Mayakoba bolsters its international prestige

Driven by OHL Developments, the Mayakoba tourist complex along Mexico’s Riviera Maya in the State Quintana Roo continues its collection of international accolades for its distinctive commitment to balancing the development of tourism in harmony with social wellbeing and environmental protection, a pioneering example from the onset of activities in 1998.

Located 8 km from Playa del Carmen in the central coastal area of the Mexican Caribbean, this complex spans a surface of 649.3 ha of superb ecological value and is home to numerous ecosystems in fragile equilibrium with an elevated diversity of flora and fauna that the OHL Group has taken into consideration during the planning stages.

Mayakoba, an international exponent in sustainability

When designing the facilities, OHL brought together a multidisciplinary team whose collective experiences and expertise culminated in the definition of an ecological profile engendering the vision for a tourist complex that goes beyond the boundaries of the all-inclusive formula. The complex currently comprises three exclusive hotels, namely the Fairmont, Rosewood and Banyan Tree; and the El Camaleón golf course, which has been hosting the Mayakoba Golf Classic since 2007.

Likewise, the project included the recovery of the mangrove swamp for designing and constructing a lagoon system containing 13 km of navigable artificial canals covering 25 ha , thus becoming the largest forestry and environmental quality structure of such nature in Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

The recovery of this and other ecosystems has positioned Mayakoba as a global sustainability exponent, as it has become a natural habitat of almost 200 species of birds, fish, reptiles, crustaceans and shellfish compared with the 70 species initially there before the interventions.

International recognition

Mayakoba’s combination of sustainability, environmental protection and services of blue-chip luxury and exclusivity have cultivated an endless stream of recognition worldwide. This is confirmed by the Certification in Environmental Quality Tourism, granted in 2013 by the Federal Bureau of Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), recognizing the positive impact that tourism could have on the environment. The complex has also received the Ulysses award in the category of Innovation for Business bestowed by the World Tourism Organization, and the Sustainable Standard-Setter Award for meeting sustainable tourism standards, given in 2011 by the Rainforest Alliance, member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). These are the three most important honors that can be conferred by these prestigious organizations and institutions.

In turn, the elevated quality of the Hotel Fairmont, which included the complex Fairmont Heritage Place Mayakoba in April 2013, including 30 luxury residencies, has been distinguished since 2007 and during five consecutive years with the AAA Five Diamond Award, the highest accreditation ranking given by the American Automobile Association (AAA). This US association solely grants such a mark to less than 0.3 % out of over 50,000 hotels that it includes in its yearly ranking. Likewise, the complex appears on The Gold List 2012, published by the magazine Condé Nast Traveler, and Trip Advisor has included it on its list of The Top Luxury Hotels in Mexico 2012.

Moreover, the exclusivity characterizing Rosewood Mayakoba has been voted by the readers of Travel & Leisure in the 2013 World’s Best Awards the best resort and best spa hotel in Mexico. The magazine Condé Nast Traveler cites it on The Gold List for 2012; the publication Gayot has selected it as one of the ten most romantic hotels in the world for 2012; and it appears within the Top 20 Small Luxury Hotels for Meetings in Mexico in both the 2011 and 2012 editions of the publication MDC Magazine. The hotel has been further distinguished with the World Travel Award 2011 as one of the best vacation centers in Mexico and Central America.

The hotel spa Banyan Tree Mayakoba has also harvested various distinctions in travel specialized press. Condé Nast Traveler USA listed the hotel spa in its 2010 edition of The Hot List, and it has received the American Property Awards, conferred in 2008 by the association of the same name in collaboration with The New York Times (CNBC), which recognizes the excellence of the best tourist complexes worldwide.

El Camaleón, a golfing world milestone

Conceived in 2005 by the legendary golfer Greg Norman, the greens at El Camaleón cover 7,039 yards encompassing three climates: tropical rainforest, dense mangrove swamps and sandy areas against the seacoast. The design likewise incorporates a cenote -ancient cavern commonly found in the region- in the heart of the initial fairway, and the holes are separated by limestone canals.

Since 2007, El Camaleón has hosted the Mayakoba Golf Classic – currently known as the OHL Classic at Mayakoba-, which is on the PGA TOUR’s calendar of tournaments and characterized for being the sole competition in the circuit held in Mexico. Various editions of the tournament have been venue to top rate athletes including Fred Funk, John Daly, José María de Olazabal, Mark Wilson, Jay Burlison, Johnson Wagner, John Huh and even the legendary Greg Norman.

Community commitment

Resolved to maintain its commitment to community development and the preservation of the natural environment, the OHL Group has placed 90 % of the structures in Mayakoba at 500 m from the beach.

In addition, the vacationing complex is a strong source of wealth for the zone because of the yearly average of 1,700 direct jobs and 3,300 indirect jobs, as well as the driving force for numerous social initiatives to encourage the creation and marketing of local products, improvement of the facilities in a local primary school and the cleanliness of beaches.