Monllor backs $2.8M eco-lodge project in Ciales
Monllor Capital Partners LLC announced it has signed a letter of intent with Konti Cluster LLC to provide equity and lead fundraising for the planned $2.8 million Elefante Eco-Lodge, an off-grid eco-hospitality development proposed for Ciales.
The San Juan-based asset management firm said its Puerto Rico Opportunity Zone Fund II is expected to anchor the investment.
According to the developers, Elefante is designed as an immersive retreat that operates fully off the electrical grid. They described plans that include solar generation, rainwater harvesting and potabilization systems, biogarden wastewater treatment and modular structures engineered for severe weather. The concept, they said, is built around low-impact construction and resilient infrastructure.
“This partnership aligns with our conviction that sustainable tourism is one of Puerto Rico’s most compelling long-term opportunities,” said José A. Torres, managing partner at Monllor Capital Partners.
“Carla and her team have pioneered a design ethos that solves real problems for communities and investors, bringing resilience, sustainability and beauty together in a way that is difficult to achieve,” he said.
Konti Cluster, led by architect and entrepreneur Carla Gautier-Castro, serves as the development arm of Konti Design | Build Studio, a firm known for modular, climate-resilient construction.
According to the studio, its structures use steel and upcycled shipping containers that are fire resistant, hurricane-ready — able to withstand 200 mph winds — and engineered for seismic performance. The company said its designs incorporate off-grid systems to reduce dependence on vulnerable infrastructure.
“Eco-hospitality is not a trend. It represents a durable shift in how destinations will be built in the future,” said Shawn Hanson, managing partner at MCP.
He said Elefante combines environmental considerations with economic potential supported by Act 60 tourism incentives and Opportunity Zone strategies.
Gautier-Castro said the project is intended to show how Puerto Rico can build more responsibly.
“Our goal with Elefante is to demonstrate how thoughtful, climate resilient design can reshape the way we build in Puerto Rico,” she said. “Sustainability is not simply an aesthetic choice. It is essential for our future.”
Her studio said it is focused on future-ready construction, using modular steel systems and recycled materials to create self-sustaining structures. The firm said the lodge is designed to protect the surrounding landscape as well as guests who use the space.
MCP said it expects the investment structure to attract additional private capital as development moves forward. The firm said it specializes in tax-advantaged investments in renewable energy, sustainable business, hospitality and infrastructure across Puerto Rico.
