The Great Mayan Escape: NIZUC Resort & Spa

Photo by Michelle Rae Uy

I wake up to the colors of dawn, streaming through the enormous glass doors of my enormous suite and painting the water in the plunge pool on the balcony. It was breathtaking, as dawns often are. But today, I didn’t really care. Today, my mind is on something else.

I crawl out of my massive, ridiculously comfortable bed in high spirits—at 7 in the morning no less—and start to get ready in my equally impressive bathroom. It’s my first full day in this dream of a resort, and I have my own trails to carve.

To this, I must admit: NIZUC Resort and Spa has long been my fantasy, a magnificent and seemingly unattainable one. Yet, here I am in my 1,300-square-foot Ocean View Junior Suite in an oversized plush robe with my own personal plunge pool in my own private balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea and a tranquil thicket of mangroves. And it is absolutely divine.

Now I’m not one for spending my entire holiday hidden away in a resort, lounging by the pool with yummy cocktails and a basketful of fries. But the moment I ventured into La Punta, the resort’s idyllic adults-only pool and beach area, I realized that it’s the only way to do NIZUC—to just come, indulge, stay for a quick snooze, and possibly never, ever leave.

Tucked into Punta Nizuc, the southern tip of Cancun’s famous hotel zone, NIZUC is the perfect place to just zen out. When Mexican-owned company Groupo Brisas acquired the Jean-Michel Gathy-designed property a few years ago, they envisioned a high-end hotel whose focal point is its setting and natural environment rather than its buildings. To achieve this, they commissioned Mexico-borne architect Alejandro Escudero to finish the interiors.

The result is a sublime ode to the Mayan civilization and everything that is ethereal about it. One with a modern, minimalist vibe and vaguely Oriental twist: lots of horizontal and vertical lines as well as neutral colors amalgamated in strong wooden structures and soothing water elements.

There are many Instagramable spots to perch on here: La Punta, for one; the ocean-facing “secret” cabana right by it; the long wooden dock that juts out to the sea from which you might observe the occasional Eagle Ray pottering about; the beach by the mangroves frequented by herons and egrets; and the incredibly shallow waters at the bottom of which you might spot the most vibrantly orange starfish you’ll ever see.

All these and you still might be tempted, as I am, to spend a lot of time in your suite, what with that bed, the balcony-facing standalone tub, and the delicious dishes from room service, which is a delightful touch as that’s something hotels and resorts generally don’t do well with.

Of course, at NIZUC, it’s the cuisine that is its beating heart. From the beginning, the concept has always been to be a formidable gastronomic destination in a city plagued with all-inclusive buffets and mediocre a la carte restaurants. With six world-class restaurants under its belt (contemporary Mexican Ramona, Asian fusion Indochine, Mediterranean Terra Nostra, Peruvian Ni, La Punta Grill & Lounge, and Café De La Playa), that’s exactly what it’s become, at the helm of which is Executive Chef Sylvain Desbois.

Order yourself the Surf and Turf Anticuchos at Ni, the beef tacos at Ramona, or even just a basket of fries at the pool bar. Then pair it with a glass of local wine or a margarita (you are in Mexico, after all), and your shoulders will no doubt drop a few centimeters.

Should all these find you still wanting, there’s also the spectacular spa. A NIZUC spa affair is of the whole day kind. You can’t just walk in, get a massage, and leave. Much like with everything else at the resort, you must stay a while. Arrive an hour early and do the hydro circuit, an experience in and of itself. Start in the sauna with a lovely scrub, do an ice bath, take a nice warm dip in the hot plunge pool then an invigorating one in the cold pool, get a relaxing head massage, and finish off with a quick swim in the luxurious outdoor pool.

Or if you have the money to spare, you can just lock yourself in the two-bedroom Presidential Suite Villa, which has it’s own rooftop sundeck, outdoor shower, regular size pool and private access to the beach.

When you’re ready to go back out into the world, you might, like me, snorkel out to the nearby reef to meet sea turtles and octopi; try your hand—albeit clumsily—at paddleboard yoga, like I do; or smoke a Cuban cigar, which I surprisingly enjoy.

Whatever you do next here, two things are inevitable. One, you’ll never want to leave. And two, by the very end, you’ll be hopelessly in love. Like I am.

http://www.nizuc.com/ | Rates start at $405 a night.

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