August 21, 2019
(This went out as a newsletter to our Las Catalinas mailing list today)
Dear Friend of Las Catalinas,
In the past year I think many of us at Las Catalinas have begun to more greatly appreciate the importance of what we are doing. Our purpose is to create a better way to live, one that is healthier, more satisfying, more fun, and more sustainable. Granted, we are a small fish in a very big sea, but we really see this happening. Thousands of children have now had their first taste of freedom in our town. Tens of thousands of people have gotten a great reminder of how wonderful it is to have physical activity be a normal part of daily life, of how important it is to be surrounded by beauty, of how nice it is to be more connected to the rhythms of the natural world, and how profoundly good it feels to be in a place where having pleasant neighborly interactions with the people around you is so natural and effortless.
Building a town is not the easiest thing in the world to do. But man, when it works out like this, it is so worth it! :)
Our town grew dramatically in the past year and more exciting things are coming up this year. Without question Las Catalinas is more fun, more satisfying, and more compelling than ever before, and it will just keep getting better. I am happy to share some news from the year just finished and a peek at some things that are coming up:
- Our rental program was booming in 2016:
- House nights rented up 135%
- House nights owner use up 85%
- Houses participating in rental program up 57%
- Average score 9.74 out of 10 on question how likely customers are to recommend Las Catalinas.
- Our restaurants were flourishing in 2016:
- Customer count up 147%
- Revenue up 93%
- Businesses at Las Catalinas are growing:
- Pura Vida Ride continues to do an awesome job, with record results and an expansion currently underway.
- Connection Ocean, owned by Ernst van der Poll, is offering a daily swim program at the Beach Club, SCUBA, and ocean education programs.
- De Aqui, the design studio of Andrina Fonseca, is open in the lower level of Plaza Central.
- La Pula Studio, Ivan Jurado, art and design products studio, is open next door to De Aqui.
- Central, a co-working facility co-located with our company's main office in Plaza Central, will soon be opening.
- Plans are being made for Copper and Stone, a gourmet grocery to be located on the main floor of Plaza Central.
- Real estate sales in 2016:
- Sales to end-users set new record, 24 sales worth $14.3 million
- Population:
- During the year-end holidays our population of people living at Las Catalinas hit a new record of 325 people.
- Employees
- We have 173 employees working for Las Catalinas now, and many others working in our town at the other merchants and in construction. On a typical day about 650 people are working at Las Catalinas.
- Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas
- Las Catalinas' first hotel will be opening on February 10. I have had a sneak peek, and it is going to add a whole new dimension to Las Catalinas. It is sleek, sexy , and has one of the most dramatic settings of any hotel anywhere. As a place to stay, the hotel will be a romantic getaway. The restaurant, bar, spa, and pool will be open to our community and a really fabulous addition. Wait until you see it!
- A couple of big events coming up soon:
- Intrepid Challenge - a wicked sounding obstacle course race, coming to Las Catalinas for the first time on January 22!
- Triatlon Las Catalinas and Aquas Abiertas (open water swim) - one of my favorite days of the year. Great spirit, great community, humanity at its best. February 11!
As always thank you very much for your support of Las Catalinas. I hope to see you here very soon!
Best Regards,
Charles Brewer
Managing Partner, Las Catalinas