the riviera maya EDITION at kanai opens within a 620-acre nature reserve in mexico

EDITION DEBUTS FIRST CARIBBEAN PROPERTY IN MEXICO’S RIVIERA MAYA

EDITION Hotels debuts The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai, its first resort in Mexico, set right on the Caribbean coastline. Situated within a 620-acre nature reserve with two miles of white-sand beachfront, the property rises up from a forest of mangroves and tropical flora. The three main buildings that make up the hotel converge in the architectural equivalent of a cenote, featuring interiors by Ian Schrager Company in collaboration with Rockwell Group, and architecture by Edmonds International. A massive bamboo structure, designed by Arquitectura Mixta and Edmonds International, cloaks the property’s greenery, extending to a body of water nearby. The billowing architectural installation seems to rise and fall, serving as the hotel resort’s dedicated yoga space and deck as well as a visual and spiritual centerpiece.

The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai forum entrance | all images courtesy of EDITION hotels, unless stated otherwise

Nestled WITHIN A 620-ACRE NATURE RESERVE

Set within Kanai, a new luxury resort community in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the latest EDITION was designed with a minimal construction and environmental footprint to protect and preserve the area renowned for its mangroves, lagoons, ancient Mayan cities, tropical beaches and the Mesoamerican Reef, the world’s second-largest coral reef. One of the region’s most famous natural wonders is the cenote, a sinkhole resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock, exposing groundwater, that was thought by the Mayans to be a gateway to the world below. Formed when an asteroid hit the land some 65 million years ago, this near-perfect ring of rock formations and turquoise freshwater is the largest connection of underground caves in the world, both a sacred water source for the ancient Mayans and an attraction for modern-day adventure seekers.

Much of the architecture of The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai draws from nature, Mexico’s local scenery, and the ancient Mayans’ traditions. Take the surrounding limestone buildings and their undulating walls, which can recall the seismic ripple when the ancient asteroid hit the earth. The design team sourced local materials for the property, including limestone and bamboo. Using these, they constructed the hotel resort around the lush mangroves, letting nature always be present no matter where the guests are. The design team also plays with scale and dimensions when it comes to pathways carpeting the The Riviera Maya EDITION, making the routes go from narrow and wide to curved and straight, with occasional rising and falling above and below the greenery.

Lobby

laidback luxury at The Riviera Maya EDITION at KanaI

As guests approach the The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai via a three-mile road that winds its way through the lush mangroves and verdant natural vegetation, the outside world fades into the background. Entering the property through a travertine staircase, they see the view of the expansive ocean and the ripples of water coming from the massive pools in the lobby. The signature timbers of the EDITION Hotels’ siblings emerge at The Riviera Maya too and cast shadows across courtyards as the day progresses, adding shifting and temporary visual cues around the property. Beyond the lobby, an oversized lagoon-like swimming pool continues the water concept, seemingly bringing the ocean into the hotel, complete with floating cabanas. Meanwhile, a meandering white sand path connects the main buildings to the SO’OL Beach Club, home to a second outdoor pool with an infinity edge.

image © designboom

The Riviera Maya EDITION resort offers the largest hotel penthouse in North America too, with its Sky Rooftop Villa. Going down, the property accommodates 182 guestrooms, including 30 suites, with numerous rooms featuring plunge pools and terraces that provide ocean or mangrove views. Inside the rooms and suites, The EDITION’s classic neutral palette and light, airy materials and colors appear, along with the region’s embroidery and patterning techniques, to continue honoring the local culture throughout the hotel resort. Large bathrooms are adorned with slatted wood paneling, reminiscent of the screens in the lobby but on a finer and more delicate scale.

The other areas of the rooms and suites cradle custom four-poster beds, bespoke lighting, nightstands, and curved sofas. These create an intimate sleeping area and allow the furniture to segment the large-scale space. Around the property, guests who are looking to be in touch with nature may be lucky enough to spot iguanas, raccoons, spider monkeys, deer, anteaters, indigenous white-nose coatis, Yucatan squirrels, and hundreds of species of birds.

Taking a break, they can swing by the turquoise waters of Riviera Maya, which is also home to marine life, including sea turtles. Sustainability and ecology are at the forefront of The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai, from the preservation of the surrounding red mangroves to the protection of and respectful coexistence with local flora and fauna. The developed land comprises less than 10% of the 620-acre reserve, and the resort operations strive for the highest environmental and sustainable practices certified by and in compliance with the Mexican government.

kitchen at EDITION

Art AND DINING AT The Riviera Maya EDITION

Art also streams into the heart of The Riviera Maya EDITION hotel resort, placed between Kitchen, an all-day dining experience, and the lobby bar. 80 black-and white images extracted from authentic film strips by Gabriel Figueroa, a renowned Mexican cinematographer from the golden age of Mexican cinema, grace the walls of the space. Design mingles with art in this space as the soaring, three-story windows come with floor-to-ceiling crimson drapes, colored with pops of citron and pink, warmly lit wood, and a plaster double-height backbar. Burnt orange, citrus, and chocolate fabric armchairs and sofas add some zest to the theme and color motifs of the area. It then becomes an instant nook where guests can enjoy a range of agave distillates, regional wines, and in-house cocktails infused with local ingredients, all coming from the concept Kitchen room.

bamboo yoga deck by Arquitectura Mixta and Edmonds International | image © designboom

The resort’s unique culinary experiences are envisioned by award-winning chefs Francisco ‘Paco’ Ruano and Tomás Bermúdez, two of Mexico’s most-acclaimed and youngest chef-restaurateurs. Helming EDITION’s signature restaurant, KI’IS (a Mayan word that translates to ‘zest’), Chef Ruano creates a modern Mexico dining experience with a tasting menu inspired by regional flavors and local ingredients. The restaurant itself is located on the south side of the property, surrounded by mangroves.

Beyond the timber and limestone structure, the interior of KI’IS projects a clean and light aesthetic enhanced with white artisanal ceramics and serveware and punctuated with greenery and local flora, both edible and decorative. With his concept for EDITION’s beach club restaurant, SO’OL (meaning ‘oyster’ in Mayan), Chef Bermúdez brings cuisine reminiscent of a Mediterranean beach club with Mexican influence.

Adjacent to the beach club and pool is a private pier, featuring 10 lounge-style cabanas with direct access to the ocean. Completing EDITION’s influence-driven food and beverage offerings is the Pool Bar. Flanking the lagoon-sized Pool and adjacent to the main lobby building, the bar serves as a calmer alternative to SO’OL.

pool