SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya. Photo Jill Weinlein
While most spas around the world have you enter a locker room, put on a robe and then guide you to a dark four wall room with one door, SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya offers a unique Zen-like spa experience. Guests have the option to enter cold, warm, and hot sensory rooms and water therapy venues before a scheduled massage or facial treatment.
SE Spa by Grand Velas Riviera Maya is the region’s largest spa, with more than 90,000 square feet of blissful relaxation and wellness. Located in the Zen Grand Experience area of the resort, guests from around the world come to this spa set in a lush Mayan jungle atmosphere. The rich benefits of each spa journey help strengthen one’s immune system, flush away toxins, and revitalize all the senses.
SE Spa. Photo by Jill Weinlein
Spa guests are encouraged to arrive 60 minutes or more, before their appointment time to experience the seven different water experiences. It’s an immersive therapeutic journey that begins in a cinnamon essence hot sauna, and ice polar room with a sink filled with crushed ice.
Guests will awaken their senses in the eucalyptus-scented steam room with chromotherapy, before entering an exfoliation room to spread a special balm all over your skin. Next, step into a multi-jet aromatherapy sensory shower to wash off the natural exfoliating products before easing into an optional polar ice cold plunge pool or hot Jacuzzi pool.
Sensation Water Bubble Beds. Photo Jill Weinlein
The Sensation Pool offers a sensory pebble walkway for feet, and bubbly water beds inside the large heated pool. Other water features include a bubble volcano, waterfalls to pulsate on one’s back and shoulders, and a cervical neck jet to relieve tension.
SE Spa opens to nature. Photo Jill Weinlein
Paying homage to ancient Mexican curative traditions, the spa’s ‘body artisans’ diffuse harmony and balance in treatment rooms with views of nature. These light and bright rooms are more appealing to the mind, body, and soul, than a traditional dark room.
Natural products such as honey are used in the Organic Kaab Honey Massage. Spa guests start the treatment sitting with their feet in a special pebble bath, as part of the welcome ritual and blessing. Each relaxing treatment provides a deep sensation of wellbeing. Next, local honey and vanilla are massaged all over one’s body and face. When a bath is drawn to enter and dissolve the stickiness from the golden honey, medicinal Chaka tree elements are added to the water to heal one’s energy.
This treatment is inspired by the ancient practices of the Mayan people in the Yucatan Peninsula. To complete the experience, a Mayan vanilla balm seals the skin after the bath. Afterward spa guests receive hot tea, fruit-infused water and healthy Energy bites, a superfood made with maca, hemp seeds, chia seeds, cacao, cinnamon and acai.
Grand Velas Riviera Maya. Photo Jill Weinlein
Grand Velas Riviera Maya is an ultra-luxury all-inclusive resort set on 206 acres of pristine jungle and mangroves. It offers one of the finest white sand beaches in Riviera Maya.
Guests can choose among three separate ambiances in this Leading Hotel of the World, including the adults-only oceanfront, or the two family-friendly areas, which include the ocean view Ambassador Experience and the Zen-Experience. Set in a tropical jungle environment, guests are immersed among flora, fauna and some of the local wildlife and birds that reside in the Yucatan Peninsula jungle.
All 539 designer-like suites feature more than 1,100 square feet and have view balconies or a private plunge pool. Each suite has a fully stocked mini-bar, artisanal tequila, and Nespresso coffee machines. Marble bathrooms feature a spacious walk-in glass shower and deep soaking Jacuzzi tub.
Grand Velas offers a culinary journey. Photo Jill Weinlein
Eight restaurants, including five gourmet offerings, present a tour through Mexico, Europe and Asia. The Cocina de Autor restaurant menu is a multi-course meal paired with wines made in Mexico. This special dinner is curated by celebrity chefs Bruno Oteiza, Mikel Alonso and Xavier Pérez Stone, and holds the AAA Five Diamond Award. It’s the first all-inclusive resort in Mexico to receive this prestigious distinction.
The Ambassador Class. Photo Jill Weinlein
Those staying in the Ambassador Experience, can take a shuttle to the SE Spa and arrive back to continue relaxing around the beautifully tiled infinity pool. The tranquil colors mirror the nearby turquoise Mexican Caribbean sea.
This family-friendly area is also home to the resort’s Kids’ and Teen Clubs and water view Azul restaurant.
The Grand Class. Photo by Jill Weinlein
The adult-only Grand Class is one of the most romantic areas of the resort. Each suite offers sunset and oceanfront views from the private terrace with a plunge pool to stay comfortable and cool throughout the day.
Those looking for a Mexico getaway will enjoy Grand Velas Riviera Maya’s daily eco-tour activities that include a morning bike ride, honey tasting in the chef’s garden, tequila and chocolate tasting, mixology class, yoga, pilates and Zumba classes, visiting the fitness center and SE Spa.
