Andaz Mayakoba Review: Visiting during the pandemic

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After nearly a year without traveling, we decided to end 2020 with a trip to Mexico. We’d heard from many friends who had traveled to Mexico how well they were handling Covid protocols. We flew to Cancun and stayed a week at Andaz Mayakoba using our Hyatt points. Andaz Mayakoba was voted the #1 resort in Mexico by the Condé Nast Travelers Readers’ Choice Awards in 2020. The resort is in a private gated complex with the best hotels of the Mexican Riviera Maya. Andaz Mayakoba felt safe thanks to many Covid precautions to keep guests protected during the pandemic. Here’s our experience at this luxury Riviera Maya resort during the pandemic.

How we booked our stay at Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya

The Mayakoba Andaz is a Hyatt Category 6 hotel requiring 25,000 Hyatt points per night for a standard room. You can earn Hyatt points through paid hotel stays or through the World of Hyatt credit card, which you can learn more about here as well as our favorite travel reward credit cards. We didn’t have enough Hyatt points for 7 nights.  Since Chase is a transfer parter of Hyatt, we transferred enough Chase points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio to cover the remainder of points that we needed.

As Hyatt Globalists, we were eligible for a suite upgrade based on availability at check-in. Another option was to redeem one of our confirmed suite upgrade awards in advance to guarantee a suite. Thank you Andaz Mayakoba for helping us confirm a Lagoon View Suite ahead of our stay.

Andaz Mayakoba Covid Protocols

We chose Andaz Mayakoba to visit during the pandemic because we had been there before (read our review from our previous stay). We knew that the resort was very spread out and private, allowing us to be socially distant from other guests and away from the crowds of tourists that flock to Cancun. We loved the fact that the resort is located within a gated complex that only allows hotel guests to enter, keeping it more protected than most resorts. Before entering the complex, a gate attendant took the temperature of everyone in our car and verified that our name was on the guest registry.

Upon arriving at the resort, we received a document explaining the Covid protocols. We were required to complete a health questionnaire to screen for Covid symptoms and verify that we had no risk factors. Guests are required to wear masks throughout the resort while in public areas. Exceptions are while seated for dining, while seated at the beach or pool area, and while in the pool or ocean. Tables and chairs are spaced 6 feet apart from other parties to allow for social distancing.

Another Covid protocol is temperature checks before entering any of the Andaz Mayakoba restaurants. We appreciated this measure as it made us feel even safer. We occasionally noticed guests walking around the resort without masks and were relieved to see that staff asked them to comply with the mask policy. Compared to some of the stories we’ve heard about resorts in Cancun, this Mayakoba resort takes its Covid protocols seriously to keep its guests safe.

As part of the @AndazMayakoba #COVID protocols, temperature checks are performed before entering any of the restaurants. There are hand sanitizing stations all throughout the resort. We felt at ease staying at this @Andaz property. #WorldTravelAdventurers #Hyatt pic.twitter.com/EbspkaM6lw

— World Travel Adventurers (@ProTravelHacker) March 13, 2021

The resort also offers free antigen Covid testing to 2 guests per room with a 3 night minimum stay. Results are given within 20 minutes. Extra antigen tests cost $40 USD. PCR Covid tests are also available for $170 US. These must be booked 24 hours in advance and results are delivered within 12 hours. With the requirement for anyone entering the US from abroad, it is convenient that the resort offers complimentary testing on-site so you don’t even need to leave the resort.

We were curious to see how Andaz Mayakoba Resort would handle its breakfast buffet at Cocina Milagro, which was a highlight during our previous stay. Thankfully they were able to open the buffet with some modifications to keep everyone safe. They installed tall plexiglass barriers to surround the buffet so that guests were not able to serve themselves. Guests were required to wear masks when approaching the buffet and the masked staff behind the plexiglass plated the food.

Personal Host for Hyatt Globalists

We were pleasantly surprised this visit by a new perk for Hyatt Globalists- a personal host. Denisse was our hostess during our stay and checked on us every day to see if we needed anything. She made us reservations for dinner and activities and arranged for housekeeping to give us extra snacks in our mini bar. Whenever we saw her around the resort, she asked if we needed anything. She made sure we were aware of the schedule of daily activities. She was incredibly sweet and helpful. Having a personal hostess is one of the best perks we’ve had as Hyatt Globalists, and it made us feel well taken care of throughout our stay.

Lagoon Side Vs. Beach Side

We stayed in a Lagoon View Suite during our week at Andaz Mayakoba. We were there over Christmas and New Years so the resort was busy. We were hoping to get upgraded to a beachfront suite during our stay like during our last visit, but they were fully booked. Make sure to check out our Andaz Mayakoba review from our first trip to see the Ocean View Suite and Beachfront Suite. Check there for more details on the rest of the resort that we covered thoroughly previously.

Now that we’ve stayed on both the lagoon and beach sides of the resort, we can compare them. It was convenient being located in the building right next to Cocina Milagro, where we had breakfast every day. We were also right across from the Kids Club, which would have been convenient if we had used it this stay. We wanted to spend our time together as a family and stay socially distanced from other guests, so didn’t utilize the Kids Club except for one quick visit to make a piñata together.

A third benefit of the lagoon side is that the lagoon pools are more ideal for families. They have hot tubs whereas the beach pool does not. The lagoon pools are also more suited for young children with kiddie areas, a splash pad, and several fully shaded cabanas that are free to use. Casa Amate, the spa, and the fitness center are also located on the lagoon side which was convenient.

However, we came to Mexico for the beach. We preferred staying near the beach and enjoying views of the turquoise ocean over the lagoon. Since the lagoon side and the beach side are quite far from each other, you need to either ride bikes or get a ride on a golf cart when you have young kids. We had difficulty finding enough bikes for our family to ride to the beach every morning after breakfast, when everyone on the lagoon side seemed to head to the beach and snatch up all the bikes. We sometimes waited 15 minutes or more for a golf cart to take us to the beach.

This was a small inconvenience but when we were running late for our guacamole class at the beach we really noticed how long it took. So depending on how you plan to spend your time at the resort, you might prefer the lagoon side, especially if you’ll be taking advantage of the free Kids Club. If you plan to spend the majority of your time at the beach, then you’ll want to book a room on the beach side of the property.

Lagoon View Suite

Our Lagoon View Suite had the same layout as our Beachfront and Oceanview suites, but with slightly less square footage indoors and larger balconies. The Lagoon View suite is 1,044 square feet with 2 balconies- one off the bedroom and one off the living room. We loved having the spacious balconies with our private plunge pool, which was larger than the plunge pool at the beach suites.

Our suite had a spacious living room with a couch converted into a daybed, desk area, and mini bar. We added a rollaway bed for my mom and the kids were able to share the daybed since they are still small enough.

Our suite had a bedroom with a king size bed, small table with 2 chairs, spacious walk-in closet, and second balcony. A flat screen TV and minimalist decor inspired by Mayan culture decorated the walls.

Our Andaz Mayakoba suite bathroom had dual marble sinks and a very long vanity which was helpful for our family to have enough space. There was a huge walk-in rain shower with refillable bottles of luxe bath products that smelled fabulous. There was a separate room with a toilet and additional sink, which came in very handy.

All rooms at the Andaz Mayakoba include a mini bar stocked with complimentary non-alcoholic beverages like water, juice, soda, and iced tea. A nespresso machine and tea bags are included in the mini bar area for free coffee and tea daily. Alcoholic drinks like beer, wine, and liquor are also available for purchase in the mini bar. They also provide complimentary snacks that are replenished daily, which included pringles, sour gummy candies, and chocolate-covered cereal bars. Our kids loved the free snacks which we took to the beach every day to keep them satisfied in between meals.

Guests also receive free flip flops to take home and use of a beach bag to borrow for the stay. Disposable masks and hand sanitizer were available in our room as well as throughout the resort. Bathrobes and slippers are also provided in each room. We didn’t ask about robes for kids so aren’t sure if they have small ones.

Andaz Mayakoba Restaurants

Andaz Mayakoba has 5 dining options ranging from casual to formal. At the beach side of the resort, Tinta del Pulpo serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual atmosphere by the pool.  You can order food from the beach itself until 5pm. It was so convenient to eat in our beach loungers while the kids played until sunset. We loved the burgers, chicken nachos, and tacos. One thing we really appreciated about this Andaz (and Andaz Payagayo) is that kids under 6 eat free and kids under 12 eat for half price off the regular menu. We needed to remind our servers about this the first day, but they automatically remembered for the rest of the trip.

Sotavento offers a casual but more sophisticated dinner on the beach, serving fresh seafood, salads, and dessert. We never ate there but heard great things from families we met who did. They loved how they could enjoy a leisurely dinner on the beach while their kids played in the sand late into the evening.

Vegan Bar (VB) is another option for lunch with smoothies, fresh juices, and healthy vegan meals. We had some delicious margaritas after our guacamole class on the outdoor terrace. While we did not eat there, we heard the food was fantastic.

Casa Amate is a formal restaurant at Andaz Mayakoba overlooking the lagoon serving Latin American cuisine. The restaurant is designed to look like a private residence with a cozy library, dining room, bar, and outdoor courtyard for dining.

We enjoyed a special reception for Hyatt Globalists during our stay with complimentary cocktails and canapés. We were able to meet the chef and mingle with hotel management, which was a real treat. We left the kids with my mom that night and enjoyed a date night at Casa Amate, which was incredibly romantic sitting near the fireplace. Thank you Andaz for treating us to an exceptional dinner. Casa Amate not surprisingly was voted one of the best 120 restaurants in Mexico.

Cocina Milagro is also on the lagoon side and is where we enjoyed breakfast daily. We highly recommend the bountiful breakfast buffet which has Mexican cuisine and American breakfast options like eggs, waffles, and bacon. The restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner, although we only ate there for breakfast since we spent our days at the beach.

In-room dining is also available 24 hours/day. We enjoyed dinner in the room one night when we were just too tired to make it out to a restaurant that night.

Activities at Andaz Mayakoba Resort

One of the things we love about Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya is the daily schedule of activities to keep guests entertained. Andaz Mayakoba had a full schedule of events during the holidays. We enjoyed a circus show, fire show, Mayan butterfly release ceremony, New Years Eve pool party and fireworks celebration, Margarita making class, guacamole making class, yoga, and pilates. All of these activities were complimentary! There were also activities and special dining events that had an additional cost, such as a Mezcal tasting class (which we took last time), a Mexican fiesta, and New Years Eve dinners at each of the restaurants.

We also took the free private lagoon cruise around the Mayakoba complex and spotted a small crocodile, many species of birds, iguanas, and fish. Whatever you do at Andaz Mayakoba, don’t miss this experience! It is nice to see the other hotels that make up the Mayakoba complex. You also get a view of the Mayakoba Golf Course.

We are not into golf but the Mayakoba golf course is highly rated and attracts golfers from around the world. The Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon Golf Course is the first PGA tour golf course in Latin America. The 18-hole golf course stretches through the different eco-systems of Mayakoba, including mangroves, the lagoon, and the oceanfront.

El Camaleon #Golf course designed by Greg Norman is the first @PGATOUR golf course in Latin America. 📌 #AndazMayakoba @Andaz @AndazMayakoba #WorldTravelAdventurers #VisitMexico pic.twitter.com/WOn7XNe2Mr

— World Travel Adventurers (@ProTravelHacker) March 13, 2021

Final thoughts on visiting Andaz Mayakoba during the pandemic

Andaz Mayakoba was a breath of fresh air and exactly what we needed to end the year on a high note. It was so refreshing to feel our feet in the sand and the sun on our skin after such a challenging year. We felt safe at Andaz Mayakoba thanks to their rigorous Covid protocols. As per the CDC recommendations, we all tested negative prior to our travel to Mexico. Although it was just a CDC recommendation when we went, (it became a requirement on January 26, 2021), we all got tested for Covid 5 days after returning from Mexico and quarantined for 7 days at home. We all tested negative and were grateful to have had a safe reprieve from pandemic fatigue. Have you traveled during the pandemic? Let us know your experience in the comments!

*The editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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