Bio Habitat : where architecture meets nature

The last time I stepped onto a plane, was January 2020. And my visit was to Colombia. I had the pleasure to visit the vivid city of Bogota, where there was a mix of city life and countryside. But when I got the opportunity to head again to Colombia, but this time visited other parts, I couldn’t say no.

After two years of this feeling of being “locked” on an island, I was ready to spread my wings again. When Discover Colombia Travel asked me to enjoy some of their experiences of traveling at some great, secluded resorts, my bags were already packed. Discover Colombia Travel is a travel agency that creates curated travel packages with unique stays and great experiences. Everything can be handled for you; from checking in before you get to the airport, to having a personal driver, to get your sim card. If you’re more of getting around by yourself in your own time and car, that also can be arranged.

So, let me take you on this journey of exploring a beautiful blend of architecture and nature.

FIRST STOP

The first stop was Bio Habitat Hotel. After staying a night at the airport of Bogotá, this was a real joy to get a welcome. Yes, instead of arriving late night at the hotel, we arrived in the morning. There was a heavy mist going on at the airport of Pereira that the airplane couldn’t land. So, they just flew back. Of course, safety first, but staying in an airport wasn’t great either.

But after arriving in the early morning at Pereira and driving into the countryside of Armenia, all the stress was gone. Surrounded by beautiful hills with lush trees saying hello to you. Even though, I experienced a rainy week, that couldn’t take down the pleasure of this adventure. So, even more, a pleasant surprise, when we arrived at Bio Habitat Hotel, to see this amazing nature view.

WHERE ARCHITECTURE MEETS NATURE

The rooms are all located and constructed in the hills of this land and surrounded by (high) trees and beautiful fauna. One great aspect of the flora that is planted for the aesthetic, is also plants that already exist in the surrounding.

You can feel that this was made by locals, that have the experience of the surroundings. Bio Habitat was created by two best friends, one an architect, Julian Escobar, and the other an engineer, Jorge Andres. Both are from the area of Armenia. They had the vision to create places where sustainability, bioclimatic architecture, regenerative processes, and recovering the environment.

Their goal was for the guests to be more aware and conscious of the importance of the surrounding nature and its conservation in our daily lives. There are 7 types of rooms, which all give you another satisfaction. For that reason, there’s also no TV in the room. Plus, why come all this way to indulge in screen time, when you can enjoy the view and so much more.

And with all that flora, comes also the sounds of birds. I didn’t see any, but you’ll hear them as a beautiful soundtrack.

MATERIALS

When you arrive, you’ll see the use of materials that give you an industrial feeling. But with the right number of natural materials like wood (a variation of wood, like bamboo), the cold feeling that concrete and steel might give you, melts away.

Adding also furniture with a leather-look will also warm the space up.

There’s also a variation of materials in the rooms. The rooms are not all alike. For example, the room I stayed in, Aviaries Master, had beautiful hard wooden floors. Where the steel ceiling was covered with bamboo sticks and with a stone back wall. The reason they designed it like that was, because of the location of the room. This room is tucked into the high trees and lots of plants around you. Added the wooden floors, gives the room a warmer feeling rather than adding a concrete floor. You’ll be feeling the role-playing of the colors here, green and brown. The green outside plays like the accent color inside the room.

But in the Master Suites, there are concrete floors placed. Because of the view that these rooms provide, you’ll feel that the blue skies and the open view will warm up the place for you. So, you don’t have to have wooden floors to give a warm feeling. But the wooden materials come back in as part of the furniture or wall finishing.

By keeping the concept of the rooms fairly open, they made use of much glass. You can enjoy the surroundings even more then. Don’t worry, there are blinds for privacy.

SUSTAINABILITY

Besides that, all the materials used for the creation of this hotel are from that area of Armenia or Pereira, they also re-used or recycled materials they used. Like pieces of steel that were left over, they used them to create table legs for the tables in the restaurant. Or wooden pieces were also used to create pieces of furniture.

The water used in the rooms is also filtered, so it can be used for the flora. And use of solar panels, is also a great way to use nature (or better said, the creation) to make energy sustainably.

Besides the great staff, amazing food, a great sauna, and chilled pool (I have to go back for the full spa experience), there is also sightseeing, for example, at Valle at Cocora or a tour in one of the local towns. Because it was raining a bit too much, I skipped the walking part of Cocora. But even with all that rain, it was so beautiful to see.

Bio Habitat Hotel is great for a retreat, honeymoon, family vacation (kids from 12 up can come), girlfriends’ trips, or even a solo explorer. The main thing is to relax and enjoy every minute of the surrounding nature.

I would say, don’t wait any longer, and book your own experience here. Use this coupon code, Jenpen100, to get a USD 100 discount on your first booking.

Let’s talk after then 😉

This blog post is in collaboration with Discover Colombia Travel. There is an affiliate link for the booking. With every booking made, I’ll make a small referral commission. And it’s because I’ve experienced this place myself, I’m recommending it to you too.

Photography by: Hubertienne Decaster, JenPen.Shots