Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection

This 75-room property near Playa del Carmen is one of a trio of new properties in the Kanai community that’s bringing Maya-inspired luxury to the Yucatán.

• The shaman blessing upon arrival that promotes resetting and positive wishes for your stay and the little gifts left at turndown—including the miniature ceramic version of a Xoloitzcuintli, a sacred spirit dog with mystical healing abilities 
• The elevated wooden walkways that transport guests above the mangroves to the beach and pool
• The sampler treatments at the spa and a Mayan calendar reading that allows you to experience a dose of Mayan culture
• The friendly guias (guides/butlers) available at all times to help with reservations, activities and more

Guests arriving at Auberge’s new Riviera Maya resort, Etéreo, the first of the three resorts to open in the Kanai complex just above Playa del Carmen, have the option to receive a brief shaman’s blessing with incense, Mayan chanting and shell blowing to help set an intention for their stay or their lives, a practice that ties to the ethos of the hotel and reflects the connection to the ethereal (and Maya traditions)—to honor the past, stay in the present, create the future. It’s one that also suggests that a stay at a luxury hotel can be transformative. The shaman places a mini shrine on a small shelf outside your door with a Maya figure and two shells, talismans for an auspicious stay. Touches like these are echoed throughout the resort—in everything from design elements to the menus and activities.

With 75 rooms spread across eight towers of three or four levels, this property, which opened in December 2021, feels modern and stylish but not sprawling. Studios and suites feel sophisticated and distinctive, and many come with outdoor plunge pools. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls let in the light and invite easy access to the terrace. Local touches, like a carved wooden wall dividing bedroom and bathroom spaces with a recurring O-shaped design represent the zero of the Maya calendar (and the cycle of life); handwoven wall hangings, leather headboards, and striped rugs, pillows and baskets and a straw beach bag made in Oaxaca and the Yucatán add to the sense of place. The largest three-bedroom suites are 2,000 square feet, but even studios feel spacious at 875 square feet, with substantial closet space and well-equipped mini bars. The sky deck suite has its own floor, along with a balcony and plunge pool, a fire pit and somewhat more privacy and a view over the mangroves to the beach and the sprawling space ship-like St. Regis Kanai resort next door.

Dramatic elevated walkways lead guests from the main buildings across the 400-year-old mangroves to pretty pools or the beach, both of which have crisp white umbrellas and comfortable outdoor beds and cabanas.

Sleek design with Maya accents also carries through in the spa and fitness pavilions; the Sana Spa has its own (if man-made) “cenote“ in the form of an indoor soaking pool designed to look like a natural limestone cave pool. There is also a bath house with a sauna, steam room and sound room, along with an assortment of  Maya-inspired treatments using local herbs to promote healing. There are a range of yoga and HIIT classes, along with suspension workouts, too, and Jésus, the resort trainer, couldn’t have been friendlier or more engaged. As for the rest of the attentive, warm staff, aside from the guias (your host-guides during your stay), much of the team moves around the site by underground tunnels and in separate elevators, so guests have the walkways between the lobby pavilion, spa, restaurants and rooms mostly to themselves.

You will not want for food here: Multiple restaurants include Itzam (Mexican, with its own wood-fired comal for homemade tortillas) and Che Che (for ceviche and Japanese-Peruvian inspired dishes); El Changarro (beachside tacos and other light bites); Alberca (a particularly tasty poolside tuna poke bowl, ceviches, salads and sandwiches); or room service; and Chu Chu (a cute truck for coffee outside the well-curated boutique, serves coffee and good pastries from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m.; iced coffee or tea is complimentary). Guests can also make reservations at the other Kanai properties. 

Activities on- and off-property seemed substantial and designed to reflect Yucatan culture, including the weekly Maya calendar reading with local astrologer and storyteller Itzel Castillo. Guests can also take a class with a local chef, artist or ceramicist; enjoy paddleboarding, scuba, snorkeling, sailing, cenote visits; and visit Tulum or Chichén Itzá. There is a kids’ club on-property, though we saw mostly couples and families with either infants or older children during our visit. Overall, the only drawback is that the beach feels a bit too spotless, perhaps because of the sustainability requirements to protect the mangroves, and there are no bathrooms or changing areas at the beach, so you have to walk to the pool area or back to your room. But the sand sculptures of sea turtles and dolphins that seemed to magically appearwith messages of hope and peace are guaranteed to brighten your day.

Couples looking for a relaxing modern retreat with a dose of culture and plenty of activities on- and off-property to choose from.