Quick Look: St. Regis Kanai, Riviera Maya

The St. Regis Kanai was one of the most talked-about, most highly anticipated hotels to open in the Riviera Maya in years. And it was worth the wait.

The 124-room St. Regis opened this past spring, the second of four resorts in the region’s Kanai development, which sits halfway between Maroma and Mayakoba. (Etereo by Auberge Collection came first. Edition comes next, and a fourth, still-unnamed brand is still being negotiated.)

The avant-garde architecture is stunning. The resort was designed by the same CDMX-based firm, Edmonds International, that built the Ritz-Carlton Mexico City. A low-rise modernist compound built on stilts above the mangrove, the St. Regis stands out from anything else in the area. It’s a glistening white motif of incomplete intersecting circles inspired by Maya astronomy and the natural geometry of the mangroves and canals. It’s a large footprint, so getting from your suite to the beach club or one of the restaurants does take some effort. But there’s always a butler at the ready who can make sure there’s a buggy available to whisk you to wherever you need to go.

Here’s a quick look around:

Suite living room at St. Regis Kanai, Mexico (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)

Rates from about $800. Paseo Kanai 15, Solidaridad, Playa del Carmen, QR, Mexico, st-regis.marriott.com

A longer version of this article originally appeared in OLTRE magazine. For more dining and travel inspiration, I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and Twitter (X).