Sound Baths and Nightly Sabrage Rituals, The St. Regis Punta Mita Delights the Senses

Every gal about town needs a party trick. Mine is that I can rap every line (of every part) of Hamilton‘s opening number. Let’s just say it requires a lot of breathwork. The key to a party trick, of course, is the element of surprise. One party trick I’m seeking to add to my repertoire? Sabreing a bottle of champagne. It just seems like something I should be able to do if and when I’m called upon.

As brand loyalists know, the art of sabrage is a signature ritual at St. Regis properties across the globe. (I wonder if Houston’s St. Regis Residences will offer this, too?) The ceremony references Napoleon Bonaparte, who notoriously opened a bottle of champagne with his saber in both victory and defeat. St. Regis properties mark the transition from day to night with a champagne sabrage at dusk.

I recently visited The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, a classic “barefoot luxury” property that sits on 22 lush acres on the Riviera Nayarit. As I’ve said before, I require a quarterly trip to Mexico “for healing.” (Yes, I’m childless!) The St. Regis Punta Mita feels like an exhale. Luckily for Texans, it couldn’t be easier to access; the resort is located 45 minutes from Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR), with direct flights from both Houston and Dallas.

I arrived on a Tuesday, so you can guess what we had for dinner in Mexico! Beforehand, though, guests gathered in the newly renovated, open-air lobby that overlooks the tiers of cascading pools. In celebration of his birthday, another guest accepted the sword and, after a few instructions, successfully sliced open the bubbly with inspiring confidence and ease. We popped, we fizzed, we clinked. Then, we tacoed.

A Taste of Punta Mita

Accompanied by a round of margaritas and fizzy mocktails at St. Regis Bar, the Taco Tuesday set-up was remarkably simple. Our waiter presented us with the essential accoutrements for traditional street tacos, including lime wedges, finely diced white onion, guacamole, cilantro, and a trio of salsas with ascending heat levels. Our lively table of five then selected our proteins of choice. At St. Regis Punta Mita’s Taco Tuesday, the tacos are unlimited and grilled a stone’s throw away. (I inquired about the highest quantity of tacos consumed. An American teenage boy: 13 tacos!) In a Don Draper (“Make it simple, but significant”) way, is there anything better than a freshly grilled shrimp taco on a homemade corn tortilla with waves from the Pacific Coast of Mexico gently lapping in the distance?

The St. Regis Punta Mita offers its guests a variety of dining experiences, cementing the fact that no, you really don’t need to leave the gates of Punta Mita during your vacation. A few recommendations that stood out:

• Partake in the Bloody Mary ritual at Las Marietas. St. Regis claims to have invented the Bloody Mary at the St. Regis New York’s King Cole Bar in 1934, which they renamed the Red Snapper, “so as not to offend the hotel’s refined clientele.” The Bloody Mary is St. Regis’ signature cocktail, and each property has its own locally-inspired interpretation of the vodka-and-tomato-juice cocktail. (Editor’s Note: Pair your Bloody Mary tutorial with some fresh ceviche, and follow it with a siesta in the hammock on Las Marietas’ beach.)
• Find your ideal spot — whether in full sun or under the protection of an umbrella — at the adults-only pool, which provides ample seating. When lunchtime beckons, take respite at Sakana and order the nigiri.
• At Mita Mary, I became Mita Melissa. My favorite dining experience of the trip, Mita Mary showcases a sourced seafood selection enhanced by both Mediterranean and Asian-inspired flavors. Golden Hour sparkled during our toes-in-the-sand dinner. We ordered practically the entire menu, but you can never go wrong with the fresh catch, grilled and perfect in its simplicity.

A Resort That Delights All Five Senses

The morning after we arrived, we ventured to The St. Regis Spa for an early sound bath to start the day with intention. The experience took place on an outdoor wooden deck surrounded by water. If you’ve never participated in a sound bath before, it’s a form of meditation where you are soaked in sound vibrations. (Count me in for any form of self-care where I get to just lie there!) The practitioner plays resonant instruments (often crystal bowls) as the sound waves wash over you. Our practitioner even offered each of us an intention; I received “love.” Towards the end of the hour-long session, she placed a metal bowl directly on my chest. It reverberated throughout my body. At the end of the class, several of us commented that we’d never had a bowl placed directly on our bodies during a sound bath before. The practitioner dipped her bowl into the water and struck the bowl. Tiny specks of water sputtered and danced from the bowl intensely and in every direction. “This is what happens inside your body,” she said. A simple, poetic illustration.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but the sights of St. Regis Punta Mita inspire year-round, especially its white sand beaches. The tranquil peninsula serves as an intimate hideaway for guests. Two private golf courses designed by Jack Nicklaus draw many guests initially, but they return year after year for all the other amenities the resort offers, like three different pool options and a tennis club.

The guest rooms are private and spacious, each an oasis with an outdoor shower and a deep soaking tub. At the end of each day, after my fill of sunshine and ceviche, I retreated with glee to my room, collapsing into the heart of my king-sized bed and its pillowy duvet. I found a note, trinket, or treat from my private butler.

Senses delighted and cortisol lowered, another healing trip to Mexico was completed.

Until Q4!