Hotel of the Week: Explore a Beachfront Riviera Maya Retreat Where Barefoot Elegance Reigns

One of the guest rooms at Maroma. Photo: William Jess Laird

Sugar-white beaches and glinting turquoise seas may be enough to lure most to Mexico’s Riviera Maya, but Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, goes further by translating the character of the region into barefoot elegance. After undergoing a two-year renovation, the property, which feels like a lavish hacienda with its white stucco turrets and palapa rooflines, is embedded with authentic Mexican culture.

Designer Tara Bernerd drew from local artisans to fill the dreamy, neutral envelope with handwoven textiles from the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, hand-painted clay tiles from Puebla, and decorated terra-cotta tiles from Guadalajara. The cuisine is just as transportive with quesadillas hot off the comal, a multitude of fresh ceviches, and chocolate cake rich with black mole. Another favorite local ingredient is honey from the Melipona bee; it plays a key role in the signature margarita and a decadent wellness ritual at the Guerlain spa.

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