Hotel openings — and future openings — are in the spotlight in Mexico.
Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya celebrated its grand opening last week. The first Andaz property in Mexico debuted earlier in the year, but grand opening festivities were held over to coincide with ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) Americas. The splashy Andaz party marked the closing event of the conference, and it showed off the 214-room property’s signature features.
Those features include a Mayan-influenced design set amidst mangroves, lagoons, nature trails and white sand beaches. The property’s four restaurants and bars include the fine dining venueCasa Amate. Two pools, the 10,000-square-foot Naum Wellness and Spa, Kimbo Kid’s Club and 14,000 square feet of meeting space are additional highlights.
Andaz is not the only Hyatt Hotels Corporation brand making news in Mexico. The company announced additional details last week about new Park Hyatt projects in the pipeline. Park Hyatt Los Cabos and Park Hyatt Mexico City will mark the brand’s Mexican debut.
Park Hyatt Los Cabos is set for a 26-acre site within Cabo del Sol. The master-planned golf resort is located on a two-mile stretch of beach. The property will feature 162 guestrooms and 28 Park Hyatt Residences. Opening is planned for late 2020.
Park Hyatt Mexico City will be part of a mixed-use development in the trendy Polanco neighborhood. It will have 155 guestrooms and 23 Park Hyatt Residences. The property will overlook Chapultepec Park, a short distance from several iconic cultural attractions. It will open in 2021.
Park Hyatt Los Cabos
Palladium Hotel Group has also announced new details about two new properties. The family-friendly Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa and the adults-only TRS Coral Hotel are set for a fall 2018 opening. They’ll share a “Village” that includes restaurants, bars, kid’s clubs and an amphitheater.
Located in the far northern point of Cancun, the Costa Mujeres area is relatively undeveloped. It lies 18 miles (35 minutes) from the Cancun International Airport.
Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa will have 673 rooms, some with swim-up pools. Facilities include nine restaurants; four pools, one for children only; a 51,020-square-foot Zentropia Palladium Spa & Wellness center and a 16,000-square-foot convention center.
A system of canals will allow guests to travel around the resort by boat.
Guests of the 473-room TRS Coral Hotel will have access to the facilities at Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa and the Village. TRS Coral will also have four restaurants of its own, plus a beach club with an infinity pool and poolside service, spa and fitness zone.
One of the more unique aspects of the complex is an underground service tunnel network that hotel guests won’t see.
Jacques De Paep, Palladium Hotel Group’s commercial director for North America, explained the concept to Travel Agent.
“All service areas where staff and supplies circulate are underground. The customer won’t see any carts or anything moving through lobby. All the buildings are elevated so that the tunnels could be built. Electrical systems, water systems; all are in the tunnels. It wasn’t an easy task. You know that the ground there in that part of the Yucatan looks like Swiss Cheese,” said De Paep.
Despite the enthusiasm for hotel expansion, the devastating earthquakes that befell Mexico in September are still top of mind. Properties in unaffected regions are working hard to help those less fortunate.
“We recognize the need more than ever to stand in love and support of those who have been impacted. With the help of our parent company, Royal Resorts, we have been able to contribute to the efforts of the Red Cross as well as assist in supporting local families’ needs through this time,” Daniela Trava Albarran, onsite manager at Grand Residences Riviera Cancun, tells Travel Agent.
In a similar vein, attendees at ILTM Americas did not lose sight of the fact that parts of the country are still suffering.
“Although the location was over 1,000 kilometers away from the epicenter of the earthquake in Mexico, the thoughts of all 650 luxury travel professionals who took part in the event were with our Mexican friends throughout,” Simon Mayle, exhibition director for ILTM Americas, tells Travel Agent. "As travelers and travel professionals, ILTM Americas — now rebranded as ILTM North America — fell at a time when it was right to bring the world of travel not only together but to Mexico. The event was defined by a strong feeling that more travel not less is vital to transforming the world we live in."
Related Stories
LGBTQ Resort Casa Cupula to Celebrate Its Birthday With Deals
The Grand Residences Riviera Cancun Reports No Damage Post-Earthquake
Mexico in Recovery Mode After Earthquakes; Travelers Shouldn't Cancel Trips