Kymaia Hotel

Style

Shaman-approved sanctuary

Setting

Wild Oaxacan coast

Cenotes are high on many travel agendas to Mexico — and at beachfront Kymaia Hotel, a pyramid formed of neutral concrete and pale wood in Puerto Escondido, you won’t need to venture very far for a subterranean swim in one, since they have them behind the beds in some of the suites. The in-room underground reservoirs are on hand for your wellbeing journey, alongside chanting-shaman-led temazcales, ice baths and swims in the Pacific Ocean.

Facilities

Rooms

22 suites.

Checkout

11am. Check-in, 3pm. Both are flexible, on request and subject to availability.

More Details

Rates include breakfast.

Also

Unfortunately, Kymaia Hotel is not suitable if you have limited mobility, given its beachy setting and wooden pathways.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Private beach, boutique and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: air-conditioning, tea- and coffee-making kit, minibar, beach bags, mosquito repellent, linen bathrobes and organic bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

The four Horizon Oceanfront suites, which are closest to the water and in the front row (or base of the pyramid), get our vote, for obvious reasons — though the Celestial Junior Suites further back have a bath tub outside, perfect for a stargazing-enhanced soak after dark. For your very own cenote, book a Medano Senior Suite.

Poolside

The pool is open from 8am to 10pm, with a whirlpool and ice plunge ready for some hydrotherapy circuits.

Spa

At the Azumi spa, ancestral wisdom has been merged with modern practices to create a holistic wellbeing experience — you could jump between freezing and soaring temperatures in the ice bath and sauna, cleanse both body and mind by listening to the soothing chants of a shaman in the authentic Mayan sweat lodge, practise yoga with your fellow guests, or work out on the beach.

Packing Tips

Bring loose and light clothing for wafting around from beach to pool to sweat lodge to spa.

Also

If you like the look of the earthenware in use, you can stockpile it at the boutique, which stocks crafts from the Pueblo del Sol community, such as ceramics, carpentry, pottery, organic honey and coffee, and the bath products in your room.

Children

Kymaia Hotel is adults only (over-16s are welcome).

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Watch the chefs at work from one of the tables near the open kitchen, or enjoy the breeze coming in off the ocean at a seat around the fringes of the palapa.

Dress Code

It’s a relaxed affair at Septimus — maybe add some raffia accents to match the handmade lampshades. Exclusive La Cueva is your more formal option.

Hotel Restaurant

Septimus is Kymaia’s main dining space, a thatched palapa that’s open for breakfast and dinner. Just below is the more intimate La Cueva, which only has room for eight people to try its tasting menu at any given time. Breakfasts feature all-French pastries, alongside masa madre (sourdough) bread, granola and organic eggs; come dinner, it’s all about fresh pastas, catch of the day and expertly seared steaks. Everything is locally sourced, organic and overseen by Mexican masterchef Eduardo García, the founder of Máximo Bistrot and Havre 77 in Mexico City.

Hotel Bar

If you like mezcal, you’ll love Huachinango, where no fewer that 200 types are served in various formats, often muddled with passionfruit or hibiscus. Helping to soak up the mezcalitas are tacos, tostadas, ceviches and aguachiles.

Last Orders

Septimus serves breakfast from 8am to noon, and dinner from 7pm to 9.30pm. Dine at Huachinango between 12.30pm and 5pm. La Cueva opens its doors for a single sitting at 7pm on weekends.

Room Service

Meals and snacks can be served straight to your cenote between 8am and 8pm.

Planes

The easiest way to arrive is by air, since the windy mountain roads make car journeys lengthy. There are two airports: Puerto Escondido, a 45-minute drive from the hotel, and Bahías de Huatulco, which is 90 minutes away. The former mostly serves arrivals from Mexico City; the latter has flights from all over Mexico, the US and Canada. Hotel transfers start from US$90 for up to four people.

Automobiles

Should you choose to drive, there’s free, secure parking at the hotel. To reach the town of Puerto Escondido, it’s around a 40-minute drive north.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Activities on offer at Kymaia are largely centred around the local wildlife, be it bioluminescent plankton at the Manialtepec Lagoon (admired from a boat or in the water), dolphins, turtles, crocodiles or iguanas. Other reserves of note nearby include the El Guayacán wetland, conservation area of El Palmar and reforestation project at La Nopalera. You can also visit the Pueblo del Sol community to learn about artisanal crafts and the other items they create for the hotel.

Mazunte, one of Mexico’s many ‘Pueblo Mágicos’ (magic towns), can be found in the environs — staff can arrange a day trip that also takes in the ecological zone of La Ventanilla, the nudist beach at Zipolite, and a seafood pitstop followed by a swim in the cove of Puerto Angelito. The hairpin roads of Oaxaca’s coast make it a little harder to navigate, but if you fancy a drive, the port town of Puerto Escondido is a 45-minute drive north. You’ll also be able to learn how to surf, help release turtles, spend sunrise with dolphins and sunset on horseback.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .