Already Dreaming Of A Sunny Winter Escape? Wake Up At This Mexico Star

If winter vacation fantasies of touching down at an uplifting, ultra-pampering beachside resort are already dancing in your head, then consider Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya , on Mexico's famous Yucatán Peninsula for an ultimate dream come true. This secluded five-star jewel, which exudes serenity amid 200 acres of thick jungle and mangrove, is a chic hotspot with a chill vibe, fringed with cashmere-soft white sand along its pristine turquoise-water-splashed Caribbean coastline. Built in 1995 approximately 30 miles south of Cancun and acquired by Belmond in 2002, Maroma closed several years ago for extensive renovation to be remarkably reimagined by visionary interior architectural designer Tara Bernerd . It reopened in August 2023. Now Maroma has a prestigious place in this month's announcement of The World's 50 Best Hotels 2024 . Not only does Maroma epitomize a comfortable elegance that is at the soul of the brand Belmond —part of French luxury company LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton)—it also deftly expresses the spirit of its locale, celebrating Mexico's rich and colorful culture.

Maroma's beauty and authenticity represent the beating heart of the Riviera Maya, says Federico Echaiz, Area Managing Director for Mexico and General Manager of Maroma, "achieved through our commitment to honoring Mayan culture, our local community and environment," he adds. Echaiz and the Maroma Belmond teams have helped grow the resort's legacy through eco-forward partnerships, such as with Parley for the Oceans , a global earth-friendly organization and network in which leaders, thinkers and creators join together to make positive differences in ocean life. Here, highlights of Maroma's pleasures and treasures.

Views And Verve: Sublime Ambience

Maroma's 72 rooms, suites and ocean villas in curved white stucco buildings are spacious and dressed with sense-of-place personality: Indigenous materials, Mexican heritage accents and locally crafted artisanal furniture and objects. Hand-woven textiles and wall hangings, hand-blown glass lighting, hand-painted clay pots, straw fans, patterned baskets, ceramic mezcal-filled flasks and Saltillo terracotta floor tiles exemplify Maroma's resort-wide attention to detail. For guests to wear on-site: woven sandals, linen bathrobes and cotton kaftans, the last of which is made by Collectiva Concepción, a Mexico City company that supports artisans in more than 40 at-risk Indigenous communities by providing looms and promoting other socially conscience projects.

Creativity and Quality: Revitalizing Restaurants

Maroma's two restaurants feel both intimate and grand (the views!) with menus that showcase best of kitchen staff skill. At Woodend, Australia-born celebrity chef and Michelin-star restaurateur Curtis Stone conceives dishes that pay tribute to local ingredients and culinary traditions, while enlivening international surprises that take his fare to greater heights. Open-fire grilling of seafood and meat is the masterful main draw, sizzling favorites such as blue prawns with apple, green mango, daikon and charred almonds; prime filet with chimichurri sauce; and cabbage heart with salsa macha. Pleasing also are bright-idea seasonings and sauces combined with classics, such as lamb with chiapas, double cream tzatziki and cashew tahini. Popular are refreshing raw bar treats, such as pink snapper carpaccio with kumquat sauce and chives; oyster crudo with lemongrass and pineapple mignonette.

At Casa Mayor, Mexican-born executive chef Daniel Camacho earns energetic applause with freshest ingredients sourced from the Yucatán Peninsula—and more than 90 percent of Casa Mayor's foodstuff is procured from Mexico. Sustainable fisheries are on speed dial. Happily, Casa Mayor serves chocolate-delectable dishes graced with Oaxacan black molé. Among the many Mexico-loving menu items: seasonal corn tamal with pumpkin flower, quail egg and green sauce; warm smoked cheese from Querétaro with crusty bread; roasted red octopus with cucumber, soy, oregano and lemon. Take your foodie experience one step further by enrolling in a fun class to discover the artisanal process of cooking corn and hand-making tortillas.

Toast the sunset at Freddy's Bar (replete with tacos and ceviche) and at the heady Bambuco Bar, which stocks some of the country's most exclusive and exciting mezcals.

Relax and Recharge: Savvy Spa

Maroma Spa by Guerlain spans 30,000 square feet, encompassing nine spa cabins, a top-notch apothecary and a relaxation lounge, as well as a fitness center. Thoughtful yoga and meditation sessions are scheduled. Some signature treatments incorporate Mayan themes, utilizing rare black orchids and honey from Melipona bees, which are housed on property in a Meliponario.

Eye-Opening Explorations: Magia de Mexico

With jungle nearby, wildlife abounds. Spy coati, spider monkeys and native birds galore. Maroma's activities staff can arrange: sailing excursions; snorkeling at the world's second largest barrier reef; swimming in the area's impressive cenotes (deep natural wells); golf outings; helicopter touring to Chichén Itzá, an archeological Mayan wonder; and rides to Playa del Carmen, a coastal cobble-stone town known for its beaches, restaurants, stores, nightlife and revelry. Olé!