Belén Vartalitis: "Every element in Casa Haydee tells a story"

In the heart of Chacras de Coria, Casa Haydee redefines the lodging experience with a design that conveys warmth, history and comfort. This boutique hotel is the result of a process in which it was necessary to balance the design vision with the preferences of its owners, achieving a space with its own identity.

Casa Haydee opens its doors on February 26, offering an environment surrounded by nature and with the comfort of a home. Created by Ángela Gladys Quiroz, Claudia Elizabeth Ávila and Malena Donoso Ávila , the hotel is a tribute to Haydee, who left a strong mark on their lives.

From the beginning, Belén Vartalitis understood that the design had to be born from the family history. “Each element had to tell something, to be accepted by its owners; nothing could be put there just because,” she says. The connection with Haydee’s soul, the family’s love for flowers and the idea of ​​creating a welcoming space were the pillars of the project.

The fundamental premise was to respect the essence of a home without losing the functionality of a hotel. “They didn’t come from the hotel world, but they knew what they wanted to convey: the warmth of welcoming someone into your home. My job was to translate that emotion into design,” explains Vartalitis.

The process was not without its challenges. The owners wanted to preserve elements such as the dark cane ceilings, some original bathrooms from the 1990s, and certain pieces of art chosen by Claudia . “We had to respect those details and, at the same time, achieve a balance with the new without losing freshness or functionality . That’s why I incorporated modern materials and textures that would bring elegance and distinction,” she adds.

One of the key elements was the incorporation of stone in the main wall of the lobby. “ I felt that something was missing, that texture with presence had to be added. Travelling through Matera, Italy, I saw that stone and knew it had to be in the hotel. Its application in this context gave it character without breaking the harmony of the design,” he says.

The rooms were designed with the concept of the elegance of simplicity in mind. “The key was to place few things, but each one with a purpose,” explains Vartalitis . To reinforce this idea, a palette of light tones, beige and grey, was used, with green details inspired by the hotel logo.

One of the great successes was the reuse of original materials from the house. “We recovered all the lapacho wood that was removed from the floors of the old town to make the backrests of the beds,” he says. “In the new part, the backrests are completely made of wood, while in the old part we added a modern support with mobile backrests to adapt them to the configuration of the room.”

Open closets were also incorporated, a solution inspired by the designer's experience. “The rooms did not have closets and the ceilings were very high. In European hotels, open closets are trendy because they optimize space and costs . They allow you to organize your suitcase without a piece of furniture invading the room. That's why we designed simple closets, without doors or ceilings, which provide functionality without breaking the harmony,” she explains.

“The challenge was to integrate existing elements with modern solutions, always respecting the spirit of the place,” he concludes.

Belén Vartalitis did not begin her career in design, but in marketing. However, her passion for decoration and her ability to find beauty in simplicity led her to change direction.

“It’s easy to decorate on a big budget, the hard part is optimizing resources and taking care of the client’s pocketbook as if it were your own,” she shares. Her focus on reusing materials, selecting quality textiles and achieving distinction without excess has been key in her work.

“Design is a team effort,” says Vartalitis , who highlights the contribution of those who accompanied her at different stages of the project. She especially thanks Francisca Lacoste, who was present at the beginning, and Belén Grafignia and Marina Milanesio, responsible for the hotel part, from whom she learned a lot thanks to their vast experience in the sector.

Her first major project was at the Hotel de Cielo , in Tupungato (along with other professionals), where she discovered her true calling. Since then, she has left her mark on spaces such as the Lodo coworking space dedicated to agriculture, with more than 20 offices and common spaces, the interior design of the Hotel Fuente Mayor in the Mendoza terminal, family residences, businesses, small repairs in different places and, most recently, Casa Haydee.