The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai Complements Natural Splendors with Otherworldly Design

Suspended over a centuries-old mangrove forest, a resort of uncommon beauty

It isn’t merely that built environment of The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai floats above a 400-year-old tangle of low-lying mangroves; it’s that the entire resort has been designed to maximize waterfront vistas and verdant vantage points through sweeping perspectives, infinite lines and soft geometries. As an editorial team, we’ve had the pleasure of attending opening festivities for EDITION Hotels around the world—from Times Square to Tokyo, Reykjavik, Sanya, Bodrum, Miami and more. Though the sophisticated aesthetic elements of the EDITION brand (like the neutral palette and the signature Le Labo fragrance) manifest in Kanai, there’s something uniquely spectacular about this property, the brand’s first in Latin America and the Caribbean.

sOne of the first observations guests will make as they approach the Riviera Maya EDITION is that it’s enveloped by a 620-acre nature reserve. Unlike urban EDITIONS, which converse with cityscapes, this sleek, contemporary property has been designed to embrace the natural world. “That’s our approach,” hotelier and EDITION co-founder Ian Schrager tells us. “It’s about immersion into a very special place. It doesn’t matter where it is—what city or what location. It’s always the same goal. It’s about translating our concept to the surroundings and acting as a vehicle to help people enjoy a particular area.”

The otherworldly architecture of the resort, led by Edmonds International, sits low enough to feel at home among the mangroves. The interiors, by Ian Schrager Company in collaboration with acclaimed architecture and design firm Rockwell Group, go so far as to blur the boundary between inside and outside.

“Our idea was to make something very simple and very elegant, and not overload a person with too many ideas,” Schrager says. “This is much harder to do than throwing a million ideas out there.” The design teams wanted to underscore the value of the specific location and highlight the innate splendors of this region in Mexico. They also, according to Schrager, wanted to introduce a theatricality to the space—and this is felt.

“It looks like a lawn of green as far as you can see because it’s all mangroves growing out of water,” architect Greg Keffer, a partner and studio leader at Rockwell Group, shares with COOL HUNTING. Keffer led Rockwell through this design collaboration, as well as the studio’s contributions to the New York EDITION. “The entire building is actually floating above the mangroves. It posed a development challenge because mangroves are protected in Mexico. Any mangrove you take out you have to restore and maintain somewhere else. It was complex to balance the ecosystem.” Such care was taken that to map out the footprint of the resort, people were given hatchets affixed with a GPS system so that nothing was affected in error.

Countering the lush green growth of the jungle are layers of water, all of which reference a central design concept. “At Rockwell, we do narrative-driven design—we need to build a story first,” he says. “Here, it was about bringing the outside in, and looking to the phenomenon of cenotes—natural caves in the region with fresh water. From there, we begin to ask ‘how does that look’ and ‘how does that inform the guest experience?’ 90% of what you see here is custom-designed in support of this concept.”

When you first ascend the entrance staircase at the resort, you are greeted by a decorative pool. Beyond it, is the lagoon-like central pool with floating cabanas and lounge chairs, and in the distance—beyond the mangrove forest and palm trees—is the Caribbean and two miles of white-sand beaches, where are groomed daily. “We envisioned a series of water elements that cascade out toward the ocean,” Keffer says. The design team also suspended an immense topiary from the lobby ceiling, and positioned roughly 4,500 clay pots of various sizes, all filled with real plants.

Every facade is designed to grow over with vines. Further, each building in the compound swoops down toward one central point—mimicking natural cenote formations. Where they all converge is a woven outdoor yoga platform, and an oculus water feature that doubles as a skylight for the relaxation room in the spa below. A smattering of free-standing outdoor massage rooms also sit at this level. In fact, the entire spa feels secluded, peaceful and rejuvenate.

“Most of the property is fairly neutral in color, except for the Lobby Bar, an EDITION signature, which incorporates custom 50-foot-tall red velvet drapes,” Keffer says. “In the lobby, we brought things down with the hanging topiary, but in here we emphasize an expression of scale. The backbar features a towering display of artifacts and custom plaster cast artwork based on Mayan iconography. At night it comes to life with color. It’s up-lit. It glows.”

Colorful exclamation points—at the Pool Bar and the SO’Ol Beach Club restaurant—lend vibrancy to the property. The beach club, and its luxuriant pier—which extends into the ocean and features lounge chairs, as well as nets that offer seating directly over the water—might be the most transportive attribute of the entire destination. Not only is it visually refreshing, the beach club and pier provide an impressive menu of seafood and cocktails.

“It’s a really fresh concept,” Chef Tomás Bermudez, who helms one of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, shares with us. “When the owners and the EDITION team approached me about this, they said they wanted it to be the best anyone could find in Rivieria Maya. We have the best produce you can find in Mexico. We also have the best seafood.” Ultimately, he says, “If you come to a hotel on the beach, where do you want to stay? You want to stay on the beach. We have a great restaurant, with a stunning pier, right on the beach.”

The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai is the brand’s 18th property globally—and the attributes we’ve already addressed do not come close to touching upon its grandeur. For instance, another World’s 50-ranked Mexican chef, Francisco Ruano, helms the other restaurants, including a fine dining establishment. An indoor-outdoor Sky Rooftop Villa sets a penthouse record as it sprawls for more than 27,000 square feet with 360-degree views. A series of hydrotherapy pools enhance the state-of-the-art spa. All 182 guest rooms include terraces, and some have private plunge pools. All of these luxuriant features coalesce to define the experience of The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai, which—when you are there—feels like a world of its own.

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