W Hotels Worldwide announced plans to open W Retreat & Spa Kanai — Riviera Maya, located within an exclusive beachfront community. Nestled on the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the 180-room Retreat is being designed by Richard Meier. Owned by ALHEL and GIM Desarrollos, W Kanai will be the centerpiece of the Kanai Resort, which will include four hotels and a Beach Club.
Designed by architecture firm Richard Meier & Partners Architects, W Kanai will appear to float on a carpet of mangroves set against the horizon of sea and sky. Buildings and landscape will flow into one another, as meandering gardens and courtyards, sinuous pools and waterworks intersect with terraces and foot paths, seamlessly connecting the Retreat’s indoor and outdoor spaces. Guestrooms, designed by the New York-based firm Meyer Davis Studio, will have unobstructed views of the sea. Designed as continuous living areas, interior spaces will merge with an exterior deck furnished with lounge seating, cocktail bar, exterior tub and shower. The decks will be enclosed by retractable privacy screens and louvers.
Only six miles from Playa del Carmen and 24 miles from Cancun International Airport, guests will be able to choose from the Retreat’s line up of lifestyle programming, water sports and wellness activities, including W’s signature Away Spa, offering a detox from a long, playful night out or a refuel for whatever comes next. Boasting more than 10,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor treatment space, Away Spa will feature a range of treatments incorporating local Mexican influences in an unexpected cool and playful way. W Kanai will feature W´s signature Whatever/Whenever service philosophy, providing guests and residences with whatever they want whenever they want it. W Retreat & Spa Kanai — Riviera Maya will feature 7,500 square feet of event space overall. The Retreat’s Great Room (W’s take on the traditional ballroom) will be 3,000 square feet and wired with the latest in meetings technology. For more information, visit www.whotels.com.
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