Privately owned and operated by Tola Development, the Inn at Rancho Santana sits on 2,700 acres of southwest Pacific coastline, less than three hours from Managua, Nicaragua.
After acquiring the property in 1997, Rancho Santana CEO Matt Turner developed the site in phases that began with a residential concept and evolved to include the two-story, 17-room Inn at Rancho Santana eco-resort, conceived as an hacienda-meets-boutique hotel experience featuring its own art gallery, courtyard, café, lounge, and five beaches.
Turner turned to Aimee Altevers, director of interior design for San Diego-based Altevers International and Altevers Associates Architecture, who conceived an indoor-outdoor aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the 16th and 17th century architectural heritage of the country’s early Spanish settlers.
“The rural ranch and farm buildings of Spain’s Andalusia region provided a stunning example of a building style that evolved as a response to changing uses over time, climate, the use of local building materials, and building techniques,” says Altevers. “Our design is a reinterpretation of the building forms and details of Andalusian architecture reformed to express a casual yet sophisticated character.”
Within the larger ranch of residential oceanfront villas and garden-view casitas, the team created a rustic hideaway built on an intimate scale inspired by the property’s coastal surroundings—most of the primary spaces are open-air and provide ocean views.
In addition to a selection reclaimed from properties no longer in use, materials were sourced from local artisans. Altevers and her team designed everything from the lighting to the tiles, though the furniture and accessories were fabricated by local artisans at the inn’s own Wood Shop at Rancho Santana, built in 2011; or discovered on excursions around Nicaragua. Other architectural elements were crafted at Rancho Santana Iron Works, founded by Turner in 2013. Clay roof tile, stone, brick, recycled wood beams, and homemade ceramics all appear prominently.
“One of our goals was to utilize local Nicaraguan materials,” says Altevers, “However, there are limited resources available. This proved challenging but fortunately turned out extraordinarily authentic.”
Ranging in size from 350 to 850 square feet, the inn includes 11 standard rooms, two deluxe suites, and four one-bedroom suites—all with private terraces. Each room was designed in one of four themes—earth, air, water, and fire—reflected in their fabrics, decorative tiles, area rugs, draperies, and accessories to create a sense of individuality that accentuates the unique floor plans and configurations. The fire suite features warm russet, gold, and sage green hues, while the water suite showcases cooler tones of blue, cream, and yellow.
Locally produced Central American Modernist pieces curated by Delray Beach, Florida-based Ford Fine Art are on display throughout the inn’s accommodations, public spaces, and in the Galeria Rancho Santana. In the lobby, two large maps by Caribbean artist Augusto Silva depict Nicaragua and the Rancho Santana property, while oversized art installations complement the corridors’ soaring pitched ceilings.
Near the lobby lounge, a single raintree, relocated from a nearby pasture prior to the inn’s construction, provides shade and serves as a courtyard focal point. At night, the area is lit by a warm glow emitted from iron lanterns and sconces forged on site.
“Entering the inn for the first time is quite dramatic,” explains Altevers. “Standing in the recessed brick archway, you would expect to see a more conventional lobby, but instead you’re welcomed by a gorgeous local tree with casual but elegant outdoor furnishings underneath, fantastic handpainted tile paired with local brick, and Pacific Ocean views.”
