Rosewood Mayakoba Vs. Banyan Tree Vs. Andaz Vs. Fairmont on Riviera Maya, which hotel is best? All properties are luxury 5-star hotels. All have wonderful rooms and beaches, excellent spas, and bars. In all honestly, all are great, but they are very different, and below, we highlight which would be best for you. Why you might prefer Rosewood Mayakoba Vs. Banyan Tree Vs. Andaz Vs. Fairmont.
1. Best Location: Rosewood Mayakoba Vs. Banyan Tree Vs. Andaz Vs. Fairmont
Situated along a mile-long arc of white sand on the Riviera Maya, Mayakoba is a lush 620-acre luxury, gated resort enclave located 40 minutes south of Cancún airport and north of the charming seaside village of Playa del Carmen.
If you imagine Mayakoba as a rectangular plot of land, with a beach to one side of the plot, the Rosewood is arranged directly on the beach, with rooms extending further back around the lagoon. The beach is glorious and made of powder white sand. Many of the rooms within this Mayakoba resort can be found hidden in lush jungle overlooking the lagoons.
The Fairmont is located between the Rosewood and the Banyan Tree and also sits directly on the beach and, like the Rosewood, extends back into the resort plot.
The Banyan Tree is the furthest South on the plot and also offers a lovely patch of beach in front of its resort.
Unlike the other three resorts, the Andaz does not have a swathe of resort grounds that meander down to the beach. Instead, the Andaz is situated behind the Rosewood and further away from the beach. The Andaz does have a beachfront and a beachfront pool, but you may find the walk between the beachfront pool and lagoon pool resort area is longer than at the other three resorts.
Worth mentioning you can walk between all four resorts, so you can eat and drink at any of these hotels regardless of which hotel you choose to stay at. As these hotels are spread out from each other, you might want to get around by covered boat, electric golf cart, or bicycle rather than walk.
2. Exclusivity
We think the Rosewood feels the most luxurious and exclusive of these four hotels. Rosewood Mayakoba (pictured above) is built along a network of lagoons and the Caribbean Sea. This hotel is hard to beat and offers some spectacular overwater villas. we have reviewed how to get the best discount and deals at Rosewood Mayakoba.
Rosewood Mayakoba is imbued with the unique spirit of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Situated along a mile-long arc of white sand on the Riviera Maya. The resort’s 129 suites and 11 villas make this hotel boutique in size, and they are strikingly modern in design.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba is surrounded by lagoons and mangroves and is bordered by the sea. This is probably the second most exclusive resort in Mayakoba. Here, the Riviera Maya meets the Orient.
3. Best Room
Once again, the Rosewood wins here. Each of Rosewood’s 130 suites comes with a private pool, butler service, a rooftop terrace, and boat deck, and views over the lagoon or the beach.
Upon arrival, guests are transported by luxury boats or golf carts to their own personal sanctuary. All of the suites feature crisp, open spaces, contemporary furnishings, wooden lattices, and glass-hiding doors for natural airiness. Accommodations are complemented with such details as spacious bathrooms, plunge pools, and private boat docks. There is also a collection of multi-bedroom Private Residences which offer a private heated plunge pool and a stunning view.
Rooms start with the Lagoon studio suite, then the Wellness suite, the Deluxe overwater lagoon suite, the deluxe lagoon suite, the Beachside lagoon view suite, the Rooftop oceanview suite, and finally, the suites which include the two-bedroom Mayakoba oceanview suite, the beachfront studio suite and a number of presidential suites. The overwater lagoon suites are particularly popular and very unique to this resort area.
At the Banyan Tree, attentive staff members remove their shoes when entering the 123 villas and residences, each of which is decorated with handcrafted Mayan furnishings and features both a private pool and an outdoor soaking tub. Pick the Banyan Tree if you are looking for a hotel with an Asian feel.
At the Fairmont, the rooms are a more generic five-star hotel in style, so this is the lowest on my list for best rooms. If you stay at the Fairmont, the best rooms are probably the beachfront casitas which have private terraces and plunge pools overlooking the tranquil lagoon and water canals.
4. Best Resort size
Rosewood’s 130 suites make it boutique in size, particularly when compared with the Fairmont, which is Mayakoba’s largest property, with 401 luxurious guest rooms.
Of course, the size of the Fairmont has its benefits as there are so many facilities linked to this large property, including a large family-friendly pool with a water slide, a beachfront pool, and an adults-only infinity pool.
Banyan Tree’s 123 villas make it your smallest hotel option, each room comes with a heated private pool, outdoor tub/shower, landscaped garden, and lagoon, jungle, or ocean views.
Andaz Mayakoba has 214 guestrooms, including 41 luxury suites, so is intermediate in size for Mayakoba. Each room has views of the Caribbean Sea, the lagoon, or the golf course. Spread out in large suites with open layouts and connecting rooms, pamper yourself with private plunge pools and terraces with immersive natural views. Guestrooms are inspired by nature and light, warm colors reflective of the Caribbean.
5. Best Resort For Families
The Rosewood Mayakoba is brilliant for families, with an excellent kids club for the over fours, as well as babysitters and nannies. Special touches like milk and cookies on arrival for the children make this hotel feel that it is a similar level to Four Seasons hotels.
Banyan Tree also has a kids club that they describe as a safe sanctuary where kids can have fun beachside. Activities include an exciting and fun treasure hunt filled with obstacles and surprises for the little ones.
Fairmont is also very good, and their main family pool has a slide which is a major bonus on the fun scale.
Andaz has a more “hip” reputation and tends to attract younger clientele, so may be less suitable for families than the other three hotel options, although there is a kids club, so don’t discount it.
6. Best Resort For All Inclusive
The Fairmont uniquely offers an all-inclusive package, where you eat and drink at all the hotel’s restaurants and bars for an extra all-inclusive fee. Their all-inclusive package includes unlimited dining and premium beverage service at restaurants and bars: *Tauro, La Laguna, Ki Beach Bar, HIX Bar – Lounge and Terrace, Las Olas Bar, Aqua Bar, Bamboo, and La Laguna pools, Beach service during operating hours. MiniBar with soft drinks, local and imported beer, water, light snacks, and sweets are available for your enjoyment in the comfort of your room. A few specialty menu items (shown with * in the menus). Service is by the glass (bottles are not included).
Andaz also offers an all-inclusive package covering food and house drinks. Complimentary bikes and golf carts enable you to travel around the grounds. Both all-inclusive options are a good choice.
7. Best Spa
Once again, the Rosewood wins here. The Sense spa sits on its own private island overlooking the lagoons. Mayan-influenced treatments here are excellent.
8. Best Style
At the end of 2019, Rosewood Mayakoba emerged from a $20 million renovation, which transformed all 129 suites, introduced eight Wellness Suites, revamped the three- and four-bedroom Presidential Suites. This makes this newly renovated property our top pick.
9. Best Restaurant
Banyan Tree Mayakoba’s Saffron is one of the best dining experiences in Mayakoba. Saffron is the signature Thai restaurant at all Banyan Tree hotels. This one overlooks the lagoon and has excellent food and a magical atmosphere.
10. Best Bar
Rosewood’s Zapote, an open-air bar, joins the Aqui Me Quedo adults-only beachfront lounge offering two of the best evening venues in Mayakoba.
11. Conclusion
The best luxury hotel in Mayakoba is the Rosewood and the Banyan Tree. Since the Rosewood’s recent renovation, we think the Rosewood has the edge.
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