A Luxurious Stay at Andaz Mayakoba, Riviera Maya

Nestled on a secluded and unspoilt part of the coast on the Riviera Maya in Mexico, Andaz Mayakoba is the epitome of cool. Part of the international Hyatt group, this 5 star hotel benefits from their service levels. Yet it has a local feel thanks to its collaborations with Mexican artists and photographers.

Andaz Mayakoba – First Impressions

Arriving at the Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, you really get the wow factor. This luxurious hotel boasts an airy open-plan reception lobby with a circular lake at its centre. 

The friendly staff hand you each a pebble and encourage you to throw it into the water to symbolically leave your cares behind. After a refreshing fruit drink and quick check-in, you’ll be taken by golf buggy to your room.

Staff here are encouraged to interact with guests and to share details of their own hobbies. The ones we chatted with were into wine, food and photography – in fact one of them gave us a few tips for where to get the best shots.

Accommodation at Andaz Mayakoba

The rooms in Hyatt Andaz Mayakoba are spread out around the lagoon and beach areas, in order to minimize any impact on the environment. In fact sustainability is a major focus here and Andaz and the neighbouring 3 resorts at Mayakoba work hard to preserve wildlife.

Our huge suite had a spacious bedroom, separate lounge area and WC.

All the rooms at Andaz have a bathroom that runs the whole length of the room, with two sinks and a rain shower. There are also two balconies, one leading off the bedroom and the other, accessible via the lounge, with a lovely outdoor jacuzzi. We admired the colourful basketwork decoration on the living room wall.

Andaz Mayakoba room

Amenities at Andaz Mayakoba

We particularly like the walk-in closet, well equipped with an ironing board, safe, torch, hairdryer and insect repellent. Bathrobes and flip-flops come in handy, as does the stylish beach bag that you can borrow.

The fruit and sweets were a thoughtful gift and the mini bar also had many complimentary items such as waters and tea and coffee. We loved leafing through the Birds of Mayakoba book – it helped us to work out which ones we had spotted nearby!

Andaz Mayakoba amenities

Facilities at Andaz Mayakoba

Andaz Mayakoba is blessed with several stunning swimming pools. The beachside one has a funky vibe with a DJ playing and an amazing octopus mural by local artist, Senkoe.

Andaz Mayakoba Senkoe octopus mural

The lagoon side pools have some very cool inflatables. We couldn’t resist this pink flamingo but kept falling off when we tried to climb on top of the white swan ;-).

Andaz Mayakoba swimming pool

The drinks at the poolside bar are very tempting.

Andaz Mayakoba pool bar
Andaz Mayakoba pool bar

There’s also a cool feature here that we’ve never come across anywhere else, a sunscreen dispensing machine!

sunscreen machine

When you’ve finished sunbathing, head to the nearby gym – it’s one of the best equipped that we have seen. For those more interested in relaxing than sweating it out in the gym, there’s a fantastic adjacent spa too.

It’s designed so that you can do a circuit, passing through hot and cold areas. I loved the leafy view from the ladies’ shower! We enjoyed a relaxing couples massage in one of the spa’s pavilions and a herbal tea afterwards.

Andaz Mayakoba spa

Another great way to relax is at the uncrowded beaches in Riviera Maya. You can walk along its soft white sand to Mayakoba’s other 3 resorts. There’s also a kids club which lays on a wide range of activities for children of all ages.

Mayakoba beach Mexico

Dining at Andaz Mayakoba

There are so many dining options at Andaz Mayakoba that you won’t need to leave. From casual beach side dining at Tinta del Pulpo to gourmet Mexican dishes at Casa Amate, there’s something for everyone.

However if you wish to, you can dine at any of the restaurants in the other 3 luxury resorts in Mayakoba and have it billed to your room. Breakfast at Andaz Mayakoba is a tasty affair with two restaurants to choose from. At Cucina Milagro, there’s a vast array of hot and cold buffet dishes as well as an à la carte menu.

Cucina Milagro breakfast

Olla Taco is the other option – it serves à la carte dishes in a casual and cool beach side restaurant.

Olla Taco Breakfast

Casa Amate is the signature restaurant at Andaz Mayakoba. With a stylish yet homely decor, its spread over several small rooms. There’s a large terrace overlooking the lagoon.

The staff here are very knowledgeable and will advise you on the wines as well as the food menu. We loved it so much that we returned a few days later for a photo shoot with Sol Tamargo – a Cultural Insider at Andaz and a very talented photographer.

Suze, Frida's Wardrobe Experience, Andaz Mayakoba, Playa del Car

We also had fun at a tequila tasting held at Olla Ceviche, a casual beach side eatery, decorated with colourful basketwork. Who knew that there were so many different types of tequila, from silver unaged varieties to oak-aged vintages?

The bottles are very impressive, as are the shot glasses. You don’t have to put salt on the rim of your tequila glass but it does add a certain something to the experience.

Olla Ceviche Mayakoba

Riviera Maya Wildlife

As well as getting around by golf buggy or bicycle, you can take the Mayakoba Connection. It’s a ferry service linking Andaz Mayakoba with the three other resorts at Mayakoba and the Mayakoba Residences . Along the way, be sure to look out for Mexican wildlife.

Andaz Mayakoba wildlife

El Pueblito Village

The Mayakoba Connection also drops guests close to El Pueblito, the local square modelled on a traditional Mexican village.

El- Pueblito Mayakoba

Mayakoba Golf

There’s also the only PGA golf course in Mexico, with some stunning fairways and also a Nature Trail which guests can walk or cycle along. Golf in Riviera Maya is a pleasure as the weather in Mayakoba is always pleasant.

Mayakoba PGA golf

What makes Andaz Mayakoba so special is its sense of fun and vibrancy, together with its focus on the environment. If you’re the sort of person who prefers a relaxed vibe to a stuffy atmosphere, then Andaz Mayakoba and the Riviera Maya are definitely for you – definitely one of the best Riviera Maya resorts.

Getting to Andaz Mayakoba

The nearest airport in Riviera Maya is Cancun International Airport. There are regular international flights and it’s an hour’s drive from Cancun to Riviera Maya along a safe highway.

When considering whether to choose Cancun vs Riviera Maya accommodation, bear in mind that Riviera Maya has a more relaxed vibe with less high-rise buildings.

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Escaping the everyday - Andaz Mayakoba on the Riviera Maya, Mexico

Andaz Mayakoba, Carretera Federal Cancun-Playa Del Carmen Km. 298, Playa del Carmen-Solidaridad, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 77710

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Suze and Paul Renner

Suze and Paul are the founders of LuxuryColumnist, one of the leading luxury online magazines worldwide.

20 thoughts on “A Luxurious Stay at Andaz Mayakoba, Riviera Maya”

  1. Suze @LuxuryColumnist

    It was hard to leave the pools, Candice! I loved the inflatables, so much fun

  2. Suze @LuxuryColumnist

    Me too, I definitely want to return as there’s so much to do in the area

  3. Emma @ AdventuresofaLondonKiwi

    You’re not kidding about the wow factor – what a relaxing break indeed!

    1. Suze @LuxuryColumnist

      It’s so nice just to leave cars behind for a while and use bikes and golf buggies to get around instead!

  4. Suze @LuxuryColumnist

    Now that we’ve visited the Riviera Maya, we’d definitely return as we loved it! The room layout was great, so spacious

  5. Suze @LuxuryColumnist

    It was so nice to lounge around on the balconies, especially in the hot tub!

  6. Suze @LuxuryColumnist

    It was definitely one of the most impressive lobbies I’ve seen, and so nice that the staff were able to chat with guests

  7. Planes & Champagne

    How fabulous that you had a private outdoor jacuzzi, a walk-in wardrobe and the bathroom ran the whole length of the room. The gym looks very impressive too….I think you would have struggled to prize me back on the plane home!

  8. What a stunning hotel, love the open plan and modern feel it has. The pool and gym look wonderful. The sun cream dispenser looks interesting Lucy x

    1. Suze @LuxuryColumnist

      I didn’t get a chance to use the sun cream dispenser but it did look very clever!

  9. With all the amazing food that you eat, how do you managed to stay so slim, Suze?! You got to share your secret with us. And wow, what an amazing place, it really does seems to be one of the best places to visit. xx

    1. Suze @LuxuryColumnist

      I wouldn’t say I’m super slim but I do try to lift a few weights when I get the chance! This place was great for staying fit, thanks to the bikes and the walking trail

  10. Sand in my Suitcase

    The Andaz Mayakoba looks so cool! All those colors and murals make it very fun. We first learned of the “Andaz” sub-brand of Hyatt in Costa Rica’s Papagayo Peninsula recently. There’s a luxury Andaz Peninsula Papagayo resort there. How does that sunscreen dispensing machine work at the Mayakoba Andaz? Do you stand in round receptacle and does it squirt you all over?

  11. Lux @ About Life and Love

    The beach is beckoning me. Oh, so beautiful. What a paradise both inside and outside your room.
    You lucky girl.

  12. ♫ Alison M ♪

    What an amazing looking place. I love the inflatables in the pool and the wall art. The sunscreen dispensing machine is such a good idea

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