Meet Anke Bodack | Small Design Hotel Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anke Bodack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anke, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Thats a great question! It’s definitely become a challenging subject, as when the hotel/ retreat is open I usually work. And as I love my work and hosting so much and we all have bills, it’s a challenge to decide to close it. But over the last few years I realized, if I I take some books of time for self care and the things that will fill my cup, it’s manageable. I have recently proudly surpassed my goal of 3 times yoga a week to almost 5-6 times per week. And when I go I spend a good amount of time also in the steam room. its also turned out to be a good idea fort me to close the hotel for a week or so at a time, when I travel for example to Europe to see family. That’s a good way to completely relax and not worry about answering the phone or reply to e-mails. It’s all about boundaries and to make time in the schedule, to get some balance. But always room for improvement and and adjustment. Trusting my body and my energy level and how I feel, is my guiding system, to then go to bed super early, make sure there is enough sleep and enough time for self care and fun.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My big passion is sustainability and in designing Twelve Senses Retreat along with the architects Thokozani Mabena, Stephen Moneypenny and Offset Design we managed to design a beautiful minimal space, yet with mostly sustainable or recycled materials. Its a fusion of minimalism with the warmth or natural and hand made materials that I feel is quite timeless and works well to create and environment to relax and retreat. The largest challenge was the budget, but I am proud we barely cut anything out in terms of quality or materials we wanted to source.
The building process was very easy, after we I had spent almost 6 months if finish the right fit and with the right cost as builders. We had incredible builders, Alliance Green Building, who are also local and were a great fit. The story of our brand is to reconnect to your senses, with our minimal spaces with no tv’s, yet very sentry and tactile materials and with the inspiration of the 4 elements of nature. Because our senses and our nervous system can best reset and relax in nature. Each room is dedicated to one element, Fire, Water, Earth and Air.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to Atelier Manna in Leucadia for lunch, definitely the best food around! Then a tour with the Moke, form Moke&Sun, they have a wonderful digital guide book with great spots in and around town. If it’s a Sunday, we could stop at the Leucadia’s farmer’s market. Then off to Ponto Beach for some hours in a true sauna, that is there on Mondays and Tuesdays. A few hours of sauna and cold plunging in the ocean (if were are doing this in winter & spring). For sunset my favorite bar in town is the Saga Bar at Alila Marrea. For dinner I love Valentina in Leucadia and if more casual Corner Pizza, the Taco Stand or the Hamburger Hut. For a little trip up north I highly recommend Oceanside. The Tremont Collective has great Coffe shops and stores, the Mission Pacific has a beautiful roof top and the Seabird a great spa for a non toxic manicure or pedicure or a massage. The High Low Coffe shop right there is great for a Coffe or quick lunch.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are som many inspirations, encouragement and support I have received since we have planned the Retreat around 8 years ago and we have been open for 5 years. My family is a huge support and I would love to give a huge recognition to my sadly passed brother 3 weeks ago, who had built the most beautiful and intricate model of the Retreat when we designed it. My parents have been coming and helped even sewing curtains, painting and helping with the breakfast menu! And my mom has been almost my daily advisor for any questions I may have had. Not to mention they generously lend me some money, when I knew my budget was a bit over for the building. I feel this constant believing in me also has helped me a lot mentally, they have never said any of my ideas were not feasible or any of my dreams are not realizable! I am also super grateful for so many friends who had come and gave me not only helping hands with painting, organizing our opening party, but just being with me in my daily life with its ups and downs of running a small business. Ive also had incredible mentor ship in my past automotive career form Brenda Parkin, who always inspires me with her creativity and essentially got me into Color & Material design. Her talent and her beautiful friendship formed a lot on who I am today. Tom Matano is also a big inspiration, he was mine as well my design partner Bryan Thompson’s mentor design director at an automotive start up years ago in San Diego. Moving then into my hospitality and design hospitality career, Design Hotels have always been my source for dreaming about travel and beautifully and mindfully designed spaces. I am so grateful now to being part of this highly curated group of incredible hotels around the world. Also Kind Traveler is a beautiful group we belong to, who connects hotels and travelers to a local cause that each stay is donating too, matched by the hotel. Lately I feel so grateful for the love and understanding of my son, that so much energy and time is going into running a small hotel.

Website: www.twelvesensesretreat.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twelvesensesretreat/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankebodack/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001924649219

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/twelve-senses-retreat-encinitas-2

Youtube: https://youtu.be/kOlRbRGwNhw?si=mlrDA1Upm3TWfkg1

Image Credits
Kate Berry