Palmaia, The House of AiA

Our family just came back from Palmaïa, a five-day stay. Palmaïa is located at the end of Playacar, about an hour to an hour and a half from the Cancun airport, depending on traffic. We had a fantastic check-in and a stress-free experience. Oscar, one of the nomadic guides (like a concierge), was extremely useful, attentive, and available on WhatsApp throughout our stay. We stayed in a family room, which was modern and comfortable and had a separate smaller kids' bedroom. However, the shower area showed signs of wear and tear, even though the resort is relatively new. Although we are not vegan, the food at all the restaurants was very tasty, and they had non-vegan options. The service was excellent and relatively quick, which was great with kids. Sadly, one of our daughters got stomach sick on the last day. We are unsure if this was from the food or beverages. The beach is beautiful, almost seaweed-free, with clear water and beautiful white sand. Chairs and sun loungers are available throughout the beach area; however, we have seen many families hoarding chairs at the beach and at the pool, which affected sun chair availability. Some chairs were unattended for many hours. The resort should have better control of this unfortunate situation. There are also limited chairs available by the kid's pool. However, they are all taken by 7h30am. The area enables more chairs, but I am unsure why they limit the number of chairs. We attended a few wellness activities, some of which were great and some less. Some of the most popular activities were overcrowded, negatively affecting the wellness experience. The resort also has a gym, which is relatively small and has very few equipments. Being a wellness resort, this shouldn't be the case. Our daughters attended the kids' club on a few occasions and had a great time. The staff was amazing. Thank you. Most evenings, they had a DJ at the Eolo lounge area by the beach. This was great for unwinding and relaxing before dinner. This summarizes our stay well. For the price paid, we expected a bit more. We want to thank all staff for their outstanding service during our stay.

Amazing food and amazing service! Eduardo was great and attentive! We highly recommend the Tartar and Risotto! The presentation and flavor were out of this world. Truly one of the best meals I have had on a vacation and my whole family agrees!

We just finished an excellent dining experience at Mar de Olivo. Eduardo’s service was attentive and gracious. Every item on the menu that we tried in our group was special and unique. Each dish was a beautiful presentation and absolutely delicious! Our favorite meal at the resort.

I took another poster's advice and didn't think twice and just booked (well I did think twice because I'm a psychopath w solo travel and read every review here and on hotels.com and expedia:) I've never done an "all inclusive" before because I am a food snob ---- I would book Palmaia again JUST for the food. It is Michelin Bib Gourmande quality --the food is EXCEPTIONAL and if like me you're also very into wellness (i gained a few lbs over the holidays and came here for a reset) the food is also very clean. It is mostly vegan which means well sourced greens and vegetables but for the animal proteins eaters like myself (i try to get 140g p day) there are options at all their restaurants you can sub out for vegan or add to the vegan dishes. My favorite was Lek--their high end Mexican concept. Ume is their Japanese concept (just ask for sushi and sashimi--they have it and Chef came out specifically to chat with me and make sure I was happy) and Mar de Olivo their Mediterranean concept had the largest portions but was my least favorite (still very good). Su casa is their beachside daytime restaurant where I got egg white omelettes for breakfast (ask in advance from your Nomadic Guide which is your personal concierge you can easily and quickly communicate with on WhatsApp---Karen deserves a raise), and fish ceviche every day. View is spectacular and service is top notch. There is also a vegan taco truck Charlys on the beach as well as a juicebar/acai bowl/chia Pudding/raw salads / clean desserts pastries daytime spot called Plantissa. Your food needs are covered and I was beyond impressed. Only negative for solo travel was no bars to sit at for dining or no communal tables. Let me not forget to mention that even the room service menu was next level. Now let's get to wellness portion. The daily "rituals" programming is great for your inner woo woo child. 7am Pranayama (breathwork) on the beach watching sunrise is an amazing way to start your day, 8am yoga classes, 11am can be another activity (did a mantra class and a Cacao ceremony) , 3:30 --i did a forgiveness meditation, they offered painting classes and 5pm they do some sort of movement class. THE ONLY NEGATIVE is their gym. I rented a car and went to the downtown Evolve gym Juarez (easy parking) and to a gym closer in the playacar zone called Be Element--new. There iS a better equipped gym in the literally next to the Palmai lobby Sandos resort and you can go there free. It still didn't have what I needed for my leg days hence why I went off property. The owners should look at getting a fully outfitted gym. I also went to the Grand Hyatt to do the "Rola" outdoor spin class. Other offerings Palmaia has are Temazcal ceremonies. The room was great-bohemian modern-huge-- with a swim up pull situation that was a nice surprise when I arrived. I prefer ocean to pool so never used it but was a great view:) Spa I did a tour but didn't book because they were full (last treatment is 4pm so book in advance). If you love design, gourmet farm to table food, and wellness this is your place. I have never done a vacation where I stayed so much on the property. I loved it and will be making repeat visits to Palmaia.

This was one of the most exceptional experiences I’ve had in my 55 years! From the onset, my driver Raul, helped set the mood. He personally showed me all of the locations I needed to go to, and would pick me up whenever I needed to go in or off property always with a smile! The resort itself is set inside a jungle. They built it around the existing trees and land not disrupting the ecosystem. Everything is included, food, beverage, yoga, meditation, movement classes, cacao ceremonies etc . Angel’s yoga classes inspired me to sign back up for yoga in the states, ( although I haven’t found anything remotely as awesome). The entire property is set against the gorgeous Playa del Carmel beachfront you also get an incredible beachfront with exceptional cabanas and service. I got a fresh coconut every day! The entire property with its 5 restaurants all serve 💯 vegan unless you request real meat or dairy allowing everyone to be included with their dietary needs. One of my favorite memories was an educational lesson by a shaman named Balder. It was all about relationships and he was so insightful I cried all throughout it. Overall, this trip was designed by my niece and her Fiance. They curated a wellness retreat within the Palmaïa retreat and piggybacked with their own offerings. The culmination ending with the most breathtaking wedding. As family and friends we are all hoping this will be an annual pilgrimage celebrating them and resetting ourselves for the new year. Raul. I miss you! Till next year!