erek Klein was born and raised in Utah, but his career in design and hospitality has led him all over the world—from London to Marrakech, India, and for the last decade, Tulum—before he returned home in the fall of 2020.
Klein first carved his own path as a stronghold within Mexico’s hospitality scene as founder of the Tulum restaurant GITANO as well as the Casa Pueblo Hotel Group, and the hotelier and business owner is now a household name across the Yucatan Peninsula. “The best way to describe Mexico is magical,” he says. “I first visited Tulum almost two decades ago and fell in love with its rawness. Over time, a close-knit creative community emerged there, and I quickly had a vision for what this area could become.”
Klein was mesmerized by the opportunities he found in Mexico when he arrived in 2010. “My arrival in Tulum came after a 3,000-mile journey from LA in a mellow-yellow colored 1978 Mercedes; it was pure gypset! This was a unique moment where creatives like myself were just driving down, making their way into town, and setting up shop. We were all so hungry for collaboration in a supportive atmosphere; it was essentially a think-tank mentality. Together, we pioneered a vision for Tulum that put it on the map in a huge way, and I will forever be proud of being part of something that metamorphic.”
