Mexico’s One&Only Mandarina puts next-level luxury on display
A hidden retreat in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit with contextual architecture, coastal rainforest and standout food is luring style-savvy travellers.
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It’s the kind of place that reveals itself slowly, capturing your attention incrementally until you’re completely enthralled. That leisurely unveiling begins as a car whisks us an hour north from the seaside resort town of Puerto Vallarta, the gateway to Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit. The reputation of this 300-kilometre stretch of palm-clad Pacific coast has been building steadily for years. Our transfer confirms its status as an unspoilt haven of abundant rainforest, rugged cliffs and sparkling beaches. Visiting this tropical enclave, a three-hour flight from Los Angeles, feels like unearthing the next big “it” spot in Mexico. And when your destination is One&Only Mandarina, it melds off-piste adventure with next-level luxury.
The road that leads to the resort narrows to a one-lane path that pierces the jungle. I’m travelling with my husband and our daughter, and we’re all admiring the trees arcing over us in ever-greater concentrations. Mandarina is so swathed in greenery that, even after we’ve been ushered through the security gate, it doesn’t seem as though we’ve truly arrived. Then the foliage parts to reveal a large cast-iron gong made by Mexican artisans, and its subtle ring echoes across the arrival pavilion to alert the resort team that guests are here. Soon we’re welcomed by effusive staff, who hold their hands over their hearts in a gesture familiar to anyone who has stayed at One&Only’s high-end hideaways in destinations such as the Maldives, Montenegro and Malaysia among others. The group also has a second Mexico resort, One&Only Palmilla, in Los Cabos.
Mandarina debuted in late 2020 and, set on a breathtaking cliffside, it’s an architectural masterpiece. Flanked by the Sierra de Vallejo mountain range, its design coexists with ancient trees, volcanic rocks and pineapple fields. The low-impact buildings, crafted with native materials, have a graceful presence. Local cumaru hardwood traces the ceilings and slatted windows alongside earthen walls and polished concrete floors. Tropical furnishings, lively artworks and textural decorations sourced from Mexican designers complete the breezy picture. An outdoor area, recalling the porches of traditional haciendas, welcomes visitors with cosy settees and rocking chairs made of indigenous wood.
Pampered guests have their own dedicated butler and are shuttled around the grounds by buggy. At least two of our drivers confess to getting regularly lost among the tangled paths when they began working at the resort. It’s a testament to Mandarina’s eco-sensitive approach. Local botanists were enlisted to minimise the hotel’s environmental impact, while old rock carvings by the local Cora and Huichol cultures have been carefully preserved. The resort’s 105 freestanding villas and treehouses are artfully folded within the lush jungle. The treehouses have knife-edge plunge pools and unencumbered ocean views. Our spacious suite is equipped with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that look out to a pool, the endless coast, and, on one occasion, a curious coati (Mexican raccoon) darting by. Handmade textiles, blown-glass vessels and clay tea sets are beautiful adornments. Guests can also opt for one of several grand villas, akin to resorts-within-the-resort, with private pools, multiple rooms and outdoor dining terraces. Villa One, the high point, even has a private spa and gym, full-screen cinema and wine cellar.
We’re soon out and about, first tucking in to soft-shell crab tacos topped with avocado mousse at the beach club that overlooks a calm bay. Later in the day, we dine at Alma, an open-air restaurant with a garden-to-plate ethos. Many of the vegetables we try are grown on-site and all the proteins including fish are local to the region. I expected excellent seafood, but the quality of the freshly baked breads is a bonus. Executive chef Olivier Deboise singles out the beetroot flatbread as his favourite. “I created it to show that vegetables and dairy can be as fun as any kind of protein,” he tells me. The restaurant spills out onto an expansive outdoor space arrayed around a swimming pool, while an adjacent open-air bar, the aptly named Treetop, skims the surrounding rainforest canopy.
The next day promises still more incredible food – we’ve secured a reservation at Carao, the resort’s signature restaurant by acclaimed chef Enrique Olvera of Pujol in Mexico City and Cosme in New York fame. Before then, we’re grateful to explore some of the plethora of activities to offset all this fine fare. We visit the resort’s equestrian club, complete with a regulation-size polo field, and mount polo-pro steeds for a relaxing jaunt down to the estuary flatlands near the beach club. Those seeking more energetic pursuits can hike to La Abuela, or “grandmother”, a nearly 500-year-old higuera blanca tree, gear up for an exhilarating zipline through the jungle, or saddle up for a beach ride. Sailing, fishing, scuba diving and spearfishing are on offer, too. You can also venture beyond the emerald surrounds of the hotel to discover charming towns such as San Francisco and Punta Mita.
“I feel all my cares drift out the skylight window of a treatment room, a sensation that lingers as I have tea under the trees.”
I eventually make my way to a spa set in a volcanic rock garden. Treatments inspired by Indigenous and pre-Hispanic cultures include a full-body clay mask from the mud grotto, bathing in the vitality pool, and an invigorating hydrotherapy circuit. A dome-shaped temazcal, or sweat lodge, promises detoxification and purification with a traditional Mexican treatment that includes medicinal herbs, heat, steam and incense. I feel all my cares drift out the skylight window of a treatment room, a sensation that lingers as I have tea under the trees. Our daughter, meanwhile, is happily ensconced at the kids’ club, which features a playground designed by Academy Award-winning art director and set decorator Brigitte Broch (best known for her work on Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge). It features a series of treehouses connected by slides, suspended bridges, climbing walls, and paved trails.
That night at Carao we thrill to a parade of fragrant dishes including smoky fried octopus – “the best octopus in the world,” our server declares – grilled clams, charred scallops and avocado, and brussels sprouts with peanut mole. It’s a finger-licking feast that highlights the region’s abundance. The list of mezcals, tequilas and agave is equally impressive. And although it’s drizzling out, we still catch a painterly sunset shimmering off the adults-only pool jutting out above the sea. The view is so compelling that we head back the following afternoon to swim, and indulge in a few fish tacos poolside. As we depart, it’s the flavours of the area that follow us home, along with a renewed wonder at the depth of Mexico’s rich natural wonders. And if you really can’t tear yourself away from Mandarina, you don’t need to. The property has 54 private homes available for sale from $US8 million.
The writer travelled as a guest of One&Only.
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