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Ricardo Santa Cruz, president and CEO of RSC, has over 12 years of experience in land acquisition and property development in Mexico, having acquired more than 4,000 acres for development on the Pacific Coast.

 

He is a development partner for the One&Only Mandarina project in Punta Mita on Riviera Nayarit. It took Mr. Santa Cruz, 47, nearly a decade to assemble the 640-acre property, with some landowners very reluctant to sell. Mandarina is being developed along a one-mile stretch of swimmable beach.

 

The Puerto Vallarta, Mexico-based Mr. Santa Cruz spoke to us about the surprising resilience of the high-end real estate market, the importance of doing due diligence on a developer and much more.

 

MANSION GLOBAL: Describe your dream property.

 

RICARDO SANTA CRUZ: I’d always ask myself: “What’s the community that I’m buying into and what can I experience there?” Obviously on the one hand I’d like the property to be aesthetically beautiful, but I’d also want different options for topography, elevation and vegetation—a place where I could swim on the beach and also go horse riding. That’s what we try and do with our properties—to make sure you’re embedded in nature and that you have a lot of privacy, too.

 

MG: Do you have a real estate property that got away?

 

RSC: There’s one property that I looked at in the southern part of the bay of Puerto Vallarta, which would have been for commercial use. At the time, I was looking at so many other projects and properties, so it just didn’t happen.

On a personal level, there was a home with a private beach, and I could have built a couple of homes on it, but I didn’t end up closing on that one either.

 

MG: What does luxury mean to you?

 

RSC: To me it’s not about the buildings themselves. I don’t define luxury in terms of materials or finishes used. When you go into the high-end market, those are a given. That’s your entry point. To me, real luxury is privacy. More and more, it’s hard to find projects that do low density. Developers mostly want to maximize the bottom line. Even though they’re luxurious, there’s little privacy, even for beachfront properties.

 

The ability to partake in activities nearby is important, too. If you can combine privacy and the ability to venture out, that’s key.

 

MG: What area do you think is the next hub for luxury properties?

 

RSC: Riviera Nayarit in Mexico, where we’re building out the Mandarina project, is really growing. Up until recently, there were only two hotels catering to that high end market— the Four Seasons and the St. Regis.

 

Now, along this coastal part of Mexico, you’re seeing luxury brands come in. We’re doing the One&Only and Rosewood. Auberge and Six Senses are both going to be under construction soon. A lot of these hotels are also being anchored as part of a master-plan community. You’re going to see an explosion of luxury homes and hotels.

 

MG: What’s the biggest surprise in the luxury real estate market now?

 

RSC: The price points have come back very, very strong since right before the crash in 2008. Developers thought we’d never see prices back up there, but we’ve surpassed ’07 and ’08 price points. There’s been so much wealth creation in the last few years, especially in the U.S., so there are a lot more buyers venturing into the market.

 

Mexico is particularly popular. Because of its closeness to the U.S., these homes get a lot of use from owners. They’re buying property as asset appreciation plays for the long run, but they’re actually getting a lot of use out of them, too. These can be weekend homes—less than a three-hour flight from California and Colorado.

 

MG: Where are the best luxury homes in the world and why?

 

RSC:  Every country has them, but there are some that just stand out more than others. In the U.S., Aspen jumps to mind. In Mexico, if you look at Cabo or where we are; in Punta Mita, you have outstanding high-end luxury homes. But any kind of major resort destinations, like Hawaii, and parts of Europe, have amazing homes.

 

MG: What’s your favorite part of your home?

 

RSC: The way it’s situated, which is totally indoor-outdoor living. That’s what I most love and appreciate about most homes. If you’re in your home, and you’re always looking out at nature, it brings you peace of mind and tranquility, and it invites you to spend more time in your home.

 

MG: What best describes the theme to your home and why?

 

RSC: It’s a modern home with lots of glass sliding doors so you can open all the spaces up, and I use a lot of natural materials—a lot of wood and marble. The windows give you a view of the surrounding nature.

 

MG: What’s the most valuable thing in your home?

 

RSC: It’s an intelligent home, so the systems I put in. It’s all wired, and you can control everything—lighting, sounds, climate, etcetera—from one app. That, and a home theater system. So really, the electronic additions I put on the house.

 

MG: What’s the most valuable amenity to have in a home right now?

 

RSC: That depends where it’s situated. For homes in coastal areas, like ours, it’s about swimming pools, terraces and outdoor entertaining areas. And people want to make sure indoor spaces open up to seamlessly connect with those outdoor spaces.

 

Following that, most people want a media room and a wine room, so when they’re not out in the sun, and entertaining, they have a place to rest.

 

MG: What’s your best piece of real estate advice?

 

RSC: If you’re going to invest, really look into who the developer is behind the development you’re investing in, and what the long-term master plan is. Make sure everything is very clearly laid out. People will go into a development and just look at the lot—the view, the location, the unit they’re buying. But you want to make sure bylaws are in place, and that the maximum build-out and the location of the build-out, is spelled out.

 

Certain resorts can become over-densified. And then you lose that privacy and those luxury elements I spoke about.

 

MG: What is the best area now for investing in luxury properties?

 

RSC:  Branded properties are a good bet. When you buy a branded residence, like a Rosewood or a Four Seasons, it has several advantages. Firstly, you can enter it into the rental market, and, secondly, it’s headache-free. That’s particularly important for a second or third home. You’re not dealing with any of the headaches, and it’s appreciating in value. That to me, that’s the best place to park money.

 

MG: If you had a choice of living in a new development or a prime resale property, which would you choose and why?

 

RSC: Generally, a new development. If you’re someone who’s buying early, you’ll get a better deal and your investment will appreciate much more.

 

*Originally posted on Mansion Global

Forget the golf course; enter the organic kale. At luxury home developments around the world, gardens are popping up next to (or replacing) fairways.

 

It’s a sea change rippling throughout real estate communities both domestic and beyond as organic crops upstage the clubhouse for residential bragging rights. According to the Urban Land Institute, there are now more than 150 agrihoods (communities that integrate agriculture into residential neighborhoods) in the United States. And while the notion may harken to off-the-grid communal homesteading, the concept is also being adopted by luxury developers as a new way to deliver that most elusive real estate asset of all: a sense of community.

 

At the $1 billion luxury residential and hotel resort One&Only Mandarina, children are factored into the agrihood equation as well. Situated on the Riviera Nayarit an hour north of Puerto Vallarta, the 600-acre community will feature 55 Rick Joy-designed, earth-hugging villas scattered along the coast and within the jungle. The four-, five- and eight-bedroom homes (priced between $4.65 million and $10.5 million) will have access to a certified organic farm as well as an outdoor dining room for farm-to-fork dinners.

 

A dedicated children’s farm will include chickens, pigs, goats, and cows in addition to an herb garden, nursery, and organic farm. Kids’ cooking classes are available, as are opportunities for them to learn how to care for animals. “Most people live in densely populated urban areas making it difficult for them to commune with nature,” says Ricardo Santa Cruz, developer partner of Mandarina. “Being able to have a home with all of the most demanding comforts while still being completely immersed in nature is truly the ultimate luxury.”

 

*Originally posted on RobbReport

One&Only Mandarina and One&Only Mandarina Private Homes, opening in early 2020, will share a space with Rosewood Residences and Rosewood Mandarina (opening in 2022) on a mile-long stretch of coastline that features beach, mountains, jungle and an estuary.

 

And, yes, there will be a farm, a distinct destination within Mandarina. It will have orchards, gardens and greenhouses where food will be grown for its farm-to-table restaurant, as well as cooking class kitchens, animals to delight children and stargazing towers.

 

But perhaps the most distinguishing facility will be the Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club, which will provide entertainment, social events and sport for those who ride.

 

“You’ll have polo brunches on Sundays. You’ll have either jumping or dressage competitions that you can go to and have lunch and be an observer,” said Ricardo Santa Cruz, president and CEO of RSC Development and the founding partner of Mandarina. “Or you can say, you know what, we as a family just want to go on tame horses for a horseback ride throughout the estuary and along the beach.”

 

To date, 18 of the planned 55 One & Only private homes have sold.

 

While owners will have access to Mandarina’s many pools, a jungle zipline and obstacle course and an array of other activities such as birdwatching tours, the one amenity you won’t find with your $5-million to $10-million villa is a golf course, which isn’t all that unusual at the current crop of residential resorts.

 

“Golf courses are in decline. They’re very expensive to maintain. Fewer and fewer people are playing,” Mr. Santa Cruz said.

 

Besides, the game isn’t an equal opportunity memory maker.

 

“You go on vacation, and suddenly it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re not with the kids during the week, and now here we are on vacation and you’re going to go leave and golf for six hours,’” Mr. Santa Cruz said. “Especially millennials and the newer generation, they want to steer clear of that.”

 

Millennials, he added, think, ‘‘Give me something new, give me something different.’”

 

*Originally posted on Mansion Global

Welcome to Mandarina, the ultra-luxury resort and residences in the Mexican jungle currently under construction. It offers upside investment potential to high net worth buyers. Mandarina is located in Riviera Nayarit, along a nearly 200-mile coastline, less than an hour drive north of Puerto Vallarta’s International Airport (Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz).

 

Ricardo Santa Cruz, president & CEO, of RSC, the founding partner of Mandarina took almost a decade to assemble the 640-acre property from a variety of landowners, some of whom were initially reluctant to sell. “I was patient and worked with each landowner one by one to put together the parcels we needed,” said Santa Cruz.

 

Santa Cruz was well equipped for this challenge. He has a strong track record, negotiating 4,000 acres of strategic land acquisitions throughout Mexico for development purposes and securing more than $90 million of investment capital.

 

It started with a vision for this Mexican jungle, one of the last remaining beachfront jungles in Mexico. Mandarina was developed along a one-mile stretch of swimmable beach, with the goal of being the most significant new luxury resort and residential community Mexico has seen in decades. There is a long history to the land where Mandarina is located. Much is being preserved from mountains to shoreline to flatland to tropical jungle. “This is a pristine jungle. We are developing a low-density project while taking care of the land. Our design all along has been focused on having as minimal impact as possible,” Santa Cruz notes.

 

The One&Only Mandarina Private Homes will debut alongside the One&Only Mandarina beach resort, luxury Rosewood Residences, and Rosewood Mandarina.

 

The villas of One&Only Mandarina Private homes designed by the internationally noted Rick Joy Architects are selling quickly. Prices range from $4.5 million to $12 million. Since launching sales early this year, a range of North American buyers have purchased seven villas in Phase One.

 

There are 55 One&Only branded villas, all with ocean views. The striking contemporary architecture fits with the surrounding landscape. Homes range in size from approximately 8,000 to 18,000 square feet of interior/exterior living. The indoor/outdoor lifestyle is showcased throughout, taking advantage of the mild climate. Infinity-edged pools overlook the jungle, coastline, and ocean, all homes are positioned for privacy and of course the views.

 

Every detail of the homes are designed to draw buyers used to the best of everything, and willing to pay for it. Marc Schechter who runs an investment advisory firm outside Detroit was an early buyer at Mandarina. He purchased two homes with price tags of around $5 million each. Schechter was familiar with the general area as his parents owned a vacation home there for years. “I saw what was going on with Mandarina and was totally impressed. “I fell in love with the architecture and as an early owner, I got to work with the designer. I bought two homes thinking I may eventually sell one at some point.” He also plans to rent the homes out using them himself on select weeks. “I’m intending on receiving both cash flow and appreciation,” said Schechter, whose homes range around 8,000 square feet each.

 

Residents at One&Only Mandarina Private Homes enjoy a large menu of first-class custom-tailored services including property management, charging privileges at all hotel amenities, in-residence private dining and spa services, personal training sessions, travel arrangements, pre-stocked groceries, laundry and dry cleaning, medical services, and boat moorage.

 

No surprise sales are brisk since the One&Only brand is all about ultra-luxury living. The One&Only hotel at Mandarina is scheduled to open end of 2019. Listen to Phillipe Zuber, president and chief operating officer of One&Only Resorts. “We saw great possibilities in Mandarina for One&Only both with the private homes and the resort. It is a spectacular site by the Pacific Ocean and the architecture will create an iconic resort for both hotel guests and private owners. We are confident it will be unique,” observes Zuber.

 

Looking to attract the monied polo set, the Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club will feature state-of-the-art polo grounds, a clubhouse, arenas, two tournament size polo fields, polo lounge, pro shop, horse boarding, dressage and on-site veterinary clinic. Other top shelf amenities include One&Only Majahua Beach Club and the One&Only Spa to name a few.

 

The Mandarina proves high net worth individuals are more than willing to pay for a privileged amenity-rich lifestyle in a unique setting.

 

*Originally posted on Forbes

Less than one hour north of Puerto Vallarta and 15 minutes from Sayulita, Mandarina is majestically positioned between the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The new resort and residential community not only boasts an unreal locale, it’s also home to the very first collection of One&Only branded residences. The 55 ultra-private villas will embody everything travelers have come to expect from the brand’s elevated level of luxury.

 

Each residence is uniquely designed to showcase the best ocean views while maintaining complete privacy amid the tropical landscape. Offered in four-, five- and eight-bedroom options, the villas are situated along the southern peak. Spanning approximately 5,000 up to nearly 11,000 square feet of indoor space, these abodes definitely don’t skimp on size. Even outdoor spaces wow from 2,500 up to 8,000 square feet of space, decked out with terraces, garden areas and infinity-edge pools overlooking the jungle and coastline.

 

Community amenities at Mandarina are unique and varied. Most notably, the Mandarina Polo & Equestrian Club will feature a polo lounge, horseback riding tours and lessons, weekly charro nights and kids’ activities plus host international yearly events. The Outpost will be the go-to for adventures of all kinds from tennis and pickle ball to a Jungle Course and excursions. Family-friendly Canalan Beach Club will feature an infinity-edge pool, water adventures, dining and spa treatments. Residents can also explore the Estuary by waterways via calm waters or head to The Farm, an all-encompassing culinary experience. The Farm features gardens from which ingredients will be used at a farm-to-table restaurant.

 

Additionally, residents will be able to enjoy access to One&Only Mandarina. The neighboring resort is set to debut in 2020 and will offer a myriad of amenities. The whole family can spend the day at the shorefront One&Only Majahua Beach Club or at The Plateau, a hillside destination with infinity-edge pools, cabanas, all-day dining, a bar and custom boutique. Other not-to-miss features include The Point, an adult-only destination; The Jetty, the starting point for water adventures and a place to moor yachts; One&Only Spa; and an 85,000-sq.-ft. Kids’ Club.

 

Starting at $4.5 million.

 

*Originally posted on InMexico

As winter doldrums set in and tropical vacations are on our minds, ultra-luxury resort operator One&Only is tantalizing high-net-worth people with 55 resort-branded residences perched on the cliffs above the Riviera Nayarit in Mexico.

 

Priced from $4 million to $12 million, each villa has been designed by Tucson-based architect Rick Joy.

 

Sales have begun at Mandarina, which is less than an hour from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, along a one-mile stretch of beach. The development eventually will include a 108-room hotel, a second hotel, an additional group of resort-branded residences by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, a beachfront polo field and an equestrian center along with the 55 One & Only residences.

 

Planned amenities in addition to the Mandarina Polo and Equestrian Club include the Jetty harbor, a spa, two beach clubs with pools, terraces, dining areas, massage spaces, a farm and restaurant and a trail system for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

 

Others include the Plateau, a dining and swimming area overlooking the Jetty, and the Point, a mountainside indoor-outdoor restaurant and swimming pool.

 

The One&Only residences, each with ocean views, have 7,500 to 13,500 square feet with four to eight bedrooms.

 

Each has indoor-outdoor living with interior rooms connected with walls of glass to terrace, pool and garden areas. Each villa comes with a private infinity-edge pool overlooking the jungle, coastline and ocean.

 

*Originally posted on The Washington Post

You know that feeling when you’re staying at a hotel so nice you start thinking, “If only I could just move here.”

 

Starting in 2019, Mandarina — a new $1 billion luxury residential and hotel resort in Mexico’s coastal jungle — will let guests do just that.

 

The development, an hour north of Puerto Vallarta on the Riviera Nayarit, will be anchored by two luxury hotels — one by One&Only and the other by Rosewood. Mandarina will also have privately-owned residences by each brand, along with a tantalizing array of equestrian, wellness, and aquatic activities, all spread over more than 600 acres.

 

The residences at One&Only Mandarina were developed by One&Only Private Homes, the company’s first-ever branded real estate venture, and will include 55 villas built on spacious lots scattered along the coast and jungle (there are 48 still available). Residents will get a corner of paradise all to themselves, while still accessing the fine restaurants, open air spa, and extensive equestrian facilities available to guests of the hotel — all included with the villa’s purchase. In case that’s not enough, villa owners also get several amenities reserved just for them, including in-residence private dining and spa services, one-on-one training sessions, personal shopping, and boat moorage at Mandarina’s jetty.

 

Award-winning architect Rick Joy, known for his sleek, earth hugging designs, aimed to bring the outdoors into the concept for the property’s four-, five-, and eight-bedroom villas. Each one has huge windows, stucco walls, and concrete floors that incorporate soil sourced right from the resort, as well as Rosa Morada hardwood harvested from elsewhere in Mexico.

 

Because “experience” is the key word in any luxury hospitality venture these days, Mandarina’s residents and hotel dwellers alike will have plenty experiential offerings to choose from. There’s a fire pit perched at the tip of a jetty, which can be reserved for sunset dinners. Kids will get to groom ponies and embark on jungle discovery adventures, complete with tree houses, hanging bridges and a butterfly sanctuary. Mandarina will also feature state-of-the-art polo grounds, dressage and jumping arenas, and that staple of Mexican beach vacations: moonlit horseback rides along the water.

 

The biggest draw may be what nature, not humans, created: sandy beaches, mammoth cliffs and a dense, high canopy jungle. The property, about two thirds the size of Central Park, sits on super-fertile volcanic land — making it green as far as the eye can see.

 

“You feel like you’re somewhere in Thailand or Indonesia because of the lush vegetation and dramatic coastline that falls into the ocean,” Ricardo Santa Cruz, a founding partner of Mandarina, said in an interview.

 

Santa Cruz, a dual citizen of Mexico and the U.S. who worked in medical technology before developing hotels, said he’s made it a priority to be a good environmental steward and neighbor to the locals. To help residents of Monteón, a town of a few thousand inhabitants just north of Mandarina, the developers invested $3 million in infrastructural and cultural projects, including building a water treatment plant, a church, and a community beach club, he said.

 

This fits in with a broader trend among the region’s hoteliers to promote balance, not just with yoga mats and surfboards, but as a development ethos — capturing tourist dollars while preserving natural resources and supporting local economies. Resorts up and down the coast have been getting environmental certifications, with initiatives like installing energy efficient elevators, helping protect sea turtles, and switching to biodegradable chemicals. Meanwhile, the government has been cleaning beach waters and restoring coral reefs damaged by tourists.

 

As the number of resorts on the Riviera grows, along with their footprint, the ability to strike this balance could mean the difference between selling a snippet of paradise today and allowing others to enjoy it tomorrow.

 

The villas at One&Only Mandarina, priced between $4.5 and $12 million, are on sale now and should be move-in ready late next year.

 

*Originally posted on Travel & Leisure

The coast along Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit offers sandy beaches, lush jungles and a neighbor with a career 2.85 ERA.

 

San Francisco Giants pitcher Mark Melancon has a new vacation home under construction at the One&Only Mandarina Private Homes development along Mexico’s Pacific coastline. In April, a team from the project’s developers flew up to San Francisco to stake out the dimensions of Melancon’s future getaway in the outfield at Oracle Park so he could take a final walk-through before construction started, The Wall Street Journal reported.

 

The development includes a total of 55 villas neighboring the One&Only Mandarina resort. Here’s a look at one of them which could be yours for $10 million, courtesy of The Agency:

 

Price: $10 million

 

Bedrooms: 7

 

Bathrooms: 7

 

Square feet: 9,680 interior, 6,080 exterior

 

This development marks the first branded residences from One&Only, the luxury resort operator. Each villa is architecturally unique and designed to blend into its particular location, with each nestled into the mountainside jungle but positioned to maximize sunlight, ocean breeze and views.

 

The villas each feature air and water purification and dehumidification systems. Each is designed with custom woodwork, stone accents and earthy tones.

 

In addition to seven bedrooms and bathrooms, this particular villa also includes two powder rooms and a service bathroom, a media room, office, Jacuzzi, entertainment area and laundry room.

 

The master bedroom has its own exterior shower and patio.

 

There’s also a garage for three SUVs and two golf carts, which are used for getting around the resort.

 

Ownership comes with all the amenities of staying at the Mandarina resort, including a spa, Oceanside club, restaurants and nature-driven kids’ club.

 

The resort also takes care of maintenance for each villa, and offers in-villa services and grocery pre-stocking. They can even rent the villa out for owners who want to earn some income from the property.

 

*Originally posted on Fox Business

One&Only Resorts is known for ultra-luxury hotels in outposts like Cape Town, the Maldives and Dubai, where it operates a beachfront retreat on an artificial island. Now it’s selling private homes in a $1 billion development near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

 

It’s the first time the resort operator, owned by Dubai-based Kerzner International Holdings Ltd., has stamped its brand on a residence. Late last year, partners RLH Properties and RSC Development pre-sold the first five One&Only-branded homes in the new development, Mandarina.

 

The initial phase of the project, designed by the architect Rick Joy to incorporate jungle vegetation and dramatic cliffside drops to the Pacific, includes 55 branded residences, priced between $4 million and $12 million, and a 108-room One&Only hotel. The development will eventually include a second hotel and another group of branded homes, to be operated by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Inc., as well as a beachfront polo field and equestrian center.

 

“The community that these people are buying into, they realize this is the last large tract of land,” said Ricardo Santa Cruz, chief executive of RSC Development. “It’s very difficult to replicate, if you’re interested in this part of the country.”

 

Hotel developers have long cherished the idea of slapping luxury hotel brands on private homes, selling buyers on access to concierge services and the cachet of names like Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton, and using the proceeds from early sales to fund hotel construction. Hospitality companies get a piece of the sales price and can add vacation rentals to their product mix, since many owners rent their homes when they’re not using them.

 

“In our ultra-luxury clientele, more and more people are traveling with their extended family,” said Philippe Zuber, president and chief operating officer of One&Only. He said the company is planning branded residences in Montenegro, Mauritius and Kea, an island in Greece.

 

*Originally posted on Bloomberg

When Mexican real estate developer and president of RSC, Ricardo Santa Cruz, and the RLH Properties team found the Mandarina coastline property in 2008, they couldn’t believe the treasure they had stumbled upon. The uninterrupted 636-acre parcel of immaculate Nayarit coastline, jungle, and estuary was within driving distance of Puerto Vallarta but completely removed from the busyness of modern society.

 

Thus began a 2.5-year saga of acquiring the veritable jigsaw puzzle of farmer-owned land. RLH Properties negotiated sales with each of the 58 families, promising to create a vision that would benefit the local community while bringing in sustainable tourism to an area overshadowed by established resorts to the south.

“We are not speculators,” Santa Cruz says. “We’re there to stay and create a world-class resort destination. [These families] would receive and participate in the benefits from the development.”

 

RLH Properties devised a “branded residence” and hotel hybrid layout. The caveat was that this escape, which would be of the highest quality, had to incorporate the natural environment into the development. The team signed operational agreements with One&Only (marking the brand’s first foray into private residences) and Rosewood to provide trademark experiences.

 

In total, the One&Only side of the grounds will have 55 private homesites ranging from $4 million to $12 million; there will also be 108 suites. The property will have a year’s head start on Rosewood, opening in mid-2019. Rick Joy Architects (of Amangiri fame) took the landscape into account and used the natural features of the land as the foundation for each property. As a result, no two homes are exactly the same.

 

Although the sum equals a medium-sized resort, each suite and homesite is spread out with an average density of one building per 2.4 acres. Residences are nestled among old-growth trees or set atop steep hillsides. Owners can choose between land with a shaded canopy, expansive views of the Pacific Ocean, or both.

 

It’s an intoxicating experience that begins detoxifying the soul mere minutes after arrival.

 

The vision is slowly coming to life through individual locales that blend seamlessly into whichever of the three microclimates they happen to be situated in. Six of the first 18 sites have been sold, including Lot 14—the highest buildable hilltop on the property. The site offers dramatic 360-degree views of all three microclimates plus the Sierra Vallejo Mountains towering behind the resort.

 

Mandarina will also include all the top-tier amenities that One&Only is known for. Unique to this property, a 22,000-square-foot spa and wellness center will harmonize between four large Higuera Blanca trees, which anchor an enclave fittingly located near the center of that side of the development. It will have an authentic temazcal (ancient Mayan healing) practice plus several treatment rooms built around the trees. It’s just one example of the strict preservation philosophy that’s built into Mandarina’s DNA.

 

“We definitely wanted to create as little impact as possible,” Santa Cruz says. “In Mandarina, we made the decision that the natural vegetation already there was so precious and irreplaceable, you’re actually buying time. That becomes the property’s biggest asset.”

 

They’re also doing their part to protect the ancient heritage of the site. A full-time archaeological team is digging through centuries of dirt on the grounds to preserve artifacts of the Cora and Huichol tribes, which still call this part of Nayarit home. Rocks with 500-year-old markings are fenced off around the property during construction and will be incorporated into the final layout.

 

The team is looking to the future, too. Mandarina’s labor force is predominantly local, and the accompanying investment is helping neighboring communities stake their claim against Punta de Mita, Sayulita, and Puerto Vallarta to the south. RLH Properties gave the tiny neighboring community of El Montéon a classic beach club with basic amenities and a water tower securing potable drinking water—two things the 2,500-person town never had before. Tourists are beginning to discover El Montéon, and a real estate boom is underway.

 

As much as Mandarina is going to redefine the standard for luxury in Mexico, it’s going to do so in an understated way that matches its future residents and guests.

 

Perhaps this is best understood when viewing the expanse from the water. Beyond some of the gathering spaces hugging those sharp Pacific cliffs, the residences and suites will blend into the jungle by design, remaining virtually unnoticeable.

 

For the discerning individual, the residential community will offer the ultimate luxury—the rare chance to disengage completely from modern chaos and reconnect with nature.

 

*Originally posted on Robb Report