Two Israelis are changing the way people travel, live and work. Enter Selina, a new kind of hostel, and haven, to support both international traveler and local community. When two friends and real estate developers took to South America, they uncovered miles of beautiful beaches and untouched opportunity. Rafael Museri and Daniel Rudasevski lived in Pedasi, a small fishing town in Panama for a short time, connected with locals, and wanted to share what became their tight-knit community with fellow travelers.
Museri and Rudasevski created the first Selina in 2014, as an affordably luxurious hostel-like space built for “digital nomads, nonstop travelers, break-takers, local communities and Selina staff make up our “neighborhood.” With a new generation of entrepreneurs and digital nomads on the rise, Selina’s communal concept takes co-working spaces like WeWork, and adds the global travel aspect. Add wellness, community, and even a future in co-living at Selina, with an application in development which will support travelers who want to stay for a year at a time.
The Selina staff each commit to volunteering at least 2% of their work time, and the space is supported by local artists, designers and services. Each space is like a hostel with 10 beds in one room or a cozier couple experience depending on desires.
Selina aims to create a community for any traveler who desires a deeper travel experience. Founder of WeWork and fellow Israeli, Adam Neumann has invested in the project, which has expanded rapidly in the past four years. Selina is now found in 22 locations in 9 countries, mostly in Central and South America, with 10 more locations set to open in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the United States.
