique environment, where each space has been thoughtfully designed for guests to experience the distinctive surroundings and connect with each other in spaces within a varied gradient of privacy and openness.

The property, opened to guests in late 2022, is an imaginative, two-level structure. After crossing a bridge over the main pool, guests discover the rest of the venue by literally descending into the jungle, as indoor and outdoor spaces combine throughout the building in a concrete grid structure. Here, guests explore designs and layout making the most of the local climate with a fully open level welcoming the breeze and allowing a feeling of complete immersion in nature.

© Alex Herbig

Once inside, guests discover both private and social areas with unexpected and thrilling viewpoints through which the ocean and surroundings can be glimpsed. Views can go from the airy openness of the rooftop and pass through the middle levels surrounded by lush treetops before descending to a much more terrestrial level in the Jungle suite, a room encircled by native foliage featuring a built-in tub for a spa-like experience.

NICO’s five guest suites are thought of as calming, tranquil spaces offering the ability to embrace the outdoors with floor-to-ceiling windows and particular spatial details, like private terraces and custom-designed furniture. The main social level is accompanied by a lap pool with artisanal, turquoise-colored tile, all surrounded by greenery. There is also a rooftop level plunge pool offering spectacular views of the bay, sea and open sky framed with concrete beams reminiscent of tropical modernism.

© Alex Herbig

Units can be used and rented in different configurations, constantly modifying the way in which the building is inhabited and allowing either an extended family or group of friends to rent the entire complex, or for the suites to be individually occupied. This same flexibility is reflected in the structural reasoning behind the project.

© Alex Herbig

The collaboration between the two architectural firms results in an interesting situation; instead of copying the local building traditions, the two firms reimagined the fundamental architectural concepts, which ultimately gave rise to a fresh, modern and autonomous architectural expression, accompanied by custom furniture designed by emerging Mexican designers, adding a playful character to the materials, color and inventiveness.