MAYAN RIVIERA: WHERE TO SPA
Mexico's Mayan Riviera offers something for anyone who likes to spa. Here's a sampling:
Willow Stream, Fairmont Mayakoba
Ceiba del Mar
Europstar Blue Tulum
Paraiso de la Bonita
Renova Spa at Rui Palace Riviera Maya
Aroma Spa at Esencia
Spa at Mandarin Oriental Mayakoba
Here's a spa in nearby Cancun
Kayantá Spa, Ritz Carlton Cancun
Cooking Classes in Cancun and Mayan Riviera
Paraiso de la Bonita
By Anne Dimon
Paraiso de la Bonita - the name means “pretty woman’s paradise” – is the only resort in Mexico (and one of the very few in North America) to offer Thalassotherapy. The ancient Greek concept of “Thalassotherapy” is based on the science and similarity between the body’s blood plasma and seawater, permitting the therapeutic effects of seawater to be absorbed early by the skin. (Read more on Thalassotherapy.
Located on a 14-acre estate, 10 minutes from Puerto Morelos and 30 minutes to Cancun, Paraiso de la Bonita is an intimate and very upscale property with the only certified Thalassotherapy spa in North America. All 90 suites offer ocean views, almost half have private plunge pools, and all are exquisitely decorated and themed to the geographical destinations for which they are named - Jaipur, Antigua, KwaZulu, for instance. Each suite comes with a bottle of Tequila, Bvlgari bath amenities, Frette robe and a straw tote for the beach and pool.
There are 16 treatment rooms in this beautifully-appointed Thalasso Centre and the water system for the spa is completely independent from the hotel. Rules and regulations to get the Thalasso certification are strict.
Locker rooms offers a selection of beverages including teas and waters infused with Jamaican flower and pineapple. Despite incredible attention to detail - Frette spa robes and monogrammed towels – I was surprised that at the time of my visit there were no plastic bags for wet bathing suits.
The menu here is extensive. Along with Thalassotherapy treatments such as Shower Jet, Balneotherapy (therapeutic baths) and seaweed body treatments, there are facials, massages and a number of three and five-night packages. Private Tamaskal sessions are available plus Tamaskal ceremonies are scheduled twice a week. The fitness centre is open 24 hours and an outdoor salt water pool is available to all resort guests.
Extras include complimentary breakfast and afternoon tea and cookies, fitness classes, airport transfers in luxury cars. The adults only environment and beautiful surrounding makes this resort perfect for honeymoons or couples looking for a quiet retreat. Best-value times to visit are the months of September, October and November.
For more info: Paraiso de la Bonita
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Renova Spa at Rui Palace Riviera Maya
by Anne Dimon
If you like your spa experience mixed in with a wide range of more social activities – beach volleyball, beach ping pong, an all-day buffet and the like, then the palatial, all-inclusive Palace Rui Maya might be the place for you.
This is a good choice for families, girl getaways and couples looking for a place with more social activities than a quiet retreat. It’s not the place if loosing weight or launching a healthy eating regime is the objective – too much temptation to indulge. Not that the food here isn’t healthy – much of it is – but without discipline you could easily return home a few pounds heavier.
The spa at Rui is called Renova Spa – there’s a chain of about 25 in Mexico with the majority located in and around the Mayan Riviera. One of the newest is the Renova Spa at the Palace Rio Maya. It more of a guest amenity than the specific reason to select the resort. There are five treatment rooms, hair salon, mani-pedi area, a terrace with lounge chairs and Jacuzzi and, in the locker room, beautifully-tiled showers. There’s a full menu of spa services.
For the easily bored, there’s a wide selection of activities - para-sailing, snorkeling, tennis, Scuba diving lessons, pool aerobics, for instance - to keep one amused and occupied. There are also a number of restaurants, bars and lounges plus pools with swim-up bars, a gym and, for those travelling with children, a kids program.
Heads Up: One thing I really didn’t like about this resort was that guests – many who hail from Europe – smoke in the restaurants. This may have changed since my visit but if the thought of a guest smoking right next to you as you dine bothers you then check with the resort before you go. And, for those of you who have to work even on holiday and must check e-mail messages, the Internet environment is totally annoying. At the time of my visit it was set up in a noisy sports bar. If you’re traveling with your own laptop you can access WiFi in the lobby.
This is an excellent choice for families, couples and gal pals looking for a full-service resort with lots of activities and a quality all-inclusive food and beverage service.
For more info: Hotel Riu Palace Rivera Maya
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Aroma Spa at Esencia
by Anne Dimon
Esencia is billed as a “sea side refuge” and it is exactly that. Arrive at the outskirts of the property to a true Mayan welcome complete with an authentic Mayan house made with clay and straw, and a pot of beans cooking over a wood fire. The concept behind the special welcome is that while the hotel is luxury – owners don’t want to take away from the indigenousness of the land. This is Mayan Country. We’re offered bottled water while we wait for someone from the main reception to come out to transport us via canopy-covered, peddle-powered “taxis.”
Set amidst an estate that is half natural, half meticulously manicured, the plantation-style main house was originally owned by an Italian duchess. Everything else – including the spas, two-level villas and restaurants – were built around it. A variety of indigenous palms and other vegetation act as privacy screens and give the feeling of being embraced by nature.
The villas have thoughtful little extras – such as an IPod station, DVDs, personal snorkels, a mini-bar filled with complimentary beverages (including soya juice) and a hard cover journal and fountain pen for noting thoughts and inspirations (which the setting is certain to provide.) Each villa has a private bush-embraced terrace and most have plunge pools. Bathroom amenities are Molten Brown. This is a place you could come to solo and just “be.” “We want to make people feel that they are a guest in the home of a friend,” says general manager Abigail Rivera.
Regular yoga classes take place on the main house terrace within ear shot of crashing waves.
On one edge of the property, just a short stroll from the main house, sits the unique and lovely Aroma Spa. Built in the round (curved walls encourage the flow of air and energy), topped with a palapa roof and decorated with beautifully hand-carved woods, the spa offers just four double treatment rooms and one single room. Small - but a perfect size for Esencia. Most rooms and Jacuzzi lounge areas are open to nature and overlook natural bush. All elements combine to offer a wonderful sense of place.
The holistic concept here – hence the name – is to “use aromatic plants and their extracts to transfer the essence of the plant’s soul to the human being’s soul.” The spa’s main focus is to offer holistic rituals using herb bouquets, therapeutic baths and aromas and colour-designed treatments such as the White, Yellow, Brown and Blue Facials each designed to achieve a specific goal. There are also colour exfoliations such as Red Exfoliation for sensuality, Green for purification and Yellow for the exotic. Rituals include Magical Aromas, the Sun Ritual, the Lime Ritual and the Walkers Ritual. There is even a Ritual for Two. The treatments here are as unique as the physical spa, and if “authentic experience” is what you are looking for then you should definitely consider Aroma Spa.
The spa manager tells me that when they created the spa they wanted something very different from the rest of the resort. They wanted something truly Mexican and “very close to nature.” She says all products for the treatments are prepared in the spa using herbs (from their own garden), medicinal plants, flowers and locally made massage oils. “The rituals are not for show,” she stresses. “These are real traditional Mexican rituals since used in many parts of the country.” They certainly feel authentic.
The spa is small but perfect for the size of Esencia. There are four double treatment rooms, one single plus four outside beds. A Tamascal (traditional sweat lodge) experience is available as a treatment.
Aroma Spa gets the TTW vote for most authentic Mexican experience. Esencia is perfect for couples looking for a quiet retreat. I’d also recommend for a solo traveller needing time to reconnect with the inner-self or just “be.” It’s a beautiful place to hide from the world and write the next great novel.
For more info: Esencia
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Kayantá Spa at Ritz Carlton Cancun
by Anne Dimon
Technically the very elegant Ritz Carlton Cancun is not on the Mayan Rivera but it’s close enough so we decided to include its Kayantá Spa in this focus on the MR.
We found the staff at Kayanta Spa (the Mayan word ka-a-yaan tah means “to be reborn”) so committed to delivering the best possible spa experience that they declined giving us a tour so as not to disturb current guests. We can’t fault them for that. So instead of just taking a tour, we booked a treatment – The Avocado Wrap.
The spa attendant gives me the regular guest tour of the intimate spa –just eight treatment rooms plus an open-to-the-sky lounge where guests can relax, shower or use the whirlpool. For outdoor massages, there’s a palapa-style pavilion on the beach.
The attendant walks me to the locker area which includes a marble tiled steam room infused with Eucalyptus essential oil. While I sit soaking up the steam, the attendant brings me a chilled cloth and a bottle of water. The vanity area is well equipped with products plus hair tools including dryer, curling iron, flat iron and a variety of hair brushes.
The product for my treatment is, no surprise, avocado. Staff have whipped a fresh avocado with yogurt, extra Vitamin E, plus Tea Tree and Chamomile essential oils. The mixture is kept warm in a hot “cabby.” The treatment includes dry brushing followed by the application of the avocado then a wrap. During the wrap, the therapist gives me a face and scalp massage. The treatment ends with the application of lotion. The spa menu at Kayanta includes water rituals, a collection of locally-inspired massages, holistic therapies (Cranial Acupressure and Zen Shiatsu, for instance), body scrubs and wraps, therapeutic baths, facial treatments plus signature retreats lasting up to three hours.
For more info: Kayantá Spa at Ritz Carlton Cancun
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Newest Spa on the MR is the Spa at the Mandarin Oriental
Opened on February 1st, the new Mandarin Oriental Mayan Rivera is set in the Mayakoba development just a short drive from the town of Playa del Carmen. The 25,000 square foot spa offers a holistic theme and treatments influenced by the Mayan and Mexican culture.
One of the spa’s unique offerings is the Rasul. I have never seen this treatment anywhere else other than in Germany. What is Rasul? It’s a mud-based treatment combining mud with steam and heat for an experience that cleanses, releases toxins and rejuvenates. It begins with an exfoliation using natural herbs, then mud is applied to the body, and upon exposure to dry heat, the pores open and toxins are released. The next step is to enter the mosaic-tiled treatment room and relax on throne-style chairs as hot steam softens the mud so the body can absorb nutritious and natural minerals. Once the mud is rinsed off, the treatment concludes with a stimulating massage using moisturizing lotions and body oils.
The spa will also have a Tamascal (a traditional steam lodge) and a hamman with ergonomic seating for up to 12. Cooling ice fountains, used to cool the body in between heat experiences, will help lower body temperature, inhibiting additional sweating and stimulating the body through the constriction of blood vessels. According to the news release, a reservoir of crushed ice with the look and feel of fine snow stands three feet high in an ornate ceramic art bowl. Ice is replenished as guests help themselves – scooping handfuls to rub on scalp, shoulders and legs. Cool.
For more info: Mandarin Oriental
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