Multi-million facelifts at Mexican resorts aimed towards five-star status

Cozumel is about to get its first five-star resort and Cancun has completed a $20 million beach improvement which could be the start of a new direction for both destinations.

The 220-room Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort and Spa is “considered the beginning of the transformation and re-positioning of Cozumel as an up-market, luxury destination,” said Grupo Presidente in a statement.

Director of marketing Carlos Behnsen said the move was bringing a “completely new level of resort to Cozumel.”

At the same time, the Mexican resort of Cancun is also going more upscale with completion of a $20 million beach recovery effort.

“We’re aiming at a much more upscale market,” said Artemio Santos, CEO of the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau.  “Cancun is now home to more than fifteen world-renowned spas.”

In the wake last year’s storms, many of Cancun’s hotels have been completely refurbished or entirely rebuilt. About 83% of its nearly 28,000 hotel rooms are again operational.

In Cozumel, a $25 million hotel renovation includes a complete re-design of guest rooms and the creation of Ocean Suites with unobstructed views of the Caribbean. All rooms will include wide-screen plasma TVs and upscale furnishings.

New facilities also include a full-service spa, a golf putting green and a scuba diving center.

The property due to open in October is on 1,000 feet of Cozumel’s white sand beach near the Palancar Reef, the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere.

The Serenity Spa, the only full-service spa in Cozumel, will offer a full menu of services for both men and women using indigenous products of the area with several one-of-a-kind signature treatments, such as the “Mayan Journey.”
Golfers can practice their short game at the resort’s new putting green, before heading out to the Cozumel Country Club, which features a championship golf course designed by the Nicklaus Design Group. The course is built around Cozumel’s native trees, red mangroves and natural wetland.
There are various cultural and eco-tourism activities near the resort, including Chankanaab National Park, which offers snorkeling, diving and an area to swim with dolphins as well as ancient Mayan ruins.
The resort will also feature a picturesque courtyard with retail shops; a gourmet Italian restaurant, Alfredo di Roma, as well as a more casual dining option. The resort’s renowned complimentary children’s club, The Chiqui Club, will be available year-round.

Presidente InterContinental includes a collection of nine luxury hotels and resorts in various Mexican destinations.

Report by David Wilkening

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