HOTEL AS PART OF THE EXPERIENCE: HOW TO CREATE UNIQUE HOTELS ON THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA

Among travelers worldwide, demand is growing for hotels with unique design, located in unusual locations, and offering guests extraordinary experiences. For Russia, this is still a relatively new phenomenon, but the need for such establishments among travelers is already taking shape.

Today, several tourism trends relevant to hotel construction can be identified. We discussed these trends with Anna Kulikova, Partner at FANTALIS Architects. Anna also spoke about the most unusual hotel projects in Kamchatka and the specifics of their creation.

People are seeking a path to themselves

-        Anna, what tourism trends relevant to hotel construction would you highlight?

-        The first trend is digital detox. The digital detox trend emerged several years ago and has only continued to grow since then. Boutique hotels far from civilization offer metropolis residents, tired of the around-the-clock flow of information, an opportunity to rest and recharge in seclusion.
The second trend is the path to oneself. Today, 46% of tourists tend to choose wellness hotels. At the same time, there is also a growing interest among travelers in unusual types of recreation—such as meditations by a waterfall and "forest baths." The demand for recreation in natural locations grew by 40% in 2023.
The third direction is conscious tourism. Awareness of "green" initiatives is growing among travelers. In 2023, 90% of consumers sought to choose a more eco-friendly option for their trip. 39% of tourists are willing to pay more for such travel options.

The Hotel is accessible only by helicopter.

-        Tell us in more detail about the Extreme Hotel Aurora project on the Kamchatka Peninsula, created by your bureau FANTALIS Architects.

-        The Kamchatka destination has been popular for several years among tourists seeking new impressions and emotions. The project of a premium hotel facility—the Extreme Hotel Aurora—combines new trends in modern tourism.
The Extreme Hotel Aurora is located outside the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky district, in the area of the now-abandoned village of Schapino. It is one of the most remote points on the map—the hotel currently only has geographical coordinates, and visitors reach it exclusively by helicopter. Formally, Aurora has an address: Schapino district forestry, block 313, part of section 113, but around the hotel lie hectares of untouched forests, valleys, and hills where no human has set foot.

Our architectural bureau has been developing tourism in the region for over ten years. When designing facilities on the peninsula, we always rely on the surrounding context. The main task of the project was to create a unique hotel that would become the starting point for getting to know Kamchatka and become part of that experience. The idea of creating a club hotel in the middle of the taiga was a response to the demands of the most discerning, high-budget travelers interested in top-quality services and vivid experiences throughout their stay.
When choosing the location, the team paid attention to the remoteness and pristine nature of the area—here, the visitor will come into contact with the real Kamchatka.

-        Anna, tell us how you created the interior of this unusual hotel?

-        The architectural solutions and interior design of the hotel, developed by the bureau's team, also faced a challenge. For people traveling to Kamchatka, this journey is akin to flying to another planet, and placing the usual standard log guest houses in the surrounding context would have been a mistake. It was necessary to move away from uniform tourist "reservations" and create an extraordinary architectural object that would become one with the natural landscape of Kamchatka.
The concept of Aurora refers to the traditions of the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka, the Itelmens and Koryaks, as well as the practice of bridge building in Ancient Rus. The guest houses and restaurant are located on a large larch platform, hovering three meters above the ground, covering an area of 2,500 sq. m. This structural solution protects the soil ecosystem and also helps shield the building from seasonal floods. The platform also serves an aesthetic function: thanks to its elevated position, guests are treated to panoramic views of the taiga.

Each of the hotel's rooms is elegantly and comfortably furnished: brutal elements combined with natural wood finishes create a feeling of naturalness and unity with nature. The rooms are connected in pairs, with spacious terraces offering views of the mountains and river between them.
Aurora is conceived as a club facility: the hotel project has only 16 rooms, accommodating a maximum of 32 guests. One of the main tasks was to create "communication points"—spaces where visitors can spend time together. One such "point" is the restaurant: the interior, dominated by natural materials and wooden elements, solid wood countertops, ethnic patterns in the wall relief—all this creates an atmosphere of authenticity. Elegant, thin glass elements add sophistication to the interior. Near the main building of the project, there is a campfire lounge area, and behind it, a traditional Russian banya. According to the authors' plans, the Aurora project will be supplemented in the future with a full-fledged SPA center.

-        So, one of the project's tasks was to preserve the local nature, avoiding damage during construction and operation?

-        Absolutely right! We cared not only about the future guests of Aurora but also about natural resources. We primarily work with natural territories; over years of practice, the team has created a number of eco-friendly architectural projects—Aurora is no exception. The extreme hotel project is autonomous: the building is equipped with its own water supply and sewage system, and energy is generated by solar panels placed on the roof of the Aurora.

-        What other unusual projects in Kamchatka has your company created?

-        The Laguna SPA Hotel in Kamchatka.
Wellness recreation is another trend among the new generation of travelers. Leisure time is becoming a precious opportunity not only to gain new impressions but also to attend to one's own psychological and physical health, to refocus on restoring strength and rebooting the body.
Laguna is one of the oldest family vacation resorts, popular among local Kamchatka residents during Soviet times. Decades later, the resort's infrastructure became unusable. Our renovation project brought life back to Laguna, turning it into a point of attraction for tourists and locals alike.

A SPA Center on the Way to the Volcano

-        Tell us how you modernized this formerly Soviet facility, transforming it into a contemporary one?

-        The predecessor of the current SPA center, located in the village of Paratunka, was a Soviet holiday camp with 52 rooms, as well as an Aqua Center loved by both locals and tourists. Despite the hotel's ideal territorial location for tourism (it lies on the way to the volcanoes), Kamchatka is still a seasonal travel destination, so the flow of tourists can greatly increase or decrease in different months. We faced an important task—to create a multifunctional complex that would attract the local population from Yelizovo and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky even during unpopular periods.
The hotel is in a good location, from which one can easily reach and see Kamchatka's main natural attractions—tourists come precisely for this and spend less time at the hotel. Nevertheless, the project takes into account the natural features of the territory, and panoramic views of the mountain lake and volcano have allowed creating their own points of attraction within the hotel.

The Aqua Center on the Laguna grounds has a large outdoor pool with thermal water. This is the SPA hotel facility that generates the most interest among locals. We redeveloped the complex, built in Soviet times by Icelandic specialists, making it modern and comfortable to use.

Hotel apartments in a Kamchatka Grove of Ancient Birches

-        I know you also created the THE VILLAGE hotel apartments...

-        The active development of domestic tourism, especially to the country's most remote natural corners, requires efficient, modern, and eco-friendly solutions.
As part of the tourism development master plan for Kamchatka, our architectural bureau developed THE VILLAGE hotel apartments—cozy facilities that match the atmosphere of a true getaway outside the city.
The hotel apartments are located in a Kamchatka grove of ancient birches. During construction, we tried to preserve every tree and branch, placing buildings so as not to damage the centuries-old birches. The result was not only environmentally effective but also aesthetically pleasing—the ancient birch, integrated into the architecture, enhances the feeling of naturalness and harmony with nature.
The difficulty of working with the territory lay in the trees themselves: birches in Kamchatka are completely different from those growing in central Russia. Due to the harsh, windy conditions in which even trees struggle to survive, Kamchatka birches become twisted, and their trunks are much thicker than those we are used to. Because of this, it was impossible to position the building immediately according to the plan: the architects, together with the team, checked, went around the trees, moved the platforms so that the birch would be on the terrace, not within the building's perimeter—this solution allowed the trees to be preserved and avoid cutting down. Thanks to this approach, the facades of the guest houses turned out completely different and unique.
Thermowood was chosen as the main material for finishing the facades and bathrooms. In Kamchatka's natural and weather conditions, many materials fade, so, based on many years of experience working in the region, we chose to work with thermowood, which is less susceptible to damage.

-        Anna, could you please tell us about the specifics of designing hotels in remote corners of the planet.

-        The specific nature of hard-to-reach territories is complex logistics. Taking Kamchatka as an example, all materials and interior items are purchased either on the "mainland," as locals call the main territory of the peninsula, or in Moscow. Whether it's windows, chairs, finishes, or even a simple napkin—everything "floats" to the site within 1.5 to 2 months, which greatly affects the work schedule. The Extreme Hotel Aurora project became an even greater challenge due to its territorial location: it is deep in the Kamchatka taiga, far from civilization. Besides the remoteness from the mainland and limited transport options, logistics in winter are further complicated by severe weather conditions.
For the same reason, the format of author's supervision also changes. Project implementation has to be monitored remotely, periodically organizing team site visits together with supervising builders, as architects' long-term presence on the construction site is difficult.

And one last aspect that cannot be forgotten: the hotel is built for people. Remoteness from the city does not mean a reduction in service level. On the contrary, guests should feel as comfortable as possible so that the impressions of the trip and stay at the hotel remain positive, and the tourist wants to return again and again. For this, the facility must be completely self-sufficient, so we need to design an autonomous energy and water supply system, as well as consider the accommodation and living arrangements for service and management personnel.

Source: https://hotelier.pro/interviews/item/otel-kak-chast-vpechatleniy-kak-sozdat-unikalnye-oteli-na-poluostrove-kamchatka/