UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya: A Sanctuary of Style, Soul, and Sun

It’s 6:45 AM when Ana steps onto the wooden deck of UNICO 20°87° Hotel. The sunrise over the Caribbean frames her in a soft, golden haze, painting turquoise waves in pastel hues of lavender and peach. In this moment—feet bare on the sand-warmed planks, sea-breeze tousling her hair—Ana feels as though she’s stepped into another world, one shaped by relaxation and refinement, under the shade of Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

The hotel introduces itself gently: a long lagoon pool reader’s paradise, minimalist white loungers, and swaying palms aligned like sentinels. Breakfast awaits at Loma, the all‑day restaurant, sleek wooden booths set with fresh papaya, tamarillo juice, chilaquiles verde, and coffee from Chiapas. The kitchen pulses with energy but hums with Mexi‑Chic ease; smiling servers bring Ana plate after generous plate. She’s here for a week of “un‑doing”—no schedule, no yardstick—just sound, taste, scent, slow movement.

1. Design with Purpose

Every inch of UNICO 20°87°—named for its latitude and longitude—was crafted to bring you closer to the natural rhythm of the region. Conceived by Mexican architect José Chávez Morado, the design eschews monumental facades in favor of stepped terraces, lush planter niches, textured stucco, and curved ceilings inspired by Mayan cenotes.

Rooms lean into the light and breeze: floor‑to‑ceiling glass doors open to plunge pools hidden behind bougainvillea, hammocks worth lingering in, and powder-soft linens unrifled even as you slip into them. The color palette—pale terracotta, sand‑cream, jade green—feels indigenous yet art‑gallery fresh. Terra cotta lamps glow at night, casting cicada‑song shadows on hand‑woven rug patterns. The feeling in each suite is part oasis, part private art exhibit.

2. A Kitchen as Compass

Though UNICO is “all‑inclusive,” it’s not heavy on buffets or big‑box convenience. It takes food seriously. One night, Ana dines at Agave, the hotel’s upscale restaurant. Beneath a canopy of strings and papyrus lanterns, she watches as waiters sling tableside drinks—a mezcal hibiscus cocktail tangled with edible orchids—and weave mezcal de la casa.

Her starter arrives: tuna crudo spooned in orange‑lime espuma, sprinkled with micro‑cilantro and pickled carambola. It hits her tongue with purposeful balance, both bright and oily. The mains? A charcoal‑piqued U.S. grass‑fed ribeye rescued by marjoram-butter and roasted bone marrow, deftly plated beside charred baby corn and a smooth mole negro. Dessert is burnished banana brûlée with coconut‑lime espuma—a tribute to the gulf’s palms.

Agave’s wine list includes over 300 entries, with an emphasis on Mexican varietals: Baja reds go toe‑to‑toe with more familiar labels. Each sommelier‑led flight begins with a personal story: the Baja wine‑maker who started fermentation in a cave, the family whose vineyard doubles as a horse farm. Spread over five courses and four hours, dinner is more than a meal—it is an evening of slow storytelling.

3. Experiences Rooted in Place

UNICO 20°87° uses Riviera Maya as its muse. It offers experiences for those eager to explore beyond the property, as well as for travelers seeking to remain cocooned in its calm.

Cenote float and yoga at dawn. Ana rises early for a guided meditation on the rim of Cenote Yáax‑Há, a forest‑roofed sinkhole of shimmering aquamarine. With yoga mats tucked under her arms, she descends a carved stone stair into humid air scented with palms. Owners of the cenote—Yucatec Mayan families—welcome the guests with greeting chants. Ana floats, eyes closed, then stretches on her mat as a gentle breeze coils between roots overhead. The light shimmers like liquid topaz.

Fishing and ceviche build. One morning, with a local fisherman, Ana boards a small pangue and chases sunrise over the reef. Anchoring near barrier‑reef outcrop, they drop lines for snapper. Whether she catches one or not, the ceviche‑making workshop with Rosa—wife of the fisherman—is the day’s highlight. Rosa shows Ana how to rinse the fish in salty lagoon water, massage juice of bitter‑lime, shave habanero, shred epazote. They build ceviche tableside in a rustic palapa, straw beneath, wood‑grained boards. She tastes the ceviche by barefoot on warm sand; the acid‑heat dance across her tongue, bursting coral‑bright.

Art‑inspired trek through Tulum. Another afternoon, Ana walks with a Mexican artist through the Tulum ruins, but with a twist: her guide stops in front of a crumbling temple to describe how ancient Mayans used trigonometrical alignment to track the seasons. At a cliff‑edge viewpoint, they talk about fragmentary murals at Bonampak and iconography of feathered serpents. In a nearby gallery she sees ceramics by Codega natives, all tactile lines and jaguar glyphs. Ana picks up a small relief‑print bowl and imagines it on her kitchen table at home—proof that art can root you, distance be damned.

4. Wellness Without Pressure

UNICO’s spa—U Wellness—operates on a quiet revolutionary principle: wellness isn’t about making you suffer, but about reconnecting you gently. Treatments draw on local herbs and rituals. A “Copal Temple” massage includes warm clay poultices scented with sage, white copal resin, and rosemary steam. Later, palms are placed over the body, lavender vapor released, and a five‑minute rest on a heated quartz‑stone slab finishes the ritual.

A highlight: Sound‑bath ceremony. On the beach under a lunar‑lit sky, a Mayan shaman plays pre‑Columbian flutes and bronze bowls. Travelers lie on mats as undulating waves of chordal resonance vibrate through sand and bones. Ana feels time stretch and flush; each tone resonates like breath drawn slowly, deeply.

There’s also a movement center by the pool, with morning guided Pilates, mid‑day mobility workshops, salsa‑by‑the‑pool lessons, and squiggle art sessions—where line‑drawing on large paper is used as moving meditation. No one expects discipline; there’s no judging. Instead, each session replicates UNICO’s ethos: gentle curiosity, creative flow, authenticity as invitation.

5. Social Connection, Reimagined

UNICO’s heart is in half‑daily “shaking time” events—intentionally double‑meaning mixers where guests engage with local artists, designers, chefs.

Mezcal‑curing chorizo pop‑up. Guests gather in a garden‑courtyard around a long wooden slab. Local smokemaster Luis begins with glass‑blowing’s flame‑torch spit skewers. He cures chorizo links in mezcal vapor—smoke and spice and animal‑fat melding in midair. People eat from communal black platters, sipping cold Cervecería Mexicana lager with crushed lime. Chains of conversation spark: “Which chorizo has guajillo?” “Try mixing with pineapple kombucha.” Laughter ricochets around bougainvillea arch.

Book‑exchange bonfire. Built around a drift‑wood pyre on the beach, an evening gathering invites travelers to bring a favorite paper‑book. Ana offers Cien años de soledad, in a spontaneous ceremony of offerings. The firelight drifts; strangers share why the book mattered. A violin strings through them, electric‑blue flames flick at dusk shades. The night feels woven by words.

6. Nightlife, Remastered

UNICO eschews wild partying in favor of something quieter: a night‑owl dinner and dance venue called Luna Mía. At 9 PM, it opens through a lattice‑screen arch, revealing low‑slung lounge chairs, murmurous chatter, and DJs pulling from eclectic vinyl: afro‑Cuban, psych‑kraut‑rock, salsoul disco. There’s no reservation, no dress code—just brimless straw hats, white linens, rolled sleeves.

Ana orders a tequila‑elderflower fizz with lemon grass foam, drifting toward the dance floor. A trio begins a live salsa‑jazz set; the beat pulses, footsteps mingle, hips sway. Strangers become compatriots mid‑spin. At midnight, a moment of hush: the manager dims lights, invites anyone to dance solo. One dancer glides barefoot, arms unfolded like wings, five heartbeats of collective hush before claps return the beat. Ana joins; she dances like a spark laid upon warm breeze.

7. Sustainability as Stewardship

UNICO positions itself as softly sustainable—not greenwashing, but deep gestures in the ecosystem. Rooms have filtered‑water dispensers, woolly reef‑safe soaps, and wood‑base-free mineral sunscreen. The landscaping is planted only with endemic flora—xeriscaped, no monocrops. Property wastewater is treated through root filters; effluent irrigates landscaped gardens. The hotel donates each year to the conservation fund of the Caribbean Sea Turtle Rescue Center in Playa del Carmen.

They also employ staff from neighboring towns; cooks trained in local seafood prep; spa therapists passed through apprenticeship via community‑funded scholarships. Converse with the gardeners, and they’ll share how the jungle pool was dug by hand, each stone moved to preserve a fig‑tree canopy. It’s conscious luxury and rooted philanthropy.

8. The Last Day: A Ritual of Departure

On her final day, Ana reserves a “peak‑tide lounge ritual”—a private palapa pitched just above the breaking surf. Balcony doors open onto a shallow plunge pool; cold towels await sprayed with citrus‑basil mist. A waiter brings a mezcal sunrise: pineapple‑carrot purée, dash of spicy gin, float of smoked salt.

She reclines into a beach‑woven daybed as the tide whispers. Massage therapists circle, pulling gentle pressure from head to toe, ending with a jade‑stone gua‑sha ritual to contour her skin. Hours later, she meets the afternoon cook‑instructor for a tamale‑wrapping lesson: violet‑corn tamales folded inside banana leaves, steamed and soaked in chile rojo.

At cocktail hour she sits again on the deck, staring at the same horizon she saw the first morning. Her suitcase waits closed at the door. She feels the whole week’s trajectory—a slow deepening of presence manifesting in body‑softness and curiosity. As the final embers of sunset melt into dusk, she snapshots the sky on her phone: a reminder, yes—but also a promise to return.

Why UNICO 20°87° Unravels the Riviera Maya Narrative

• Integrated sense-of-place: This isn’t a copy‑and‑paste “beach resort.” It breathes in its cenotes, archaeologies, local flavors, and social landscapes.
• Slow‑core intentionality: Activities feel like part of a longer arc—storytelling meals, communal gatherings, roof‑to‑reef connectivity.
• Conscious but unostentatious luxury: No kimono‑four‑poster clichés. Instead, quietly luxurious materials, location‑rooted design, and environmental care that doesn’t shame, but simply does.
• Human‑centered creativity: The emphasis is on collaboration—shamans, chefs, artists, fishermen, community—all contributing to the “un‑doing” that is as much about relation as relaxation.

Final Thoughts

As Ana departs aboard a shuttle bound for Cancún International, she drapes a hand on the hot glass of the window. The air‑conditioned plane cabin will soon immerse her back into speeds, screens, schedules. But in her mind, the taste of copal incense and hibiscus‑mezcal, the echo of bronze bowl resonance, the sand‑hot stones beneath her massage‑bed feet—they linger like scattered seashells pressed into memory.

UNICO 20°87° doesn’t promise to fix you. Instead, it proposes a pause—a curated interlude in which sunlight dissolves edges, and local heartbeats resonate through carefully led exploration. If luxury is still about permission—to slow, to feel, to connect—then here, among turquoise tides and palm‑dappled light, you hold it firmly in an open hand.