An opulent oasis with impeccable service and magnificence: My keep on the new Waldorf Astoria Cancun

Getting there

The Waldorf Astoria Cancun is 10 miles (round a 25-minute drive) from Cancun Worldwide Airport (CUN), 19 miles south of the Lodge Zone. After exiting Freeway 307 (the primary highway that runs alongside the Riviera Maya to Chetumal on the Belize border), it’s round an eight-minute drive alongside a mangrove-fringed highway.

A taxi from the airport (Completely satisfied Shuttle, USA switch, Tremendous shuttle) will price round $60. To keep away from solicitation and trouble exterior Cancun airport’s arrivals corridor, you may prepare a pick-up upfront via the Waldorf’s transportation service (Iconic) that gives one-way, meet-and-greet, transfers in an SUV for $125 (as much as 4 passengers).

Normal room charges for my mid-November keep have been $575 per night time, plus charges and taxes that added one other a number of hundred {dollars} so my whole for 2 nights got here to $1,517. I used to be capable of save nearly $600 off my keep by benefiting from Hilton’s bonus level shopping for promotion. I purchased 95,000 factors ($950) and obtained 100% bonus factors. So, the 190,000 factors accrued coated my two-night keep. Since I used to be staying at three Hilton motels throughout my six-night journey, I additionally signed up for Hilton’s double keep factors bonus, which gave me a pleasant earnings increase.

A number of Hilton Honors cobranded bank cards provide members free night time certificates to use to stays, some as a part of their ongoing advantages and a few as a particular perk you may earn by spending. Cardmembers earn a free night time certificates with the Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass® Card after spending $15,000 on qualifying purchases in a calendar 12 months with the cardboard. The identical is true of the Hilton Honors American Specific Enterprise Card, although you may as well earn a second free night time certificates after hitting $60,000 in purchases with the cardboard in a calendar 12 months. Lastly, the Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card confers cardmembers with one free night time certificates yearly after renewal and an extra one in the event that they spend $60,000 or extra on eligible purchases in a calendar 12 months. If you happen to earn these certificates, it is best to have the ability to apply them to stays on the Waldorf Astoria Cancun when there’s 95,000-point availability.

The knowledge for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

Standout options

• The service is phenomenal — heat, intuitive and on level: pool employees appear to thoughts learn your each want.
• All rooms have ocean views and outside soaking tubs or plunge swimming pools.
• Rooms are richly appointed with marble, leather-based and tropical woods in order that even the base-level rooms are luxurious, spacious and user-friendly.
• Haute delicacies at Malpeque the place entrees and sides grilled “al carbón” (the ocean bass was excellent) keep away from fussy shows and let delicate flavors shine.
• The 2 oceanfront infinity swimming pools are stunning and interspersed with palms and foliage to supply privateness and seclusion.

Ground-to-ceiling home windows open onto a big, furnished terrace with a built-in soaking tub and views of the 2 infinity swimming pools and the seaside extending all the way in which north to Cancun’s lodge zone.

My room felt rooted in a conventional Waldorf aesthetic, with hints of Artwork Deco within the geometric patterns, curving couch and nightstands, and a subdued grey, beige and blue shade scheme with pops of gold.

Ornamental objects and furnishings are impressed by the ocean setting and Indigenous craftsmanship — whimsical tapestries, coral-inspired sculptures and a driftwood-style armoire that housed the minibar and Nespresso maker.

From the crisp white linens on the beige, leather-framed mattress to the marble-tiled lavatory and fluffy robes and slippers, every thing felt luxurious and thoughtfully designed.

Spanning one facet of the bed room, the lavatory was spacious, opulent and sensible. A separate gray-tiled bathe unit opened onto the deck with a built-in soaking tub.

Two marble vanities with oval mirrors set in shimmering mosaic tiles have been separated from the bed room by a wood screen-style wall mounted with a flat display TV.

Food and drinks

Breakfast was served à la carte within the brasserie-style Chaya. With polished grey marble tiles, black-and-white furnishings and a dramatic white sculpture within the entrance, there was a sultry vibe. Throughout my keep, most company dined beneath swirling followers on the surface terrace, which was separated from the pool space by a wall of palms and foliage.

The menu featured breakfast classics with a Mexican twist — lobster omelet ($940 Mexican pesos/$49), eggs Benedict with crab and chipotle hollandaise ($460 pesos/$24) in addition to extra virtuous acai bowls ($300 pesos/$15) and smoothies ($240 pesos/$12), all ready with regionally sourced produce. I ordered avocado toast drizzled with lavender agave syrup and topped with poached eggs ($390 pesos/$12) which was flavorful, completely proportioned and artfully introduced.

For lunch, the modern cantina, J’AO, served basic and nouvelle Mexican fare that is also ordered from the poolside palapa. In addition to a choice of tacos, there was vegan ceviche ($320 pesos/$17 ) and cactus salad ($320 pesos/$17).

Like most company, I opted to remain poolside and ordered the tasty (however not wonderful) fish-of-the-day tacos ($520 pesos/$28) — native sea bass seasoned with tomatillo tatemado (spicy tomato salsa). The spotlight was the eagerness fruit margarita ($360 pesos/$19) made with Don Julio and Cointreau.

Far and away essentially the most memorable eating venue was Malpeque. Helmed by acclaimed chef Roger Stewart, it focuses on fish and seafood — served sashimi type or just grilled “al carbón” — in a tropically stylish eating room.

Inside, there was a buzzy vibe from the dynamic open kitchen, however the most effective tables have been exterior on the terrace, alongside a dramatically illuminated reflection pool, the place easy white chairs normal from pure fibers and cozy rattan sofas have been surrounded by shows of Maya-inspired ornamental objects and artifacts.

The “crudo” appetizer part of the menu featured tuna tiraditos ($610 pesos/$31), hamachi ($660 pesos/$34) and seafood towers for 4 folks ($3,600 pesos/$185). Signature entrees included entire fish-of-the-day for 2 folks ($1,900 pesos/$99) and chargrilled octopus ($690 pesos/$36).

I ordered the grilled sea bass ($890 pesos/$45) with a facet of entire roasted cauliflower ($260 pesos/$13) that was topped with pistachios, pomegranate and tahini sauce — it might fairly simply have been an entree in itself. The costs have been on par with a flowery restaurant in Chicago…and completely price it.

Facilities and repair

The lodge gives a every day calendar of wellness-focused courses, together with yoga, meditation and pilates on the white-sand seaside in entrance of the lodge. By 10 a.m., nonetheless, the motion facilities on the 2 giant, multi-level infinity swimming pools the place wood loungers and daybeds with plush white cushions are shaded by parasols.

Every time I orbited the pool, I used to be instantly greeted by employees eager to arrange solar loungers and supply towels, ice buckets with glass-bottled water and a menu for the pool bar, JA’O. Throughout my keep, there wasn’t a single second after I needed to search out a employees member for a drink, a towel, water…something, actually.

Whereas the lodge isn’t geared towards households — there’s no youngsters membership, programming or designated youngsters pool — there have been a whole lot of households having fun with brief pre-Thanksgiving breaks. The solar-heated (and surprisingly heat) shallow swimming pools are nice for older kids. The eating places all characteristic youngsters’ menus and the employees appeared to go above and past to make them really feel welcome.

Sybarites will love the cenote-inspired spa. Tucked away from the primary constructing, amid a riot of foliage, it felt just like the lodge’s interior sanctum and a serene place to linger for just a few hours quite than simply pop in for a therapy.

At MX5,480/$283 for an $80-minute (Swedish, conventional or aromatherapy therapeutic massage), costs are astronomical, however in step with what different lodge spas are charging alongside the Riviera Maya. Therapies are impressed by Mayan cleaning and purification traditions and deploy therapeutic stones and occasional chanting.

The health middle has a handful of working machines and ellipticals, a rowing machine, stationary bike and free weights, all going through image home windows with foliage views — it is quite like understanding in a greenhouse.

Cobá (round two hours southwest) is among the Maya Route’s extra immersive archaeological websites. With steep, jungle-cloaked pyramids — together with many who have not been absolutely excavated — it appears like a misplaced world. Chichén Itza — one of many New Seven Wonders of the World — and lesser-known Ek Balam are additionally possible for day journeys (round 2.5 hours west)

Hidden beneath thick jungle, a brief drive from Tulum, Gran Cenote is an otherworldly spot the place snorkeling amongst fantastical stalactites and stalagmites in crystal-clear water is a one-of-a-kind expertise.

Associated: 7 wonderful spots in Mexico’s Riviera Maya that aren’t Tulum

Accessibility

The Waldorf Astoria Cancun caters very nicely to vacationers with mobility challenges. Ramps, which lead all the way down to the swimming pools, eating places and beachfront, are all superbly built-in with the lodge’s design.

Visitor rooms and eating places all have broad doorways to accommodate wheelchairs. Stroll-in showers are geared up with handrails and a wood bench and user-friendly mild panels by the bedside additionally management the drapes. There are audible alerts, visible alarms and braille indicators within the hallways and elevators.

Peacock Alley’s grandeur and lavish styling is straight away balanced by the nice and cozy welcome and real curiosity from the employees — service was flawless.

For a two- or three-day winter escape, targeted on poolside rest and pampering, the lodge ticks a whole lot of packing containers. Because it does not really feel like a real resort when it comes to its scale, facilities and focal factors, it really works nicely as a bookend to an extended journey or a base for exploration. If I had stayed longer than two nights, a automotive would have been essential to broaden my culinary horizons and add just a few cultural and leisure excursions into the combo.