We’ve handpicked three resorts across Mexico with spas that deliver
on indulgence, and threw in our favorite accommodation for the ideal pairing.
Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills Resort & Spa
This all-inclusive resort in Riviera Nayarit is located in the hills of La Cruz Huanacaxtle, only 25 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport and 10 minutes from Banderas Bay (accessed via a private shuttle). It offers four restaurants, five pools, a private beach club, beachside buffet and the Makawe Spa….
The Spa: There are spas and then there are spas, and the resort’s adults-only spa is one of the latter ones. It’s an intimate rainforest-style setting—lots of wood decor and outdoor spaces—with six Asian-style indoor and outdoor palapa-style treatment areas, as well as a Zen-inspired steam room, and a plunge pool. Unique locally inspired treatments include the Huaxe energy cleansing massage and the Hakute bamboo mud massage.
The Accommodation: Surrounded by tropical flora, the secluded Tropical View Junior Suites (there are 117 in total) have recently been converted for adults only, and grant access to an adults-only pool deck.
Let’s Get Active: Just for starters, the resort offers an adults-only health bar located by one of the more sedate pools, and there’s the option for guests to try their hand at volleyball, beach football, and archery. For those who enjoy a nature walk, there’s a 25-minute trail that’s clearly marked, and those who’d rather dive right in, so to speak, can go canoeing, windsurfing, snorkeling and scuba diving.
NIZUC Resort & Spa
This beachfront resort in Cancun, located only 15 minutes from the Cancun International Airport, features 274 suites and private villas sprinkled throughout a 29-acre space nestled amid a lush mangrove forest. The property, a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Legend collection, has five pools, two tennis courts, six restaurants, a white-sand beach, and the NIZUC Spa
by ESPA….
The Spa: As the first ESPA-branded spa in the Mexican Caribbean, the 30,000-sq.-ft. facility offers an oceanfront setting, an Asian treatment room, two Private Spa Suites with pool and outdoor deck, a meditation garden, a state-of-the-art movement studio, and a Spa Cafe offering fresh-pressed juices and a whole foods dining approach. There’s also a whole separate Thermal Experience with an aromatic steam room, an ice fountain with a cool mist shower, a solarium, thermal loungers and other spa hydrotherapy fixtures.
The Accommodation: The resort offers only suites and villas, with the latter coming in four room types: Private Pool Villa; Private Pool Pavilion Villa; the Nizuc Villa; and the Presidential Suite Villa. As an homage to the resort, recommend the 5,380-sq.-ft. Nizuc Villa, which comes outfitted with a separate one king bedroom suite, with its own 409-sq.-ft. rooftop sundeck, as well as patio and entertainment areas set in a lush 2,770-sq.-ft. tropical garden with an infinity pool. Average room rate starts at $583 per night.
Let’s Get Active: The resort ups the ante when it comes to its wellness approach, with yoga and Pilates, of course, but also offering a juicing session, sound therapy and breath work. There are even Crossfit classes for the fitness fanatics. The great outdoors beckon with paddleboarding and snorkeling excursions.
Beloved Playa Mujeres
This adults-only, all-inclusive property that’s part of the Excellence Group is located just minutes from Cancun on a long stretch of white-sand beach. It’s an all-suite property with four restaurants and an array of active pursuits such as seaside golfing and deep-sea fishing, and then there’s the uber-modern Beloved Playa Mujeres Spa….
The Spa: This 35,000-sq.-ft. facility has a very contemporary feel embraced in white with splashes of black and the Caribbean Sea as its backdrop. It boasts an over-the-top aqua therapy area, and a fitness center featuring Technogym equipment, including the new EXCITE collection and personal Kinesis movement systems. The resort is offering an 8-day Wellness Week running Dec. 11-17, 2017 that features an array of activities, ranging from an immersive Yoga Journey by the Sea to a Wellness Gourmet Experience in select restaurants. The package also includes a Therapeutic Ritual, wellness and nutrition workshops, a fitness program and special spa treatments (call for rates).
The Accommodation: With so many “suite” options, it’s tough to handpick just one accommodation to recommend, but since our hand is forced we’ll go with the 1,206-sq.-ft., 2-story Casita Suite with Plunge Pool Ocean Front. It features a private rooftop terrace with plunge pool, and a king-bedded master bedroom, and it overlooks the Caribbean Sea. Rates for July range from $261 to $289 and go back down a bit starting in September.
Let’s Get Active: Guests can choose from yoga, Pilates and aerobic training, and there are scenic seaside paths where guests can go walking, biking and running.
Contact Information
Beloved Playa Mujeres: belovedhotels.com
Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills Resort & Spa: sirenishotels.com
NIZUC Resort & Spa: nizuc.com
Yoga + Social Responsibility = A New You
Who doesn’t want to make the world a better place and do it while practicing SUP yoga? Yes, today’s wellness retreats go far beyond a yoga at sunrise class, with many adding social responsibility to help the resort’s community. At CostaBaja Resort in La Paz there’s a 6-day La Paz SUP Social Good Retreat next March 14-19 that includes a paddleboarding session, daily yoga, meditation classes, SUP yoga (standup paddleboard yoga) and swimming with marine life, complemented by a journaling class, and Social Good Sessions with Care for Kids La Paz—a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of impoverished children and their families in La Paz. This #travelwithpurpose trip is curated by a yogi and an eco-activist, and includes all food and beverage, roundtrip transfers, yoga mats, and SUP equipment. Visit lapazretreat.splashthat.com for more information; and for hotel information, visit costabajaresort.com.
