Skift Take
Founded two years ago, Envi Lodges is expecting to open its first property next year and already has hopes to spread all over the globe — if it finds the money.
Dubai hospitality has always gone for high impact. Whether it's billion-dollar resorts on man-made islands or luxury hotels colloquially known as seven-star properties, they have served to put the emirate on the global tourism map.
However, startup Envi Lodges is taking a "low-impact" approach, managing a string of eco-lodges that will be geared to blend into local environments, support area communities, and educate intrepid travelers.
Founded in 2021 by two long-time hotel execs Chris Nader and Noelle Homsy, Envi Lodges has signed five properties so far, including two in Saudi Arabia, another in the mountains of Oman, and two as far-flung as Costa Rica and Zanzibar.
Two years into her mission, co-founder Homsy said the sustainability-focused company is gearing up for global expansion, with lodges spread over each continent and a dispersed network of investors and staff to help her.
"We’re where we wanted to be, we’re on track. We had a lot of challenges along the way [and] projects that didn’t