Mexico may be known in large measure for its all-inclusive resorts, but there are plenty of new European plan properties on the horizon — particularly in the luxury segment. Here are some of the notable openings on tap for the years ahead.
This May in the Riviera Nayarit, Conrad Hotels & Resorts is planning to open the 325-room Conrad Punta de Mita. Marking Hilton’s first Conrad-branded property in Mexico, the newbuild resort will be set in Litibu, in the same private development as the 18-hole, Greg Norman-designed Litibu Golf Course.
The resort’s design will draw inspiration from Mexican architecture and culture, with all suites offering large patios, plunge pools, freestanding soaking tubs and outdoor showers. Amenities will include three pools: one for adults only, aimed at relaxation; an activity pool for swimming laps; and a kid-friendly pool designed for families. Travelers with children will also be able to take advantage of a game room and kids club.
In addition, the new Conrad will have four restaurants and three bars on property, including a mezcal and tequila barrel tasting room and a lobby bar named Tuki, which borrows its name from the Huichol word for “temple.”
The spa will have an indoor / outdoor design spread across 10,000 square feet, and it will offer traditional temazcal treatments in seven “cocoon treatment cabanas,” which will be set among the vegetation and connected by a tunnel of plants and flowers. A fitness center will have an outdoor lawn for yoga and stretching.
For groups, there will be 54,000 square feet of event spaces, with venues ranging from boardrooms to beaches. Groups will also be able to take advantage of custom activities, cuisine and cultural experiences, as well as a number of wedding packages.
In June, the Riviera Nayarit will see the debut of the 104-room One&Only Mandarina. One of Virtuoso’s recent picks for the hottest hotel openings of the year, the resort will consist of a series of stand-alone villas and treehouses, each with a private pool. The resort will also have a beach club, plus a family pool built into the bluffs. A series of family-friendly cabanas will surround the pool.
For dining, Alma will serve up a menu of pan-American and Mediterranean cuisine al fresco. Overlooking the ocean, the restaurant’s bar will reportedly be designed to create the feeling of floating amid the treetops. Carao will likewise provide panoramic views from its cliffside location, with a menu of creative Mexican dishes.
The One&Only resort’s grounds will offer a number of activities for guests, including miles of nature trails, a polo and equestrian club and an Adventure Playground with opportunities for climbing, ziplines, tennis and basketball, as well as a movie theater.
Next year, Auberge Resorts Collection will open the 59-suite Susurros del Corazon in Punta de Mita. Set on a bluff overlooking Banderas Bay, the property will aim to offer a “bungalow by the beach” experience that draws on the area’s fame among surfers. Three scallop-shaped pools will terrace down to the beach where, in addition to surfing, guests can snorkel or go fishing against the dramatic backdrop of the volcanic Marietas Islands, a protected wildlife refuge. The resort will also have a spa set among its gardens with treatments that take inspiration from the region’s heritage of natural healing properties.
That year will also see the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Reserve Riviera Nayarit, which will be the first resort to open in the $2 billion luxury development project Costa Canuva CIP. (Eventually, that development will be home to five resorts.) Plans call for 110 rooms, suites and private villas with ocean views, as well as three restaurants, a bar, event rooms, two pools, a spa and shops. The Costa Canuva development will also be home to a golf course designed by Greg Norman and Lorena Ochoa, as well as more than 600 acres of beach, forest and mountains.
Further north, on the Baja Peninsula, Aman’s first resort in Mexico is set to open in 2021. Dubbed Amanvari — named from the Sanskrit-derived words for “peace” and “water” — the property will be set on the peninsula’s East Cape, part of the Costa Palmas development. With a design by Heah & Co architects, the property will comprise 20 sea-facing pavilions with private pools, decks and indoor and outdoor living spaces, plus fire pits for nighttime gatherings. The resort will also have a private beach on the Sea of Cortez, as well as an infinity pool, Jacuzzis and a library.
Amanvari will mark Aman’s first-ever outpost in Mexico.
Costa Palmas is also home to the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, which opened late last year, as well as a marina and golf course.
Accor is also planning to open a property in Los Cabos in 2021: the SO/ Los Cabos Hotel & Residences, marking the first property for the company’s SO/ Hotels & Resorts lifestyle brand in Mexico. The new hotel will have 200 guestrooms and 36 luxury residences with beach and ocean views, plus a rooftop experience with two modern Mexican restaurants and a lounge with ocean views surrounded by five swimming pools. Guests will also be able to enjoy an SO/ Spa, offering bespoke treatments inspired by Mexican beauty rituals; access to an 18-hole, Nicklaus-designed golf course adjacent to the property; and a fitness center with a glass-bottom pool. For groups, the property will also have 7,500 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor function space, including outdoor event spaces with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
In 2022, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts plans to open the Rosewood Mandarina. The beachfront property will draw inspiration from the local Huichol and Cora cultures, as well as the element of water. It will consist of 130 guestrooms, suites and villas with views of the mountains, beach and ocean. Guests will be able to choose from three restaurants and bars, including a specialty restaurant, sunset bar, a pool grill and beach bar. The resort will also have three pools, a fitness center and spa with 10 treatment room and event space. For group events, there will be a 300-square-foot ballroom.
Around the resort, guests will be able to explore three environments: the beach, the lowlands and the highlands, each offering its own activities. These will range from fishing in nearby lagoons or the ocean to learning about the region’s agriculture or hiking in the mountains.
In 2023, the Costa Canuva development will get its second luxury property, the Fairmont Costa Canuva. Plans for the 250-suite hotel call for six restaurants and bars, as well as a large outdoor swimming pool.
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