Front Elevation: Rising from the Ruins

Idyllic surroundings make the Riviera Maya Mexico’s newest paradise.

text by: Jessica Taylor

April 1, 2008

Mexico’s Riviera Maya has all one would expect from a Caribbean destination—turquoise waters, white-sand beaches, and subtropical climes. The similarities end, however, with Mexico’s jungles, which contain ancient Mayan ruins, spider monkeys, and freshwater cenotes (swimmable sinkholes and underground rivers that the Mayans believed accessed the underworld). Only a decade ago, the region, which is situated along the coastline of the Yucatán Peninsula, 11 miles south of Cancún, was little more than a stopover to the island of Cozumel, consisting of dirt roads and about a half dozen unknown fishing villages. Today, the Riviera Maya is internationally known, offering some of the world’s most highly sought-after real estate.

"In the early 1990s, people were looking for an alternative to Cancún and started venturing south to the smaller towns," says Isidro Beccar-Varela, who, as senior director of sales and marketing for Playground Destination Properties, oversees residential sales at the newly opened Rosewood Mayakoba. "They were looking for something more bohemian, with more flavor and a lot less commercialism. But you were lucky to find a hotel in those days that offered something as basic as a warm shower."

That changed in 1995 with the opening of the Maroma Resort and Spa. Located on a 500-acre coconut plantation fronting the Caribbean Sea, the 65-room resort was the region’s first glimpse at luxury accommodations. Instead of duplicating the Miami Beach–style high-rises found in Cancún, the resort featured low-rise haciendas with thatch roofs and Moorish motifs. Spread out over 25 acres, Maroma was designed around the environment, and, as a result, not a single tree was displaced during construction, keeping its natural beauty intact. Thus began the Riviera Maya’s ascent as an upscale, ecologically minded destination.

Last year, the government passed a series of building laws to protect the region’s coastal mangroves, which feed the Great Mayan Reef (the world’s second largest barrier reef). "In the past, developers destroyed everything. Now we build off-site, so pollutants don’t run off into the water," explains Orlando Arroyo, who began his career in the early 1970s developing Cancún. He is now the CEO of Tres Ríos, an eco-sensitive resort under construction on 326 acres of land containing three natural rivers and nine swimmable cenotes. "We truck the pieces in and assemble them so that none of the buildings are actually touching the ground—instead they sit up on pilings like a pier."

Spanning 81 miles, the Riviera Maya stretches along the coast through several small and midsize towns, from Puerto Morelos in the north, to Playa del Carmen, Akumal, and Tulum in the south. "Twenty years ago, the premium location was the Playacar area, with homes on the beach and around the golf course," says Laura Zapata, president of the National Mexican Association of Professional Realtors. The area, she says, is still popular, with multimillion-dollar homes available for resale, but the newer megaresort projects that offer hotel services, situated north of Playacar, are now more desirable.

Garnering much attention for hosting the country’s first PGA event last year is the Mayakoba, located next door to the Tres Ríos project and owned by Spanish developers OHL Group. The Madrid-based firm acquired the 1,600-acre parcel of coastal jungle 15 years ago with the idea of creating a luxury complex where guests could circulate among the world’s top hotels and experience fine dining, shopping, and a wide variety of outdoor activities. The concept is coming into fruition, with four high-end hotel brands—Fairmont, Viceroy, Rosewood, and the Banyan Tree—signed on and a fifth hotel yet to be determined.

The plan, says Beccar-Varela, was to create an unimposing development that would reveal itself slowly in stages. Only about a third of the land will be developed, with the hotel rooms and residences tucked into the jungle, along the ocean, and around the golf course. All of the Rosewood residences will be accessible by boat along the property’s interlinking lagoons. Because much of the homes’ living spaces are outdoors, the layouts will be designed with privacy in mind; most of the lots point toward the lagoon instead of directly onto other homes.The Viceroy Mayakoba, which is slated to open next year, is perhaps the most design-driven property within the development. With architecture by renowned Mexican firm Legorreta + Legorreta and interiors by Kelly Wearstler, the property will offer lagoon and beachfront residences. Banyan Tree Mayakoba will also have residences near and along the beach, with 25 condo-hotel villas and 25 whole-ownership residences scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

In addition to the Mayakoba properties, the Riviera Maya is now home to a Mandarin Oriental resort, which opened in January without a residential component. The Orient-Express recently purchased the Maroma resort and is now breaking ground on a residence program of its own. Other area resorts include the Tides, which is set on eight acres of beachfront and within walking distance to downtown Playa del Carmen, the region’s largest town with a population 130,000. The resort is part of the Kor Hotel Group, which also owns Viceroy Hotels and Resorts, and is currently undergoing construction to include a selection of hotel-managed residences. Nearby, the Fives will open late this year with 265 condos. Rumors suggest that the Regent, Four Seasons, and Ritz-Carlton also are scouting out locations in the area.

Highly anticipated is the opening of a Capella resort, a brand conceptualized by Horst Schulze, former president and COO of the Ritz-Carlton Group, and based on the premise that, in order to provide five-star service, occupancy must not exceed 200 guests. For this reason, the 86-room boutique hotel—located on 254 acres and called Capella Bahia Maroma—will not cater to conventions. When it debuts this winter, it will open with a private 18-hole golf course designed by Rees Jones; membership will be capped at 300. Like the Mayakoba, the Capella Bahia Maroma will offer a selection of residences bordering the ocean, jungle, and golf course.

Perhaps most telling is the Nizuc community, which is technically located in Cancún but is aligning itself with the Riviera Maya’s popularity by adopting a similar low-density philosophy. Located just north of the Riviera Maya, the property once belonged to the Mexican government and was used by former President Vicente Fox as a retreat for entertaining visiting celebrities and dignitaries. Nizuc is scheduled to open in late 2009 with a resort managed by GHM Luxury Hotels. The property’s first phase of real estate will include 160 condo residences and three freestanding villas (there will be 10 at build-out) on the 28-acre site.

An international airport, scheduled to be built in Tulum in the next few years, could threaten the area’s low-key atmosphere as it becomes more accessible. However, the government’s willingness to regulate construction coupled with developers’ increasing awareness of environmental issues suggests that the area may be able to retain its off-the-beaten-path charm. "There are very stringent laws in place to preserve the area’s ecology, and with that comes a very conscious decision to keep the region’s bohemian feel," says Beccar-Varela. "It’s funny to think that a place can be both bohemian and luxurious, but that’s what it is."

DEVELOPMENTS/REAL ESTATE

•1 Banyan Tree Mayakoba
Location: Set within the 1,600-acre Mayakoba development, 30 minutes south of Cancún.
Residences: 25 condo-hotel villas and 25 whole-ownership villas.
Amenities: Access to Mayakoba’s PGA-rated Greg Norman championship golf course, 15 restaurants, five spas, and more than a mile of white-sand beach. Additionally, villas will feature private pools, outdoor Jacuzzis, meditation salas, and poolside terraces. Owners have access to all hotel amenities, including the spa pavilions lining the lagoon.
Timeline: Hotel and residences will open in December.
Pricing: $1 million to $6 million.
866.540.6512, www.banyantreemayakoba.com

•2 Capella Bahia Maroma
Location: On 254 acres of a former coconut plantation.
Residences: 20 beachfront homes, 43 golf course homes, 11 beachfront homes bordered by the golf course, eight jungle haciendas, and 30 condos.
Amenities: A beach club, a mile of white-sand beach, access to the signature Auriga spa and dining amenities at the 86-suite Capella hotel, private 18-hole golf course designed by Rees Jones (membership is capped at 300), and golf clubhouse with fitness center, restaurants, and pro shop.
Timeline: Scheduled for completion in winter 2008/2009.
Pricing: Starting at $2.9 million.
866.248.8466, ­www.capellalivingmaroma.com•3 The Fives
Location: In Playa del Carmen, five miles north of downtown and a mile south of Mayakoba.
Residences: 240 two- and three-bedroom condos and 25 three- and four-bedroom villas.
Amenities: Villas will contain private gardens, pools, and solariums. All owners will have access to the beach club, swimming pools, and tennis courts; the Karisma hotel’s spa and dining; and a seven-acre nature park.
Timeline: First phase slated to open fall 2008; second phase in spring 2009.
Pricing: From $299,000 to $750,000.
800.361.1518, www.thefives.com.mx

•4 Maroma Resort and Spa
Location: On a 500-acre coconut plantation, 45 minutes south of Cancún.
Residences: 25 three- and four-bedroom hacienda-style villas.
Amenities: Owners will have access to the 65-room resort’s two restaurants, two bars, three swimming pools, tennis courts, fitness center, art gallery, multimedia theater, Mayan-inspired spa, and a temazcal (sweat lodge).
Timeline: The resort opened in 1995; ground breaking on the residences is not yet determined.
Pricing: Not yet determined.
866.454.9351, www.maromahotel.com

•5 Nizuc
Location: On the Caribbean Sea, five miles south of the Cancún International Airport.
Residences: 10 freestanding three- and four-bedroom villas (three planned for phase one and seven planned for phase two) and 160 one-, two-, and three-bedroom oceanfront resort residences with 14-foot-high ceilings a minimalist design that utilizes the natural materials found in the region.
Amenities: All residences will contain private swimming pools and hot tubs. Owners will have access to two Jack Nicklaus Signature golf courses, a residents-only beach club, and hotel facilities—including three restaurants, a cigar lounge, six swimming pools, tennis courts, an Espa spa, a fitness center, and a kids’ club.
Timeline: Broke ground late 2007; completion slated for late 2009.
Pricing: From $1.3 million to $13 million.
+52 998.885.0144, www.nizuc.com

•6 Rosewood Residences at Mayakoba
Location: Within the Mayakoba development.
Residences: Limited number of two- and three-bedroom residences and eight one-bedroom spa suites.
Amenities: Docking facilities, beach club, spa, and access to the 128-room Rosewood hotel with boat transportation. Additionally, owners have access to Mayakoba’s Greg Norman–designed golf course, 20 restaurants, five spas, and more than a mile of white-sand beach.
Timeline: Hotel opened December 2007; breaking ground on residences in 2008, with a completion date on the spa suites scheduled for 2008 and 2010 for the villas.
Pricing: Residences from $1.5 million to $4.2 million.
866.519.8769, www.ownrosewoodmayakoba.com

•7 The Tides
Location: On eight acres in Playa del Carmen.
Residences: 98 studios and 111 one- to three-bedroom units.
Amenities: All residences will contain private plunge pools and media centers. Owners will also have access to the resort’s pool and private beach club with a fine-dining restaurant, spa, and fitness center.
Timeline: Will break ground on the residences this year; completion in late 2009.
Pricing: From $450,000 to $2 million.
888.752.9220, www.tidesplayadelcarmen.com

•8 Tres Ríos
Location: On 326 acres, 30 minutes south of the Cancún airport and 10 minutes north of Playa del Carmen.
Residences: The plan calls for 26 homesites and an undetermined number of fractional- and whole-ownership resort residences spread throughout the project’s five hotels and 1,700 rooms.
Amenities: The master plan includes a marina and yacht club, an equestrian and polo center, a nature park with three rivers and nine cenotes, kayaking, an on-site biologist, tennis courts, retail shops, spas, and restaurants. An ocean reef is just offshore.
Timeline: The development’s first hotel, the Hacienda Tres Ríos, is scheduled to open this summer. The rest of the master plan will roll out over the next 10 to 15 years.
Pricing: Fractional residences, sold in one-quarter shares, are priced from $300,000; whole-ownership residences from $10 million to $15 million.
800.224.4231, www.tres-rios.com

•9 Viceroy Mayakoba
Location: Within the Mayakoba development; resort residences and villas are situated either on the beach or on the lagoon.
Residences: The 164 villas and residences include studios and one-, two-, and four-bedroom layouts, as well as a five-bedroom beachfront villa.
Amenities: Residences will feature heated plunge pools and indoor/outdoor showers. Owners will have access to a residents-only beach club, a kids’ club, and Mayakoba’s Greg Norman–designed golf course, 15 restaurants, five spas, and more than a mile of white-sand beach. The project will feature the interior design of Kelly Wearstler and the architecture of Legorreta + Legorreta.
Timeline: Scheduled to open spring 2009.
Pricing: From $800,000 to $8 million.
800.473.0089, www.viceroymayakoba.com

RESOURCES

Akumal Real Estate, +52.984.875.9064, www.akumalrealestate.com

National Mexican Association of Professional Realtors, www.ampirivieramaya.com