Pousada 101: A crash course on what this whole thing is
Hi hi! Ever since I announced my lease signing in September, I’ve been sending you updates on the process of opening the pousada. Some of you know all the details of this journey, but some of you are newer subscribers and you may be wondering, “What is this girl on about? What in the world is a pousada?”
So, in lieu of my typical weekly update — let’s take a step back to basics:
Who am I?
👋 Hi! I’m Brandy Cerne, and have spent most of my career building community-oriented brands:
In house at Shake Shack, Sofar Sounds, and Groove
Self-employed with Brand by Brandy and The Office of Beloved Brands (my partnership with designer Libby Connolly)
I’m passionate about any solutions for social health that bring people together and encourage social connection, and am now opening a connection-led pousada, which you can think of as a boutique inn or bed & breakfast, in Paraty, Brazil.
Why Paraty?
I moved to Brazil in 2018 for ❤️ love ❤️ — my partner Carlos and I met while both living in NYC and working for Sofar. We lived in São Paulo for 6 years, and traded it in for the small tropical beach town Paraty earlier this year.
Paraty is such a hidden gem! Not that hidden since it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in Brazil, but most foreigners I mention it to have never heard of it.
It’s situated almost equidistant between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (about a 4 hour drive from both), and is a historic city and UNESCO site.
It’s GREAT! Paraty has:
A historic city center with colonial architecture
Many beaches on a tranquil bay - aka no waves
A lot of waterfalls
Local producers of cachaça, Brazil’s most famous spirit and base of caipirinhas
A thriving restaurant culture
Cultural events almost every weekend, most of them free.
What is a pousada exactly?
You can think of it like a small, boutique, generally independently-run inn or bed and breakfast. They’re a huge part of travel in Brazil, and a very common place to stay. They can range from quite simple to more luxurious.
What is my pousada going to be like?
I’m renting a 9-room pousada, and I’m so excited to share more photos, videos, and the name and branding once I start the lease in mid-November!
It was built and run by a couple and has super unique architecture — after visiting around 15 or so places, as soon as we entered the gate we could feel this one was really special. Each room is different.
A lot of hotels are design-led these days — I’m aiming for mine to be connection-led. A place that’s easy to connect with each other, other guests, and Paraty.
When I was younger, I loved how hostels were designed for easy connection, but I matured out of them and wanted something more comfortable. I’ve stayed in a ton of boutique hotels and while comfortable and stylish, I miss that feeling of being able to easily chat with other people, from staff to fellow guests. So, picture all the comfort of a hotel, the personal feeling of a small inn, and the soul of a hostel.
When will it open?
My lease was meant to start this week, but we delayed it slightly for some small renovations. I should start mid-November, and I’m aiming to soft open by New Year’s since it’s a huge holiday here in Paraty. It will mostly depend on the delivery of the furniture (especially beds), towels, and pillows.
Why am I opening a pousada?
The short answer - I can’t picture working in front of my computer solo for much longer! I miss people!
The longer answer - ever since I read Weave’s The Relationalist Manifesto, I realized how passionate I am about social health, and realized I need a lot more of it in my day to day work to feel energized and full of purpose.
Ever since I worked in hostels while traveling in my mid-20s, I’ve had a dream of running something like this, but thought it would be a dream for when I’m older — which I’m learning is very common from how many people tell me this is their retirement dream (don’t get me started on how this should not be your dream for retirement unless you want to spend your retirement working).
I was laid off for the second time in 2023 and when I returned to freelancing, I realized it wasn’t fulfilling me in the same way, so moved up my dream.
When I worked in hostels, I absolutely loved connecting with other travelers, giving local recommendations, and making people feel welcome. While my other experience seems unrelated on paper, there’s a lot that’s influenced this path:
Shake Shack: I led Guest Relations and answered all customer service emails. I learned so much about hospitality and generosity from that culture.
Sofar Sounds: This was a crash course in setting expectations for a new environment, gathering people, and creating a magical experience that allowed people to let their guards down.
Groove: Social health, rituals, and community building was at the heart of everything we worked on.
What have I been working on this week?
No video this week because of this 101 update, but here’s what I’ve been focused on:
Finalizing the layouts for all the rooms and common areas of the pousada with Clarissa, so we know exactly what we need to source for furniture still.
Drafting the wireframes for the website - i.e. laying out what information I want to include where. For both of the above, we’re trying to keep things simple and not overdo it, since I’m sure I’ll learn a lot with both as we go.
Lots and lots of demos for hotel booking software. Basically there are three products: 1) a way to take reservations online 2) a way to connect your this reservation software with OTAs like Booking.com and have them talk to each other automatically 3) and your own internal management software that lets you manage payments, check-ins, etc. And then I have another accounting software as well (came recommended from my accountant - accounting is kind of confusing in Brazil and I want to make sure I’m doing everything 100% by the book). So I’m trying to find the simplest, most inexpensive softwares to start with, since I don’t have a ton of insight just yet into what features I’ll actually be needing or wanting in the day to day operations.
Learning said accounting software — Is there a more boring way to spend your time than watching video tutorials for accounting software?? I think not! But it’s a necessary task.
Readjusting the schedule, tasks and appointments for the new start of lease date.
Following up on orders since I’m still not 100% sure when all my mattresses, pillows, towels, etc. will arrive. These poor salespeople are going to be so tired of me asking.
Spending way too much time trying to find bedskirts that fit the base of my beds - the standard is 33cm or 35cm, and my base is 25cm. Turns out this doesn’t exist in Brazil, so I’m looking into potentially taking them to a seamstress to adapt.
If you’d like to keep following along, for the moment I’ll be sharing more here and on Instagram.
Thanks Caitlyn for the idea for this week’s newsletter! Thanks everyone for the support!
Loved this back-to-basics update!