Lighting the Fire
Jaime Bravo

Words Allison Reiber DiLiegro Images Michal Rzepecki

Jaime Bravo, as much a student of philosophy as a hotelier, is constantly in search of meaning—and he hopes to help his guests find it, too.

Born and raised in San José, Costa Rica, Jaime spent years visiting Nosara with his family, drawn to its sweeping, wild beach and authentic local community. After taking a meandering path into hospitality and working at some of the world’s top luxury hotels, he returned to Nosara, set in Costa Rica’s famed Blue Zone, to create a hotel of his own. The result, Esh Hotel & Spa, is rooted in humanity, transformation, and, yes, philosophy. We sat down with Jaime to learn about his journey and where he’s heading next.

How did you find your way to hospitality? You said it was quite a journey.

I was having the time of my life, but I was just about the worst student in high school. My family has deep ties to coffee farming, and we visited the farms a lot when I was a kid, so I knew I wanted to go to agricultural school.

In agricultural school, I learned that it’s very different to visit than to make farming your life. So, like a lot of kids who don’t know what to do, I transferred into business school. But a year in, I was extremely bored. I ran into a friend who was studying dentistry, and he was so passionate about he was doing and I thought, “I want that.”

That night, I told a friend I lacked passion for business school but I was passionate about being passionate. He suggested hospitality. When I heard that word, it hit the spot. I liked cooking, I liked wine, I liked traveling and I loved people. Hospitality felt like the perfect combination. It was and still remains. 

You jumped right into luxury hospitality. What did you take away from that experience?

Working at The Ritz-Carlton was like university. The empowerment there is very real, and it’s easy to develop confidence when you’re in an environment that trusts you from the very first day. I was also lucky to have a mentor, Nick Solomon, who taught me a lot, including the P&L side of hospitality, which was crucial.

Later, in Hong Kong, I learned the power of execution. The scale was massive. The pressure was very high. There were no excuses. But I started to miss the creativity, because that’s where you really connect with other humans.

Where did the idea for Esh originate?

My wife, Miri, pushed it along from the beginning. I remember walking out of the shower and saying, “What if I start my own hotel?” That same evening, we went to a wine shop, and she started asking me questions—how I would look at it, what it should be. She named the hotel that same day.

And what is the inspiration for the name?

I wanted the name to be about transformation, and I wanted it to sound masculine. I wanted it to be a short name. She said “Esh,” which means “fire” in Hebrew, and I loved it. She’s been part of the project since the very first second.

What role does Miri play at the hotel today?

Her title is Dreamweaver, which comes Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality. She comes up with and executes highly personalized moments for guests, and she’s great at that—but she also does much more. When we opened, she did everything—housekeeping, sales, you name it—and now she’s mostly focused on getting to know our guests and truly making them feel at home. Like Will says, “one size fits one.” She also leads PR for the hotel. 

Esh has a strong philosophical foundation. Where did that come from?

There’s a quote by Nietzsche, “He who has a why can bear almost any how.” When I first heard it, it really changed how I understood things.

You can’t be happy all the time. That’s unrealistic. But meaning is different. Meaning is something you can return to. Viktor Frankl is another big inspiration for me. Even in Auschwitz, he didn’t lose his sense of meaning. He came out stronger.

Esh is about transformation. We focus on honesty, responsibility, and love. If you’re fully honest and you really assume responsibility honestly, love emerges, and purpose emerges. That’s what we try to bring to life here.

How do guests experience that philosophy?

It starts at check-in. We explain the concept and invite guests to write down their intention—what’s your why?—and offer it to the fire in our lobby. And throughout the stay, we give guests small reminders. They’re not instructions—they’re just there if you want them.

And the design supports this journey. There’s repetition, fewer distractions, a strong connection to nature. The idea is to give your mind a chance to slow down.

Why was Nosara the right place for Esh?

Nosara has a very strong sense of community. There’s no development on the beach, and the community takes care of its own infrastructure. It’s also a Blue Zone. Wellness isn’t a concept here—it’s just how people live. People here really walk the talk. That alignment mattered to me.

What is your “why” today?

To design a life that brings me closer to honesty, responsibility, and love—just like we say at Esh.

Becoming a father must have helped that along.

Absolutely. For most of my life, I said I didn’t want kids. Then I met my wife, and everything changed.

I realized that responsibility is the antidote to suffering. There’s no greater responsibility than having a child. It’s completely selfless.

Waking my son up in the morning, bathing him at night—those moments are the best parts of my day. They ground everything.