Banyan Tree Mayakoba

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Style: Traditional Elegance

Atmosphere: Secluded

132 Rooms

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The Banyan Tree group must have been looking for a challenge. It’s not that Asian-inflected luxury villas can’t work in the Americas; it’s just that the well-developed and not entirely high-end Riviera Maya isn’t exactly the first place you’d look for a resort that depends on an exclusive, desert-island vibe. But the Banyan Tree Mayakoba succeeds in the face of its own unlikelihood, seemingly oblivious to the challenges of its surroundings.

Forget Cancùn. Even Playa del Carmen, which surrounds the Banyan Tree, is a distant memory from within the resort’s walls. Here it’s just you, your villa, and the landscape — your pool deck opens onto a scene of lush vegetation and a network of lagoons. It’s hard to want more, given the sheer luxury of the place. The villas blend contemporary design with Asian and Mayan influences, and are as well-equipped as any we’ve seen; there’s plentiful private space, both indoor and outdoor, and each villa comes with a private pool that’s the size of some hotels’ public pool.

There’s a fine Thai restaurant, and the Thai-style spa is a big part of the draw, as is Mayakoba’s world-class golf course. The splendid white sand beach is oddly absent from the immediate surroundings, but it’s a quick boat ride away down one of the canals — though many guests find the Banyan Tree’s eco-tour offerings more compelling than sunbathing.