Rosewood Mayakoba
The luxury Mexican resort of Rosewood Mayakoba is an exclusive 1600 acre gated estate 30 minutes south of Cancun. It is often said by many to be on the areas best beach.
There are many all inclusive resorts on the Riviera Maya. Make no mistake, this is not one of them. Everything at this exceptional luxury hotel for those that can afford it is served strictly a la carte. Keeps out the rif-raf! Guests here pay for everything—dining, drinks, recreation, spa access and even parking—and pay they do! Anyone assuming that just because a deluxe hotel is in Mexico that it will be a bargain is in for a big surprise.
However, for travelers able to afford this gem of a luxury resort there is much to look forward to—and not just the region's most beautiful beach. This one is on Mexico's short list of lavish retreats, and the low room count and exceptional staff-to-guest ratio ensure a nearly flawless stay from start to finish.
Rosewood Mayakoba is accessed through a gated entrance, and security is subtle, but omnipresent. The lush grounds include several small islands, deep-green, meandering lagoons, tropical plants, flowers, and even a thriving mangrove forest inhabited by native plants and animals. Guests are warmly greeted on arrival and are taken to their rooms in small boats or golf carts.
The hotel's main restaurant, Casa del Lago, serves refined Mexican and European cuisine on flatware made by local artisans. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available either on a terrace by the pool or in an air-conditioned dining room. The Punta Bonita restaurant serves light fare and Mexican favorites on the terrace for lunch and family-style dinners in the evening. For a healthier alternative, Itzamna Cafe serves organic spa cuisine.
In the evenings, guests congregate in the Agave Azul Raw Bar, which is set up like a library with bottles of tequila instead of books; it also serves seafood appetizers and snacks. The main bar reflects this hotel's corporate side, with its heavy leather armchairs and marble and paneling that would fit right in on Manhattan's Upper East Side or in downtown L.A.
Among the recreational offerings are a Greg Norman-designed golf course, white-sand beaches, a pool and a variety of watersports. Yoga classes are given daily, and the staff can help plan a variety of nearby excursions, including snorkeling, fishing, Mayan ruins, horseback riding and scuba diving.
The Rosewood Mayakoba Sense Spa is an exceptional facility located on a small island, that includes the spa, with its 10 treatment rooms, a standout fitness room, a separate pool, spa cafe, and even a private cenote (natural spring) where guests can take a dip in healing waters.
With a mere 128 accommodations, Rosewood Mayakoba creates an enviable air of exclusivity. The decor is undeniably stunning, but the look in some, with all of that heavy marble, figured paneling and just-so designer-showroom furniture, is a bit brooding. Anyone who feels comfortable in the New York Four Seasons “masters-of-the-universe” style will love it here.
The amenity rosters lack for nothing: comprehensive bedside controls, thermostats, large, flat-screen TVs, multiline cordless phones with voice mail, speaker capabilities and data ports, DVD, CD and MP3 players, laptop-size safes, minibars, coffeemakers and complimentary bottled water.
The glamorous baths are regal marble abodes with dual vanities, soaking tubs, stall showers and piles of fluffy towels. Most units have Balinese-style showers, or rooftop plunge pools.
A few of the lagoon-side units have terraces that lack privacy, so if that is an issue best book one of the ocean-view units. A handful of the waterfront rooms even have private boat docks. Suites are relegated to the Lagoon and Ocean View category, while Beachfront units are smaller studios. These latter units trade in private plunge pools and garden showers for direct beach access and stunning views of one of the world's most impressive strands.
Room service is available 24 hours, and turndown, twice-daily maid service, daily flowers and fruit uphold the promise of high standards. Child-care services are available on request.
That Rosewood Mayakoba keeps three-dozen butlers on hand to assist guests with any issues that may arise is an indication of what guests are in for.
Rosewood Mayakoba is a member of exclusive Virtuoso travel network. Book online or contact our Virtuoso Travel Advisor [email protected] for more details.
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