Long before you arrive in the sparsely populated community of Joe Batt’s Arm on Newfoundland’s remote northern Fogo Island, you might have an expectation of the Fogo Island Lodge. Whether or not you can actually pinpoint the hotel on a map, you’ve probably seen (and maybe even saved) images of the award-winning modern building designed by Todd Saunders, who was born in nearby Gannon Germany. The steel and glass marvel consists of two intersecting rectangular boxes, one of which stands on slender stilts, perched precariously on an outcrop overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean. Around it, lichen-covered rough stones hug the ever-changing sea.
The trek to Fogo Island typically involves several transfers and stops along the way, with an overnight stay in Halifax providing a short break. Only when you land at the small but historic Gander Field, the powerful, reflective energy of the backcountry becomes clearer. There, guests are picked up on-site by a Fogo Island community member for an hour-long drive followed by a 15 minute ferry ride, an introductory cultural immersion journey that will Defines any accommodation at a hotel. The conversation started. A history lesson of shared joy. A friendship is quickly formed.
However, no amount of dialogue, no matter how informative, can prepare you for your first glimpse of imposing buildings against the backdrop of spectacular terrain in the distance. The drive ends with a warm welcome from friendly staff – and then the magic begins. The mansion’s tactile charm comes from humble materials like repurposed wood and even fishing rope. From ice floes in early spring to delicious berry season in late autumn, the island’s “seven seasons” offer ever-changing landscapes from unexpected angles. And thoughtful touches like the Dawn Basket, filled with fresh baked goods, coffee, juice, butter and molasses, awaits guests outside the door each morning.
Cobb – he is very interested in this project Eloquent and eloquent in its unique philosophy, it respects the principles of regenerative travel by asking guests to give back to the communities they visit—which funds Fogo’s Island Inn, though she doesn’t own it. “Our business model has always been difficult for people to understand, but now we have a little help because Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, is also using it,” she explained. “Fogo Island Inn is owned by the Shorefast Foundation, a registered charity that runs the business and its charitable projects. It goes in circles. Many luxury hotels have charitable foundations. Our charitable foundation has a luxury hotel. “
Of course, it is also a business—just one with extreme transparency Businesses that operate in the same way and are passionate about advancing the communities around them. “We’re very serious about true cost pricing,” Cobb explains of the hotel’s all-inclusive policy, with rooms starting at just over $2, per night. “We do something we call economical nutrition labelling. It’s probably the most important idea we have for the whole project. We tell you where all the money goes. 49 In this 1% of what is spent at the hotel goes to the people who work here.We aim for % of profits which go back to charity to invest in restoration , art, and programs.” (Shorefast also rescued once-doomed historic buildings on Fogo Island and established whimsical artist studios along the coast as their residency program.)
Foley is also a vegetable grower at the Fogo Island Inn restaurant, offering fresh produce from his own garden. “A lot of growers are pretty much amateurs,” says chef Tim Charles, who joined the culinary team at Fogo Island Inn a decade ago. “What we do is connect with these people and buy what they have. We’ve continued to develop these relationships over the years. Norm would call us and say, ‘I’ve got a bunch of parsnips,’ and we’d say,’ Okay. He’ll put them down and we’ll hide them or save them. It supports the way we work, but it also keeps us informed about what’s going on in all the communities on the island.”
