Honduras will be hitting a home run in hospitality when the luxury Indura Beach & Golf Resort opens in the first quarter of 2014, a showcase property along a 26-mile stretch of Tela Bay on the northern Caribbean coast. With an investment of $133 million, the resort will incorporate 60 jr. suite accommodations, an 18-hole, Gary Player-designed golf course, and a wellness sanctuary offering ESPA treatments and products.
Jose Gutierrez, CEO of Development Agency for Tela, Desarrollo Turistico Bahia de Tela, feels that Indura has the potential to be an important benchmark in Honduran tourism. “The impact on Tela is enormous, reactivating the economy of a small community by generating hundreds of jobs of all shapes and colors and functioning as a catalyst for the tourism industry.”
In this effort, he points out that Indura has hired young adults from Tela to join the golf training academy to learn the game and be course caddies. “They are familiar with the terrain and can also point out the panther tracks on the course and spot howler monkeys as they pass through the trees.”
Gutierrez also notes that included in the 800 direct jobs already created for the community are knowledgeable women from the local villages who have been cultivating and developing the hotel’s nursery that will serve the landscaping needs for the entire resort.
Indura is managed by Miami-based TRUST Hospitality, whose COO, Patrick Goddard, adds, “Latin America has been a focus of our company for almost five years and an important component of our growth strategy. The addition of Indura Beach & Golf Resort shows our commitment to that strategy and our belief in the naturally beautiful Tela Bay area of Honduras as an emerging destination.”
Set in a lush tropical landscape, the jr. suites—Nature, Ocean-Peek and Ocean views—are scattered in 15 villas, connected by footpaths that meander to a pristine beach. The design incorporates the liberal use of local Honduran products and sustainable materials, including bamboo floors, walls of local pine, San Juan wood doors and decorative accents of Guanacaste wood. Suites come with spacious seating areas and wraparound terraces; air conditioning and ceiling fans; TV; complimentary WiFi; coffeemakers; luxury pillow-top mattresses; and roomy bathrooms.
Here are a few more resort highlights:
• Indura will have five dining options, highlighting the culinary traditions of Honduras, pairing indigenous ingredients grown on property along with the local catch of the day. Recipes combine techniques borrowed from the Garifuna—a culture of Amerindian and African descent—and flavors of South America that come together to create an outstanding cuisine.
• Guests can go hiking and birdwatching in nearby nature reserves; white-water rafting on one of the best rivers in Central America, the Rio Cangejal, which runs through Pico Bonito National Park; swimming in the hotel pool—designed with three uniquely appealing swim areas; Hobbie Wave sailing, kayaking, surfing and paddle boarding; snorkeling right off hotel beaches; and deep-sea fishing farther out in Caribbean waters.
• Troon Golf will manage Indura’s 18-hole Gary Player course, the first championship course in Honduras. It is set on 1,800 pristine tropical acres and surrounded by beaches, blue lagoons and native wetland vegetation. The Sagadi Golf Lounge will also be open daily for breakfast and lunch on the go.
• There is a 1,500-ft. fitness center equipped with state-of-the-art cardio and strength training equipment, as well as a private movement center; guests can also attend regularly scheduled fitness classes, beach yoga and tai chi sessions.
• In the Maina Spa & Wellness sanctuary, ESPA has crafted signature treatments infused with natural plants and herbs grown in Honduras. The menu here includes Milk & Honey to Mayan Cacao massages, as well as therapies designed to refresh and reinvigorate the soul. The experience is complete with time spent in private spa casitas and in the outdoor relaxation area—nature’s “aromatic garden.”
• Bayu-Bayu Kids & Teens Club offers an extensive and adventurous activities program, as well as a media club with movies and video games.
• The activity center serves as a one-stop shop to arrange tee times, spa appointments, day tours and excursions, or dinner reservations. The center provides complimentary computers and printers for the convenience of guests in checking e-mail, printing boarding passes and more.
Located 1-hour’s drive from San Pedro Airport, guests will be heading not only to a luxury resort, but one that sits at the edge of the Jeannette Kawas/Punta Sal National Park, a 302-sq.-mile reserve made up of beaches, pristine coral reefs and lush jungle that hosts an incredible array of species such as marine turtles, dolphins, manatees, caimans, ocelots, peccaries and monkeys. Additionally, from November through February, the park is an important stop for tens of thousands of migratory birds. Indura Beach & Golf Resort also fronts Tela Bay, part of a biological corridor whose mangroves preserve the natural environment and safeguard a wonder-world of migrating animals.
Rates for a suite start at $309 per night. For reservations and information, call (305) 537-7056 or visit induraresort.com.
