Month: May 2025

The first time I visited One&Only Mandarina, it was 2019, and the resort was little more than a rainforest-draped hillside with a couple of model rooms. Fast forward to my 2025 return, the property has fully materialized: honeymooners lounging in infinity pools, beach clubs with the best fish tacos I’ve ever had (beneath tasseled umbrellas, of course), and eight- bedroom homes overlooking manicured polo fields. And yet, somehow, the landscape itself remains unchanged.

Pelicans still dive headfirst into the water with gusto. Coatis (a type of raccoon) still scurry through the undergrowth. Towering banyan trees, their roots twisting amongst ancient petroglyphs, still hold their ground. Nature hasn’t just been preserved here—it’s what makes One&Only Mandarina feel like a portal to somewhere rare and untouched.

We wake in our Cliff Villa to golden light illuminating the trees, birds and insects harmonizing with the waves below. I open the doors to let the morning air in—though it’s worth noting that nature (ahem, coatis) can let itself in if you forget to lock the doors. From the bed, the view unfurls in layers—branches buzzing with squirrels and flashes of yellow birds, the ocean below, the flatlands stretching toward mountains in the distance. You can see for miles, yet no one has a view of your outdoor tub.

Post-coffee, I WhatsApp our host (like a butler) for a golf cart ride to Alma, where breakfast is served in the open-air restaurant. We savor tiramisu toast, huevos rancheros, and croissants spread with jams inspired by One&Only properties around the world.

As our host drives us back to our room, we wind through the coastal rainforest, Treehouse Villas emerge between the trees, suspended 40 feet in the air on stilts—childhood treehouse fantasies come to life. Architect Rick Joy, whose resume includes Amangiri, designed the 110 villas and 55 private homes to blend seamlessly with the rainforest, fitting into gaps between the trees. While Mandarina took steps to initially preserve the nature, they continue doing their part to maintain the ecosystem too. At the epic kids’ club, for each butterfly released into the sanctuary, another is released into the wild—a small yet telling detail.

We spend the afternoon at the most serene adults-only pool I’ve ever encountered—far from the energy of the many family-friendly areas—before dinner at Carao, where the fish chorizo and cheese and shrimp ceviche (perched elegantly on red chili emulsion) offer an elevated take on Mexican cuisine.

The next day I discover the real hidden gem: the spa. A one-minute walk from our villa, stepping into the spa feels as if I’m entering another dimension. The outside world and its stressors vanish. My Kayuma Cleansing Ceremony begins with a calming scrub, followed by an herbal oil massage. After the treatment, hours slip away as I wander through the rainforest, finding another form of revitalization in each clearing—a mud therapy area, hot and cold pools, sauna and steam rooms, a Temazcal. Absolute heaven.

One&Only Mandarina feels like an intimate, high- touch boutique hotel, yet the property is vast—like you’d need to move there to get to everything you want to do. The solution? One&Only Mandarina Private Homes. Allowing close proximity to every leisure activity imaginable and completely immersed in nature, yet not isolated from conveniences—like a 24 hour on-call doctor (trust me, we checked first hand at 2 a.m.).