An escape is designed to be exactly what you need it to be and that looks different for each person. Depending on the chapter of life you’re in, it can be a time to disconnect from the busyness of life, a time to turn up and celebrate with friends and loved ones, or it can be a much-needed time to care for yourself. For me, at least in this current stage of life, most of my getaways are curated to experience the latter. And the Fairmont Mayakoba did just that.
Tucked away in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, among lush mangrove-lined canals that lead to the sea, I knew as soon as we turned onto the jungle-like roadway leading to the property I was in for a treat. The bellmen met me with a cool towel and a welcome drink made of passion fruit, cinnamon and ginger—the perfect refresher after my morning of traveling.
It was my first time at a Fairmont property, and though I had stalked the Mayakoba’s social media pages for weeks before my trip, there was still a bit of mystique left to uncover. Once checked in, I was led to my room via a golf cart through maze-like pathways adoring perfectly manicured flora and fauna. When the door to my room was opened, a certain calm came over me. The room overlooked the tranquil canal, and I could hear birds and other local wildlife calling. The huge bathroom featured double sinks, a soaker tub and an indoor and outdoor shower lined with plant life. It was as though I had been transported into the most remote parts of the Amazon and I knew this was just what the vacation doctor had ordered.
I quickly changed into my swimsuit and hailed a golf cart to the property’s beach club, Maykana, to catch some sun before it set for the evening. If you haven’t caught on, this resort is deeply rooted in local Mayan culture. In speaking with many of the employees it was designed to honor all elements of the Earth—from the ground to the sea and even the sky. The beach club brought its own vibe with Boho-inspired decor, a rooftop bar with fire pits overlooking the ocean, a beachside bar, a pool with cabanas and loungers and even a restaurant on the sand.
While this was certainly enough to leave me raving to my friends and family for months to come, the true highlight of my trip was the spa. Like the rest of the property, the services and treatments also pay homage to local traditions and rituals. I was scheduled for a 90-minute session that focused on copal; an aromatic plant resin often used as incense in different Mexican rituals.
The experience started on the balcony of the treatment room with a cleansing ceremony. My esthetician had me change into a traditional sarong and she asked me to close my eyes and begin to set my intention. My first order of business was to think of where I want my life to go and to also think of the things that I need to let go of, or that no longer serve me. As I did this, she walked around me with the burning copal. After circling my entire body, she brushed me down with local herbs to strip the things I was letting go of. To finish the ceremony, she asked me to call to mind the specific things in my life weighing me down, and to completely release them by stomping them into the bouquet of herbs, thus allowing them to be released into the ground forever.
By this point, a flood of emotions came over me. I found myself getting teary-eyed as I prepped for the next phase of the experience, a full-body mud detox. She slathered the warm mud in every crevice and wrapped me up so that it could penetrate deeper and work its magic. In the meantime, she began a very calming facial as well. After the mud sat for about 20 minutes, I was told to shower and wash it off with a specially made loofa. We finished things with a full-body hot stone massage and the second half of my facial. Talk about relaxed and renewed.
At the end of my service, I was treated to an alcohol-free horchata and a local hibiscus tea. After speaking with the spa staff, I learned this was just one of many Mayan rituals and treatments that Fairmont Mayakoba offered. On certain days, guests experienced a traditional Temazcal ceremony, a natural outdoor sauna structure reminiscent of an igloo. The ceremony leader leads guests through the process as they sit in the stone hut to sweat out toxins—and likely internal thoughts and feelings that may be holding them back. After a certain amount of time, they are led out and told to dip in the adjacent cold plunge pool.
Beyond the wellness offerings, the hotel has several on-property restaurants, including an authentic Mexican eatery, a steakhouse, an Asian-fusion spot, a fresh seafood restaurant with a raw bar and an Italian restaurant. Honestly, I didn’t eat a bad dish the entire stay. There were also three pools, a kids club, a daily boat ride through all the canals, daily adult art classes, and special mezcal, wine and tequila tastings throughout the week.
