Alila Mayakoba: The Biggest Riviera Maya Hotel Rebrand of 2026 Is Now Open
The biggest hotel story on the Riviera Maya in 2026 is not a new build. It is a rebrand. Alila Mayakoba opened on 12 February 2026 on the site of the former Andaz Mayakoba, making it the first Alila property in Latin America and the Caribbean and the fourth Alila in the Americas overall. Hyatt took a property that was already well-known in the Mayakoba enclave, gutted it architecturally, and reopened it with an adults-only wellness identity and a Yucatecan-ingredient culinary program.
For travelers who knew the old Andaz, the change is more than a logo swap. The 182-room property has been redesigned from the ground up, the food concepts are new, and the spa has been rebuilt around Maya wellness traditions. Opening rates published by Caribjournal start at around USD 1,430 per night.
182 rooms, suites, and villas, nearly 40 percent suites
Alila Mayakoba occupies 60 acres (24 hectares) within the 595-acre Mayakoba resort community south of Playa del Carmen, an enclave that already holds Fairmont and Banyan Tree. The room count is 182 across rooms, suites, and villas, with nearly 40 percent classified as suites. Many ground-floor terraces come with private plunge pools overlooking mangroves and freshwater canals, and the redesign added expanded water elements to deepen the connection to the landscape.
The interior architecture is a clear break from the Andaz aesthetic. Alila's craft-driven approach uses tropical hardwoods like tzalam, parota, and rosa morada, hand-chiseled Mérida limestone, and textiles woven from natural fibers. Seventy-two suites feature spa-inspired bathrooms, interior gardens, soaking tubs, and natural stone and wood finishes created by regional artisans. The project follows Earth Check standards and regenerative practices designed to protect its 148-acre setting of mangroves and freshwater canals.
Six dining venues, two worth booking ahead for
The culinary program introduces several new concepts under a new vision. Six dining venues include a beachfront restaurant, a beach club, a signature dining venue, a curated coffee shop, and a lobby lounge focused on artisanal cocktails using regional ingredients. An onsite organic garden anchors garden-to-table menus and seasonal dishes.
Two names stand out for travelers planning a stay. Na Cocina Local is the all-day restaurant built around Yucatecan ingredients, which is a deliberate regional anchor rather than generic resort cuisine. Ninguno Taqueria is the beachside spot serving elevated tacos and tostadas, which is the more casual, book-it-for-lunch option. Both signal that the food program is trying to do something specific to the place, not just feed a resort.
Spa Alila, the temazcal, and the adults-only repositioning
The most significant departure from the Andaz concept is the wellness identity. The reimagined Spa Alila includes indoor and outdoor treatment spaces, meditation gardens, communal hydrotherapy amenities, and a temazcal (a traditional Mayan sweat lodge) guided by local healers. The programming is built around Maya wellness traditions and culturally rooted practices, with cleansing ceremonies and local teas woven into the stay.
Alila Mayakoba is an adults-only property, which is the other major shift from the Andaz configuration. This positions it directly against the wellness-luxury segment rather than the family-luxury segment that the Mayakoba enclave has traditionally served. Guests can still wander between all four Mayakoba properties (Fairmont, Rosewood, Banyan Tree, and Alila) with room-charging privileges throughout, so the adults-only designation does not cut you off from the broader complex.
Why this rebrand matters for the Riviera Maya in 2026
Alila Mayakoba is the adults-only wellness bookend to Kimpton Tres Ríos, the family-friendly all-inclusive that opened north of Playa del Carmen this year as IHG's first all-inclusive Kimpton. Together, the two properties frame what 2026 looks like on the Riviera Maya: established brands converting existing assets into more design- and wellness-led concepts, rather than greenfield builds. The corridor is moving away from its all-inclusive-only reputation toward something more layered.
For travelers who already know Mayakoba, the practical question is whether the new Alila identity earns the rate. The answer, based on the redesign scope and the dining and spa overhaul, is that it is a meaningfully different property from the Andaz it replaced, and worth re-evaluating on its own terms rather than as a continuity.
Practical Details
- What: Alila Mayakoba, a Hyatt luxury resort (first Alila in Latin America and the Caribbean)
- Opened: 12 February 2026 (rebrand and redesign of the former Andaz Mayakoba)
- Venue: Mayakoba resort community, south of Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
- Transit: Mayakoba entrance off Highway 307; roughly 50 min south of Cancún International Airport, 15 min north of central Playa del Carmen
- Setting: 60 acres within the 595-acre Mayakoba enclave; 148 acres of mangroves and freshwater canals protected under Earth Check standards
- Rooms: 182 rooms, suites, and villas; nearly 40 percent suites; many with private plunge pools
- Guest profile: Adults-only
- Dining: 6 venues incl. Na Cocina Local (Yucatecan all-day), Ninguno Taqueria (beachside tacos and tostadas), beach club, signature restaurant, coffee shop, lobby lounge; onsite organic garden
- Spa: Spa Alila with temazcal, hydrotherapy, meditation gardens, Maya-inspired wellness programming
- Access: Room-charging and wandering privileges across all four Mayakoba properties (Fairmont, Rosewood, Banyan Tree, Alila)
- Rates: From around USD 1,430 per night for stays around the February opening (per Caribjournal / Google Hotels)
- Website: Hyatt Alila Mayakoba official page
