Maroma, A Belmond Hotel is Riviera Maya’s Original Luxury Hotel

In the 1970s, Mexican architect Jose Luis Moreno found the untouched shores of Maroma Beach in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, just 30 minutes south of Cancun. The lush jungle met turquoise Caribbean water and rich Mayan heritage set Moreno on a mission to build a hotel, the first for the area. 

Moreno designed the white stucco hacienda with a foundation in Mayan Sacred Geometry, featuring rounded forms that pay homage to Mexican tradition and the surrounding landscape. Belmond (then named Orient Express Hotels) acquired the property in the early 2000s to continue the luxury hospitality vision that has remained since Moreno set his sights on the plan. 

Today, the original 36-room estate remains, expanded thoughtfully with additional suites and villas, and recently restored with the backing of Belmond’s parent company, LVMH.

Checking in to Maroma, A Belmond Hotel

When I arrived at Maroma (via an unassuming dirt road through the jungle), the famous doting hospitality of a Belmond property was immediately present, with an apparent element of extreme authenticity and sense of place. Attentive butlers stood ready to greet me with their signature margarita with freshly harvested honey and a traditional cleansing ceremony with copal – a symbolic clearing of energy before entering sacred space.

Though Belmond’s pedigree needs no introduction, from storied Italian villas to legendary sleeper trains, Maroma feels disarmingly intimate. The property has been lauded with two Michelin Keys by the Michelin Guide, and was ranked #18 by the World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2024. And it remains a sort of “If you know, you know” favorite amidst other beloved luxury hotels in the area like Rosewood Mayakoba and Etéreo, the Auberge Collection hotel. 

What was an unexpected part of the welcome was the laid-back, intimate atmosphere. From the architecture and decor to the friendly staff, the hotel feels like you’re hanging at your friend’s beachside Mexican mansion while he’s out of town. It became clear to me why Jacqui Gifford, Editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure, dubbed the property her favorite resort to go and “do nothing.”

Authentic Mexican Surroundings

My suite, a spacious oceanfront suite with beachy chic decor by UK-based designer Tara Bernerd felt like my very own beachside casita, complete with a serene adults-only pool and a quiet white sand beach just a few feet away. Across the property, Mexican craftsmanship is everywhere. For the renovation, Belmond commissioned master ceramicist José Noé Suro to handcraft more than 700,000 unique tiles, each one a tribute to Mexican artisanship. Sleek modern minimalism, this is not – Maroma celebrates its heritage proudly.

The jungle-filled sidewalks throughout the property reveal hidden pockets of the rest of the property’s rooms, suites, and villas, its expansive spa, kids club, fitness center, and main house with the property’s three restaurants and sultry bar & lounge Bambuco. 

Executive Chef Daniel Camacho celebrates his country’s rich culinary roots at Casa Mayor, offering Mexican classic dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hotel’s mission of sustainability shines with special notes on the menu for dishes that include freshly and sustainably caught local fish. Freddy’s, an eight-seat open-air palapa right on the beach, also offers classic seaside Mexican fare, including a variety of fresh ceviches.

Michelin-star chef and world-renowned restaurateur Curtis Stone partnered with Belmond to debut Woodend by Curtis Stone, the hotel’s signature restaurant, embracing Stone’s signature open-fire cooking technique with added local fare. The hotel’s wine list highlights Mexican wines and harder to find wines from Napa and Europe, dazzling visiting oenophiles. 

Locally Influenced Wellness at Maroma

The hotel’s Maroma Spa by Guerlain is a calming, temple-like home of indulgent wellness experiences. Guerlain’s French roots pair well with the local traditions of the Mayan culture, offering guests a curated menu of immersive treatments and programming that pay homage to the locale. 

The property’s high regard for the local Melipona Bees and the species’ medicinal properties resounds throughout the hotel’s details, including its logo. Past the spa is a quaint beehive with a growing population of the native species, producing honey that is infused throughout the guest experience. The Melipona Ritual is a sound healing experience that takes place beneath the jungle trees, with calming vibrational sounds meant to mimic the bees to quiet the nervous system. 

The Bee Healing Ritual was a comprehensive two hour treatment that includes a facial, body scrub and mesmerizing massage with Guerlain’s specially created honey-infused product line, which stood out as one of the best treatments I’ve had in a while. 

Maroma Spa also has an on site apothecary with shelves of herbs and traditionally sacred potions, allowing guests to create their own custom blend of herb infused salts. 

My traditional healing ritual experiences culminated with a beachside temazcal ceremony led by a local shaman. The hotel’s curated spiritual sweat lodge ritual lived up to the hype of transformation. The herbal steam, meditative chanting ceremony is 90 minutes of inner and outer detoxification, giving guests a true dose of Mexican tradition in all its authentic glory, without leaving the comforts of the Belmond property. 

While the offerings at Maroma are plenty to keep guests busy for their entire stay, adopting the original Riviera Maya pace Moreno and emphasized by Ms Gifford is the real luxury of this property. Because being able to do nothing is absolutely everything.