Horizontal bar chart comparing the number of locations of various 'Millennial' hotel chains, showing Panama-founded Selina as the largest | Sources: Selina Investor Presentation, Companies' Websites, Latinometrics
Panama-Founded Selina is Becoming the Largest 'Millenial' Hotel Chain

Rafael Museri had served 12 years in the Israeli army before he moved to Latin America in search of new opportunities. He met his business partner, Daniel Rudasevski, and started a real estate development company in Panama. After ten years, they both embarked on a year-long market research journey that has taken them to own and operate the largest chain of its kind — a hotel experience for digital nomads and millennials.

As Rafael and Daniel traveled the world, they lodged in more than 120 hotels and hostels, ideating a place that was perfect for meeting new people and also accommodating for working professionals. After concluding their trip, they opened the first Selina in the small surfing community of Venao, Panama. Since that launch, the company has become a global chain, operating 100+ locations in 13 Latin American countries and 9 more worldwide.

Although Selina competes in the millennial category of hotels (yes, there's such a thing), it offers something for everyone. You can get luxury lofts and suites, or you can also get a hammock or a bed in a shared room. Their concept is far more ambitious than a simple hotel/hostel hybrid, though: Selina creates music, wellness, and culinary experiences. Every location also has a co-working space and an atmosphere that encourages fellow guests to meet.

Selina and its contender for the top of the category, Moxy, both launched in 2016. With the 34 locations Selina is on track to open, it seems like it will outpace Moxy soon. Why is that especially impressive? Moxy is owned and operated by Marriott, a company with 65 years of hotel experience and about $5B in yearly revenues.

This week’s opportunity:

Selina has an impressive 294 open roles all around Latin America. Everything from cooks, to accountants, to general managers, and even internship opportunities.

Hiring Managers: Reply to this email if you’d like to feature an open role in our newsletter.