What I Did and Wore at Mexico’s Chic St. Regis Kanai Resort


As anyone who’s ever planned a trip here knows, there’s no shortage of beachfront resorts that dot the coastline of Mexico’s beloved Riviera Maya region, something that became evident to me as I descended into the Cancún airport at the end of a quick three-hour flight from JFK. I hadn’t been to the Caribbean side since a post-grad trip to Tulum many moons ago (for the last few years, I’ve been favoring the charming surf town of Sayulita on the Pacific coast), but that changed as soon as I had a compelling reason to return. Under any other circumstances, a new hotel opening in Riviera Maya would hardly stop a travel-obsessed fashion editor like myself in her tracks. But suffice it to say that my return to the Yucatán was hardly under normal circumstances, and after my most recent stay at the gorgeous new St. Regis Kanai, I’ve vowed to make it a more regular visit.

Opened in February of last year and ranked on Conde Nast Traveler’s 2024 Hot List, the St. Regis Kanai is certainly new by hotel standards but felt like a well-oiled machine by the time I arrived.

(Image credit: @anna__laplaca)

After an easy 45-minute drive from the Cancún airport, I arrived to the gated community of Kanai (home to neighboring EDITION and Auberge properties), and making my way into the St. Regis Kanai, the lush surroundings that enveloped me made it feel like a world away. Of course, that’s entirely by design. Set on over 600 acres of environmentally protected land, greenery stretched out for miles from every angle, making you feel like you’re in a far more remote part of the country than you are. It makes for the ultimate long weekend, one that’s a logistical walk in the park but that feels like you’re really away.

In fact, otherworldly was the word I kept coming back to throughout my stay, and I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between the resort and the set of HBO’s Westworld. It comes does to a few reasons. First, the St. Regis Kanai is entirely built on top of thick mangroves, with elevated boardwalks that stretch from the beach to the main buildings, so that the whole resort feels as though you’re floating. It doesn’t hurt that the award-winning architecture was inspired by the Mayan celestial calendar, giving the semi-circular buildings an alien feel, in the best way. Another perk of this layout makes it so that every room has an uninterrupted ocean view.

images at Mexico's new St. Regis Kanai resort

(Image credit: @anna__laplaca)

I spent the majority of my time glued to a lounger opposite one of the many long infinity pools on property and on the pristine swatch of white-sand beach that’s exclusive to the St. Regis. My companion was a copy of Miranda July’s newest novel, the gripping and semi-unhinged All Fours that came highly-recommended by all my most well-read friends.

Where to Dine