KiChic

Several miles from a lively surf town on the far northwest coast of Peru, this stylish nine-room retreat aims to not only give guests a respite from their regular world, but encourages them to make it better

• The residential–style guest rooms, which are all individually decorated with treasures from the owner’s world travels • The hotel’s skillful massage therapists and shamanic healers • The seemingly endless white beach just steps from the rooms

Taking its name from the Japanese term for ‘vital life force’ and the French word for ‘creativity’ (in the owner’s preferred definition), KiChic is the vision of Cristina Gallo, Kiki for short. The Lima native spent time working around the world and was introduced to spiritual thinking, yoga and vegetarianism during her travels. These discoveries inspired Kiki to turn her private beach house into an intimate hotel that allows others to experience her way of life.

For guests, that can mean morning Vinyasa yoga and evening yin classes in an expansive, open-air yoga room; sessions with local healers; and a nutrition regime of raw, vegan food. Days are spent relaxing on the beach, sipping pisco sours and eating delicious ceviche, or taking a tuk-tuk to the city center for surf lessons or shopping.

Mindfulness is the guiding principle at KiChic. The televisions (a reluctant addition after it became clear that lack of televised soccer was hurting business) are covered with shams that encourage guests to think twice about removing them—suggesting visitors instead tune into their surroundings and companions. Healthy, balanced, and holistic are the key words here, as Gallo says her purpose in life is to ‘create awareness.’ With KiChic, she set out to reconnect guests with the essentials of intuition, energy and senses. That doesn’t mean the resort is ‘hippie-dippie’; rather, it’s sophisticated, romantic, and blessedly simple—and the most cosmopolitan of the many hotels now lining the coast.

Gallo researched traditional building techniques and committed to using only wood from fallen trees for the hotel’s construction, while cultivating coconut palms and Indian Neem trees in the gardens. The nine rooms are spacious and decorated with Peruvian elements like brightly patterned rugs, adobe walls, alpaca blankets and Huatulco wood.

The main dining room serves vegetarian cuisine, and the lengthy menu draws heavily from the hotel’s own herb garden and homemade products like bread, egg-less coconut mayonnaise and ice cream. There is also a second eatery specializing in fresh local fish. (Visitors can order from both menus, but the kitchens are separate in order to preserve the cleanliness of the vegetarian fare.) As a result, it’s hard to eat unhealthily, but it’s easy to eat deliciously.

At KiChic, it’s important to note that restaurant is something of a misnomer. These eateries consist of a handful of tables under one roof, and many more hidden in a courtyard, among trees and on platforms overlooking the sea. By night, the atmosphere is very intimate and romantic.

KiChic is ideal for visitors who appreciate seaside yoga, clean eating and are looking to fully decompress. Those who are not keen on a health-conscious vacation should look elsewhere, as should those who expect nightlife. While the town center is a short ride away, KiChic is quiet by 9pm.