announcing the 2021 hot list winners: One&Only Mandarina - Mandarina│Resort & Residences│Riviera Nayarit, Mexico

Why book? Set between the forested mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Pacific Ocean, a stay here offers absolute privacy amidst soaring mountain peaks, sandy shores, rolling green flatlands, and a lush, tropical jungle.

Set the scene: Set in the steamy tropical rainforest of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, One&Only Mandarina is a destination resort for discerning luxury travelers and families. With the property’s butler service, excellent restaurants, and bountiful activities, a stay here is especially suited for travelers who prefer not to venture too far from the property.

The backstory: Known for its hyper-luxurious hotels around the world, One&Only brings its signature style to Mandarina as the first property in the multi-billion-dollar Mandarina development.

The rooms: Each of the 105 free-standing villas and treehouses, spread throughout 80 acres of dense jungle canopy, has its own private plunge pool and comes with expansive views of the jungle canopy or the azure Pacific Ocean. Going a step beyond luxury to encompass Mexican culture through refined design touches, the rooms show off beds draped in Mexican textiles and ceramic mugs made by artisans in Oaxaca.

Food and drink: At the coastal-inspired restaurant Carao by Enrique Olvera, a meal usually begins with fresh ceviche starters and ends with homemade cinnamon buñuelos. Equally good is Alma, an open-air, garden-to-plate restaurant helmed by French-Mexican executive chef Olivier Deboise, who prepares dishes like epazote ravioles with huitlacoche and almond cheese over two wood-fired ovens.

The spa: Each of the six treatment rooms are built within a natural volcanic rock garden. Treatments are inspired by Indigenous and pre-Hispanic cultures, and go beyond typical massage offerings to include mud bath treatments and sessions in the on-site temazcal, a sweat lodge inspired by the Indigenous cultures of Mexico that encourages detoxification by combining medicinal herbs with steam and heat.

The neighborhood/area: The property is situated within easy driving distance of the relaxed beach towns of Sayulita and San Pancho. But given the on-property amenities—from palm-lined beaches to emerald cliffs and myriad hiking trails past the property’s lagoons and estuaries—you might not want to leave the grounds.

The service: Every booking comes with a designated butler that acts as a go-to for all requests. Guests have instant access to their butler via their villa phone, and the butler is always there to ferry them to their activities, dinner reservations, and more.

For families: With an on-site kids club, the property is something like a wonderland for families. Designed by Brigitte Broch (the Academy Award-winning art director behind film sets like Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge), the area is home to a series of tree houses connected by suspended bridges, slides, climbing walls, and paved trails, and includes programming to immerse kids in the local environment and keep them engaged all day long.

Eco effort: Careful to preserve the area’s rich biodiversity by utilizing intelligent and resource-efficient architecture as well as sustainable practices, One&Only Mandarina consulted botany experts throughout the design and construction process to preserve the land as well as respect the historic and ecological significance of the natural habitat. This includes archaeological heritage, too, as many rock carvings by the local Cora and Huichol cultures are present on the property and have been preserved.

Anything left to mention? Don’t miss a mezcal tasting with the team at Carao, who actively source the spirit from the best family producers in the state and have a robust collection of rare bottles.