I’ve been to the Riviera Maya strip of the Caribbean coastline several times, and each time I’ve thought, “This is beautiful, but it’s missing authenticity.” That was until I entered the open-air, stone-floor lobby of La Casa de la Playa where I was immediately greeted with a drink and a cool towel and immersed in a sensory experience. The place is adorned with elaborate traditional artwork, the interior furnished with wood and stone, and the gigantic floor-to-ceiling windows offer a stunning display of the Caribbean Sea. At that moment, I thought maybe I’d finally found what I’d been searching for on the eastern edge of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
At La Casa de la Playa, I never forgot where I was, thanks to the touches of beautiful Mexican culture that illuminate every corner of the property. No detail was overlooked, as each piece of artwork, carefully-prepared meal and person I came into contact with had a story that was integral to the guest experience. I was deeply touched, an occurrence I’ve found to be pretty rare when staying at all-inclusive hotels around the world.
The Backstory
La Casa de la Playa is part of the Grupo Xcaret collection of hotels and theme parks. The concept was founded in 1984 when architect Miguel Quintana Pali bought a little more than 12 acres of land in the Mayan Riviera. While clearing the land to build his house, he noticed several natural underground reservoirs called cenotes. This discovery led him to create a park that would allow everyone access to the natural wonders.
Pali and his three brothers brought the idea to fruition, opening the first Xcaret park in 1990 and, in 2017, Grupo Xcaret opened its first hotel. Today, Xcaret consists of eight parks that offer different experiences and three all-inclusive hotels. All parks and hotels under the Xcaret umbrella lead the way in sustainable tourism in Mexico, integrating building materials from local resources, employing local artisans and creating architectural structures that blend in with the natural environment, offering experiences that respect nature, Mexican history, traditions and the native people.
A Design-Lover’s Paradise
When I entered my suite at La Casa de la Playa, I felt a warm sense of welcome. The room was stunning. Natural-colored stone walls brightened the space, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Caribbean Sea allowed natural light to flood the suite. Hints of Mexican culture were scattered throughout the room, giving me an immediate sense of place. The boutique hotel has 63 suites with stunning views of nature, all ornamented with handcrafted local art and decorative objects.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in, and what admittedly became my obsession throughout my stay, was the jellyfish aquarium. I’ll clarify: Every room at La Casa de la Playa is outfitted with a mesmerizing purplish-blue circular tank that has moon jellies orbiting inside. The beautiful jellyfish are bred on-site in a sea life lab that can be toured by request. (By the way, each room is assigned a butler that can be reached via text.)
I was particularly drawn to was the conch shell-shaped sink in my bathroom, and hanging above my bed was an intricate blue and white tapestry. I later found out it was acquired in the state of Puebla, where the women have mastered embroidering huge tapestries that reflect their surrounding environment. In this one, I noted flowers, butterflies, birds, deer and numerous other animals.
As I surveyed the room, I realized almost every piece had a story tied to the Mexican people. The wicker light fixture hanging from the ceiling was hand-woven by ex-inmates, the result of a rehabilitation program the hotel supports. There was an interesting winged heart statue, which I learned is the Huichol people’s cosmovisión of the divine, where Mother Nature is always at the center. The chaquira beads that make up this piece depict the moon, corn, deer, a snake, a coyote and the Mexican eagle. All rooms are decorated with an onyx stone lamp shaped like a seashell. Handmade by artisans in Puebla, the piece is meant for reflection. The idea is that all seashells are both different and beautiful, just like human beings.
Following the room tour, I could hardly wait to explore my patio, thoroughly soaked in rays of Mexican sunlight and the smell of salty air. I slid open the tall glass doors and was greeted by a private heated plunge pool (you’ll find one in every room), a volcanic stone outdoor tub, a hammock that was intricately woven in the Yucatan and a yellow and black great kiskadee perched on the edge of the pool, taking a quick drink.
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Mexico Through Food
The boutique hotel has five restaurants that come included in everyone’s stay, but guests can also access all 21 restaurants across Hotel Xcaret México and Hotel Xcaret Arte. At Tuch de Luna, chef Martha Ortiz pays homage to Mexican culture through her dishes and champions women by leading an all-female team.
I happened to be staying at the hotel on the right evening because once a month, the restaurant hosts a Full Moon Ritual (for an extra charge), intended to mend the spirit and instill positive energy within. I was given a heads-up to wear whites and creams, and my experience began on the beach. A shaman greeted me and immediately handed me a gourd filled with “sacred full moon water,” a concoction of citrus and amber flowers. From there, I was directed to one of several woven mats on the sand that encircled a fire. The shaman began to explain the significance of the evening and the intention, which was to connect the full moon’s energy to our emotions. The shaman then cleansed everyone’s energy, one by one, with purifying smoke. The ceremony concluded on the shoreline with us releasing petals that encapsulated our “intentions from the heart” into the water. This traditional ancestral ritual is followed by dinner on the terrace next to the pool, overlooking the ocean. A large telescope on the terrace allows diners to leisurely catch a glimpse of the full moon while being serenaded by a guitarist.
Casa de la Playa is also home to two restaurants by the Rivera-Rio Brothers. While one brother oversees Lumbre, a meat-centric restaurant that highlights the cuisine of Northern Mexico, the other is the mastermind behind Centli, a restaurant that showcases Mexican corn, combining the flavors of Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz and Hidalgo.
One evening, I ventured over to Hotel Xcaret Arte to experience dining at Xaak, a seven-course culinary experience designed by five talented chefs. On the evening I reserved, Monte Xanic (Mexico’s leading wine producer) was celebrating the 30th anniversary of their most popular wine, Gran Ricardo. A special dinner was created with oenologists to launch the company’s new white wine as well. From crab with smoked pecans and hazelnut butter to creamy goat cheese with fruit gel and cassis ice cream, it was a sweet, savory and overall unforgettable experience.
Special Spaces
As I wandered through the open-air hotel, I came across a sign that read Bodega. I opened the door expecting to find a little convenience store, but much to my surprise, it was a small cantina with six stools (one topped with a horse saddle). The small saloon-like room had empty glass bottles hanging from the ceiling and was stocked with top-tier tequilas and mezcals. As if this wasn’t exciting enough, the place is self-service! Guests can request to have a guided tasting led by an expert at no additional cost or can delightfully sample the drinks on their own.
Sticking to the self-service theme, next to Bodega is a help-yourself chocolateria, a 24-hour chocolate boutique run by a master chocolatier. The store pays homage to traditional Mayan cacao and offers chocolate truffles in all flavors, chocolate ice cream, chocolate-covered dried fruits and churros with chocolate sauce. While in a chocolate daze, I looked up to see a ceiling ornamented with traditional wooden Mexican toys. It gave an entirely new meaning to the phrase “kid in a candy shop.”
The hotel also has a 24-hour, help-yourself wine cellar where guests can grab a bottle of wine to take to their room every evening. There are also bottle openers, aerators and glasses available if you want to sit at the long wooden table and chat with other guests. I was impressed to see such a large selection of Mexican wines, something not commonly found elsewhere. Guests can also book a wine tasting with a sommelier for an extra charge.
Stress? Never Heard of Her.
The hotel’s 131-foot swimming pool that protrudes over the sea undeniably makes La Casa de la Playa a standout. I spent every free moment (as in every moment I wasn’t eating or sleeping) in this pool. To switch up my routine, some days I spent a few hours lounging on the private beach, followed by a few hours at the rooftop pool noshing on delicious bites.
Of course, my stay at La Casa de la Playa wouldn’t have been complete without experiencing a treatment at Muluk Spa. Unsurprisingly, the holistic spa uses organic products and offers treatments that cater to the energy your spirit needs. There were a plethora of interesting treatments to choose from, and I arduously selected the hydrotherapy and detox ritual. My experience consisted of a ginger and honey exfoliation to help release toxins from my body, followed by a relaxing massage with a ginger balm. All spa-goers have access to the outdoor hydrotherapy center, which has a sauna, steam room and cold room.
Once I saw how seamlessly the local culture was integrated into the guest experience, as well as the sensorial and transcendental spaces La Casa de la Playa offers, I didn’t need anymore convincing. This hotel was, definitively, unlike any other all-inclusive I’ve stayed at. La Casa de la Playa will leave you with a whole new understanding of the Riviera Maya, regardless of how many times you’ve been.
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