Grand Velas Resorts literally reinvented the all-inclusive. No tasteless heaps of food to feed mass quantities of tourists or headache-inducing cheap alcohol. Grand Velas is in an all-inclusive class by itself. A revolutionary concept in luxury travel, a stay with Grand Velas is more than all-inclusive—it’s 360º degrees of luxury.

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Located in Playa del Carmen, Grand Velas Riviera Maya is where splendor awaits in the jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula. From the moment you are greeted at the ocean-view lobby, an entire team awaits to cater to your every need. A personal concierge escorts you to your suite and explains all the services and amenities at your disposal.

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Your luxury stay includes unlimited access to a fully-stocked mini-bar with premium drinks and snacks. Twenty-four hour room service that is just a tap on your phone away. Spend the day under a beach cabana (at no extra charge) while sipping exotic cocktails and bites all afternoon. For dinner, be prepared for the “wow’ factor.

Cuisine is an art form at Grand Velas. Choose from a variety of international restaurants and menus created by world-renowned chefs in a plush environment that rival any urban hotel. Local cuisine is honored and elevated by local chefs who specialize in modern interpretations of traditional flavors. French, Italian, Asian and modern molecular restaurants are available for dinner.

For breakfast and lunch, choose from a selection of a la carte or buffet dining at one of three on-site restaurants, or opt for breakfast en suite on your spacious veranda. After dinner, sample the finest tequilas or specialty drinks at the lush and vibe-y Koi or Sky bars.

But we’re here to talk about spas, and Grand Velas Riviera Maya is home to one of the most highly acclaimed spas in all of Mexico. Awarded five stars by Forbes Travel Guide, SE Spa is a sublime escape into a magical refuge of relaxation and renewal.

You will begin your journey with an 8-step water ceremony to purify, detox, relax, and rejuvenate the body and senses. On your journey, you will be surrounded by the sights and sounds of the jungle as you alternate between hot and cool water, or relaxing in one of the chaise lounges sipping on infused tea and fresh fruits.

When you enter your treatment room, you will be enveloped in warmth and comfort. As your feet are placed in a bowl of an exfoliating scrub made from local ingredients,  your “healer” recites an ancient prayer to honor the elements and connect your spirits. After the gentle exfoliation, you will retreat to your warm massage bed to receive your service performed with an unsurpassed level of care and attention.

We spoke with SE Spa manager Leticia Fernandez to get insider details on tips on one of the regions most celebrated spa experiences.

Why You'll Love It: Spanning two stories and an impressive 90,000 square feet, SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya transcends the ordinary, providing a profound and revitalizing experience that goes beyond the standard offering. It's a harmonious fusion of cultural influences and cutting-edge practices, promising an immersive journey into relaxation and rejuvenation for every guest. SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya is one of six in Mexico to achieve the coveted Five-Star accolade from the Forbes Travel Guide.

Key Features: Inspired by the jungle and natural water pools of the Yucatan Peninsula, SE Spa incorporates stone, plants, and streams specific to the Riviera Maya landscape into the curved organic design of the two-level, 89,000+ square-foot spa, which also has a 40,000 square-foot Water Lounge with pools warmed by solar panels. Guests enter on the spa’s top floor through the Balinese-inspired lobby.

They are then led through a plant-filled courtyard to amply staffed lounges and changing areas, then towards a wood bridge that overlooks the Water Lounge below and leads to the spa treatment rooms, marking the transition from public to private spa-going areas. Dark hardwood furnishings, shallow water-filled bowls that feature floating red hibiscus flowers, and colorful Mexican and Balinese wall stencils, art, and accessories give the spa a modern international feel. 

SE Spa’s 40 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy areas, and salon were built within a natural cenote. Additionally, the spa has a full-service hair salon, a manicure and pedicure area, a dedicated barber chair for men’s grooming, and a bridal suite.

Insider's Tip: SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya takes pride in immersing guests in Mexican culture through its treatment offerings and aims to create a wellness experience that harmoniously blends modern approaches with the cultural richness of Mexico. The spa's menu is designed with inspiration drawn from local traditions, featuring a blend of modernized ancestral techniques.

A distinctive aspect of the spa's treatments is the incorporation of products rooted in the Earth and traditional to the Mayan culture. These include ingredients such as coffee, cacao, Nopal, corn, honey from the region, vanilla, aloe vera, and gourds from the calabash tree in Yucatan. Guests are encouraged to check in before their arrival to stay informed about any new additions or updates to the treatment menu as the spa is regularly adding new Mayan-inspired treatments.

Snacks Served: A variety of herbal and fruit-infused teas from Forte Tea are available throughout the day in our relaxation lounge. Homemade energy bites and fresh fruit are served to provide a boost of energy before or after guest’s treatments. Additionally, select treatments incorporate unique beverages as part of the experience including:

• The"Coffee and Cacao Experience," which features a coffee and cacao smoothie

• The "Meeting of Two Souls" treatment, which includes a refreshing cold tea and local fruits

• The "Paakám" treatment, which includes a pineapple and aloe smoothie

• The "Royal Hawaiian Experience," which features coconut oil and a tropical fruit smoothie.

Bonus: Our signature Water Ceremony is complimentary with spa treatments of 50 minutes or more. Guided by a personal spa valet, the hydrotherapy is an hour-long relaxation ritual built around the use of seven, specially designed water-based facilities.

Almost 40,000-square feet are given to men’s and women’s sides, each with custom-designed amenities including a circular glass-tile-lined steam room with a fiber-optic “star light” ceiling, an Ice Room with floor-to-ceiling window, an exfoliation and clay room, and hot-and-cold Experience Showers.

A central infinity pool has powerful massaging faucets throughout and carved-stone chaises with jets set just underneath the surface of the water on which guests recline. The spa valet provides personalized direction to make sure guests get the most out of the truly relaxing hydrotherapy experience—such as how to alternate the various hot and cold rooms and pools, and how long to linger in them.

Splurge Treatment: The energy awakening package is a three-and-a-half hour journey that includes the following:

• Spring Wrap (80 min): Awaken the skin with an energy-boosting body wrap infused with pure vitamin C. This deeply hydrating and firming body treatment protects the skin from dryness and premature aging. Prepares skin for before and after tanning. 

• Vitamin C Facial (80 min): treatment for both individuals to rejuvenate and refresh the skin. Grand Velas Manicure (50 min): Revitalize, relax, and give your hands a beautiful appearance with an intensive soothing and hydrating treatment. Enjoy an exfoliation to eliminate dead cells, continuing with a manicure and applying a nutritive cream. 

Most Unique Treatment: SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya is now offering a unique Páak'am Experience. With soothing and healing properties dating back to the Aztec era, the emollient-rich prickly pear cactus native to Mexico results in anti-aging, ultra-hydrating, anti-inflammatory, and skin-firming benefits. The Páak'am Treatment begins with a traditional Mayan blessing honoring the elements—water, wind, fire, and earth. Then, while the nopal paddles are heating, the spa therapist gently exfoliates the body with a sunflower cactus scrub.

After a rinse in the in-room shower, the therapist massages the guest with the warm malleable nopales pads and a light rosemary oil. Only a small amount of the oil is used as the cactus itself releases a vitamin A, D, E, and K-rich liquid that covers and then soaks into the skin.

Post-treatment, guests are given a detox shot of spinach, cactus, cucumber, pineapple, and lime served with a fruit skewer. Results of the treatment include a brightened complexion boost to cellular turnover and metabolism, antioxidant powers to shield from skin-aging aggressors, and other toxin-fighting abilities.  Other regionally-inspired spa treatments to experience include:

• Bacal Massage featuring corn, one of the Mayan’s most sacred plants

• Mayan Jade Facial

• Coffee & Cocoa Experience

• Xkalim Mayan Gourd Massage that uses calabash gourds across the whole body, massaging every muscle, applying increased pressure to reflexology points

• Aloe Vera Massage featuring the Mayan’s “immortality plant” named for its great regenerating life powers

• Organic Kaab Honey Experience using local honey, vanilla, and the Chaka tree

• Úumbal Shawl Massage, a full-body treatment with creative choreography dating back to prehistoric times. 

Insider's Favorite: Insiders love the Wellness Lunar Massage offered in the spa cabins poolside at Grand Velas Riviera Maya. The Wellness Lunar Massage uses aromatic oils from the Mexican wellness brand Agave Spa that tap into the powerful benefits of herbs, flowers, spices, and roots. In addition to a designated aromatic oil selected for each lunar phase, spa therapists apply individual oils to each location on the body based on its intention.

The spa experience begins with Grand Velas’ signature Mayan welcome ceremony based on the Earth’s four elements": water, fire, earth, and air. Then, in accordance with the moon cycle, the spa therapist provides aromatherapy from one of the Agave Moon oils. The phase of the moon changes four times per month and the treatment will be adjusted according to the phase of the moon.

In accordance with the intention, different aromatic oils are used on different parts of the body:

• The oil, Here and Now (consisting of geranium and marjoram) is used on the head to help understand that the moment is now.

• Love (consisting of rosemary, jasmine, black pepper, and red pepper) symbolizes goodness and compassion in the human being, and is used on the chest and the heart.

• Passion, made with madera de cachemira and almizcle, is used on the stomach area.

• Prosperity, which is a mixture of relaxing laurel and hierbabuena that reduces fear, depression, and anxiety—is used on the legs.

• And finally, Protection, which is a healing herb blend of mejorana, orėgano, cilantro, anís, and pimienta Negra, is used on the back.

For more information on SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @grandvelasmaya

[Photos courtesy of SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya]

Grand Velas Riviera Maya

Carretera Cancun Tulum Km 62

Playa Del Carmen Municipio De Solidaridad

Riviera Maya, Quintan Roo, 77710

Mexico

Local: (+52) 322-226-8689

USA & Canada Toll-Free: 1-877-418-2963

Mexico Toll-Free: 1-877-418-2963