Belmond reopens Maroma, Riviera Maya

The luxury hotel group’s resort on the Mexican Riviera Maya has opened its doors following a renovation project.

Set on 200 acres of tropical jungle on the Mexican Riviera Maya, overlooking the Caribbean, Belmond has reopened its luxury resort Maroma, with new accommodations, reimagined interiors, a new restaurant helmed by chef Curtis Stone, and a Guerlain spa.

Seventy-two rooms, suites, and villas are set on the resort’s private stretch of beach, with 10 new beachfront suites offering ocean views and direct access to the sand. The pièce de résistance is the 3,939-square-foot Villa Maroma with four bedrooms, a full kitchen and bar, a private pool, and an outdoor terrace.

Design notes

Design studio Tara Bernerd & Partners is behind the revamped resort design, with a vision to honour Mexico’s heritage and traditions. Local craftspeople were chosen to work alongside the studio on furnishings and décor, which were custom designed for the property.

Eighty per cent of the new décor was handcrafted in Mexico, such as 700,000 hand-painted Jalisco clay tiles in the guestrooms, which were created by Bernerd and her team in collaboration with ceramicist, José Noé Suro.

Handwoven textiles from Oaxaca, traditional glazed Saltillo floor tiles from Guadalajara, traditional Yucatán doors made from heavy timber frames, and chandeliers inspired by Mayan jade jewellery, crafted out of shells to Tara Bernerd & Partners’ designs, are some of the details that are linked to the resort’s locale.

Three swimming pools were redesigned to incorporate Sukabumi tiles handmade from volcanic stone, which are rendered in magnificent turquoise that is said to mirror the tones of the region’s natural cenotes.

Sustainability notes

Belmond Maroma has reinforced a commitment to local organisations, including Fundación Selva Maya and Mayahuum, which works to protect the endangered Melipona bee, an essential function of the Yucatán peninsula ecology. A partnership with Guerlain will see new initiatives implemented, such as expanding resident hives to reach 100 by 2025, and introducing Guerlain’s Bee School and Women for Bees initiatives to Yucatán communities. Workshops offered to guests will delve into the importance of bees’ survival, while bee-centric spa and culinary experiences will also be available.

Maroma’s membership to EarthCheck, a scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for travel and tourism, encourages increases in endemic biodiversity. The resort’s nursery produces more than 2,000 endemic plants, and the team rescues seedlings of regional flora from the jungle to increase their rate of production and survival.

Wildlife conservation projects include an onsite turtle sanctuary, designed to protect white, loggerhead, hawkbill, and leatherback sea turtles, and a program for endangered olive-throated parakeets and white-fronted parrots, both of which nest and breed in the area.

Room rates start at US$1,095 (about AUD$1,685) per night, twin-share.

Belmond.com