Suitree Experience Hotel / Studio Saxe

Architects: Studio Saxe
Area: 921 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Danta Collective
Architects: Studio Saxe
Interior Design: Nosara Design Pauline Steenkamer
Landscape: Vida Design Studio
Client: Suitree Experience Hotel
Collaborators: S3 Ingenieros, Servi CO.CO.
District: Sardinal de Carrillo
Country: Costa Rica

Suitree Experience Hotel, designed by Studio Saxe in Sardinal, Costa Rica, features elevated teak and steel pods that integrate into the jungle with minimal environmental impact. Located in Guanacaste province, the hotel includes five guest pods and structures for reception, dining, wellness, and observation. Raised up to nine meters, the pods offer expansive views while reducing site disturbance. Prefabricated elements improve efficiency, and each 108-square-meter pod has a faceted roof, deep overhangs, a wraparound balcony, and a spiral staircase. Angled steel stilts provide structural stability with a light footprint. The pods include modern amenities like electricity and water, though guests often prioritize the natural experience. Sustainability efforts include water harvesting, and all existing trees were preserved.

Elevated pods constructed from teak and steel are dispersed throughout Costa Rica’s Suitree Experience Hotel, designed by the local firm Studio Saxe to “coexist and symbiotically interact” with the surrounding ecosystem. Situated in Sardinal, a district in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, the hotel is set within a region recognized for its dense jungles, agricultural landscapes, and protected nature reserves.

Situated on a hilly 2.6-hectare site, the San José-based firm Studio Saxe designed a series of “tree-inspired pods” intended to minimize environmental disruption. Raised up to nine meters above the ground, these structures provide expansive views while offering an immersive experience within the jungle canopy.

Studio Saxe described its design philosophy as centered on the concept of “floating architecture,” where structures avoid disrupting the existing ecosystem and instead coexist and interact symbiotically with it. The firm emphasized that architecture was envisioned “not as an imposition on the landscape, but rather as a seamless extension of it.”

The five pods, which house guest rooms, constitute half of the buildings at the Suitree Experience Hotel, all designed by Studio Saxe. The remaining structures include a reception area, a restaurant, and a spa. The hotel also features a lookout tower and a ground-level villa with level access.

The pods share an identical design, with certain components prefabricated for efficiency. Each spans 108 square meters, including a wraparound balcony. The faceted roofs feature rounded edges and deep overhangs.

Metal and teak wood were used for the construction of the pods, which are supported by angled steel stilts. The roofs were made of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), while the eaves were covered with Caña Brava bamboo, which was also used to clad the undersides of the pods.

According to the team, each pod is supported by four robust structural elements that provide both structural and seismic stability while giving the impression of an organism lightly stepping on the landscape. The design was conceived to balance stability and harmony, creating a sustainable experience that both respects and enhances the surrounding environment. Each pod features a central spiral staircase that leads to the guest room, which includes a king bed, a pair of twin beds, a bathroom, and a desk. Running water and electricity are provided, with piping and wiring discreetly concealed within metal columns.

The team explained that the guest rooms provide all the comforts of a hotel, including Wi-Fi, television, and air conditioning, though most guests tend to forgo these amenities in favor of the surrounding views. They also highlighted that each pod was designed to harvest water and that every tree on-site was preserved during construction.