Originally published in Urban Land Magazine on April 16, 2019

Everybody is talking about authenticity. It is mentioned practically on a daily basis in the real estate world. But authenticity is more than a buzzword to boost returns. It is a must-have component of successful placemaking, whether you are creating resorts, one-off hotels, or full-scale communities.

Authentic is defined as “not false or copied; genuine; real; representing one’s true nature or beliefs; true to oneself or to the person identified.”
—dictionary.com

How do you create authenticity in a project? What does it look like? How does it feel? That depends on whom you ask. Every generation views the world through a different lens—and that includes their interpretation of authenticity. Research shows that millennials value authenticity above practically all else. But they are not alone. Authenticity makes the list of top 10 values across all generations. And next up is generation Z, already flush with purchasing power and outnumbering millennials by about a million. As the first true digital natives, the members of Gen Z have carefully tuned radars for the fake and disingenuous.

Antidote to Artificiality

What do we mean when we talk about authenticity? To me, it is something that feels like it belongs where it is. It instills that elusive “sense of place” we all crave. You cannot duplicate it somewhere else and expect it to work.

Though culture often comes into play, authenticity involves something more. Authenticity could be reflected in the materials—the way wood or stone is used—or in the design of a hotel lobby that makes it a hit with locals. Authenticity is evidenced by capturing the true personality and character of a place without looking like you are creating a 20th-century backlot design. If you think you can make a cheap imitation of something that has been around for hundreds of years, think again. You are in danger of making your consumers feel duped.

So how do you go from saying you are authentic to being authentic? Here are 15 takeaways I have learned over three decades in the branding and marketing business—and some of the places where they have proved effective with InterCom® clients.

1. Let Nature Lead
Sometimes, it is more about what you do not build than what you do build. Take Carneros Resort and Spa in Napa, California, where the swimming pool is seamlessly stitched into the Napa Valley scenery. While guests are lounging on the elevated deck, they can look out over the rolling hills and vineyards of the Carneros American Viticultural Area and appreciate that they are in Northern California wine country. There is something very compelling about that.

2. Create Shared Experiences
Often, people are key to authenticity—especially when they are insiders. Owners did not end up buying at 3 Creek Ranch in Jackson, Wyoming, just because of golfing in the Grand Tetons. They love the fishing concierge and resident naturalist, who serve as expert liaisons to three world-class, private trout streams. Whether it is learning the art of single hand-casting or getting the lowdown on the best spots to catch cutthroat trout, shared experiences create an indelible connection to the place.

3. Embrace Art 
The value of art goes beyond what you hang on the walls. It helps tell a genuine story. Montage Laguna Beach in Laguna Beach, California, embraces the turn-of-the-century narrative of the land as an Impressionist paradise that lured prominent plein-air painters like William Wendt and Jean Mannheim. In this case, the resort also amassed a museum-quality collection of fine art, featuring historic masterworks created on its shores.

4. Inspire Total Immersion
Places that allow for total immersion take you out of your day-to-day mind-set and into a new world. Peninsula Papagayo’s iconic Costa Rican architect, Ronald Zürcher, is a master at immersive architecture. At Andaz Papagayo, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, you enter the resort through his series of sculpted arches resembling cocoons, experiencing a profound sense of metamorphosis. It is an opportunity to find yourself transformed as you are enveloped by Costa Rica’s pure nature.

5. Keep It Local
What is the point of traveling if you spend your time in a hermetically sealed bubble? Punta Mita, a luxury resort destination on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, fosters authenticity by opening itself to the community. Instead of separating itself from the little beachfront fishing village next door, the resort turned it into an amenity. You can walk out the gates, watch the fishermen bring in the day’s catch, pull up a chair at a family-owned establishment, and mingle with the locals to take in the flavor of real Mexico.

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