Brazil's UXUA Casa Hotel Exclusive Retreat for International Jet Set

UXUA (pronounced oo-SHOO-ahh) Casa Hotel is something completely different and inspiring -- a boutique cluster of converted fishermans cottages and eco-structures in a remote 'Garden of Eden' called Trancoso.

Like Goa, Koh Samui and Ibiza, the historic village near the Pataxó Indian reservation has been a hippie mecca since the early 1970's and is now being discovered by a new generation free spirits: from painters, sculptors, dancers and musicians to international celebrities such as supermodel Naomi Campbell arriving in private jets.

In one of the world's unlikeliest but trendiest holiday destinations, the creative director of fashion label Diesel, Wilbert Das, has developed the unique lodge resort UXUA Casa Hotel.

"I started restoring the Indian-style pousada as a second home, but the project evolved into guest cottages for creative, cosmopolitan people to find inspiration," Wilbert said.

"It is one of the most visually stimulating and relaxing places you can imagine, surrounding creative people in a harmonious and supportive atmosphere, fostering collaboration, humour and fun."

UXUA Casa Hotel (www.uxua.com) is now being promoted internationally as an exclusive "creative retreat to let your imagination run free".

It is situated beside the historic 'Quadrado' grassy square, the town's focal point used mainly for relaxing or impromptu barefoot soccer games, surrounded by bars and boutiques. The hotel is so discreet it is not even signposted.

The nine colourful 1 to 3 bedroom cottages (including a multi-level treehouse made entirely of recycled wood) are nestled around pools in a lush tropical garden of flowers, fruits and towering cocoa and jackfruit trees.

Each casa is uniquely restored and designed with traditional materials and construction methods as a tribute to the region of Bahia and its dynamic people, and can be booked for either self-catering or fully serviced, according to preference.

Décor incorporates architectural mixes from southern Bahian, colonial, and Indian, with antiques and Bahian art as well as hand-made furniture and fixtures and some modernism that nods to Wilbert's work in contemporary fashion and furniture design.

The rustic cluster is complemented by a one-of-a-kind aventurine quartz swimming pool believed to possess "powerful healing qualities", lounge, library, gym, spa, restaurant and beachfront bar-nightclub modeled from grounded fishing boats.

UXUA is essentially a "spectacular immersion in a natural and traditional Bahian environment, delivering an entirely new level of casual luxury in one of Brazil's most enchanting destinations", said Das.

"Nothing beats taking an outdoor shower while watching a hummingbird feeding on tropical flowers right in front of you, or the sight of thousands of stars up in the night sky while sitting in the bath.

"I love that localness. I believe people are becoming more attracted to small-scale holiday resorts, not brands and concepts already familiar to them, and return to a sense of 'discovery' travel."

The international Travel + Leisure magazine called Trancoso "one of the strangest and most singularly beautiful places in Brazil", and placed UXUA near the top of a list of the world's 45 best new hotels of 2009

It wrote: "Like Goa and Ibiza before it, Trancoso would seem to be at the tipping point between high freak and high fashion, hippies and hipsters. Yet despite recent incursions, here the dominant pretension is the lack thereof. Everyone dresses like fishermen." The magazine also writes of Trancoso and UXUA: "Bahia's sexiest beach village takes a giant leap forward with this nine-suite gem masterminded by the creative director of Diesel."

The internationally famous Pirelli Calendar 2010 edition was recently shot by legendary American photographer Terry Richardson at the UXUA Casa Hotel, with the photographer and 11 of the world's top supermodels all staying at the resort.