Andaz Mayakoba

Mayakoba, that upscale suburb of Playa del Carmen, is filled to the brim with high-end resorts, and with the advent of 2016’s Andaz Mayakoba, it’s got another one to add to its embarrassment of riches. As the brand most likely to marry boutique aesthetics with the well-oiled machinery of an experienced hotel chain, the Andaz name is a particularly welcome one. And indeed there’s very little to find fault with here, from the Ronald Zürcher architecture to the coastal mangrove landscape — and, of course, the main attraction, which is the beach and the Caribbean Sea.

The rooms, in typical Andaz style, are contemporary but not aggressively modern, stylish yet accessible to a variety of tastes. Your balcony or terrace will look out over the mangroves, the gardens, the lagoon, or the sea itself — and the in-room comforts, predictably, are state-of-the-art. The idea, naturally enough, is that you’ll want for nothing, and that extends to the handful of restaurants, all of which offer interpretations of the local cuisine, including a decided street-food emphasis and a heavy reliance on seafood. You’ll also have a wealth of activities at your disposal, from yoga and fitness to water sports, eco-tours, and Mayan cultural excursions, as well as the Mayakoba tennis center and Greg Norman’s classic El Camaléon golf course, right at your doorstep.