Palmaia, The House of AiA

Palmaïa is pure magic. Tucked into the jungle of Riviera Maya, it felt like living in a dream. The beauty of the resort is unmatched, but what made it unforgettable was the warmth and care of the staff—every smile and interaction felt so genuine and full of love. The attention to detail at The House of Aïa blew my mind—from the stunning decor to the intentional, beautifully crafted mocktails, cocktails, and the incredible food. Knowing it’s all-inclusive made the experience even more freeing and relaxing. One of the highlights was visiting Atlantis, the spa. I had the Mexican massage, which was a beautiful blend of deep tissue work and sacred ceremony—it was deeply healing and exactly what my body and heart needed. I also loved being assigned my Nomadic Guides, Kasandra and Karen, who made me feel so held and supported the entire stay—they were always just a message away. The wellness classes, including yoga and breathwork, were phenomenal and truly fed my soul. I also hosted a retreat here, and the Groups Operations Team—Adriana and Antonieta—were amazing partners in making sure every single detail was aligned with my vision. They made the experience seamless and unforgettable for me and my guests. This was one of the most powerful and beautiful experiences of my life, and I’ll definitely be returning at least once, if not twice, every year. Palmaïa is a true sanctuary.

Oh, where to begin....I saw another review on here from a self-proclaimed 'design and food snob' and I was like 'oh, my people'!! So first, design. This is a carefully and thoughtfully designed, nay CURRATED experience. The rooms are full of thoughtful touches, and a clean, modern take on a traditional Mexican design style. The resort is carefully laid out, with a main 'highway' to the north to walk, that touches all areas of the resort. Lovely and shaded during the day, romantic and gently lit at night. Each restaurant has a distinctive ethos and aesthetic, and all are lovely - especially Mar de Olivio, the Italian-inspired dining. The food was fantastic - fresh, light, well-conceived and flawlessly executed. Whether fine dining at Mar de Olivio, casual at Su Casa or the excellent room service, it was all top notch. The gym was small but suitably equipped, we didn't try the spa on this trip, but it looked lovely. The beach was well furnished with comfy seating, served by attentive staff, and had lovely mini cabanas sprinkled throughout. The beach was kept SUPER clean, especially difficult at the height of Sargassum season. But the beach was raked twice a day and it was never a problem. Next, the classes - OH MY GOSH. Amazing, life-changing, thought-provoking and SO well-curated, and exactly what we needed! Balder's 'mind control' was remarkable, and the Cacao Ceremony should not be missed! Lastly, our 'nomadic guides' Kassandra and Karen could not have been more helpful, attentive or responsive. My only complaint is...no, actually, I got nothing. 😏 This place was perfect, and we can't WAIT to go back. It is NOT a traditional large hotel resort. It is smaller, calmer, more thoughtful, more mindful, and more focused. If that's what you are looking for, you won't be disappointed....

This is a magical place of peace and healing. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit several all-inclusive resorts and this is – by far – my favorite. My wife and I were able to reconnect on a deep level thanks to the resort’s whole vibe of spiritualness. No loud “party pools” or “forced fun.” The focus is on day-to-day restoration through activities like yoga and mediation. Everyone here from the cleaning staff to those who served us amazing meals were genuine and helpful. We did not run across one apathetic person. The food – all plant based though you can order it with meat, fish, chicken - fed our souls. The beach had plenty of cabanas where to rest in front of a beautiful blue ocean. We are already figuring out when we can return. Many of the guests we met had been there 2 or 3 times. It is easy to see why. If you need a place to slow down - choose Palmaia.

What an amazing resort. Facilities, food and service were fantastic. We are vegan and had absolutely no issues with the food. So much choice! The staff were so friendly and helpful. You got your own WhatsApp Group set up so if you need anything you could just message. Everything was clean and comfortable and we loved our sea view room. The daily activities were also great, in particular the sound meditation.

Palmaia is outstanding in all regards. The staff is incredibly professional and friendly. The concierges are great and just take care of everything. Kasandra could not have been kinder or more attentive. Karen was also lovely, but we seemed to mostly be on Kas' shift. They set us up on a WhatsApp chat and responded almost instantly whenever we asked for anything. She even had a carton of oat milk delivered so I could enjoy my in-room coffee my way. There was a lot of attention to detail here, including buttons to flip if you wanted your room service or do-not-disturb. They even removed the pods from the Nespresso machine every time they cleaned the room. Very well done. The carts pick you up quickly, and the drivers were all great! Oscar was particularly friendly. This resort has the best vegetarian food I have ever had while travelling. They even accommodated a fairly difficult allergy. Reyes at the taco truck even had the chef make me special vegan carne asada because we were there all week. Excellent hospitality all around. All four of the dinner restaurants are delicious, but I think the Mediterranean was our favorite. Blas was our waiter several nights and he was kind and charming. We love that they have a mocktail menu as the primary offering. So many cool drinks with ingredients I barely understood. Room service 24-hours a day include was also a nice touch. Many all-inclusive resorts don't include that. Breakfast pancakes and a great green smoothie every day. Massage was great. Expensive, but excellent. They offer some other interesting spa treatments. That whole area felt very peaceful. The swimming pools are super cool and you can swim long laps past the swim up bar. I made excellent usage of the hot/cold plunge pools. The gym at Palmaia isn't tricked out, but they let you use the one down at Sandos resort which is much more elaborate. I did not really do any wellness activities, but just hanging out here was wellness. Loved being on the 5th floor. Water is insane. Loved the retro-modern design of the hotel. Only thing I can say is the rooms probably need screen doors. Beach bungalows were comfy with giant beanbag chairs and little buttons to order food. They really thought of everything! I can see why they have two Michelin Keys. Very well deserved. Fantastic experience, we will be back as soon as possible. Thank you for an amazing stay!!