Our stay at the newly opened St. Regis Kanai Resort in Cancun, Mexico, was exceptional. I’ll break down all the fantastic features of the hotel and why it’s a resort I will compare all my similar trips to!
On this adventure, after my 13-week assignment in Denver, Colorado, I was so excited to brainstorm which trips we would take in the next few weeks before starting up a new assignment in May.
My husband is a travel writer and avid miles and points guy, and we were between two different adventures to kick off my time off. The first choice was visiting the Al Maha resort just outside Dubai or the recently opened St. Regis Kanai in Cancun. I was pushing to visit Al Maha, but Daniel wanted to save the points for other adventures, so off to Cancun we went!
My husband and I have never been to Mexico before, and we have never even been to a resort of any kind. We are active travellers, so lounging for vacation is foreign to us. We were excited to try this relaxing everyone is always talking about!
Intro
The St. Regis Kanai is a Marriot-affiliated property known for their luxury and style. The properties always portray elegance, and their staff displays the utmost hospitality. This oceanfront resort opened on February 28th, 2023. It boasts spectacular architecture inspired by the three Mayan calendars with three circular sections of the resort. The property sits in a mangrove sprawling all along the resort. The water surrounding the mangroves is also red-tinged due to the roots of plants. Anywhere on the property, you view the beautiful vastness of the mangroves and the ocean.
We could not get over how beautiful all the architecture was, with water and tropical plants found at every turn of the property. Due to this being such a new resort, there were very few guests, and so at times, it felt like we were the only people there! We enjoyed the quiet and serene vibe for our five nights!
Accommodation
On arrival, we were welcomed with a basket of mangoes, white chocolate, and a welcome letter in our first room. This was my first taste of all the delicious fruit I would enjoy on this trip!
Grand Luxe
For our first night, we stayed in the Grand Luxe room: 1 King, Ocean view, Plunge pool, Terrace. It has always been a dream of mine to have a hotel room with a private pool! It was amazing to wake up, lounge in the pool in the morning, and enjoy a coffee at sunrise!
St. Regis
We used our Suite Night Awards with our Marriot Platinum Elite status for the four nights to upgrade to a corner suite on the second floor. This was a large 1130sqft room with a master bath, a living and dining area, and a large balcony overlooking the resort.
Food
The food at this resort was delcious. With five restaurants currently opened, we made sure to dine at each one. The two standouts for me are Toro a Latin-American and Asian fusion, and Chaya a Middle Eastern-inspired menu.
Toro
From the first bite at Toro, I immediately felt like I was at home back in Toronto. To me, the taste of Toronto is fusion food. From places like Chubby’s, Dai Lo and The Haam. Toro does this fusion of Latin-American and Japanese-inspired dishes perfectly. This was my favourite restaurant, and if I didn’t want to try all the options at the resort, I would have dined here every day.
Chaya
Named after the spinach-type vegetable Chaya that is native to the region. This restaurant was where we had our breakfast daily. Options included the continental breakfast included in our Marriot Platinum Status, a buffet breakfast, and a-la-carte menu. We tried all their options during our stay. We indulged in a variety of pastries, egg dishes, and fresh juices.
Their fresh chapati and various breads were delicious, and we enjoyed a unique clam, fennel and lemon pizza along with a mezze platter for one of our dinners.
Afternoon High Tea at The Library
Afternoon Tea 9 am – 6 pm
A unique experience offered at this resort is a high tea experience celebrating chocolate. You can enjoy these treats in The Library of the resort. It is a small quiet room filled with windows overlooking the property.
Chocolate dates to the Maya who revered in chocolate. You can read more of the history of chocolate here. This was a wonderful celebration of the local history and culture. We enjoyed four chocolates each with tea and coffee. There were eight confectionaries to choose from and a few biscotti. Therewere also different types of sandwiches available to be enjoyed.
Evening Ritual
The St. Regis has a unique tradition that every day at 6:30 pm, they celebrate the transition from day to evening with the traditional art of sabering of champagne. This occurs daily at all St. Regis properties. We enjoyed a glass of champagne on most of our nights and watched the sunset from The St. Regis Bar.
Lounging
There were two pool areas to enjoy and a lovely strip of beach. As this is a brand-new resort, we were sometimes the only people enjoying the pool. We never had an issue getting a spot to relax and read a book.
Activities
As much as I enjoyed the change of pace of just relaxing, I managed to squeeze in two activities during my time in Mexico.
Snorkeling
The resort assisted us in organizing a snorkel on the reef at Maroma Beach, as it was only a few minutes down the road. We spent a few hours on the ocean snorkeling the beautiful reef of the Maya Riveria. The tour was run by Maroma Beach.
Tulum Ruins
We also decided to drive to see some of the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, as we had rented a car for the stay. The ruins sit on the cliffside of the Caribbean Sea with beautiful views. They are located about 45 minutes south of Playa Del Carmen and open daily from 8am – 5pm, cost 65 pesos per person.
Conclusion
We spent five nights at this oceanfront resort and were happy to enjoy some relaxing time at the beach with some unique experiences. I never expected to enjoy high tea in Mexico! The St. Regis Kanai is an exceptional resort with outstanding service and excellent food. We will compare every resort we go to this one, knowing it will be hard to beat.
My name is Marta, I’m a pediatric emergency room nurse from Toronto travelling in the US. I have taken assignments most recently in Boston and Denver. I travel with my husband who is a travel points enthusiast and manages to find amazing deals using points to fulfill all of our travel bucket-list goals. Join us on our next adventure after 13 weeks!