Menu de Verano

At luxury resort UNICO 20˚87˚on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, “all-inclusive” even applies to a six-week culinary extravaganza with Michelin-starred chefs and top mixologists.

WRITTEN BY JENNIFER AGRESS

There’s something magical about Riviera Maya. The unwavering hospitality of its locals aside, Mexico’s northeastern Yucatán Peninsula is rich in natural beauty. With the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Gulf ofMexico on the other, it’s home to powder-white sand beaches, swaying palms, red clay deserts and sunsets you’ll dream about for days. The food—tacos filled with fish caught in local waters, grasshopper mole, spicy chilaquiles, and guacamole made tableside with avocados picked from nearby trees—seems simple, but opens your palate to a world of complex flavors and textures. Walkthrough the streets of the coastal resort town of Playa del Carmen and watch as the country’s true colors come alive, literally.Whether you’re admiring the handwoven serapes favored by local men or the splashy tablescapes at a taqueria, you’ll notice bright hues of sunflower yellow, magenta, green, orange and hot-pepper reds everywhere.The playful whimsy of this palette perfectly aligns with the soundtrack of Mexico:mariachi bands playing in the streets; children excitedly running through open-air tiendas; and travelers with margaritas in hand, kicking off or winding down their trip with a joyful “¡Salud!”

Convenience meets luxury at the all-inclusive UNICO20˚87˚, a property designed for serenity-seeking adults, named for the longitude (20° N) and latitude (87° W) of the region.In addition to all the usual amenities you’d expect to find, this Mexican gem includes plenty of extras, all included in the price of your stay. At the holistic wellness spa, you can spend time in the hydrotherapy suite; indulge in massages with volcanic stones; have a healing facial; or stop by the barbershop and pair a shave with drinks from the salon’s beer-and-bourbon cart. Take a yoga class; work out at the fully equipped gym; do a beachfront exercise class; or enjoy guided meditation. If you’re a golfer, head to the Robert Von Hagge-designed Hard Rock Golf Club Riviera Maya at UNICO’s sister hotel as many times as you want. Float on unicorn rafts in any of three pools and, while you’re at it, order a tequila sunrise at two swim-up bars. If you want to do some sightseeing, you can take a guided excursion to Chichen Itza or the jungles of Riviera Maya, where you can rope-swing or cliff-jump into cenotes, water-filled sinkholes in the limestone bedrock.

Designed for sophisticated travelers, the resort’s 448 lavishly appointed guest rooms make you feel like a star. Every room has floor-to-ceiling windows looking directly out to the Gulf of Mexico, and either a balcony with a double-hydro spa tub or a ground-floor terrace with a semi-private swim-up pool. In-room mini bars are stocked with alcohol and snacks according to your preferences, including mixology kits with the ingredients to make your own cocktails, like the rojo Oaxaca with mezcal, hibiscus flower, house-made agave syrup infusion, orange juice and diced watermelon. Plush robes feel like giant sweatshirts, and there are pillow and aromatherapy menus, too. Everything is touched by local designers and features Yucatán Peninsula elements.

Having everything at your fingertips is part of every all-inclusive experience. Having a dedicated local host to customize your trip is the UNICO 20˚87˚ experience. As a guest of this exclusive resort, you will be met at check-in by an expert on the resort and the area, who will serve as your personal concierge throughout your stay. He or she will not only check on you multiple times each day (and even send a friendly “Good Morning!” at wake-up time) but also schedule any service or meal you might want; give you insider tips about the surrounding area; wash and iron your clothes; pack for you when it’s time to leave; shine your shoes; make you cocktails and bring them right to your door; change your pillows and aromatherapy selections; and even draw a bath for you. Your local host can do anything and everything. All you have to do is ask.

Five globally inspired restaurant options at UNICO 20°87° promise top-notch cuisine for every palate, from elevated fine dining to casual beachside buffet, all using locally sourced ingredients. For a taste of the Mediterranean, Mi Carisa offers coastal Italian cuisine straight from the wood-burning oven. Mura House draws on flavors and techniques from all over Asia, bringing together three different styles of Japanese cuisine: teppanyaki, yakitori and sushi. For quick and light bites, the European café-inspired Café Inez offers fresh juices, coffee, tea, baked goods, sandwiches, paninis and salads large enough to constitute a meal. A rotating roster of chefs at Cueva Siete—which translates to “Cave Seven,” based on the seven original caves of Mayan mythology—currently places Chef Xavier Perez Stone at the helm. His regionally focused menu harnesses the mysticism and reverence of Mayan culture; his cooking is deeply rooted in Mexican flavors and draws inspiration from all that is Yucatecan. Staying with the local theme, the on-site 20.87 Restaurant incorporates the hotel’s coordinates into its name. Sitting right on the beach, this option gets to the heart of the UNICO 20°87° experience with a concept that shifts throughout the day, starting with an extravagant morning buffet and transforming into an intimate steak and fish grill in the evenings.

Of course, when in Mexico, you need to make time for a fiesta or two. Palmera Lounge, a throwback to Cuban cocktail lounges of the 1940s, features live entertainment, expertly crafted rum concoctions, dancing and an authentic cigar bar. Open all day, Bar Balam is UNICO 20°87°’s day-to-night lobby cocktail bar. “Balam” means “jaguar” in Mayan (hence, the huge jaguar statue on the bar), and it is a powerful symbol of strength in the ancient Mayan tradition. In that spirit, cocktails are appropriately bold and inspired. If wine is more your style, La Botella is the resort’s own wine store, where you’ll find sommelierselected reds, whites and sparkling wines.

As summer heats up, so does Superbia Summer (July 17-Aug. 25), the second annual culinary fiesta at UNICO 20°87°, when six stellar chefs (with eight Michelin stars among them) and some of the world’s most innovative mixologists take over the hotel’s kitchens and bars for six weeks of fine food and drink. In the schedule are Chef Roberto Ruiz of one-Michelin-star Punto MX in Madrid, Spain (July 17-21); Chef María José San Román of one- Michelin-star Monastrell in Alicante, Spain (July 24-28); Chef J. Antonio Medina of one-Michelin-star A’BARRA

Restaurante in Madrid, Spain (July 31-Aug. 4); Chef Abel Hernández of Eloise Chic Cuisine in Mexico City (Aug. 7-11); Chef Noah Sandoval of two-Michelin-star Oriole, in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood (Aug. 14-18); and Chef Jesús Sánchez of two-Michelin-star El Cenador de Amós in Cantabria, Spain (Aug. 21-25).

While food is the primary focus of July and August, there’s plenty more on the menu of summer fun: tequila and wine tastings, handcrafted cocktails by expert mixologists, pool parties hosted by world-renowned DJs at three Gulffacing pools, and live entertainment. Perhaps the most tantalizing aspect of Superbia Summer is that UNICO 20°87° does not charge an additional fee for the privilege of partaking in any of it. There are no surprise surcharges on your bill at checkout time. All-inclusive, indeed! unicohotelrivieramaya.com