Article originally featured in Forbes.

Kappner Clark isn’t who you’d immediately envision when you stereotype a C-suite Marketing Officer for one of Mexico’s top publicly-traded real estate development companies—or an American expat south of the border.

Lithe, 32, and soft-spoken, with her hands almost always folded in front of her the way European Heads of State like Angela Merkel do to convey poise and respect, her Spanish is already impeccably fluent after 10 years working in Cabo and Mexico City, even though she was raised in Denver.

When you get her talking about the mechanics of real estate, she’s calculated and informed in a way that defies her relative youth yet belies her deep experience in an industry that’s frequently dominated by older men.

When she starts speaking about One&Only Mandarina, however—which she’s been helping to develop with RLH Properties for the past five years—her eyes radiate a deeper blue, the cadence of her voice spikes, and all of a sudden she’s struggling to contain her corporate self.

When I recently found myself in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit just north of Puerto Vallarta standing with Clark out on the edge of an infinity pool 450’ over the Pacific Ocean with a dozen miles of pristine jungle canopy and deserted beaches tapering away north and south of me, I found myself similarly unable to contain myself.

When I started travel writing two decades ago, I was frequently savaged by editors for two cardinal editorial sins: talking too much about me (I just did it, again) and marring my text with throwaway superlatives.

I’d love to say that I’ve matured as a writer since then. But even now when I’m lacking the words to capture a place on earth that confounds me, I find myself reverting back to the same bad hyperbolic habits.

So, as Clark reached out over the view in front of us with both arms and exhorted me to take it all in, I only had one thing left in my narrative arsenal: profanity.

“Holy [blank] Kappner. Is this [blank] place for real?”

That the landscape upon which One&Only Mandarina even exists at all today is something of a minor real estate miracle.

Totaling 636 acres of previously (and still almost completely) undeveloped coastal mountains, cliffs, old growth semi-tropical jungle, and wildlife-rich estuarian flat lands hemmed in by 1 ¼ miles of private, Pacific Ocean beach, there are few other comparable oceanfront landscapes that have been contiguously and privately assembled between Alaska and Panama since the turn of the 20th century. For reference consider that the average Club Med is 50 acres; most Mexican mega resorts in places like Cancun or Cozumel cover barely 25 acres.

“Mandarina was first discovered via helicopter during a scouting trip of the Riviera Nayarit coastline,” Clark tells me in what I quickly learn is her typical understated manner. “The dramatic, jungle-covered mountains bookending the flatlands, estuary, and long stretch of white sand beach in between really caught our attention.”

That RLH Properties’ vision for the land they’d discovered was ultimately pulled off into the resort and residential community it is today is an even greater miracle.

It’s also a testament to what one, focused real estate development firm can do when it marshals all of its talent in pursuit of what much less agile companies would never have had the capacity to see in the first place.

It’s a long-standing myth of hospitality that hotels and resorts somehow conjure themselves up out of nowhere overnight. Anyone who’s been in the commercial real estate business for any amount of time, however, will tell that there’s nothing further from the truth.

From its original vision, One&Only Mandarina took a decade to bring to fruition—which is a large part of what prevented any other real estate company from previously taking on the challenge. Despite Mandarina’s cherry location one hour north of Puerto Vallarta and within a few hours flight time from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston, RLH was the first company to see how to solve the fundamental problem that would eventually make Mandarina possible in the first place: cobbling it all together.

“The 636 acres of what today is now Mandarina was originally owned by 58 different local families who’d been granted the land as homesteaders generations ago,” Clark recalls of the development’s earliest days. “We had to buy each of these original families out one by one, sometimes having to track down their descendants who were living in other countries to get each of them to buy in. It took almost two years of negotiation and patience on all sides before we were able to consolidate all of the parcels into a contiguous tract and the last holdouts were the hardest part since we couldn’t have made our vision possible without all of the pieces in place.”

From a development and construction standpoint, Mandarina also bit off more than RLH had ever chewed before, conceived as it was entirely end-to-end from the ground up. This approach, says Clark, was counter to the company’s previously successful buy-and-upgrade model with its other existing luxury hotels and resorts in Mexico City, the Riviera Maya, and Spain. It also meant taking on a completely new approach to time, construction, and cost management—all while assuming a precariously new level of risk.

But after that first helicopter ride everyone at RLH knew that in Mandarina they’d discovered real estate gold.

“Construction of One&Only Mandarina took about two years at a non-stop pace after we’d consolidated all of the land together,” recalls RLH Properties COO Francis Muuls. “At the height of it all, there were more than 4,000 workers on site. Because of the low-density design and the vastness of the property, each of the One&Only Hotel’s 105 villas and treehouses as well as the amenity buildings essentially had their own individual construction team.”

Since RLH also started from 636 acres of virgin, undeveloped land in the middle of nowhere, the resort’s development required cleaving a careful balance between imperceptibly laying critical infrastructure like power and water and cutting subtle, serpentine roads through the ancient forest canopy without displacing wildlife, terraforming the landscape, or removing the old growth white fig and papelillo trees that were here before the Spanish Conquistadors arrived.

It’s no secret that lot of resorts in Mexico, particularly in places like Cancun and Acapulco from the 1980s and 1990s are more bull than butterfly, trampling the land rather than gently alighting on it. Mandarina’s essential design philosophy by contrast was always intended to take a more lepidopteran approach, borrowing cues from nature like topography, light, canopy, orientation, and view so that its built environment would blend in with the natural one and respect it instead of reshaping it.

“As with all design in Mandarina, we drew a lot of the inspiration in our development approach from day one from the land itself,” Clark recalls of RLH’s original vision for the property’s design. “One of our biggest goals was to have as little impact as possible on this incredible site, with the intention that future guests and residents would be able to enjoy Mandarina in its rawest and truest form and preserve that innate ruggedness of nature while also offering an ultra-luxury, 5-star experience.”

To do this, RLH Properties recruited a Chief Development Officer for RLH Properties who was previously Director of Urban Construction for one of Mexico’s largest general contracting firms and had delivered some of the country’s most famously challenging and high-profile buildings like Los Cabo’s International Convention Center where the G20 Summit was held in 2012, Acapulco International Airport, and Toluca Stadium which twice has hosted the World Cup.

“The beauty and potential of this place called for something bold and unique but equally importantly people who shared our vision and knew what was at stake to get this right and open on time especially when the pandemic hit,” says RLH Properties’ CEO Borja Escalada. “Construction was paused during the quarantine when the Mexican government prohibited non-essential work. Afterwards, there were strict guidelines we had to follow. It ended up delaying the opening of the hotel for a few months, but we were able to open the same year as originally planned thanks to the team we’d built.”

Now, years after its original genesis moment in a helicopter, One&Only Mandarina is at once flawlessly and luxuriously 5-star, yet somehow subtly and respectfully rooted in the landscape and local Huichol and Cora traditions in the way that RLH Properties always intended.

This is no small accomplishment when it comes to projects of Mandarina’s scale, size, scope, and cost—and whose unexpected bottlenecks and unforeseen events like pandemics usually force developers to bend their original visions for the sake of playing catch up or saving money, and almost always result in compromises and regrets for future owners and guests.

“Honoring the land and its rich history with the Cora and Huichol tribes was from day one a fundamental part of the ideation of Mandarina that we were never going to deviate from,” RLH’s CEO Escalada continues. “We wanted our guests and private home residents to feel a deep connection to this place, authentic to Mandarina. It has been incredibly rewarding to see today how much our guests and residents really value that heritage and respect even if they don’t understand what it took for us to make that happen.”

Most real estate developers would also love to tell you that there are no accidental moments in great architecture—only mistakes. Yet, at the heart of Mandarina’s design from the beginning was the essential premise that nothing would be missed. Every detail and touch would be intuitive, purposeful, contextual, respectful, gentle, and light—a lesson that every other luxury hotel brand should take to heart particularly when designing in sensitive habitats and locations around the world while respecting the need to honor local culture and traditions whether born from cowboys or Coras.

“Everything at Mandarina is intentional for a reason,” says Clark, gently kneading her fingers together as if she’s holding a tiny, fragile shell, just delicately enough to show it off but not enough to have it crack. “From the biggest visions down to every minute detail.”

Out of this philosophy, Mandarina’s most memorable moments are not surprisingly curated from touch points that are at once subtle and significant, so you often don’t know they’re happening to you but you can never forget them once they do.

The arcing break wall off the Jetty Beach Club, for example, is formed from volcanic rock excavated on site during construction to mimic the top of the ancient volcano that still exists underwater here—but you’d never see it unless someone told you. Every night, something new from a local artisan that reflects a mindful Huichol cultural principle emerges as part of turn down service—with a detailed description of what it is so you know why it matters. And across Mandarina’s 636 acres, the indigenous petroglyphs discovered during development have been preserved exactly where they were found along the trails—so you know who came here before you and what they believed.

It’s also out of this purposeful philosophy of intention and respect why everyone at Mandarina puts their right hand over their heart as they greet you, which was the first thing that stood out to me when I arrived.

Depending on your individual level of cynicism, it would be easy to assume that the salutation was born from some recently graduated marketing wiz who’d never even been here before. But as it turns out it’s one of the purest and most evocative of Mandarina’s “moments”, speaking to the fundamental sense of service, connection, and loyalty that One&Only and RLH wanted at the heart of every guest’s and owner’s experience here.

“The origin stems from an ancient, forgotten tradition from the Huichol tribe in the mountains of Jalisco and Nayarit who believe that when you welcome someone into your home, your heart must be clean and pure,” explains One&Only Mandarina hotel General Manager Serge Ditesheim of the ‘hand over heart’ gesture. “The welcome ceremony includes gathering water from the river and bringing it up to your heart to purify it. So that’s how it became a tradition not only originally at Mandarina, but now also at every One&Only resort: we want our hearts to be clean and pure for everyone who comes to stay with us.”

Taken in totality, if it sounds like the rarity of the land RLH discovered here, the company’s original vision for what it built here, and its partnership with One&Only to brand the resort and real estate here is as close to hospitality perfection as possible it’s because it is.

Every developer who manages to snatch up a cherry piece of waterfront property in today’s real estate market, particularly in sunny climes like Florida, Mexico, the South Pacific, or the Caribbean, has the option of partnering with almost any luxury name in the hospitality business to launch a new 4-star hotel or branded residential community. Yet, when it came to marrying up with One&Only, RLH’s COO Muuls says that was one of the quickest decisions the company made when it came to bringing Mandarina to life.

A big part of the calculus, notes Muuls, was simply the ultra-luxury, global cache of the brand, having been built for 20 years around some of the most pristine, exclusive, and hard-to-develop locations in the world like the Maldives, Mauritius, South Africa, Rwanda, and Dubai.

The other part of RLH’s logic was what Muuls loosely terms “starvation supply”. Currently, One&Only has only twelve resorts around the world with plans for only four more. That long-term lack of dilution reckoned Muuls would firmly plant Mandarina at the core of one of the most elite and selective hotel brands in the world, while also offering RLH the opportunity to develop One&Only’s first private branded residential community.

“We explored working with various different luxury hotel operators at first,” Muuls explains. “But we eventually chose One&Only because of their five-star reputation globally, and we also knew that anchoring Mandarina with that level of ultra-luxury status would put Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit, and our Private Homes on the global stage.”

In the same breath, Muuls is also quick to acknowledge that Mandarina wasn’t a guaranteed slam dunk with Sol Kerzner, One&Only’s founder who died in 2020 but remains a hospitality legend. Kerzner for years had already had his pick of the litter when it came to choosing the best places in the world to expand the One&Only brand. But ultimately it took less than half an hour to seal the deal at Mandarina, says Muuls.

“Fifteen minutes into his first tour here, standing on the cliff where our restaurant Carao now sits, Sol Kerzner calmly said, ‘OK’. For all of us from RLH who were there, there was immediately this initial concern that his ‘OK’ was meant to be dismissive and he no longer wished to continue the tour. What it actually meant was that after just 15 minutes, he was already convinced that he wanted One&Only to be a part of Mandarina. Later it was decided that One&Only Mandarina would become the brand’s first resort with One&Only Private Homes. To be only a two-hour direct flight from the U.S. yet immersed in a topography that makes you feel like you’re in Southeast Asia, coupled with the warmth and genuineness of Mexican service was a no brainer for them and for us.”

As for One&Only Mandarina’s Private Home collection, the same supply constrained approach that underpins One&Only’s resort philosophy has also now produced one of the most exclusive and anticipated new branded residential developments in North America.

Each of One&Only Private Homes’ 55 five-to-eight bedroom villas has been surgically planned and designed to maximize privacy, natural light, ocean breezes, and open view lines all while giving owners the option of varying experiences based on their location. Some are perched along the coastal cliffs capturing panoramic ocean vistas. Some overlook the equestrian center and polo field looking east catching the sunrise every day. While still others are immersed in the rainforest with vistas stretching through the trees to the sea.

As with everything Mandarina, this respect-for-the-land design approach when it comes to the residential component of the resort was also intentional, says Clark. Each villa is architecturally unique and site specific in order to coalesce with the landscape rather than stand out from it based on a climate responsive and environmentally sensitive design, all while taking a humble approach to scale and massing so Mandarina’s nature always takes center stage.

“Each day, when you wake up you can decide what kind of experience you want to have here,” says Rick Joy, Master Architect for One&Only Mandarina Private Homes. “The villas are simply the instruments that frame those experiences.”

Intention and context also define the shape, color, texture, and materials of One&Only Mandarina’s villas on the inside. Glass walls, stone accents, custom furniture, and earthy finishes integrate seamlessly into the ocean and jungle views from every direction, bring the outside in, and effortlessly blur the lines between luxury and landscape.

“When it came to the space where luxury, experience, and sustainability came together, we felt a deep sense of responsibility to raise the bar for our industry, not just in Mexico, but in the world,” says Clark. “And in the end, we believed that if we stayed true to the values that Mandarina was always originally about—context, purpose, sensitivity, respect—that would come through in every essence of the project from the architecture, interior design, to the amenities and experiences that One&Only would be able to offer.”

If there could ever be a last-but-not-least element to Mandarina, the final place I visited on my journey with Clark was a place called the “Flatlands” on the backside of Mandarina a half mile away from the beach—which initially would make it sound like the kind of place you’d park trucks and construction equipment during the day and go out of your way to have your kids avoid at night.

But here—in a fertile, wildlife rich estuarian swale between two mountain ranges flanked by one of the longest stretches of private beach on Mexico’s Pacific Coast—RLH decided build a state-of-the-art equestrian and polo center, one of only three in Riviera Nayarit and a handful in North America, where every other developer would have built just another golf course.

That’s a lot of land—and huge opportunity cost—dedicated to an uncertain outcome given how niche polo as a sport is compared with golf. But in the same way that RLH chose deconstruction over density and privacy over popularity when it came to the design of the One&Only resort and its Private Home collection, its land use approach to the Flatlands is proving to be yet another bet well-made if the popularity of the polo exhibition matches and the packed tables at Chukker, the recently opened Argentinian-themed BBQ restaurant, are any indication .

“We wanted Mandarina to be unique and offer an elevated experience difficult to find anywhere else in the world,” says Clark. “We were drawn to polo as it is a sport the entire family can enjoy together, whether watching from your picnic on the sidelines, sipping champagne during the divot stomp, or taking a turn playing. Horses are such majestic animals, and we really liked the idea of homeowners being able to look out their windows and see horses grazing in a pasture next to the beach.”

As for the name ‘Mandarina’, which is based on the root of the mandarin tree, “It’s a place where all the elements of nature, life, and experience meet in dramatic fashion,” says One&Only’s GM Ditesheim. “The majestic Sierra de Vallejo in the background, the steel blue Pacific contrasting with the verdant lushness of the rain forest, the volcanic origins of this entire area, and a perfect climate year-round—the name Mandarina is a reflection of perfection.”

It’s also now a symbol, adds Clark, of what luxury hospitality today has come to mean: disconnecting from the world, reconnecting with yourself, replenishing your bonds with loved ones and family, and being able to do that in place that enriches your relationship to the natural world.

“The bliss of connectivity in the world today most easily happens in nature, so at Mandarina we wanted to create a place where both guests and residents could have the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature, where the sounds of trains, planes and automobiles would be replaced with the sounds of jungle birds chirping and Pacific waves lapping the shore.”

For what it’s worth from a travel writer who remains addicted to superlatives and hyperbole, I’m still looking for the words to do justice to the essence and potential of this place. So I’ll just leave you with the only two I have left: Holy [blank].

One&Only Mandarina’s 55 Private Homes are currently being offered from $4.4 to $16.25 million, with 4 and 5 bedroom villas ranging from 4,470 to 7,390 square feet, and the eight bedroom estate villas starting at 11,085 square feet. Prospective buyers can find more information here.

Article originally appeared in Wallpaper.

RICK JOY’S EQUESTRIAN CLUB FOR THE ONE&ONLY MANDARINA ESTATE IN MEXICO’S RIVIERA NAYARIT IS A SERENE, SITE-SPECIFIC HUB FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS

 

Article originally appeared in Elite Traveler. 

When One&Only unveils a new resort or collection of properties, one thing is certain: the destination is going to be epic. Naturally, the luxury hotel group’s latest venture, One&Only Mandarina, is no exception. Surrounded by lush greenery on a hillside overlooking the ocean in Mexico’s pristine Riviera Nayarit, it’s little wonder prices for the private villas start at $4.4m.

As One&Only’s first branded residences in the Western hemisphere, expectations are high. And the 55 ultra-luxurious villas certainly don’t disappoint. Designed by Rick Joy (the celebrity architect known for Amangiri) in collaboration with leading Mexican firms including Taller de Arquitectura, the contemporary properties seamlessly blend in with the stunning surroundings, effortlessly mixing indoor and outdoor spaces. Needless to say, prospective owners won’t have to worry about prying eyes as the leafy hillside location ensures total privacy.

For Joy and his team, respecting the environment was key. “Full reverence and protection of the jungle drove our vision,” he says. “This led to stand-alone rooms woven between the jungle trees and the connection to nature throughout the personal resort experience. After all our years in practice, we believe that nature is the most true luxury.” To help turn this vision into a reality, One&Only enlisted local landscape architect firms Entorno Taller de Paisaje and Maat Handasa.

Each of the new homes at One&Only Mandarina has been custom built to make the most of the breathtaking vistas of the ocean below and Sierra de Vallejo mountain peaks in the distance. Future owners can choose from two residence styles – villas and estate villas – which feature four-, six- and eight-bedroom floor plans.

Spanning almost 19,000 sq ft, the largest properties are seriously spacious. Of course, there are plenty of areas for entertaining with each residence home to a generous sun terrace and infinity pool – the perfect spot for sipping a cocktail while watching the sunset.

Stepping foot inside, it’s impossible not to feel a sense of tranquility. The modern, open-plan interiors are bathed in natural light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows and feature a warm, earthy color palette.

When choosing materials, Joy wasn’t afraid to keep things simple. “We decided to predominantly use local stone and local wood, working with a minimal number of elements,” he explains. “Our palette is inspired by place and the materials and craft mostly sourced or Mexican made. The giant trees with their expansive roots dictated our architectural designs and response and why we avoided solely using masonry, which is more regionally traditional. More grounded structures are masonry built massing with stucco and lightweight wood beam structure above. This lighter construction allows the wood and stone shelters to disappear into the site.”

Future owners have a choice of two furnishings packages, each of which includes quality, bespoke pieces designed to be handed down through the generations. As with all branded One&Only private residences, those that are lucky enough to live at Mandarina will have access to an impressive array of amenities. This includes a dedicated member of staff (known as ‘One Contact’) to look after the property and take care of everything from event planning to pre-ordering groceries and heating the pool prior to arrival. The One Contact is also on-hand to organize residents’ trips to other One&Only properties across the globe.

When it comes to facilities at the resort, homeowners are spoilt for choice. Perhaps most impressive is the idyllic open-air spa. Here, beneath the canopy of trees, residents can relax in a mud bath or take a dip in the cold plunge pool. Balmy afternoons can be spent at The Jetty Beach Club reading a book on the sun-loungers or embarking on a sailing excursion.

Those looking for a family-friendly setting to soak up the views and enjoy a casual bite to eat can head to Alma while the adult-only Carao (located on the southernmost peak of the resort) boasts a gourmet menu from talented chef, Enrique Olvera. As for little ones, the 42,000-sq-ft Kids Club is a dream come true with tree houses and an insect hut to explore.

Beyond these resort amenities, residents at One&Only Mandarina have access to The Flatlands – a sprawling green landscape that stretches from the rainforest to the ocean shore. Seasoned riders and novices alike can visit the Mandarina Polo and Equestrian Club and attend weekly events, while bird-watching enthusiasts can while away afternoons in the Estuary.

One&Only Mandarina private homes are on sale ranging from $4.4m to $16.25m.

Article originally appeared in Travel+Leisure.

Five-star amenities and unbeatable mountain and ocean views set among the lush Mexican jungle.

There are few things better than checking into a One&Only hotel — except for perhaps walking in with the knowledge that you don’t have to check out. For dozens of fortunate luxury travelers, this may soon be a reality. One&Only is giving us the perfect reason to consider investing in a second home, this time in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit

The company just completed its first branded residences in the Western hemisphere — One&Only Mandarina Private Homes — with 55 stunning villas. The properties, nestled on a lush hill and overlooking a dreamy one-mile stretch of sandy beach, are completely one-of-a-kind as the architecture was adapted to their unique location. Lead architect Rick Joy (also behind the spectacular Amangiri) designed the homes to blend with the lush landscape, creating perfect harmony between the spacious homes and the environment. The two-level, four-, five-, and eight-bedroom residences span up to 19,000 square feet and include ample outdoor spaces with infinity pools, fire pits, and plenty of space to entertain and soak up the hot, Mexican sun.

Inside, a calming, earthy palette of natural materials, such as local wood and stone, exudes serenity and understated luxury. New owners can further customize their homes by choosing from three furniture and finishing packages to make their villa perfectly move-in ready. The open-concept interiors feature exposed beams, soaring ceilings clad in wood paneling, and gourmet kitchens. Oversized windows and glass walls reveal the beautiful views surrounding the properties.

Of course, as an One&Only branded project, it’s all about the five-star amenities. Each owner will have a dedicated concierge who attends to their every need.

“In addition to offering striking design and architecture, One&Only Mandarina Private Homes places residents at the center of an exciting residential community where adventure awaits,” Kappner Clark, chief marketing officer of RLH Properties, the development company behind the new venture, told Travel + Leisure via email. “The development is home to remarkable cuisine, a world-class spa and beach clubs, as well as a myriad of exclusive experiences. Mandarina is known for its incredible Polo & Equestrian Club, where residents can watch matches or learn how to horseback ride themselves, but there’s also zip lining, mountain biking, a ropes course, hiking, tennis, pickleball, and much more.”

Residence prices range from $4.4 million to $16.25 million, but you’ll need to hurry up as villas are already being snapped up by keen buyers.

Original article appeared in Architectural Digest. 

By now, hotel-branded residences are a well-established real estate trend, with both luxury and mid-priced hospitality companies having their stake in the game. The ultra-exclusive One&Only collection was the rare holdout that had yet to offer residences for sale. Finally, in what’s an exclusive reveal with AD.com, that’s about to change: the brand’s first-ever residences to come to market—named One&Only Mandarina Private Homes—are now debuting at One&Only Mandarina, located in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit.

The Private Homes at the resort comprise 55 villas that are built into the oceanfront cliffs and mountains that Riviera Nayarit is known for. Buyers can pick between two kinds of residences. The core collection offers either four- or five-bedroom villas that span from 4,470 to 7,390 square feet. These numbers don’t figure in the outdoor space that ranges from 2,280 to 3,200 square feet. Estate villas are palatial with their eight bedrooms, interior space of almost 11,085 square feet plus an additional 5,380 square feet of outdoor space. All the homes stand out for their views of either the lush surrounding rainforest or the Pacific Ocean and have infinity pools, outdoor fire pits, and plenty of common spaces ideal for gathering with friends and family. Prices start at $4.4 million and cap off at $16.25 million.

The celebrated architect Rick Joy, founder of the Tucson-based Studio Rick Joy, designed the villas and is also behind the design of the resort, as well as some of the world’s top hotels including Amangiri in Utah. In a statement about the project, Joy says that the properties were constructed with concrete, local stone, and wood. In speaking about the resort overall, he says, “Our process was narrated not just by the hundreds-of-years-old trees and vegetation, but also the pre-Hispanic history and artifacts on site.”

Kappner Clark, the chief marketing officer for RLH Properties, One&Only Mandarina’s developer, describes the villas as capturing the best of indoor/outdoor living. “The essence of Mandarina is to be immersed in the nature and, to that end, the homes have an indoor/outdoor living room and a kitchen that opens out onto a large terrace where you get vistas of the water or mountains,” she says.

In true One&Only style, where service is unparalleled, each homeowner is paired with a One Contact, who is their personal concierge and caters to their every need, from stocking the kitchen with their favorite foods before they arrive to making restaurant and spa reservations.  Owners can also rent out their villas and get the benefit of picking their desired furniture package, curated by One&Only’s and RLH Properties’ interior design teams.

And we can’t leave out the amenities that owners can enjoy at the 620-acre resort, such as the hiking and biking trails, equestrian and polo center, spa, and multiple restaurants and beach clubs.

Article originally appeared in Forbes.

Luxury residential developments rarely skimp on elevated, thought-out amenities for adults (think: state-of-the-art fitness centers, spas, pools or even business-focused conference rooms), but it’s not too often you find equally as tricked-out centers for children.

Forbes has rounded up the top luxury residential developments around North America that are creating imaginative, dedicated spaces for kids of all ages, from toddlers to teens, that ensure no one feels left out when moving to a new home. Here’s the definitive list of developments, surrounded by plenty of activities, that will appeal to any family-focused prospective home buyer.

Mexico City, September 6, 2021 – RLH Properties has been recognized as the “Development Of The Year 2020” by HOLA Awards for its renowned One&Only Mandarina development, which is located in Riviera Nayarit. The award, which celebrates the industry’s most outstanding developers, considered hotels offering a newly built, remodeled or refurbished hotel that opened or completed its refurbishment in Latin America in 2020.

 

One&Only Mandarina was selected as the winner due to its premium location by the Mexican Pacific, its majestic scenery and biodiversity, and its outstanding accommodations of comfort, beauty and serenity. The hotel was designed and built by fully respecting the ecosystem and harmoniously blending into the landscape, allowing nature to remain at the forefront. One&Only Mandarina stretches across 265 hectares of ocean-front property with 105 detached hotel suites, 55 private residential villas, signature cuisine, spa, polo and equestrian club, customized wellness services and remarkable experiences for residents and guests who seek a meaningful connection with nature.

 

RLH Properties is constantly evolving its development plans, with Rosewood Mandarina and Rosewood Residences Mandarina soon commencing construction at Mandarina. The opening is anticipated for the end of 2024.

 

HOLA is a leading institution for hotel executives, investors, creditors, developers and professional advisors who seek to expand hotel and residential investment in the Latin American market. By hosting a marquee awards celebration, HOLA creates a space that honors executives and companies responsible for influential hospitality developments, which include the following categories: Development of the Year and Transaction of the Year. Award nominations are reviewed in accordance with the classification criteria by members of the Committee, who determine the three finalists that are then presented to delegates for the final winner selection.

 

“Having obtained this recognition as Development of the Year 2020 is quite satisfactory to RLH Properties and makes us proud of our efforts to debut One&Only Mandarina as a leading resort destination. It impels us to continue promoting our investor’s security, as we continue developing with the highest standards of quality and commitment throughout our portfolio at RLH Properties,” remarked Kappner Clark, Marketing Director of RLH Properties.

 
About RLH Properties
 
RLH Properties is a leading Mexico City-based, publicly listed company focused on the acquisition, development and management of luxury and ultra-luxury hotels and resorts and associated branded residential product. Established in Mexico City in 2013, RLH Properties is funded primarily by pension funds, institutional investors, Mexican family offices and the management team lead by Borja Escalada, CEO of the company. RLH’s investment strategy focuses on AAA assets in unique locations with high entry barriers, in markets with low supply relative to current and potential demand, and partnerships with the finest internationally recognized hotel operators. RLH’s current portfolio includes Rosewood Mayakoba, Fairmont Mayakoba, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Andaz Mayakoba, Four Seasons Mexico City, Rosewood Villa Magna, Bless Hotel Madrid, One&Only Mandarina, El Camaleón PGA golf course, Rosewood Residences Mayakoba, Fairmont Heritage Place Mayakoba, and One&Only Mandarina Private Homes. Additionally, RLH Properties has one project currently under development: Rosewood Mandarina, set to open within the year 2024.

 

 

La recuperación del sector hotelero tras el golpe de la pandemia ha sido selectiva. Por una parte, los destinos de playa han recuperado turistas a gran velocidad e incluso algunos ya han tenido ocupaciones cercanas a los niveles de 2019. Del otro lado están los destinos de ciudad, que aún padecen la ausencia de los viajes de negocios y eventos masivos. Y luego está el segmento de lujo, donde empresas como RLH han encontrado oportunidades.

 

Esta empresa, la única pública del sector hotelero mexicano enfocada en el segmento de lujo, estimaba para este año una rápida recuperación y sus más recientes informes financieros dan cuenta de ello: con ventas por 1,308 millones de pesos (mdp) en el segundo trimestre –9.2% más que en 2019– y tarifas promedio 30% por arriba de los niveles prepandemia, ve en el actual entorno las bases para crecer.
 
RLH Properties se mueve en las categorías de cuatro y cinco estrellas: espacios, atención y alimentos premium. Por ello, y a diferencia de otras compañías hoteleras cuyas estrategias se basan en abrir complejos por decenas, el plan de crecimiento de RLH Properties tiene un solo nombre: Hotel Rosewood Mandarina, en Riviera Nayarit. La apuesta por este proyecto es tal que la compañía anunció un aumento de capital por 2,907 millones de pesos en mayo pasado, dinero que será destinado, principalmente, para su construcción.
 
Aunque enfocar la estrategia de crecimiento de la empresa en un solo proyecto puede parecer riesgoso, su modelo de negocio consiste en pocos hoteles que generan un alto flujo de ingresos. Con siete unidades –uno inaugurado el año pasado–, un campo de golf y 192 unidades fraccionales con marcas asociadas, la compañía tuvo más ingresos en el segundo trimestre que Hoteles City Express y Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe combinados (que, en conjunto, operan 180 hoteles, entre otros activos).
 
“La vocación de RLH es adquirir o construir activos hoteleros de lujo y ultra lujo, creando el que posiblemente hoy ya es el portafolio más importante de hotelería de lujo y ultra lujo a nivel mundial”, dice Borja Escalada, director general de RLH Properties, en entrevista. “Este portafolio se busca que sea diversificado, tanto por segmentos de playa y ciudad, como geográficamente”.
 
 
 
El Hotel Rosewood Mandarina será un complejo de 127 unidades, entre suites y villas, que se prevé estará en marcha a partir del primer trimestre de 2024. El hotel forma parte de un desarrollo donde también se ubica el hotel One&Only Mandarina, que inició operaciones el pasado noviembre, y que busca constituir el bastión de la empresa en la costa del Pacífico, de manera similar al rol que desempeñan los complejos Mayakoba en la región del Caribe.
 
“Así como Mayakoba tiene cuatro hoteles, este tendrá dos: un Rosewood y un One&Only. Probablemente sea el único desarrollo de lujo que tenga la presencia de estas dos marcas top en el segmento dentro del mismo emplazamiento”, explica Escalada. “En el caso de Mandarina, desarrolla y completa la oferta de lujo que ofrecemos. Es un activo que, estamos seguros, será un gran éxito”.
 
El proyecto Mandarina también contempla la construcción de hasta 148 residencias bajo las marcas Rosewood y One&Only, de manera similar a las que se construyen en la Riviera Maya bajo las marcas Fairmont y Rosewood.
 
 
 
Hacia adelante, RLH busca continuar como “un inversionista de largo plazo” en el mercado mexicano, por lo que Escalada está en permanente búsqueda de oportunidades de crecimiento. Por ahora, asegura, no se cierra a nuevos aumentos de capital para el financiamiento de proyectos que vayan en línea con su actual portafolio.
 
“Si necesitamos más recursos financieros, acudiremos, en la medida de lo que podamos, al mercado de capitales. No tenemos necesidad de crecer en un determinado tiempo, pero al mismo tiempo seguimos continuamente canalizando oportunidades”, concluyó.