Although not as well known as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Vallarta, Costa Mujeres, Mexico is fast becoming a preferred luxury travel destination for American travelers and second home owners. Costa Mujeres has all the natural beauty of nearby Cancun – pristine white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters – but with fewer crowds and less distractions. Its laid-back atmosphere, along with fresh seafood and delectable cuisine, makes it an ideal location for a tropical vacation.
Overwater bungalows started as a bottom-tier accommodation. Today, they're a status symbol in the luxury travel world.
17.04.2024 - 12:45 / insider.com
The first overwater bungalow had a thatched roof, a window peering into the ocean, and a ladder leading into the water.
Fast-forward 60 years, and overwater villas can now feature multi-story water slides, infinity pools, and personal butlers. They can also cost upwards of $8,000 a night at some of the world's ritziest resorts.
There's no doubt the accommodation style has expanded since its start in Tahiti in 1967, and travel experts agree they aren't going away anytime soon. Instead, the overwater villa has become a status symbol of luxury travel.
In 1959, three Americans left California for Tahiti's lush landscapes and crystal waters.
The men — Jay Carlisle, Hugh Kelley, and Donald McCallum — relocated with plans to start vanilla farming. When they learned the land they purchased wasn't suitable for vanilla, they turned to hospitality, Vaihiria Kelley, the daughter of Hugh Kelley, told Business Insider.
They purchased a four-room, run-down property on the island of Moorea and named it Bali Hai. The trio became known as the Bali Hai Boys.
Their timing was ideal, Kelley said. Shortly after renovating the hotel, a new airport connected international travelers to Tahiti, which had previously only been accessible by boat. In 1962, Life Magazine wrote a seven-page feature on Tahiti and the Bali Hai Boys. Tourism boomed.
After that, the men purchased two more hotels on two other islands.
As the hotels grew in popularity, they needed to grow in size. Two of the properties had the land to expand, but the third hotel on the island of Raiatea didn't, Kelley said. Instead, it was surrounded by roads, neighboring resorts, and the ocean.
"The overwater bungalow didn't start out of, 'Oh, let's think of something really innovative,'" Kelley said. "It really came out of a need."
Without land to expand, the ocean was their only option. Nearby, on the island of Huahine, traditional Tahitian fishing huts lined the coast.
That's where the trio found their inspiration, Kelley said. The basic fishing huts sat on coconut trunk pillars and had thatched roofs. Mimicking the style, they built three overwater bungalows to join the garden and pool bungalows that also filled the Raiatea property in 1967.
Kelley said the men assumed the overwater bungalows were the least desirable at the time and priced them at just $240 a day, including meals.
"They didn't expect that it would be so popular," Kelley said.
Vacationers were enchanted by falling asleep to the sound of the ocean and waking up to dive straight into the water. After realizing they had a successful concept, Kelley said the Bali Hai Boys began adding overwater bungalows to their two other properties. It wasn't long before other resorts on islands across French Polynesia
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