The Caribbean coastline has welcomed the Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai, the hotel brand’s first property in the region. Envisioned by hotelier Ian Schrager in collaboration with Marriott International, the resort redefines laidback luxury, blending ancient Mayan traditions with EDITION’s signature hospitality.
Nestled amongst a 620-acre nature reserve in Kanai—a new luxury resort community in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula—the property gracefully rises amid mangroves and tropical flora, situated along two miles of white sand beachfront.
This latest EDITION hotel was mindfully designed with minimal construction impact to protect the region’s ecological landscape. (The development takes up less than 10 percent of the reserve.) The design takes cues from the natural surroundings and local cultures, drawing particular inspiration from the Mayan concept of the universe.
With interiors by Ian Schrager Company in partnership with Rockwell Group and architecture by Edmonds International, Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai comprises three main buildings that converge in the architectural equivalent of a cenote, or a natural sinkhole that the Mayans believe connects to the underworld.
As guests approach the property, a timber-covered structure emerges from within the forest. The entrance then reveals a grand travertine staircase that leads to an ocean-view lobby flanked with reflecting pools and soaring three-story windows adorned with floor-to-ceiling crimson drapes intermingled with pops of citron and pink. A warmly lit wood and plaster double-height backbar showcases unique Mayan sculptures and vessels, setting the backdrop for the bar, which is framed with burnt orange, citrus, and chocolate fabric seating.
The spa echoes the same cenote-inspired architecture. A central spa lounge sits directly beneath a bamboo yoga dome structure and water landscape, which draws eyes up through the glass ceiling toward the terrestrial world above.
The property boasts 182 guestrooms, including 30 suites, with some featuring plunge pools and terraces with views of the ocean or mangrove views. The rooms and suites espouse the signature neutral EDITION palette complemented by materials showcasing regional embroidery and patterning techniques. Slatted wood paneling enclose the large bathrooms, which are accessed through five-foot-wide sliding doors to ensure the bath and living spaces flow into one another. Custom four-poster beds, bespoke lighting, nightstands, and curved sofas delineate the intimate sleeping areas.
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