Sitting on my flight home to New York and just couldn’t wait a second longer to share my experience in Mayakoba! Many of you followed along on Instagram, but for those who didn’t, my husband, Zach, and I just spent 5 days there celebrating our second wedding anniversary. We’ve committed to take a trip each year to celebrate our anniversary and I couldn’t be more thankful to my past self for having had a winter month wedding. February couldn’t be a more perfect time to escape to the sunshine – especially now that we live in New York!

Prior to moving to the East Coast, I had actually never heard of Mayakoba and ultimately got the inspiration from one of our favorite influencers, Lindsay Silberman, who got married there. It looked SO beautiful from all of her posts and when I saw it was just a couple of hours flight from NYC, I was sold!

Unlike most of our travel posts, this one won’t be a full itinerary as my entire goal on the trip was to relax and do literally nothing. Between moving across the country and starting a challenging new job, I really needed a break and could not fathom taking one of our usual action-packed getaways. Instead, I’ll answer all of the questions that we received on Instagram – and all of the questions I had before going – to help any of you that might be considering making the trip!

What is Mayakoba? Where is it?

Mayakoba is a 620 acre enclave of lagoons, jungles and beaches along the Riviera Maya on the eastern coast of Mexico. It’s essentially a gated community consisting of luxury private residences, as well as four hotels. Given the vast size of the property and that the majority of it consists of natural reserves, it feels incredibly tranquil and, depending on where you stay, could be easy to forget that you’re not the only guest. Not at all a typical resort or tourist feel.

Mayakoba is located about 35 minutes south of Cancun, near towns that may be more familiar to you like Playa del Carmen or Tulum. However, this would not be a place I’d recommend staying if you plan to explore these other towns or hop around outside of “the gates.”

How do you get there?

Due to Mayakoba’s proximity to Cancun, your best bet will be to fly into Cancun International Airport. There are countless daily flights from most major world cities, making it easy to get to. From New York, the flight was just under 3.5 hours.

Once in Cancun, we had pre-arranged a private car service to get to Mayakoba. All 4 hotels there will coordinate this for you and add the charge to your room if you desire. We used Maritur and it was $128 each way. Even if you aren’t staying at Mayakoba, I would recommend pre-booking your transportation when flying into Cancun - unless you’re renting a car. The airport is incredibly hectic and it helps to have an exact game plan once you exit baggage claim.

How did you pick a hotel?

Mayakoba consists of 4 resorts: Andaz, Fairmont, Rosewood and Banyan Tree. Each of the hotels are absolutely stunning and brand names synonymous with luxury and top-notch service. There is a lagoon running through the entire property with frequent water taxi service, so regardless of where you stay, you can easily visit each one, even if just for a drink.

We stayed at the Fairmont and absolutely loved it, but below is a little synopsis to help you decide though, based on my experience visiting each for meals, as well as asking other hotel guests or staff!

Banyan Tree - The Banyan Tree is a Thai company and maintains this Thai influence regardless of location. It’s home to a fabulous Thai restaurant – Saffron – that you MUST visit with food prepared by actual Thai chefs, as well as Sands Beach Club that I wish could be my permanent residence. The spa focuses on Thai treatments, the architecture and design has a Thai influence, I think you get the picture. Even the most basic room has its own private plunge pool. We spent a good amount of time here and, if money was no object, this would be my top pick. From a quick Google search, the price for a long weekend next month starts at $2300/night, not including food.
Rosewood - The pinnacle of luxury. We’ve actually made it a point to visit Rosewood properties whenever I’m staying near one as they are always stunning – Miramar Beach in Santa Barbara, The Carlyle on the Upper East Side, Sand Hill in Menlo Park just to name a few. The Rosewood attracts a lot of celebrity guests and is home to many stunning private residences - starting at $7M! There is a 4-night minimum and, for the same weekend next month, rates start at $3000/night.
Andaz - Of the 4 resorts in Mayakoba, Banyan Tree and Rosewood are the higher end properties that have a noticeably exclusive and luxe feel. Andaz, a Hyatt branded hotel concept, has a slightly more commercial aesthetic and comes at a more accessible price point than the other resorts. Rates for next month start at $659/night or $1069/night for all-inclusive. Still extremely pricey and luxe compared to what we normally spend, but a significant drop in price from Rosewood and Banyan Tree. Andaz would be my choice to stay if I were returning and on a trip with friends or adult families.
Fairmont - Last, but not least, Fairmont - where Zach and I stayed. The Fairmont was the first hotel in Mayakoba and is undergoing a pretty significant renovation to update in line with the other 3 resorts that have subsequently opened. The project was a little over halfway complete during our visit and is expected to be finished in September. As a result, rates are significantly reduced at the moment. The current nightly rate starts at $491/night or $692/night with all-inclusive, additional surcharge for each extra guest. I would imagine post-renovation that rates will climb at or above the Andaz. Fairmont would be my recommendation if traveling with children.

·Each of the resorts on the Mayakoba property is phenomenal. We, ultimately, chose the Fairmont as it was the lowest in cost, but, hopefully, this synopsis helps you to make a decision of your own!

Did you do all-inclusive?

In general, Kelda and I are not fans of all-inclusives as we don’t love to be tied down to feeling like we can only eat at the resort. On this trip, in particular, while I knew I didn’t plan to leave the Mayaoba property, I knew I wanted to visit all 4 of the resorts and have dinner at each during our 4-night stay. Because of that, I didn’t book all-inclusive at Fairmont. However, after getting the final room bill, I think it would have worked out less expensive for us to have opted for all-inclusive, even with our dinners outside of the Fairmont. I’d recommend looking at the menus of the restaurants and estimating how much you might spend per day before making the call.

I also found myself mentally adding up how much I had already spent on 2-3 poolside margs during the day and opting out of drinks with dinner. It would have been nice to have had the freedom of paying one fixed cost and not worrying about how things were adding up during the stay. If I were to return, I would do all-inclusive here.

How did you budget for the trip?

Regardless of where you stay in Mayakoba, it is absolutely not a cheap place to visit and is well outside of our standard budget for accommodations or travel.

In full transparency, Zach + I decided to forego Christmas presents for one another this year and use our Christmas budgets towards pre-paying for part of the stay. As a result, we were able to put different activities down on our Christmas lists for family to ease the cost of the trip as well. For example, my in-laws generously gifted me a spa gift card, as well as airport transfer. They’re the best!!

Lastly, we used Chase points to book our flights as February is a peak month to travel to Mexico. (Click HERE for our Chase referral code).

All of these factors combined made the total cost more in line with what we would typically spend on a vacation. We were so happy with our decision that we’re committed to forgoing Christmas presents every year!

Did you notice a difference at a higher-end resort? Was it worth the price?

Honestly, yes. The level of service at each resort was far and above anything that I’ve ever experienced. While checking in, when asked about our trip, we casually mentioned it was our anniversary and, after that, at every single meal, even those outside of the Fairmont, there was a special celebratory surprise for us. I was stunned.

I often find resorts to be hit or miss with food offerings or not worth their price tag, but every single meal and drink we had was phenomenal. The amenities offered were extensive and top-notch. Everything from as simple as complimentary bikes and Le Labo toiletries to a complimentary 45-minute eco boat tour and cenote access, just to name a few.

While I’ll return to my 3 and 4 star hotels after this trip, I can definitely say I noticed the value and found the experience to be worth it!

Was it better than Cabo?

You know Cabo has a special place in our hearts as it’s where I got married (check out all deets HERE) and is where Kelda is doing her bachelorette party next month! We absolutely love it there! I would say the two areas are very different though and kind of like comparing apples and oranges.

First, Cabo has a dry, hot, desert climate, where Mayakoba is essentially in a humid jungle, with higher chances of wind and rain. The climates are quite different, but I find both to be enjoyable!

Swimming is the next big difference I noticed. In Cabo, you’re pretty much resigned to pools, as most areas along the beach are not swimmable and the waves can be incredibly dangerous. Mayakoba is on the Caribbean. Not only is the sand so white and the water a pristine blue, but you can actually swim in the water. I did love this and consider it a big win!

The intentions of the trips are quite different for us as well. Cabo is a place where we definitely relax, but, we also love going out to lots of different restaurants, bars and shops. It’s a more active trip spent exploring and soaking in culture. Mayakoba is a resort that caters to tourists and the exposure to culture is honestly pretty lacking. You go to Mayakoba solely to relax and have some good resort food in my opinion.

Comparing Cancun to Cabo might be the better or more relevant comparison and I haven’t spent the amount of time in Cancun required to make a comparison…but hopefully soon!!

Did you leave the resort? Could you visit other towns in the area?

My intention with this vacation was to completely unplug and not plan a single activity, a stark cry from our average trip! I wanted nothing more than to lay by the pool with a book and a margarita. As such, I did not leave the property and I got the impression that most guests didn’t leave. Because it’s in a gated community in the midst of hundreds of acres of natural reserves, Mayakoba isn’t the easiest place to come in and out of. You could definitely schedule a day tour to Chihcen Itza or a cenote, but, outside of that, getting around to different towns wouldn’t be the easiest. In all honesty, given the high price tag of the resort, if you plan to leave often, I wouldn’t recommend picking Mayakoba.

If you’d like to do more exploring and experience more culture, I’d recommend Tulum, Holbox, Playa del Carmen or other towns along the Riviera Maya.

Would it be fun for a bachelorette party?

For a majority of people, I would not recommend Mayakoba for a bachelorette party. First, the cost would be prohibitive for many people. I know I would balk at those prices if a friend asked me to join a bach there. Second, it has a very calm and tranquil vibe which I loved. You did not see groups of people taking tequila shots or getting rowdy. It had a more upscale, classy energy which wouldn’t align with the average bachelorette party. If budget isn’t a huge concern for your group and you’re happy with a more relaxed vibe, then, yes, I think it would be a wonderful place to get away with girlfriends!!

And there we have it! I think I answered all of the questions that we received about planning a trip. I had the most incredible time and couldn’t recommend the properties more for someone needing a break to recharge and soak up the sun!

As always, drop any question that you have below and catch the real time updates on Instagram HERE.