Gleaming lanterns line the ground of sheltered mosaic walkways that run from either side of an enormous palapa. Light winds blow in from the ocean, skimming across the swimming pool. Candles flicker, roof thatch rustles, and goose bumps rise. The chill is more from breezes brushing sun-kissed skin than any real drop in temperature. The air smells and tastes of salt; tequila and beer aren't far away. It's the end of another languorous day, and your biggest dilemma is whether to amble left for a pre-dinner cocktail or wander right and to the restaurant for a Maya feast.
Such self-indulgent choices are the rule at the Presidente Inter-Continental Paraíso de la Bonita Resort and Thalasso. Should you have a massage or an algae wrap? Order a margarita from a poolside chaise or from your balcony's hammock? Snorkel just offshore or explore archaeological ruins down the road? This intimate paradise is in the Riviera Maya, less than 20 miles south of Cancún, yet it's a universe away from Cancún's rowdy stereotype.
Eclectic Extravagance
An air-conditioned van with ice-cold bottles of water and chilled washcloths awaits you at the Cancún airport. Nimble staffers greet you with bix a bel (Maya for "welcome," roughly), and if they don't immediately address you by name, they soon will, as will the general manager, who gets to know all his guests. The employee-to-visitor ratio is extremely high, so assistance is never far away. Yet the staff manages to be not only warm and helpful but also unobtrusive.
The main entrance is guarded by a pair of large, wooden Balinese lions; a hand-carved, Brazilian baroque angel hangs on a stucco wall nearby. The Spanish colonial-style resort is filled with such artifacts, which were collected by the owner on his travels to Asia, South America, Africa, and India. All this art (in fact, the entire property) is a gift from the owner to his wife. It doesn't get more romantic than this.The suites are also eclectic and extravagant. Rather than being numbered, each is named for a place. Creamy marble floors and stucco walls are neutral backdrops. Fabrics, accent furnishings, and objets d'art evoke Rajasthan or Jamaica or Bali. Bathrooms encourage excited inhalations over their sunken tubs, glassed-in showers, Bulgari soaps and creams, and Frette robes and slippers. Plump couches and expansive hammocks invite deep, relaxing sighs. A complimentary bottle of premium tequila, with the proper glasses and condiments, rests on a shelf by the door. A woven beach bag (yours to keep) sits on a trunk at the foot of the bed, awaiting towels and sunblock. DVDs, TVs, and VCRs promise further distractions. There's a desk and Internet access, too, but work comes hard here.
The landscaped grounds are edged on one side by the Caribbean and white, powdery beaches and hemmed in elsewhere by a dense mangrove jungle. Turkeys, jaguars, and sea turtles are among the wilder visitors; parrots in enormous cages and goldfish in well-tended ponds are tamer residents. An international group of fashion designers and film stars, affluent professionals and splurging honeymooners, have all signed the guest book. Everyone is looking for elegance, quiet (children under age 13 are not allowed here), and pampering.
A Spa Worth its Salt
It's not just any spa, and not simply because it's so large (22,000 square feet) and labyrinthine. Its signature approach is thalassotherapy, meaning that all of its treatments use marine elements. You can soak in a saltwater jet bath or be scrubbed with salt, wrapped in algae, or plastered in maritime mud. You can have a rubdown while warm seawater gently rains on you or be expertly and deeply massaged by a powerful, salty spray.
Although seawater has been used for health treatments since Greco-Roman times, thalassotherapy as it exists today is really a French innovation, one that traces its origins back to the turn of the 20th century. The world's best thalasso spas, including Paraíso, are certified and overseen by the Paris-based Fédération International de Thalassothérapie, which sets the standards for the hiring and training of staff, the types of products and treatments, and the saltwater itself. Before a spa can even be built, the water is tested to be sure that it has the right content of algae and minerals. At a certified spa, special equipment pumps the water into tanks, where it's held at a very specific temperature for only two hours. After that time the water loses potency and is pumped back out to sea.
Thalasso treatments are said to help with stress, circulation, muscle cramps, detoxification, and, according to some devotees, weight reduction. At Paraíso, several of the packages even include a medical consultation to determine the most appropriate regimen. But you can set aside the health-related claims and just enjoy, letting one blissful day dissolve into the next. The therapies will certainly help to reduce your stress, if not your cellulite.
The Way to Go
Stays and treatments at Paraíso aren't cheap, but the resort offers several incentive packages. You should also look into special offers from Inter-Continental. For example, in the summer of 2003 the chain had a special promotion that slashed prices by 50 percent at its properties all over the globe.
By Laura Kidder
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