Conrad Tulum Rievera Maya Hotel

Tulum, Mexico

Taking a timely break under the Caribbean skies of Mexico's Riviera Maya will set you up for winter, with no demands on your rime other than a breathtaking gastronomic tour around the globe – all while in situ

When the British autumn shivers into winter and the romance of kicking leaves in dappled sunlight has long gone, the thirst for sunnier climes begins, and few places quench it quite like the Riviera Maya. It’s a sliver of Caribbean coastline on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, where it’s all too easy to eye up sandy beaches, take to sun-glistening waters and consider a spot of yoga – or instead opt to stay in the pool with a cool margarita. And, if you’re going to do that, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya ticks not only that box, but several others you hadn’t even thought of. For instance, why stay in the one pool when you can saunter between four others (although it has to be said, the Caribbean is at its most alluring here)? Or why eat in one place when you can traverse the gastronomic globe without even leaving your secluded resort?

Here, the food offering is quite frankly dizzying: 11 restaurants and bars, taking you from the Med to Asia to America, with pool bars serving cocktails with Mexican spirits; a trio of chiringuitos dishing up tuna tostadas, seafood empanadas and tacos; and, perhaps best of all given the location, Autor, where creativity meets the best produce. A tasting menu here could serve up charred shrimp and chilhuacle and quelites kimchi, beef tartare bao buns, or corn tamallis stuffed with short rib in a truffle foam. If wine is your thing, they can organise a tour around Mexico’s viticulture regions from the comfort of your perch, and pair it with small bites inspired by the lands on which it grows.

Paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkelling and, of course, sunbathing, are prime activities, but you can also embark on a cultural tour that takes in Tulum – its jungles, Mayan heritage, and many wonders, both natural and ancient-man-made. Or simply lose yourself in the seemingly endless menu of spa treatments that take you from water rituals and sacred healing to herbal therapies. And, with 349 rooms to choose from, you’ll get the carefully curated, delicately wood-panelled luxury in the size that suits, from oceanfront doubles to balconied suites for three.

Doubles from £360 . 00 52 984 195 1050, hilton.com

Words by Alex Mead

This review was taken from the October 2023 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.