Storytelling as the Heart of a Brand. Conversation with Kfir Levy, Co-Founder of Our Habitas

Some brands are built to follow the market.

Others are built to change it.

When Kfir Levy and Eduardo started Our Habitas, they had no hotel blueprint, no market analysis, no grand hospitality plan. They had a purpose and led with values.  They had a vision for how they wanted to live their live and this is what was going to allow them to share it with as many people as possible. 

What they did have was a vision for bringing people together through unforgettable experiences. Music under the stars, shared meals, deep conversations, moments that spark lifelong connections.

In this conversation, Kfir opens up about the ten-year journey from those first community events to creating hotels in seven unique locations around the world.

We explore how authenticity became Our Habitas’ most powerful asset, why hiring for values beats hiring for experience, and how storytelling can turn a property into a living, breathing brand.

It is a look inside a brand that never set out to be part of the hospitality industry… and ended up redefining it.

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Karina: Regarding your experience over those 10 years with Our Habitas and 14 different locations. What have you been noticing in terms of trends that were coming and going within hospitality and wellness, or did you notice that there's something untouchable and unchangeable no matter the trends?

Kfir: When we started Habitas, we did not even think about hospitality.

We were not a hotel company. We had no idea that what we were doing would lead us to become hoteliers. That was not part of our plan.

We started off hosting events. And when we did these events, they were very community-focused, and we programmed everything according to our values, our belief systems, the way that we thought these events should be conducted.

It wasn't because we had a strategy. It was because this is what we believed.

Hospitality was one factor of our events. We weren't following trends at the time. If anything, we were innovating, and I think we were the first to do it the way we were doing it.

Karina: With experience in different locations, was there something that surprised you in a location or country where you found things that worked somewhere else didn’t work here?

Kfir: I think there were things that surprised us that worked beautifully.

One was the fact that we believed everything we were doing in terms of how we were hiring, how we were operating, what the product and the experience were.

People want connection.

People want to feel something different.

It doesn’t matter what country you’re in.

The second thing was our hiring strategy. At the beginning we went for professionals with experience, and very quickly we realized they couldn’t deliver on our brand or the experience we wanted. After some turnover, we started hiring people with no experience, based on their values and who they are on a human level. Then we trained them. That worked everywhere. Whether in Namibia or the Middle East. The people who are values-aligned carry the brand.

The things that didn’t work were very location-specific. Every destination is different. In some remote properties, guests never leave. In others, there are many restaurants and activities nearby, so we had to communicate our programming differently and find ways to stand out in each market.

Karina: I love that you brought this up. I see that people fantasize about amazing brands, but focus on numbers every week, month, and day and that often keeps the business stuck.

I want to talk about storytelling and the community more. How did this help you build the brand and achieve success?

Kfir: The fact that we had a community following us for the music, the way we programmed our spaces, and our communication meant that every property launch was strong.

We had a following. We brought people together through beautiful events.

Storytelling followed naturally because what we were doing was real and authentic.

Community is simple. If I go somewhere, meet someone, have an incredible experience together, and we stay in touch, that at scale is community. We disarmed people, gave them incredible shared experiences, and that seeded community.

Storytelling was easy because it wasn’t about selling rooms.

For us, it was lifestyle, people, and values. Our staff had fascinating stories. Every destination had its own stories to tell.

Some in the company didn’t understand, others were moved to tears.

Eventually, the results spoke for themselves.

Karina: How did you bring those stories into different locations and communities? The brand is also very engaged with local communities, so you combine the bigger mission with local stories. Was there a strategy session for this?

Kfir: Absolutely not. Eduardo, my co-founder, is very much an artist and focused on storytelling.

For him, it was always about the heart and soul of the people, the destination, the culture.

We found beauty in what was around us. Local music, heritage, environment, staff stories.

There was no formal strategy, just what inspired us and felt worth telling.

Karina: How did you combine this approach with the numbers and more data-driven people?

Kfir: Many people didn’t get it. In the beginning it was a fight - even internally.

We had to fight for what we believed in.

We would create beautiful content, and some people understood it, others didn’t.

Eventually, they all did. We insisted on putting out stories that were beautiful and true to the brand.

Karina: Do you think these activities compound over time, attracting more people organically?

Kfir: We had many people reach out, share our content, and feel inspired.

Whether those stories directly converted into bookings, I don’t know. But they added enormous brand value through authenticity. There’s the hotel component, and there’s the brand.

The brand must stay true no matter the product.

Storytelling was one way to communicate our beliefs and inspire people, independent of bookings.

Karina: What’s your favorite personal hospitality experience, within and/or outside Our Habitas?

Kfir: One tradition I love is the night before a hotel opening.

Openings are never smooth, there’s chaos, last-minute work, guests arriving soon.

The night before, you go to sleep on a construction site, and wake up in a hotel.

Once the doors open, they never close again.

Waking up alone at sunrise before the first guests arrive always gave me goosebumps.

Outside Habitas, one of my most memorable stays was at Nihi in Sumba, Indonesia. It wasn’t about luxury. It was the culture, the people, and the natural beauty that made it unforgettable for my family and me.

Karina: I’m seeing a trend in hospitality to focus more on experiences and feelings rather than amenities or design.

I want to ask now about technology and AI. How do you see it influencing travel and hospitality?

Kfir: At Habitas, AI wasn’t as advanced as it is now. We used it for automations and revenue management, nothing guest-facing.

Today, I use AI in many ways and believe it can deeply improve guest experiences if used with the right intentions.

Conversation is the new interface. By creating conversations with guests, we can learn more about them and tailor experiences that surprise and delight.

Karina: Yes, AI can remember the details and create tailored touches like welcome gifts.

Kfir: Exactly. Many hotels are beautiful but boring.

AI can help break the monotony, especially around check-in, pre-arrival, and follow-up, making the process seamless and human-like.

Karina: Do you see storytelling and authenticity as a secret sauce for business success?

Kfir: If it’s real, yes.

Many brands miss because their stories don’t match reality.

Storytelling is part of human culture.

My favorite companies are storytellers. They make me love their products because I love their stories.

Karina: How would you recommend entrepreneurs identify and craft their story?

Kfir: Every brand is different.

Some lean into humor, others into provocation.

We tapped into emotion. We knew why we started long before it became a business.

Because our backstory was authentic, storytelling was natural.

For founders, I’d say keep it real, take risks, and ignore opinions that dilute your vision.

Go with what brings you joy.

Karina: Do you have practices for connecting to that clarity - meditation, journaling, nature?

Kfir: For us, play was a core pillar.

Adults rarely play, but we created lighthearted, spontaneous experiences with no agenda.

Surprise, wonder, connection, creativity, vulnerability. These were part of how we wanted to live and what we wanted to bring out in people.

Every event and hotel program leaned into these values so guests could truly feel them.

Karina: We seem to be going in two opposite directions, more technology and city life versus reconnecting with nature. What final thoughts would you share with entrepreneurs who want to be authentic but fear being judged?

Kfir: Be clear on why you started and what inspired you. Hold on to that original spark for as long as you can.

Every decision should tie back to it. That moment before you had a strategy or funding.

That is pure authenticity.

If you can stay connected to it, that’s what makes great brands.

Karina: I love that. This is a great insight about what makes people fall in love with a brand. Thank you for your time.

Kfir: Thank you for sharing our story.

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Final Thoughts

Clicks vs. Connections

Performance vs. Storytelling

Return on Investment vs. Return on Influence

Short-Term Wins vs. Long-Term Loyalty

Storytelling is the art of shaping perception and building trust. It creates emotional charge, embeds meaning, and forges loyalty that lasts far beyond the first transaction.

Performance marketing and brand storytelling are like yin and yang, night and day, earth and sky. Different in nature, yet each completes the other.

When they move forward together, they create a force far stronger than either could achieve alone.

Companies fail when they choose only one.

Performance without storytelling is transactional and forgettable.

Storytelling without performance is inspiring but unscalable. The real strength lies in combining both.

Our Habitas is a masterclass in this balance.

Built on human connection, it redefined hospitality through stories, values, and community, while still operating hotels at global scale.

It shows that brand building and performance are not opposites but partners.

That authenticity, when paired with execution, can transform an idea into a movement.