Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen

It’s not like the Riviera Maya needed another resort, strictly speaking. But the Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen brings something fresh to this somewhat overdeveloped stretch of coastline. Traditionally, travelers to “Playa,” that buzzing beach enclave down the coast from Cancún, have had to choose between one of two options. There are the boutique hotels in town, and the sprawling all-inclusive resorts lining the beaches north and south of it. The Grand Hyatt represents the best of both worlds, offering both a central location in town as well as many of the amenities and perks of a resort.

Not to mention that the resort has some serious design creed. Mexican architect Javier Sordo Madaleno — the mind behind the strikingly geometric San Josemaría Escrivá church in Mexico City — partnered with New York’s Rockwell Group, lately in the news for opening The New York EDITION. Their combined efforts in Mexico have produced a chic hotel that would be considered interesting enough anywhere, and that’s downright cutting-edge for a place like Playa del Carmen. The building itself is massive, Mayan-inspired but modern, and built relatively low to the ground amid a native mangrove forest. There are waterfalls and infinity pools; the lobby feels like a cool cave. An open-air promenade, El Paseo, seamlessly connects the hotel’s entrance to the beach; lined with several Hyatt-operated bars, eateries, and street food-style stands, it feels like a natural extension of Playa’s lively Quinta Avenida. The spa, perhaps the Grand Hyatt’s true standout feature, is modeled after the look and feel of a cenote — the region’s magical limestone sinkholes, filled with turquoise water, considered sacred by the ancient Mayans.

Guest rooms and suites run the range from comfortable to extravagant. All are outfitted in natural wood and a beachy color palette of blue and white, and feature floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies with chaise seating, spacious bathrooms with walk-in rain showers, and Hyatt’s signature beds with 300-thread-count linens. On the higher end of the Grand Hyatt’s offerings are “Swim-Up” rooms, which, delightfully, are just what they sound like, with private terraces providing direct access to a swimming pool, and, of course, a line of suites with ocean views and plunge pools.

It’s a great new place to stay. At the end of the day, though Playa del Carmen is a social destination — not the sort of place where you’ll be tempted to hole up in your hotel room all day. Not when there are freshly grilled fish tacos and mezcal margaritas awaiting downstairs, and beyond, the beautiful people sunning themselves on white daybeds at Mamita’s Beach Club.