How Belmond reinvented the Yucatan’s iconic Maroma
How do you reinvent an iconic hotel? This was the challenge facing Belmond when it renovated one of the Riviera Maya’s most storied hideaways. Here’s everything you need to know about the new-look Maroma, A Belmond Hotel.
After an extensive renovation, Maroma, A Belmond Hotel is now welcoming guests. Having opened in 1995, the hotel had built up an impressive reputation, but shuttered its doors a few years ago for a top-to-toe revamp.
The property is located among 200 acres of tropical jungle, and has been reimagined with Mayan design, traditions, and culture at the forefront. The new aesthetic has been led by design studio Tara Bernerd & Partners, who sourced 80% of furnishings and objects from producers in Mexico, including ceramicist Jose Noe Suro, who crafted more than 700,000 hand-painted Jalisco clay tiles for the guestrooms.
Maroma partnered with Collectiva Concepcion on traditional Manta staff uniforms and in-room guest kaftans that have been hand-embroidered by female artisans in Chiapas. The Mexico City-based fragrance brand Xinu created a custom scent and bath amenities inspired by the regional Amate tree.
Rooms and facilities
Guests can now choose from 72 rooms, suites and villas, spread across Maroma’s private stretch of sand, many of which offer ocean views. The 10 new one- and two-bedroom beachfront suites offer unobstructed views and direct beach access, some with private pools and gardens.
For clients seeking more privacy, suggest the two-bedroom beachfront pool villas or the 3,939-square-foot Villa Maroma, with four bedrooms, a full kitchen, bar, outdoor terrace, chaise lounges and a private pool.
The property also features four dining destinations, including the new signature restaurant Woodend by Curtis Stone, from the Michelin-starred chef, and Casa Mayor by Mexican-born executive chef Daniel Camacho.
Wellness facilities include the Maroma Spa by Guerlain, which will open in November with a menu of nature-focused treatments, and will be the first Spa by Guerlain in Latin America.
The hotel offers a range of experiences, including workshops at the onsite apothecary., biking through the jungle and stargazing with an astronomer while enjoying biodynamic wines. It also offers access to the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.
Sustainability standards
Maroma will continue to collaborate with bee organisations and non profits to protect the endangered Melipona bee. Initiatives include expanding resident hives, with the aim to reach at least 100 new hives by 2025, and introducing Guerlain’s Bee School and Women for Bees initiatives into Yucatan communities. Onsite, guests can join workshops on the importance of the species’ survival and try bee-centric spa and culinary experiences.
An onsite nursery produces more than two thousand endemic plants, some of which are in danger of extinction, and Maroma is also a nesting and breeding area for olive throated parakeets and white-fronted parrots, both of which are endangered species. The hotel has created a conservation programme to support the species, and the on-site turtle sanctuary also protects white, loggerhead, hawkbill, and leatherback sea turtles and assists in releasing the baby turtles into the ocean.
Rates start at $1,095 per night for a deluxe room, based on double occupancy.
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Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU
