The Rosewood Mayakoba, located on a pristine stretch of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, just launched a suite of wellness experiences for hotel guests to enjoy after dark. The Playa del Carmen resort’s new Akbal Series pays homage to local Mayan traditions, while aiming to rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul.
Named after the Mayan word for “nighttime,” the spa programs are available through the end of the year and take place every day between 8pm and midnight. Among the new offerings are a slow-paced Yin yoga session timed to either the sunset or moonrise, as well as an outdoor breathwork session designed to relax guests before bedtime. The “Float & Glow” option includes an ice bath, soak in the spa pool, and an outdoor massage—all while the meditative sounds of the cenote (an underground reservoir) lap in the background.
The cenote deck at the spa. Courtesy Rosewood Mayakoba
The hotel also offers a special ceremony involving cacao—the main ingredient of chocolate—which was integral in ancient Mayan and Aztec rituals. Here, guests can create their own bespoke blend of Mexican hot chocolate in the privacy of their own suites or at the spa. Cacao is well-known to have anti-inflammatory properties and can boost serotonin production, which helps you relax.
Additionally, the resort debuted a pop-up bar featuring non-alcoholic beverages made from plants the Mayans believed thrived under the full moon, such as chile, cucumber, melon, and pumpkin.
The Temazcal, a traditional Mayan sweat lodge. Courtesy Rosewood Mayakoba
The hotel, which opened in 2007, has long tapped into the the region’s pre-Columbian traditions to infuse its offerings, including a series of spa treatments called “Lost Remedies” that are drawn from Mayan rituals. The shaman-led Temazcal experience, for instance, takes place in an authentic sweat lodge and is meant to foster a deeper connection to oneself. Guests can also use the spa’s enchanting sensory garden, which is filled with aromatic local plants, to create custom massage oils.
Private villas line the cenote at Rosewood Mayakoba. Courtesy Rosewood Mayakoba
Rosewood Mayakoba itself occupies a lush slice of the Yucatan Peninsula, encompassing a mix of mangrove forests and white-sand beaches (mercifully seaweed free). Most of the 129 private suites are stand-alone bungalows fronting the cenote, but some are also set directly on the beach. Rosewood guests have access to all of the amenities of the wider Mayakoba reserve, which include other hotels, 20 restaurants and bars, two golf courses, a traditional Mexican square with retail shops, and six pools.
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