When it comes to luxury in the Riviera Maya, it’s tough to beat Mayakoba. Home to four luxury hotels (Banyan Tree, Rosewood, Fairmont and Andaz), residences, a golf course and the El Pueblito village, this is the masterplan community where travelers come to truly be pampered, and, more importantly, eat very, very well.
On a recent trip I was able to do a “dine around” the resorts to try the newest offerings, and some of the classics. Here are the meals that your clients won’t want to miss.
Andaz Mayakoba: One of the better meals, in terms of food and ambience, that your clients can have at the newest of the Mayakoba resorts is at Sotavento, the barefoot casual beachfront restaurant. The mood is set with low-to-the-sand couches, strings of lights and live music. The oysters are delicious, as are the grilled selections. Tip: The steak is good, but the seafood is out of this world.
Fairmont Mayakoba: For breakfast, Brisas offers plenty of extras that come along with a meal. In addition to the decadent menu (the avocado toast and the crab cake Benedict were particularly noteworthy), diners are treated to fresh fruit, complimentary meat and cheese and so much more. The view can’t be beat, either, as the restaurant is directly on the beach.
New to Fairmont is the Ki Beach Bar & Korean BBQ. By day, Ki is a beach bar with a delicious rum selection and juice cocktails. At night, it’s a toes-in-the-sand Korean barbecue experience.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba: Still one of the best dining experiences to be had in Mayakoba is at Saffron, the signature Thai restaurant at all Banyan Tree hotels. Banyan Tree Mayakoba’s Saffron is no exception. Perched over the lagoon, with impeccable service, the atmosphere and quality of food and wine cannot be beat.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba is celebrating 10 years as one of the most upscale properties in Mexico. This year they are planning to carry out a $50 million expansion and redevelopment. Part of the expansion will include 40 new guestrooms and suites, including six overwater villas and 34 beachfront suites with private pools. The Lagoon Sunset Suites, the overwater villas, will have an open floor plan spread over two floors. Another new development will be the Sands Beach Club, a 43,000-square-foot space with two oceanfront pools, dining, a spa and massage club.
Rosewood Mayakoba: Though not technically located within Rosewood Mayakoba itself (it’s located at El Pueblito, the small Mexican-style square that is common ground for all the Mayakoba resorts), La Fondita is Rosewood’s contribution to the culinary scene. An absolute must for lunch, the restaurant serves wonderful tostadas, a selection of tequilas and mezcal. The tuna tostada (from the cold selection) is wonderful, as is the cochinita pibil tostada, from the hot selection. (El Pueblito most recently opened El Pueblito Bar, which is by Andaz Mayakoba, and is the only bar in the square to stay open till 2 a.m.)
At the end of 2019, Rosewood Mayakoba emerged from a $20 million renovation, which transformed all 129 suites, introduced eight Wellness Suites, revamped the three- and four-bedroom Presidential Suites, and opened Zapote, an open-air bar that joins the Aqui Me Quedo adults-only beachfront lounge.
Source: Read Full Article