ANDAZ MAYAKOBA
A STAR IS BORN
8:00 pm, September 28, 2016. Guests crowd around the Cocina Milagro res-
taurant, vying to get a cell phone shot of the sea nymphs and mystical beings
here to welcome the influencers, artists, models, design gurus and Riviera
Maya jetsetters invited to the Andaz Mayakoba opening bash. The fiesta has
barely begun, but already everyone has a drink in hand, and the sweet techno
beats mixed by international DJ Jared Dietch float on a warm sea breeze. The
rhythm picks up, and suddenly British it girl Poppy Delevingne makes her
entrance. Dressed to impress and brimming with energy, she robs flashes,
elicits smiles, lights up the night… It’s more like a millennial celebrity party
than a hotel opening, complete with trend-setting crowd. But that’s hardly
surprising: Mayakoba’s latest addition has reinvented the concept of luxury
with a mix of contemporary design, urban art, haute cuisine and casual
atmosphere. Andaz is the hip dude, the life and soul of the party who can be
found chilling out on the beach the day after.
FROM THE EARTH TO THE
DRAWING BOARD
From the moment architect Ronald Zürcher,
DAS Concepts and CCS Design produced their
first sketches, their goal was to convey the lively
personality of Andaz Mayakoba the instant any-
one arrives a the hotel.
Zürcher borrowed physical and cultural refer-
ences from the Riviera Maya when designing
the common areas, as evidenced by The Sanctu-
ary, the spectacular lobby that evokes the sacred
cenotes of the Mayab (Maya for Yucatán), with
its wood and stone textures, central pool and
small round opening in the ceiling.
In the common areas and exterior design of the
guestrooms, Zürcher and his team achieved a
delicate balance between shades of cyan, orange,
magenta and green contrasted with the more
toned-down hues of concrete, bare stone and fad-
ed wood.
The architectural rhythm of straight lines and
soft curves running throughout the hotel ech-
oes the exterior landscape, dotted with canals
and mangrove swamps, while providing a fresh,
bright atmosphere. The same approach is fol-
lowed through inside the guestrooms, whose tile
floors mimic the patterns and colors of the pav-
ing tiles at haciendas throughout the Yucatán
Peninsula. Embroidered huipiles, masks, Maya
handcrafts and textile chair and stool upholstery
complete the bright, fresh and very Mexican feel
of the suites.
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