Guests can choose their type of vacation
IAN STALKER
The Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya is cheerfully but not entirely bucking a long-running Riviera Maya trend.
The oceanfront resort — which falls under the Hyatt umbrella and is one of 4 upscale properties found in a gated complex a little north of Playa del Carmen — isn’t an all-inclusive resort, unlike most accommodation options in the region, but sales and marketing director Chris Shiel notes a daily all-inclusive program is available for US$185 a day.
No Andaz property in the Americas or elsewhere has gone the all-inclusive route, he points out.
“We’re staying true to who we are,” he states. “It separates us. We’re going after the traveller willing to pay for quality. The audience we’re going after wants that luxury experience.”
Shiel is aware of the following all-inclusive vacations have among travellers in this country, and points out. “for the Canadian traveller who desires an all-inclusive option we have that in very high quality.”
Guests staying at the Andaz Mayakoba Riviera Maya and the nearby other three resorts must pass through a gate verifying they are indeed vacationing at one of the four properties.
Natural barriers also make it difficult for non-guests to reach the area.
“If you’re not staying at one of the hotels, you’re not getting in,” Shiel says. “It’s very private, very secure and very safe.”
Andaz Mayakoba Riviera Maya guests will find a choice of restaurants at their resort but can also dine at eateries in the other three hotels, charging the meal to their hotel bill, giving them a choice of around 25 restaurants.
The Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya offers guests two restaurants ranked among the top 250 in Mexico. The Sotavento has live music, while the Casa Amate has a “unique and sophisticated residential concept designed to resemble the home of an eclectic traveler passionate about Latin culture.”
Guests will also find an 18-hole golf course that was the first outside of the United States and Canada to host a PGA event and it just held a LIV Golf League tournament, the new rival to the PGA. The Greg Norman-designed course has a golf school and offers Andaz Mayakoba Resort guests discounted rates.
Electric boats can carry guests around the area, with Shiel citing them as proof of his resort’s commitment to sustainability.
Some 100 species of birds can be seen in the immediate area, along with other creatures, with the electric boats having guides who will point out wildlife.
Shiel also notes his resort has a spa and wellness centre that is also a showcase for the region’s Maya culture and likes to use area products in treatments. The spa has an on-site Maya shaman, helping visitors with the likes of meditation.
Another spa treatment uses cacao — the source of chocolate — “and is a beautiful experience done in the spa overlooking the lagoon,” Shiel says.
Other resort features include two outdoor pools and a kids’ club. The property is happy to host weddings.
Shiel says the property also has influences that clearly reflect the country that it’s in: “When you come there, you have a sense of place. You know you’re in Mexico.”
