The surfing brothers who opened a hotel in Mar del Plata and quickly expanded to three countries

From a beach south of Ubatuba , near São Paulo, Brazil, with the waves of the sea in the background, Leandro Usuna - Lele, to everyone - answers the phone while asking his children, ages 2 and 4, to be quiet.

They want to go to the ocean. The same thing Leandro always wanted—and did—he's been surfing around the world for more than two decades , both for pleasure and competing at the highest level , and he plans to always stay close to the waves.

He has represented Argentina as a surfer since 2004, won two world championships , participated in the Tokyo Olympic Games, and is still active.

“ Surfing is my life , I can’t imagine myself away from it,” Leandro tells Clarín.

His career is extensive: he was an ISA world champion in 2014 and 2016 on shortboards - "the most radical, where more pirouettes are done; like a freestyle on a snowboard," he explains -, he became the first non-Brazilian surfer to be crowned South American champion , he was a figure on international circuits for many years and remains a benchmark for Argentine surfing .

But while competing, one day he began to think about the future. “I knew that a sports career has a limit. So I started to imagine how to stay close to the sea, but in a different role,” he explains.

Together with his brother Gerónimo, Leandro transformed his experience in California into a hotel project. "Due to family issues, we spent our childhood in California , where we experienced the true surfing lifestyle , and we wanted to bring it to Mar del Plata. We started organizing surf camps, but we soon realized we needed a place of our own, for the community," he says.

And they also thought Mar del Plata lacked a relaxed place, with everything surfers need; with the hostel community —the social aspect, the people, the cuisine, the partying— but also the comfort of a hotel . With shared rooms, as well as private rooms, and a communal kitchen; "a mix of hostel and hotel," he summarizes.

This is how the first Las Golondrindas hotel was born, in December 2023, in the southern area of ​​Mar del Plata , near the lighthouse and emblematic beaches such as Waikiki and Honu Beach.

With capacity for 85 guests, private and shared rooms with private bathrooms, a pool, and Hendo's Café, it was originally designed as a meeting point especially for surfers, but also for all types of travelers .

"The idea was to offer an authentic place where you can breathe surfing . But not just for surfers, because families and groups of friends also come; there are guests who come to play soccer, for the week of yachting—it's for everyone," he explains.

And he sums up: "People feel comfortable because it has that hostel vibe with the comfort of a hotel : a good location, good beds, and a good shower. And all the rooms, both private and shared (maximum 8 people), have their own bathroom."

Why Las Golondrinas? “Because these birds migrate every year between California and Argentina , flying thousands of miles to always reach the same nest. When my brother and I were first starting out with the idea, we saw a swallow's nest and looked at each other; we immediately identified with it, because they're a bit like us .”

After its Mar del Plata experience, Las Golondrinas "traveled" abroad in 2024, with three new hotels. The first "abroad" was the Aiampe hotel in Ecuador , which opened in May; in July, the Cabarete hotel in the Dominican Republic arrived; and in September, the fourth, in El Zonte , El Salvador .

" They're all in areas with good waves or very close to the ocean , and they all share the same aesthetic and philosophy. Each one has its own style, adapted to the surroundings, but they offer the same services: a pool, breakfast, activities, coworking spaces, and surf lessons, among others," says Leandro.

Each hotel works with local ambassadors , who are prominent surfers and members of Olympic teams. “Each place has its own representative, and that gives it identity and authenticity,” Lele emphasizes.

As mentioned, one of the key features of Las Golondrinas is that it combines the comfort of a hotel with the social vibe of a hostel: a communal kitchen, common spaces, and events allow guests to connect with each other . “There were hotels that wanted to attract the surfing crowd, but they weren't in the same boat. We are. We're authentic,” says Leandro.

The program also includes yoga and wellness classes , clothing and art fairs, movie nights, environmental clinics , surf trips , team building for companies, and parties or sunsets with a well-known beer, one of the brand's sponsors.

These innovative features are combined with a proprietary app (Las Golondrinas Mobile) and a membership system , with the goal of making guests "feel like they belong."

“Through the app, you can subscribe, accumulate points, and use them to access free nights or discounts at various brands and surf schools . After nine months of membership, we'll give you four free nights at any of our hotels. It's a way to bring together people who share this passion,” explains Usuna.

They also seek to connect athletes, making them part of the business by owning a percentage of each hotel. “In addition, each location will offer surf camp services . In Argentina, we offer them on long weekends, lasting 3 or 4 nights. There are many, but it's true that our space is unique; there's no other hotel like this one, designed for surfers,” says Lele.

Although the chain is growing rapidly, the brothers prefer to take things one step at a time . “ We're getting emails from different countries about opening new Golondrinas, but first we want to consolidate the hotels we're already operating, so everything flows smoothly. Like the sea,” says Leandro.

The two share the tasks. Gerónimo is more directly involved with day-to-day management, while Leandro is the brand's public face. He remains more closely connected to the sports world through the National Surfing Federation and the COA Athletes Commission, in addition to being a commentator for International Surfing Association competitions . Between travel, training, and his family life, he maintains his connection to surfing .

For anyone thinking about getting into the world of surfing, Lele recommends “always starting in Mar del Plata; that's where the spirit of what we are.”

From the waves of its hometown to the beaches of the Caribbean and Central America, Las Golondrinas is today a project that combines passion, authenticity and lifestyle , and that continues to grow with the same logic as the waves that inspired its creators.