Mexico: Strategies: Tips: Region To Watch: Riviera Maya

Region To Watch: Riviera Maya

There are so many great luxury resorts in Baja, Mexico that some weekends its airport looks like a Gulfstream expo. But many of those jets may soon divert to Cancun and their passengers to the Riviera Maya, the coastal region south of Cancun and north of the Mayan ruins of Tulum. One major advantage for East Coasters is the easy access (a four-hour flight from New York and even less from Washington, D.C.) A few high-end boutique hotels exist on this stretch, including Esencia, Maroma (www.maromahotel.com), the Tides Riviera Maya (formerly Ikal del Mar), and Amansala (also known as Bikini Boot Camp) but there will soon be many more options. One 1,600-acre development called Mayakoba (www.mayakoba.com) will be home to five high-end properties, including one by Rosewood Hotels and Resorts (which manages Las Ventanas in Baja) and one by Viceroy. The property offers beaches rimmed by tropical forest, a Greg Norman-designed golf course and a fresh-water lagoon. The only resort currently open is the Fairmont Mayakoba, which, with 401 rooms is much larger than its sister properties will be. Mandarin Oriental chose the region as well as the site for its first resort property in America; its all-villa property should open next year. We will post a report on the region soon.