Few hotels deliver the emotionally-comforting guest experience of Rosewood Mayakobá.
Believe me, I’ve done my research.
Early in my hospitality career I was trained by one of the greatest luxury hotel brands in the world. The invaluable skills learned not only gave me an advantage in the marketplace, but later on also helped define Morenita’s service standards. I took pride in implementing these bits of behavioral psychology, and was grateful to feel like a better person for working there. I did notice, however, that as the years passed it became increasingly harder to run into these honorable companies. Just like anywhere else, workplace toxicity would sometimes rear its ugly head. It didn’t happen too often, thankfully, but it was there and it was real.
When I transitioned to restaurants, it got a little worse. Usually, heads of hotels don’t suffer from rockstar-personality syndromes per se, but pop culture has over-glorified the culinary world so delusions of grandeur and inflated egos are sometimes the norm. It wasn’t until I was recruited by Mexico’s top restaurant that I felt a sense of homecoming: I was once again part of a team that took pride in internal culture and in acknowledging customers with professionalism and gratitude. Unsurprisingly, they are today one of the world’s best.
Here’s a fun piece of hospitality insider intel: at the highest level, you either last 2 days or 8 years, there’s almost no in-between. You know you are in the right place if on day 1 you are told point-blank: no mistake is justified. For the faint of heart, this sounds terrifying, but I can appreciate only having one chance at bat. Meritocracy, some call it. This is not a rehearsal - this here is live television, folks.
That mentality made a lasting impression on me, and its a very straight-forward conversation I have with anyone I hire: we cannot afford to make mistakes. Of course we do, we’re human. But we mindfully (and quickly) correct ourselves. Ensuring a million moving parts run smoothly is not easy, we just make it look that way. As a self-funded, young female business owner that services high net-worth individuals and global travel agencies, I take that trust very seriously. It’s important that my team and I are worthy of it.
This is a service culture I call Virtuous Hospitality.
Having returned from a recent famtrip to Rosewood Mayakobá, I am more convinced than ever that this exemplary group of people share the Virtuous Hospitality philosophy. It’s palpable in all interactions: from email correspondence, phone calls, to the rose-colored dream that is the hotel itself.
THE PROPERTY
Since its debut in late 2008, Rosewood Mayakobá has been repeatedly honored as one of the finest luxury resorts in the world. Embraced by lush jungle and the stunning coastline of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, this oceanfront hideaway is situated at the heart of the 620-acre Mayakoba resort enclave just north of Playa del Carmen. The hotel is is consistently recognized as one of the best places to stay by the world’s leading publications, travel magazines and consumer organizations. RWM is a prime model of how sustainable design and execution can be thoughtfully woven together to create a truly luxurious destination. Word on the street is, this is the highest-revenue generating Rosewood property in the world. Well deserved, if so.
To stay at this luxury resort is to experience one of life's finest rewards.
The property is massive, to the point where, I confess, it made me nervous. I enjoy a good-size resort but once you reach hundreds of rooms or hundreds of acres, some degree of authenticity can be lost. Not here. It feels expansive, yes, but there is so much lush nature everywhere, that every outing (either by foot, bicycle or in a butler-driven golf cart) feels like a stimulating visit to a nature reserve. Exotic birds, small reptilian creatures, tropical mangroves and crystal-clear canals meet modern architecture, elegant landscapes and a respect for the terroir’s natural form.
This time, I stayed in a Beachfront Studio Suite equipped with terrace, pool, indoor and outdoor shower, jacuzzi, bar and living room. Slide your terrace door open, walk across the sand and swim in the Caribbean in under 10 seconds. Nothing small or studio about it. Next time, I want to stay on the lagoon-side. I am interested in sparking an intimate friendship with all the birds.
WELLNESS
I’m a Taurus, I work hard and rest hard, and always dedicate an entire vacation day to the spa. Any treatment is lovely, especially at this level, but some are straight-up life-changing.
The "Kuxtal" Sensory Garden Ritual is named after the Mayan word for life, Kuxtal. This unique experience pays homage to ancient Mayan Shamans who recognized their direct connection with all living forms. The journey begins with a ritual where aromas, sounds and taste awaken the five senses. Inside a garden, you are encouraged to embrace a spontaneous connection with a plant, and use its healing significance in a customized journey of wellness. Today, my plant was the queen of hearts, the rose.
My spa therapist asked what I wanted to get out of this experience. I was my usual honest self and shared that although I was happy to be there, I needed to forgive someone, and forgive myself, to heal my heart and feel my best.
She then personalized an oil blend mixing therapeutic ingredients like rose oil and rose petals to help open and mend my wounded heart. And so the journey began, with her guiding me through a series of meditations to prepare for my treatment.
I’ve had some pretty spectacular wellness and spiritual experiences in my time: sweat lodges, every massage imaginable, acupuncture, reiki, shaman-led peyote and ayahuasca ceremonies… you name it, I’ve done it. I have an open disposition to learn more about myself, and the world, and allow all feelings to surface. I appreciate being exposed to emotional vulnerability and physical healing through mindfulness. This experience was very special for me. I quickly felt emotionally-soothed, as if a balmy lotion softened the rough edges of my heart’s energy.
The physical healing was also surprisingly fast. I had slept two hours the night before, we had just arrived that day, I was exhausted, my face was bloated and I felt a migraine coming on. I told my therapist I needed physical energy and mental clarity, as the day was young and I still had dinner, AND a tequila tasting to get through. (Rough life, I know.) I came out a born-again woman, had no need for a nap, felt like a million bucks the rest of the evening, and around midnight my companion and I even went on a long walk on the beach under the moonlight. What the Kuxtal Ritual did to me was alchemy. Again, this was not just a service going through the motions, this was Virtuous Hospitality making my complete well-being the priority.
dining: a sense of taste
I have a chef mother and have been mentored by some of the best: I naturally gravitate to them and quickly make friends. You can say I get the chef psyche, which is not always the case if you are not a fellow cook. Professional chefs are an interesting breed of artists and scientists, and are often the funnest people in the room. The infamous Juan Pablo Loza was no exception.
This man not only has the love and respect of the entire operation, from our Rosewood corporate contacts, to sales directors, concierges, drivers and butlers on-site, but is aware of it and has zero attitude about it. He was kind enough to treat me to a 90-minute Taco Workshop, but since we were belly-ache laughing within minutes, we spent the next 4 hours talking food, wine, restaurants, life, the biz.
On your next visit to RWM, I would encourage you to book a private lunch or dinner with Chef JP at La Ceiba, sign up for a cooking class, or have him cater a meal in one of their stunning, fully-equipped villas.
The following night we enjoyed a spectacular meal at Agave Azul, the hotel’s seafood destination where Baja California meets China and Japan. Whenever I eat at a new seafood place I always ask who they buy their product from. It’s sort of a trick question, as I am aware who the best provider is, and happen to have a close friendship with that Ensenada family. They service the very best restaurants in México (including all the big names like Pujol, Rosetta and Máximo) and live on a ranch located between Ensenada and the wine country of Valle de Guadalupe. This property is also considered a secret chef residence of sorts, where on any given day you can run into Chef Enrique Olvera chilling on a hammock or Chef Rene Redzepi from NOMA having coffee in the kitchen. Agave Azul’s Chef Mikey answered correctly: yes, that was their purveyor. Unsurprisingly, that night I ate the best camarones roca of my life.
Mornings were spent swooning over the breakfast menu at Casa de Lago, where the culinary traditions of central México are the main character. I had an omelette covered in lobster bisque that was so good, I had to stop and text my mom about it. We stayed in one night and ordered room service: 10 out of 10. We sipped margaritas and snacked on poolside tacos dished out of a kitsch food truck at Aquí Me Quedo. In retrospect, my only complaint is we should have eaten more.
We all know I’m a food snob so I’m just gonna say it: hotel food, at best, is usually just okay. It’s great at world-renowned properties. The dining options at Rosewood Mayakobá are excellent. I would kindly advise you pack stretchy pants.
THE PEOPLE
After 15 years in this industry, one is able to clearly distinguish who the real deal is. There’s many hotels and restaurants that look great on paper and have a sharp PR & marketing strategy behind them, but in reality they tend to be underwhelming. I believe in the law of attraction and in the power of energy: Rosewood Mayakobá feels like a vortex that opens up a world of good things. It is populated by professional, kind, generous, decent human beings, who also happen to have a great sense of humor and love to have fun. This is the perfect storm of world-class hotel brand, top-tier industry experts, and the beauty of Mexico’s Mayan Riviera coming together to make vacation dreams come true.
Only a few days ago, we just had one of our biggest Morenita Experience clients wrap up an 8-night stay at RWM’s Beachfront Presidential Suite. The trip took almost 3 months to curate, and during that entire time the hotel was as supportive and dedicated as us. There were Zoom meetings to discuss amenities, guest chefs and live mariachis. We had group chats with different department heads where we explored romantic dinner venues, specific tequila labels and private tennis clinics. We worked as a team, and it was our unspoken but mutual intention to let the other one shine, because in the end our purpose is the same: taking care of our clients and of each other as partners. During my last visit I was made to feel so at home, I even found our name at the bottom of the pool.
For more information on Rosewood Mayakobá, visit their website and follow them on Instagram. The ideal time to visit is winter-spring for a minimum stay of 5 nights. RWM is a family-friendly resort with adults-only areas and amenities, and comes with world-class installations such as a signature Greg Norman, 7,000-yard, 18-hole golf course. As a preferred travel agency, Morenita Experience is able to secure the best rates year-round, email us today for a quote.