Alila Mayakoba
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mayakoba
Vibe
Mangrove waterways meet Caribbean shores, where arrival begins with a sacred Melipona honey and regional clay hand ritual.
“Biophilic mangrove oasis”
Huber Design Studio crafts biophilic spaces using tzalam timber, hand-chiselled Mérida limestone, and woven henequén textiles.
Lagoon-side treatment casitas feature Mayan Tzolk'in calendar therapies, a traditional Temazcal, and a complete hydrotherapy circuit.
Electric eco-boat mangrove tours, cruiser bikes along jungle trails, and beachfront plunge pools across sixty coastal acres.
In the Mayakoba eco-resort enclave, surrounded by mangrove waterways and Caribbean beachfront.
“I found serenity in my beachfront oceanview suite, which felt more like an apartment than a hotel room.”
Rooms
Sand and taupe interiors feature carved stone hangings and woven lamps, while select beachfront suites add terraces with private plunge pools.
“Far removed from nightclubs and co-eds in Cancun, Alila Mayakoba shows off a more tranquil, down-to-earth side of the Riviera Maya.”
Wellness
Herbal teas precede copal-scented bodywork in lagoon casitas, flanked by a sacred Temazcal sweat lodge, sauna, steam, and cold plunge.
Backstory
Set across sixty acres of protected mangroves, the property transformed a former resort into the brand's first Latin American outpost.
Eat & drink
Dine on Latin American plates inside Casa Amate's residential rooms, or head to Alisio Beach Club for live-fire grilled seafood.
The neighborhood
Explore the wider 620-acre Mayakoba enclave, where nature paths wind past cenotes, local coatis, and the Mexican village square of El Pueblito.
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The app
This is one hotel. The app has every one we rate, in your pocket, for the whole trip.
Our shorthand
What makes a hotel special, how well they pull it off, and what it feels like outside the door.
How well they pull it off
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
They did this well. You’ll notice.
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Architecture and interiors lead. There’s a creative vision at work.
The guest is conspicuously well cared for. Requests met before they’re made.
Rooted in place. Local character runs through the whole stay.
Energy and scene. Where the city goes out, whether or not it’s sleeping here.
A building with history. The story of the place is part of the stay.
Built around feeling better. Rest, sweat, soak, spa.
A hotel the city grew up with. Same rituals, same regulars.
A world of its own. No reason to leave the property.
Scene — what’s outside the door
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
A place apart: the property is the destination.