As of this month, the Viceroy Riviera Maya resort, located on the iconic shore of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula south of Cancun, will offer its first beachfront accommodations in its decade of existence. The six-acre property, which is tucked between the all-inclusive megaresorts that define this stretch of the Riviera Maya, now has 41 private villas, most of which are hidden in a jungle labyrinth that opens to a quiet length of Yucatan coastline.
The 11 new villas that are opening this week include six that will be close enough to the beach to offer ocean views, with two situated right at the sand's edge. The remaining five will be the signature "jungle villas" the property is known for. (For a slideshow of the property, click here or on any of the photos.)
As popular as the jungle villas have been, many guests, especially those who want to enjoy the property more than once, have told the hotel's management that they also want beachfront accommodations.
As with all the villas here, the new ones will have private plunge pools, private outdoor showers and what Viceroy calls a "Mayordomo" team that provides an array of butler and concierge services for all villas.
A signature welcome gift the Mayordomo provides is a ceremonial slicing of three kinds of handmade, local soaps whose scents evoke flavors associated with the region, such as chocolate and rosemary.
The new villas will also have features the current jungle villas don't, such as walk-in closets and soaking tubs inside larger bathrooms.
Intimacy pervades the grounds here, which, despite being only a few miles from the busy resort town of Playa Del Carmen, feels like a secluded jungle hideaway.
Pathways around the property wind through lush jungle flora and reveal streams bubbling out from natural cenotes, sinkholes that are fed by the Yucatan's extensive system of underground rivers.
There are surprising, intimate corners of the jungle set aside for guests at the Viceroy Riviera Maya, such as a "painter's nook" supplied with oil paint, brushes and blank canvases.
The hotel's jungle villas offer some of the most private accommodations of any resort nearby. They are hidden from each other by natural greenery as well as bamboo fences.
The new oceanview and beachfront villas will offer slightly less seclusion than the jungle ones, in order to afford sea views and oceanfront access.
The private, intimate surroundings here attract mostly honeymooners and other couples celebrating special occasions, who account for 95% of all guests.
No children under 15 are allowed here, and all villas are one-bedroom (four can accommodate two double beds if friends want to room together).
The resort goes out of its way to add intimacy to guest stays. Guests can take their meals or drinks anytime and anywhere. Breakfast can be had poolside; sunset cocktails and canapes can be enjoyed in the villa; dinner will be served at a private table on the beach; or lunch can be eaten in the seclusion of a palapa.
Service is attentive yet understated here: Staff is available for any and all needs, but during my stay, I never once had anyone enter my villa while I was there. Such a balance allows for privacy when guests want it and top-level service when they need something.
In the Wayac Spa, couples are welcome to use steam rooms and whirlpools together, a rare treat not available at most resorts. The facility embraces a Mayan theme and offers scrubs that incorporate regional herbs grown, and honey cultivated, on site. Treatments are inspired by ancient Mayan traditions; for example, a therapeutic massage uses a manteada, a local type of blanket, to adjust posture and elongate the muscles.
The Wayac Spa also offers some unusual treatments, such as a hammock massage, during which guests hang in a hammock during their rubdown.
Because of its size and picturesque beachfront, the Tides Riviera Maya is also a popular wedding destination.
Still one of few resorts in the region offering a European Plan for meals, the Viceroy last year added an all-inclusive package priced at an additional $70 per person, per day. The property reports that 80% of its guests still opt for the European Plan.
The 29 existing villas are all getting upgrades to their interiors, with new lighting, furniture and accents.
The property is also adding a second, open-air restaurant, called the Coral Grill & Bar, that will be situated at the edge of the beach. Its casual menu will feature Mexican-Mediterranean items prepared in a pizza oven and on a wood-burning grill.
Some of the new menu choices combine the two cuisines; the calzone Malinali is stuffed with local ingredients like huitlacoche mushrooms; xcatic chili peppers; epazote, a local herb used as a spice; and farm cheese.
The resort's existing fine-dining restaurant, La Marea, will be moved to the second level of its current building in order to offer sea views. It will serve a new menu featuring refined Mexican cuisine and will still offer an open-air dining experience.
The area where La Marea had been located will become the Library Lounge, also an open-air, comfortable seating area that lends out books and movies and serves as a hangout spot for guests to enjoy drinks and snacks.
The Viceroy will also boast a new entrance and reception area and is putting a fitness center closer to the beach, so guests can work out with sea views, as well.
Rates for the new beachfront villas start at $1,405 per night in the low season and $1,720 during high season. The lowest-category villas start at $605 during low season and $900 during high season.
See www.viceroyrivieramaya.com.
Editor's note: The hotel, formerly the Tides Riviera Maya, was renamed the Viceroy Riviera Maya in early January 2012. The Tides and Viceroy brands are owned by Viceroy Hotel Group, formerly Kor Hotel Group.
Follow Johanna Jainchill on Twitter @jjainchilltw.