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Editor’s note: TPG was provided a complimentary stay at the hotel, along with some on-site meals and experiences. This story was not subject to review or approval by the resort or any other entity. Opinions expressed are the author’s alone.
Marriott’s buzzworthy Edition brand has finally arrived in Mexico.
The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai, Edition’s first location in Latin America, packs plenty of the glitterati must-haves the brand is known for: picture-perfect guest rooms and suites; a staff that goes above and beyond for guests; and plenty of vibey bars, restaurants and green spaces that make for an ideal selfie backdrop to flaunt your extravagant getaway. In short, you probably want to overthink every outfit you wear to the pool or beach here.
But it’s also a beautifully planned property that blends with its natural surroundings while still providing the minimalist approach Edition co-founder Ian Schrager weaves into each property.
It might be only a quick half-hour drive from Cancun International Airport (CUN), but the Riviera Maya Edition may as well be a world away from the spring break all-inclusive vibes that make other parts of the Yucatan Peninsula so popular.
CAMERON SPERANCE/THE POINTS GUYWhat is the Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai?
The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai is one of three resorts within a 620-acre nature reserve (a St. Regis is next door, while an Auberge Resort is on the other side of the St. Regis). The mix of mangroves and Caribbean coastline give this slice of paradise more of a natural vibe — albeit a perfectly manicured one. No palm tree is out of place amid this luxury resort trinity.
Edition is Marriott’s luxury lifestyle brand, so expect attentive service with a fun edge. Parties at the beach club can go until the wee hours, and the venue gives off the characteristic Edition vibe of being the place to see and be seen. (Schrager did co-found Studio 54, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.)
CAMERON SPERANCE/THE POINTS GUYHow to book a stay at the Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai
My three-night stay was complimentary, but you can book rooms starting at $799 per night on select dates in the spring. I noticed rates dip to as low as $599 per night in the summer. Award redemptions start at 84,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
When booking this Edition property, you’ll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Marriott stays, and possibly one that offers automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status for value-added benefits. These include:
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Platinum Elite status and 25 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Silver Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Earn 3 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, automatic Silver Elite status and 15 elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The location
The Riviera Maya Edition is about a 40-minute drive south of Cancun International Airport (CUN) and sits within the gated Kanai development. You’ll also find The St. Regis Kanai Resort and Etereo, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, in the Kanai development. A fourth resort is expected to go on the other side of the Edition.
Private transport on Edition-provided vehicles costs $418 round-trip from the airport in a four-person Suburban, or there is a six-person van option for $290 round-trip.
The resort is fairly isolated beyond the two neighboring resorts, and it’s more convenient to check out restaurants and bars at those properties rather than drive into town. But Playa del Carmen to the south is the closest city, just under a 30-minute drive from the Edition.
CAMERON SPERANCE/THE POINTS GUYIn-crowd vibes
Sleek, modern architecture abounds here, with the Edition brand’s signature color palette of various hues of white accented by wood, stone and green. All in all, this gives the Riviera Maya Edition a distinctly different architectural vibe than the towers of Cancun’s Hotel Zone.
The three wings of the resort are built above the mangrove forest, so you’ll traverse via elevated boardwalks that crisscross man-made and natural water features between buildings. A sandy path lined with palm trees guides guests from a pool and bar area near the main hotel complex out to the beach.
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The beach is highly manicured: You’ll see Edition staff members frequently raking, so these sugary white shores remain picture-perfect round the clock. Perhaps that’s why I saw supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio pose here for a few stylized snapshots while I — the non-supermodel — wolfed down a delicious tuna crudo at the nearby beachfront infinity pool. To each their own!
My stay was during the grand opening weekend, so the Edition guest roster was heavily skewed toward celebrities and influencers. But, when you see celebrities like Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio and any number of Jenners and Kardashians popping up at other brand locations, it’s hard to envision the Riviera Maya Edition dropping its scene-y vibe anytime soon.
CAMERON SPERANCE/THE POINTS GUYCheck-in
Since I was attending the opening weekend, my check-in experience was devoid of walking into the lobby for the usual arrival process of looking up a reservation. After a front portico greeting, an Edition team member walked me up a stone, orchid-flanked staircase into the lofty lobby area that is full of hanging greenery and white couches begging to host a good gossip session with a glass of something delicious from the nearby Lobby Bar.
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The bar area broke from the usual mix of Edition greens, whites and wood. Instead, you’ll find velvet seating areas in shades of red, lime green and pink under the watchful gaze of Mayan art peering out from behind countless bottles of mezcal and reposado.
Open windows with wooden shutters in the main lobby area overlook a lagoon pool and mangroves, and, depending on your room placement, you’ll either loop to the right at the top of the entry staircase to a wing of rooms or head left and go outside to a boardwalk to the property’s other two hotel wings.
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The narrow boardwalk is one of many places at the Riviera Maya Edition where you’ll want to pause for a photo break, as it’s lined with lush greenery and reflecting pools. The sunsets here offered some incredible lighting for glamor shots, impromptu LinkedIn headshots and everything in between.
Minimalism meets Riviera Maya in the guest rooms
My welcome guide walked me down the boardwalk path and up to my third-floor room in the Riviera Maya Edition’s easternmost wing that sits perpendicular to the beach. While the Lobby Bar offered a pop of color, the guest room wings strictly adhered to the Edition’s usual design code — albeit with some Yucatan Peninsula and Mayan cultural flair here and there.
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Stone corridors abide by Schrager’s sleek minimalist aesthetic, meaning they’re only broken up by the occasional wood-paneled elevator bank, an accent boulder or a reflecting pool encasing bamboo shoots. While these are protected interior corridors, the resort is largely indoor-outdoor in terms of design, so you can still enjoy fresh air thanks to outdoor-exposed ends at each end of the hotel room wings.
My deluxe king room was a natural extension of the hotel’s aesthetic. A blond wood four-poster bed and nightstands paired well with limestone floors, cream rugs and white linens. A cushy white chair with a stone side table formed a small reading area, while walnut hues on another chair, bench and accent wall provided the room with some of its limited pops of color. It must be a challenge to keep all that white looking so pristine, but luckily, there’s twice-daily housekeeping to stay on top of that.
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A private outdoor terrace included a white sofa with a coffee table, terra cotta-potted plants and sweeping views of the surrounding environment. It was an idyllic spot to retreat to with a beer from the minibar and enjoy a little sunset solitude before evening events began during the opening weekend festivities.
The flat-screen television featured streaming capabilities via a QR code you could scan with a smartphone to log in to Netflix and other streaming services — nifty for some late-night rewatching of “Suits.”
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Back inside, there was ample storage split between two closets that had plenty of shelf and hanger space, plus the in-room safe, complimentary Nespresso coffee pods and tea and a minibar.
The marble bathroom just off the entry hallway featured a large single-sink vanity with Edition’s signature black-tea-and-bergamot-scented Le Labo products. While it’s certainly good for the environment, I’ve been sad as the brand has moved away from mini Le Labo bottles to larger, refillable ones, which aren’t for taking home. A rainfall shower and soaking tub meant I had a variety of ways to freshen up, and I was happy to see the Edition included bath salts on a stone side table near the tub.
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If you forget any toiletries at home, odds are it they’ll be in a small white box below the sink: Combs, toothbrushes and shaving kits were all tucked away inside. There was also mosquito repellant next to the sink, and the hotel provided sunscreen and after-sun skincare in a welcome bag. (However, it’s unclear if that extends beyond the opening weekend event. Sunscreen and after-sun lotion were provided at stations by each pool, though).
While I wasn’t the lucky guest staying in the Sky Rooftop Villa, the 27,000-square-foot penthouse on the fourth floor of my room’s section of the hotel is the largest hotel penthouse in North America. The villa features a private infinity pool running the length of the outdoor deck with panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea — it’s simply begging to host the best party ever.
The Sky Rooftop Villa features five en suite bedrooms (each with its own private terrace and plunge pool) and a guest kitchen as well as one for catering. There’s also a grassy end to the entertainment deck where you can kick back on a hammock and bask in the glory of whatever luck it took for you to afford the starting rate of $40,000 per night.
CAMERON SPERANCE/THE POINTS GUYLightning-fast in-room dining
Given the various opening weekend festivities, my most “normal” and non-party dining experiences entailed in-room dining, a poolside ceviche at So’ol Beach Club and breakfast one morning at Kitchen. However, all meals were provided during the hosted event.
When I got to my room on the first afternoon, I felt famished and ordered an Italian chopped kale salad with grilled shrimp (740 Mexican pesos, or about $44) from room service, plus a side of guacamole (350 Mexican pesos, or $21) — when in Mexico, right? The shrimp were plump, the salad crisp, and the guacamole hit all the right notes of lime and cilantro for this hungry reporter. But what also stood out was how it arrived in about a half-hour — certainly quicker than any room service I’ve had recently back in the U.S.
One morning, I ordered an egg white omelet (470 pesos, or $28) with a side of bacon (100 pesos, or $6), and it arrived at a similar speed.
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All of the menus for the Edition’s restaurants — Ki’is, a luxe Mexican restaurant; Kitchen, a more casual all-day restaurant; and the pool and beach venues — were in preview during my stay or specialized for the opening weekend crowd.