A preview of Selina’s latest Mexico property in Tulum. (Photo: Selina)

Lifestyle, travel and hospitality platform Selina bets big on the development strategy for digital nomads in Mexico.

Community-focused lifestyle group Selina is planning on developing around 8,000 beds across both hostels and hotels in Mexico over the next two years.

The company, founded by two globe-trotting friends, is gearing their offering squarely towards digital nomads.

We find out more about this exciting pipeline.

Selina bets on Mexico

Selina, a contemporary hotel group that appeals to digital nomads, is planning a huge expansion into Mexico over the next two years.

The group, which crafts “unique, immersive, purpose-filled experiences” for their discerning guests, had identified Mexico as a key market for their growth ambitions, and as such, is investing $150m into developing a swathe of new properties across the country in the coming two years.

Operations director Paulo Pena says, “The plan is to have a total of 10,000 beds, now we have 2,300 beds open. We are working with a local partner (DD3 Capital Partners), which is very important, with a fund of $150 million dollars to develop the properties and together with them, we think we will meet that goal.”

Meeting this goal will involve developing around 8,000 beds between new hotels and hostels in desirable Mexican destinations including San Miguel de Allende, Sayulita, San Cristóbal de las Casas and Mérida.

Digital nomad dreams in Tulum

Mexico’s tourism industry is booming, in large part because of strong governmental support for the sector. And perhaps nowhere has benefited from this more than the idyllic Mayan paradise of Tulum, situated on the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean coast.

Tulum has become something of a celebrity haunt, with high-end resorts and hotels popping up among the coastal jungle at a rate of knots.

Selina has joined the party, recently opening a 100-key property in Tulum, which has a spread of room types, from shared dorms to private suites.

The hotel, Selina Los Lirios, is something of a blueprint for how the group would like to expand in the region, and Pena says that Tulum is the ideal location for the brand, given its appeal to Selina’s target demographic of remote workers.

Up until now, Selina’s development model has been to revamp and rebrand existing properties but will potentially look into developing properties close to natural and historic attractions.

Guests choose Selina because of their focus on diverse accommodation that boasts co-working facilities, restaurants and cultural and artistic activities.

According to our TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION online database, there are 138 hotel projects in the pipeline in Mexico: