Rosewood Mayakoba welcomes guests directly at the Cancun Airport and personally delivers them to their stylish “home” on the Riviera Maya. Arrivals are met with warm smiles and a pineapple-mezcal elixir before being whisked away by boat taxi to their suite or villa. It’s a real-life Disney Jungle Cruise, gliding through the mangrove-lined lagoons toward paradise.
Disembarking at our private lagoon dock felt magical. We stepped onto a tropical terrace with a plunge pool, double chaise, and cozy table setting. Inside our spacious tropical retreat, luxuries include a deep sunken tub below a skylight with a window view to a rainforest with a second shower alfresco – an invigorating must-try experience with a healthy chlorophyll bonus.
Our luggage arrived simultaneously at the front door where two beach bikes awaited, baskets tagged with our suite number. Ready to explore, we pedaled away with our water and map. Once we adjusted to the tall handlebars, quirky turning radius, and agreed to obey the “stop and walk your bike” sign up over the lagoon bridges, we loved them. You can feel like a kid at Rosewood or bring your own kids to explore the property and the Explorer’s Children Program. During breakfast at Casa del Lago, we watched families introduce their kids to future playmates with contagious excitement.
Adults OnlyIf you prefer a kid-free breakfast head to Aqui me Quedo. Then Sense, A Rosewood Spa serves as an adult sanctuary. Grownup guests may indulge in the pools, reflective areas, and saunas and optionally select from globally acclaimed Mayan-inspired treatments, including Shamanic counseling. Enhancements are currently underway to elevate the indigenous retreat even further. The adjacent fitness room offers accessible wellness anytime.The GolfEl Camaleón Golf Course is instantly recognizable to afficionados of the PGA LPGA, or Liv tours. It’s the world’s only course to host all three and home to the World Wide Technology Championship on the PGA schedule every year.
The Greg Norman design demands attention to both strategy and surroundings. Tropical vegetation heightens the senses, while limestone canals challenge golfers to calculate bold carries or smart layups. Tee boxes marked with color coded chameleons set the playful tone, and wildlife adds charm. We never encountered a crocodile on the course, but it was coati country for sure. These curious, comical characters are close cousins of raccoons and look they were crossed with ring tailed monkeys. Their antics entertained as they cart-hopped and bag-dived for food (and unbelievably, lipstick). A gentle “shoo” sends them along their way in the Certified Audubon Sanctuary.Fairways weave through mangroves before par-three hole 4 delivers a breathtaking reveal of the Caribbean Sea. In the middle of hole 7’s fairway, the famous cenote taunts golfers. Balls lost to its cave are gone forever.
Signature 15 offers not only a photogenic par three, but a cooler of beer at the tee and a Mayakoba sign by the green for a memorable seaside snapshot. Rosewood’s Beach Club, Me Quedo Aqui is hidden by more mangroves to the left yet still beckons a post round visit. But first, enjoy the 19th hole at Koba Sports Bar, replete with screens and a talented mixologist.
If your game needs a little help, the Jim McLean Golf Academy sits beside the range, ready with Trackman analysis from the Bazin brothers, Diego or Philippe. Diego was eager to share and compare the best pros’ swings to ours and suggested a few tweaks. Even Rosewood’s Regional VP and Managing Director, Edouard Grosmangin, is sharpening his skills there. Jim McLean himself is being inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame this year.
Eco-TourIf the arrival cruise enchanted you, don’t miss the daily Eco-Tour. These guided expeditions reveal the man-made, five years in the making lagoon system of brackish waters, natural waterfalls and channels fed by cenotes, considered sacred by the Mayans. We spotted a crocodile, countless birds, and vibrant fish.The ButlerEvery Rosewood accommodation, ocean or lagoon-side, comes with a dedicated personal butler available by WhatsApp, direct call, or the Rosewood mobile app. Omar and Marimar were always ready when we needed a golf cart taxi, which was rare because we preferred walking or cruising on our bikes through the lush mangrove pathways.
The BeachMe Quedo Aqui – “I stay here” – is an irresistible declaration at Rosewood’s beach club. We spent much of our time here, captivated by the waves and a splendid sense of ease. A sign humorously reads “Mañana trabajo” – I’ll work tomorrow. Swing in the pink hammocks or collect pink seashells along the mile stretch of creamy sand beach. Let the warm water lap your toes or immerse yourself in the Caribbean.Blanca and Carlos provided impeccable service, and for sustainability, a guard with a pistola rifle grande ensures fishermen keep their distance from the protected shoreline. Every hour an attendant arrives with refrescos – refreshing treats like Jicama sticks with savory sauce, coconut water mocktails, or mini mango popsicles.Lunch comes from the La Cantina food truck or the main Aqui Me Quedo restaurant.
Savor the fresh ceviche at a table, poolside or beachside on your lounge chair. At dinner, torches glow as salsa is mixed tableside. The ribeye and sea bass make a perfect surf and turf pairing to share.
More CuisineWhile the four Mayakoba hotels and village together offer 20 restaurants and bars, Rosewood alone presents a world tour of flavors, from Mexican, Mayan to global influences, far from your normal Taco Tuesdays.El Zapote is a happening restaurant/bar blending Middle Eastern and Mexican cuisine, with a visiting guest bartender every Tuesday crafting mezcal innovations. Casa del Lago, beside the lobby and overlooking the pool and lagoon, serves breakfast with Central Mexican flair.
Healthy, garden-driven creations appear throughout the resort’s menus. For a truly special evening, La Ceiba Garden and Kitchen hosts communal dinners in the Chef’s Garden with Edouardo and his wife Kat in attendance. It’s a beautiful setting with a cocktail welcome, live music and four delectable courses paired with Mexican wines. The Orange Wine is Edouardo’s and Kat’s fave – a clean, crisp delight for white wine loving palates. Meals are open flame cooked and served at long tables where guests mingle like old friends.Everywhere you go, it seems like a chefs’ tortilla and chips cook off with diverse renditions, all crispy good with matching salsa variations.
The SerenityRosewood Mayakoba is built for serenity. Beds invite sweet dreams and nature soothes even the most restless spirit, from secluded suites and six pools to mangrove trails and golf greens. Meticulous landscaping crews tend the mangroves, clear the lagoons and rake the beach daily to preserve the natural sanctuary.We were spoiled each morning by our Nepresso brew in our warm plunge pool as the birds joined us in song. While everyone at Rosewood Mayakoba (an RLH property) speaks English, guests are always welcome to practicar español. Buenos Días here feel like some of the best days life has to offer. https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/mayakoba-riviera-maya
