Ultra-Luxury Resort to Open on Mexico's Riviera Maya

Riviera Maya, an unspoiled luxurious destination located along the lush Yucatan Peninsula, furthers its appeal with the opening of Grand Velas All Suites & SPA Resort, representing the next iteration of the all-inclusive, ultra-luxury resort experience. Building on the success of its AAA Five-Diamond sister resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Grand Velas Riviera Maya offers unsurpassed service, amenities and programs in each one of its key experiences: accommodations, food and beverage, spa, meetings and events facilities, design and ecological and cultural enrichment programs. Grand Velas' Preview Opening, November 21, 2008, provides guests the opportunity to be the first to experience select resort services and amenities, with the debut of all resort facilities and amenities happening in early January 2008.

During the preview opening weeks, travelers will be able to indulge and save with Grand Velas' introductory package including Master Suite accommodations and an $80 spa credit for $443 USD per person, per night, based on double occupancy.
"After many months of planning, applying painstaking detail to every aspect of this marvelous resort, we are thrilled to announce the Preview Opening of Grand Velas Riviera Maya at the end of this month. It will be a rejuvenating, inspiring and serene haven that will undoubtedly raise the bar for all-inclusive resorts. It offers everything a guest desires from exceptional service to gourmet dining and a spa experience of a lifetime," said Fernando Garcia Rossette, Grand Velas' managing director.

Featuring 86 acres of luxurious living within 495 spacious suites boasting views of the azure Caribbean Sea or vibrant jungle vegetation and ranging in size from 1,184 to 3,767 square feet, Grand Velas offers the most extensive cache of luxurious and personalized amenities of any all-inclusive resort in Mexico including: a 76,640 square-foot spa with 40 spa treatment rooms and suites, 91,457 square-feet of indoor and outdoor flexible meeting space, 11 food and beverage options, 24-hour in-suite dining, dedicated butler concierge services, waterfront plunge pools, indoor whirlpool bathtubs, children's activities programs and state-of-the-art fitness center. All of this nestled within the natural wonders of stunning sugar-sand beaches, jungle flora and fauna and protected mangroves. Situated just 35 minutes from Cancun airport, the resort is also an easy 7 minute drive from downtown Playa del Carmen.

Stylish Suites, Amenities and Service
All guest suites are luxuriously appointed with clean-lined, neutral-toned bedding and seating in shades of cream, taupe and brown merge with plush accessories and custom-commissioned artwork by local master artisans delivering bold punches of tropical color. Dark wooden accent walls add warmth and sensuality while travertine floors and slab countertops add soothing and cooling air after days spent in the tropical sun. Thoughtful amenities such as whirlpool bathtubs, 42" flat screen plasma televisions, wireless internet access, deluxe bathroom amenities by Molton Brown, remote-controlled window coverings , DVD, CD and MP3 players, iPod docking stations, all-inclusive stocked minibar, 24-hour in-room suite service and oceanfront and jungle terraces, some with private outdoor plunge pools complement the guest room experience.

Ricardo Elias, principal of Elias and Elias Architects in Guadalajara, who designed the highly acclaimed Grand Velas in Nuevo Vallarta, returned to Grand Velas as the architectural designer for the Riviera Maya location. The resort's interior design was created by architects Roberto Elias and Ernesto Vela and interior designer Melin Castro. Grand Velas' clever design offers a distinct experience for every traveler in mind. Guests may choose to stay in a private, adults-only suite with stunning oceanfront views, a spacious family –friendly suite featuring ocean views or a business traveler may choose to stay in the zen Master ambiance in the midst of lush jungle landscape and within optimal proximity to the convention center and spa. Each of the three distinct resort ambiances reflects the location on the property and every traveler will be able to find a "resort within a resort" to fit their travel needs.

Grand Velas Spa
Experience a journey for the senses at Grand Velas' world-class Spa sanctuary. Surrounded by a verdant jungle, the Spa features 76,640 square feet of pure indulgence with 40 treatment rooms and suites complemented with native artwork and furnishings. The ultimate Spa experience begins with personalized spa butler service and personal care amenities such as a plush robe and spa sandals. Guests refresh in the Spa's adjoining men's and women's hydrotherapy facilities, which feature dry saunas, cold plunge pools, vitality pools, whirlpools, herbal steam rooms with color-therapy, clay and ice rooms, and experience showers. Self-service juice and fruit bars are located in men's and women's sensory relaxation rooms and both areas include skin care diagnostic and consultation rooms. A women's meditation room is also available in the Spa environment and for a VIP Spa experience, there are luxurious Spa treatment suites for privacy and relaxation. Some Spa suites are equipped with hydro-massage tubs and one suite includes a double Jacuzzi tub.

Conceptualized by world-renowned spa consultant and frequent industry lecturer Diana Mestre, the spa specializes in its Seven Journeys flight of signature treatments including: Mediterranean Voyage, Travels through India, Natures Aromatherapy Trail, World Travels, Men's Journey, Inner Journey, a Kid's Rainbow Journey and its Journey through Native Mexico. In addition to the "Seven Journeys" treatment, the Spa offers an extensive menu of services for every spa enthusiast including the Riviera Maya Ritual, which includes Whirlpool sauna, crystal steam room, eucalyptus inhalation, pressure shower, Swiss shower, hydro-reflexology and hot and cold water lagoon immersion. Holistic packages, salon services and traditional Spa treatments including massage, body wraps, facials and manicures are also available for spa-goers. The Grand Velas spa also delivers hydrotherapy benefits via its eight, specially designed water features. For those guests who want to continue the spa experience at home, the resort's Spa Boutique retails premium spa products from sophisticated brands including Spain’s Natura Bisse, France's Decleor, the Ayurvedic Sundari line, and the Italian line Comfort Zone, as well as an array of indigenous regional products, gifts and personal luxuries.

Resort Dining
Grand Velas offers the most varied, fresh, gourmet and sensory food and beverage program in the Riviera Maya, offering a virtual gastronomic voyage to all corners of the earth by way of its12 food & beverage outlets. Its abundant dining offerings allow guests to explore and savor a worldly fusion of flavors without leaving the comfort of the resort. World-renowned Spanish chefs create haute Spanish cuisine at the resort's Signature Restaurant by Bruno Oteiza and Mikel Alonso. Other on-property fine dining options include Frida, offering Mexican Fine dining in a contemporary and relaxing atmosphere by Chef Daniel Garcia Gomez, and Piaf, which serves gourmet French specialties from celebrated chef Michel Mustiere. Similar to its French chanteuse namesake, Piaf is a bold and artistic dining experience. At Sen Lin Restaurant, the resort's tribute to upscale Asian dining, Chef Antonio Gonzalez Cortuza borrows from the most significant aspects of Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine to reinterpret the best of northeastern and southeastern Asian cuisine.

For guests seeking a casual dining experience, the mellow all-day dining restaurant Azul offers panoramic beach vistas and a relaxing, open-air in which to indulge in international cuisine with menus designed by the resort's Executive Chef Patrick Louis. Bistro serves French brasserie favorites, while Chaká serves and array of organic all-day menu items with delicious deserts, wines and coffees in an ambiance embraced by mangroves a lush tropical jungle. The resort also features open-air snack bars situated around the property, 24-hour In-Suite Dining and four diverse bars, including the Sky Bar, Sen Lin Bar, Lobby Bar, Karaoke Bar and Aqua Bar, that offer innovative libations and sensory ambiances for every mood.

Meetings and Events at Grand Velas
The resort's 91,457 square feet of indoor and outdoor meetings and events space offers an efficient and versatile canvas for creating scenic events and business gatherings from 10 to 3,000 guests. In addition to the expansive meeting locations, the resort offers top-of-the-line audio-visual equipment, technical support, CD and DVD reproduction, secretarial and translation services, the largest lift in the area suitable for large promotional items such as a car and a fully-equipped business center. With its convenient location to the airport, special pre and post group rates, and easy access to an abundance of local activities, Grand Velas is a perfect destination for a meeting and a vacation all in one. The resort's expert meetings and events team is dedicated to deliver accessible, well-equipped and exceptional meetings and events tailored to every guest need.

Grand Velas All Suites And Spa Resort Riviera Maya represents the latest and most sophisticated iteration of the ultra-luxury, all-inclusive resort experience. Building on the success of its AAA 5-Diamond-ranked sister property in Nuevo Vallarta, this Leading Hotels of the World designated resort is the preeminent one of its class boasting 495 suites, each more than 1,000 square-feet, in three separate ambiances-- adult-only Oceanfront Ambassador Grand Class Suites, family-friendly Ambassador Suites and Master Suites embraced by the flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula's jungle. The resort presents a gastronomic tour of the Yucatan, Europe and Asia offering seven restaurants with world-class chefs from France, Spain and Mexico; the region's largest spa sanctuary at more-than 76,000 square-feet specializing in signature treatments inspired by ancient cultures from around the world; dedicated butler service for each guest and a 91,457 square-foot convention center ideal for business and social gatherings of all sizes, including weddings. The resort was designed by lauded Mexican architecture firm Elias and Elias and features the sleek and modish interiors that fuse the serenity of the Caribbean with the vibrancy of Yucatan cultures. 40 miles from Cancun International Airport, Grand Velas Riviera Maya has 1,500 employees delivering a three to one employee to guest ratio and was developed by Jalisco, Mexico-based Grupo Velas.

For more information on Mexico's most refined Caribbean sojourn, visit www.grandvelas.com.