Rosewood Mayakoba travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts made a big splash in Mexico with Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos which is a stunning beachfront resort that in the decade since has become an icon in the world of luxury hotels. In December, the company finally “soft opened” its second property in the country, Rosewood Mayakoba on the Riviera Maya.

Of the 128 suites — all done in a stylish, pared-down style using local limestone and woods from renewable sources — the 16 on the beach are obviously prime real estate, though the remainder, arranged along a network of lagoons that wend their way through mangrove forest, provide a novel take on the typical Mexican resort experience: each has its own dock, and guests are transported around the property via silent boats (silent, to avoid disturbing the wildlife).

All rooms have a private plunge pool, and there’s a staff of 40 butlers to take care of your needs. The nice thing about the Riviera Maya in general, of course, is that there’s more to do than just loll on the beach — you’ve got Mayan ruins at Tulum; some decent shopping, restaurants and bars in Playa del Carmen and coral reef for diving and snorkeling offshore — but looking at the images from Rosewood, we think it might be hard to tear yourself away.