Located in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca —one of the most vibrant coastal regions in Mexico— Suuel is a hotel designed by CAAM Arquitectos that offers a new way of experiencing beach life. This three-level building is the result of years spent observing, understanding, and valuing its context. It represents a commitment to a different kind of growth: more thoughtful, more integrated, and rooted in the identity of the place.
Project Name: Suuel
Studio Name: CAAM Arquitectos
Location: Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico
Year: 2024
Area: 679 m²
Photography: Fernando Farfán
The choice of location and design approach stems from the influence that beach culture has had on the lives of the hotel’s creators. At Suuel, the vernacular is not treated as a nostalgic reference, but as an active design strategy present in every architectural and programmatic decision.
Tucked among lush nim trees, the hotel finds both shade and privacy. The architecture revolves around this vegetation, creating a quiet and sheltered atmosphere. Upon entering, guests are welcomed by a sand garden that serves both hotel visitors and diners at Pacífica Radio, Suuel’s restaurant and cultural-sound project. This same space transforms throughout the day —into a pétanque court during warm afternoons, and once a month into a listening room for the “Vinyl Fetish Sessions,” where selectors share rare and unexpected music.
The open kitchen establishes a direct relationship with the bar and the exterior, inviting passersby to stop, take a look, and step inside.
The guest rooms follow the same design logic. Architecture is meant to be felt with the body: as one moves upward, the trees provide wind and shade along the way. Suuel’s nine rooms prioritize spatial quality over quantity, offering generous living areas, workspaces, and lush terraces. Most rooms feature private plunge pools, while the rooftop hosts a communal pool discreetly nestled among the tree canopy —a quiet retreat where the Pacific Ocean’s soundscape is ever-present.
Wood is used extensively throughout the project, adding warmth while also enabling cross-ventilation and temperature control. Light fabrics and curtains soften transitions and keep the interiors open and connected to the outdoors.
With Suuel, CAAM Arquitectos and their collaborators propose a different way of building on the coast. One that doesn’t impose, but adapts; that doesn’t seek to stand out, but to blend in. A project that understands inhabiting a place also means taking care of it.
