Wanderlust – Riviera Maya, Mexico

In the recent winter weeks, the editorial team has been busy researching and writing our Mexico hotel content. With most of our days spent poring over hotel websites, studying the white sandy beaches, palm trees, and blue waters, it was time to treat ourselves to our own Riviera Maya Mexican vacation.

While our friends in New York experienced yet another blizzard, Erika and I headed down to Grand Velas All Suites Resort and Spa, ten minutes north of Playa del Carmen. In just three hours, we had traded our bulky coats and winter boots for bikinis and flip-flops. Every time I fly to the Cancun area, I think to myself, “This is so easy, why don’t I do this more often?”

When we landed, there was a shuttle waiting to take us to the resort, which was less than an hour from the airport. For those of you who have never been (especially if you are planning your own jaunt and are deciding on a resort) it’s worth noting that all the Riviera Maya hotels line the main road, which follows the coastline to Tulum. These resorts are set far back from the road on acres and acres of mangroves, so you really don’t have a sense of either the neighboring properties or the road’s traffic. This held true at Grand Velas.

Once we turned into the gates, it was nearly five minutes of driving through the lush greenery before we pulled up in front of the Grand Class section of the resort. To say this resort is massive is an understatement. Three separate accommodations  (complete with separate pools and restaurants) comprise Grand Velas’ 205 acres. Erika and I stayed at Grand Class, the adults-only area, and arguably the most luxurious, but it was a quick and easy walk along the beachfront to Ambassador, the section geared to families that had our favorite breakfast spot (the selection of fresh squeezed juices was to die for!). It was also just a three-minute ride on one of the shuttle buses to Master Section, also called Zen Ambience, which houses the hotel’s enormous convention center. Although I like to have the beachfront and center at all times, this area’s jungle setting is a great alternative for families who want to experience the Yucatan’s cenotes and natural beauty. Plus, it makes it easier on business travelers when they aren’t continuously taunted by the lapping surf. The pièce de résistance at Master Section is the spa, but in my opinion, it really deserves its own dedicated post, so make sure to check back for more soon.

The delicious fresh-squeezed juices at the Ambassador

The Master Section pool

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