AOL co-founder
and now luxury resort developer and operator Steve Case has
launched a company to develop environmentally sustainable and
culturally sensitive resorts. Hotels editor Jeri Clausing spoke
with Donn Davis, whom Case has tapped to run his new
venture.
Q:
You have been named CEO of Revolution Places, which the press
release described as "an original approach to the sustainable
destination resort communities."
What does that
mean?
A:
What Revolution Places is looking to do is a new and different kind
of resort development. Through our business at Exclusive Resorts
[where Davis served as CEO], we've seen hundreds of resorts
developed around the world, and we thought there is a better way to
do it ... to respect local culture and diversity with a new
definition of luxury. Consumers today want less formality. They
want to stay with their kids, travel with their families. It's not
the same definition of luxury that our parents had.
Q:
What type of programs are involved in ensuring that a resort is
sustainable?
A:
It's too soon to talk about specific programs. But we have several
key principles.
The first is land
stewardship. How do you really take the land that's there and not
destroy what nature has given you? The great example there is the
golf course architect we chose: Tom Doak is probably the most
famous in the world for building a golf course without moving the
land. He takes what the land has given him. The second thing is
about healthy living. One of our developers is Miraval. Miraval is
all about better choices for people: How do you live better, how do
you eat better, how do you feel better?
Then there is
sustainability, how to make better choices on materials that are
much more indigenous to the land. The last is really about local
culture and species. We are not trying to import things to Costa
Rica. We are trying to enhance and to show people the best of Costa
Rica.
Q:
Steve Case has talked about his disappointment in watching
development in Hawaii when he was growing up. Even though
Revolution Places' stated focus is to be environmentally friendly,
isn't it difficult to develop 650 acres without substantially
changing the eco-system and coastline?
A:
What we think we are doing is taking the best development practices
of hundreds of resorts and bringing them to Costa Rica. I think
what Steve Case saw growing up in Hawaii [was that] some
developments embraced and respected the local culture and
environment and some did not. What we are trying to do is show the
best of the local culture, the best of the local food, the best of
the local shopping, the best of the local environment. Our job is
not to make Costa Rica look like the Caribbean ... it's to keep it
authentic, pure and special. The site had originally been conceived
a decade ago as a very dense development site. And we are
preserving 80% of that land as open space.
Q:
How involved will you be in overseeing development to ensure it
meets environmental goals?
A:
Revolution Places owns the entire development. Unlike other
developers who sell parcels of land or turn over subdevelopment
rights ... we maintain the choice in how we develop that
property.
Q:
Can you share any information about where and how many other
resorts we might see in the near future?
A:
Our desire is to do one of these projects every two to three years
and make sure it is one of the best developments in the world for
the guests and the local people and culture.
To
contact reporter Jeri Clausing, send e-mail to [email protected].