Mexico: New Hotel Openings

The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya has opened next to a 620-acre nature reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site—the Sian Ka’an Reserve. The resort, owned by Grupo Alhel, is a short drive from both Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. It has 124 guestrooms and 19 suites, including a 2,300-square-foot Presidential Suite, each offering ocean views and a private terrace or plunge pool. All guests will also have access to The St. Regis Signature Butler Service.

The signature restaurant TORO by Chef Richard Sandoval is a bar and restaurant with a Latin-inspired menu; Chaya has a menu that combines local ingredients with Eastern Mediterranean culinary elements; the beachfront Riviera blends the South of France with the Mayan Riviera; and The Library serves afternoon tea. There’s also the St. Regis Bar and Jack’s Club, a hidden speakeasy.

The St. Regis Spa has eight treatment suites and a standalone salon. Guests will also have access to the Athletic Club. The Beach Club will offer access to a selection of water sports, besides adults-only and family pools.

As part of the brand’s “Family Traditions” program, the property offers the Tortuga Children’s Club. Located less than half a mile from a coral reef, the resort is also a good launching pad for underwater exploration.

The St. Regis Kanai Resort
The Riviera Luxe Room at The St. Regis Kanai Resort offers 592 square feet of space, and comes with an outdoor bathtub and a terrace. (The St. Regis Kanai Resort)

Meanwhile, The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort completed the first phase of its property-wide renovation project, with the second phase already underway. The property is now sporting new looks at its lobby and concierge areas, the Altamira Lobby Bar, Las Marietas Restaurant & Bar, and Marietas Pool & Beach, as well as updates to select guestrooms and suites (including eight Ocean Front Beach Villas) and the outdoor wedding spaces.

The entire collection of the resort’s Ocean Front Villas has been renovated and includes new in-room amenities. Each villa now has larger outdoor spaces, each with a pool. Signature butler service is also available day or night to all on-property guests whether they are staying in a villa, suite or guestroom. Services include unpacking and packing, daily tea service and more.

The second phase of renovations will include the remainder of guestrooms and suites, besides the Beach Club and Remède Spa.

The Grand Velas Boutique Los Cabos will open in late 2023. The boutique hotel will be Velas Resorts’ third property in Los Cabos. Guests at the adults-only resort will have access to sister property Grand Velas Los Cabos’ five gourmet dinner restaurants and four bars with no additional charge.

Grand Velas Boutique Hotel Los Cabos
Grand Velas Boutique Hotel Los Cabos offers a creative dining experience with casual and fine dining restaurants. (Grand Velas Boutique Hotel Los Cabos )

The beachfront Grand Velas Boutique will have 79 suites, all over 900 square feet with a private terrace, living area with sofa, walk-in shower and jacuzzi, two queen or one king-size bed, daily-stocked premium minibar, and 24-hour personal concierge.

Grand Velas Boutique will have a two-star Michelin consulting chef, a large wine selection inspired by the proximity to Mexico’s fine wine region and spa treatments inspired by Mexican culture. Onsite culinary offerings include a creative dining experience with casual and fine dining restaurants, poolside delights, tequila and mezcal tastings, and elevated mixology. A wellness center with both gym and spa, indoor or outdoor ocean view event spaces, infinity pool, and private beach area will complete the offerings.

Gourmet meals, premium branded beverages, 24-hour in-suite service, nightly entertainment, taxes, gratuity and more are included in the resort’s nightly rate.

The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort offers 120 guestrooms and suites. Shown on the left is a Junior Suite, which has one king bedroom and offers ocean views and terrace. (The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort)

Belmond has signed a management agreement for Milaroca, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Nayarit on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The resort will be “consciously and sensitively built from the ground up,” according to management. The hotel will be located in a mountainous jungle alongside a white beach stretching over a mile in Riviera Nayarit.

Slated to open in 2025, Milaroca will join two other Belmond properties in Mexico—Casa de Sierra Nevada, a former convent built in the 16th century located in the country’s heartland of San Miguel de Allende, and Maroma in Riviera Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula which will reopen its doors this August following a makeover.

The estate will comprise a hotel with 57 guest pavilions, ranging from junior suites, one-bedroom suites, jungle suites and 12 three-bedroom villas, many with private plunge pools; 27 private villas; six dining venues; an organic farm; a wellness center; four outdoor swimming pools; and a curated retail offering that brings together exclusive brands with artisanal products.

Milaroca is a 40-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta International Airport.

The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort
Two-Bedroom Beachfront Villa at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort (The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort)

OCN Resort & Residences’ latest project is in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Slated for a summer 2024 opening, OCN—pronounced “ocean”—will be located on Palmarito Beach and will comprise luxury vacation villas as well as units for purchase, each equipped with a private pool and rooftop space. Luxury villas will range from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet.

With Laguna de Manialtepec, a nine-mile bioluminescent lagoon nearby, visitors can enjoy a range of water activities, such as a late-night swim illuminated by the glowing waters, water skiing, surfing and wakeboarding during the day.

OCN Resort & Residences will also offer free transportation into Puerto Escondido and airport transfers through their in-house car service.

OCN Resort & Residences will begin accepting resort bookings in spring 2024.

Milaroca, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Nayarit
Milaroca, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Nayarit will be located in a mountainous jungle alongside a white beach stretching over a mile in Riviera Nayarit. (Milaroca, A Belmond Hotel, Riviera Nayarit)

JW Marriott Mexico City, located in the city’s Polanco District, has completed the renovations of its guestrooms and suites, the first phase of an ongoing total property transformation. Phase Two will bring this hotel into “a new era of luxury” by fall 2023, with a complete renovation of the entrances and lobby, as well as four new culinary concepts, including a bar and mezcal room, alongside 2,800 square feet of renovated meeting spaces.

The hotel, overlooking Chapultepec Park, is in walking distance to some of the city’s finest restaurants and bars and most visited sites, including the Museum of Anthropology, National Auditorium, Soumaya Museum, art galleries, Zócalo central square and the Palace of Fine Arts. Originally opened in 1996, the Mexico City property was the first JW Marriott hotel outside of the United States.

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