There was a time when Mexico’s beach resort options were limited to sun-and-sand tourist magnets like Acapulco and Cancun, or “emerging” destinations such as Puerto Vallarta, the once-secret hideaway of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. Fast-forward to the 21st century, and it’s hard to ignore the constant buzz in recent years about the major new projects taking shape from Baja on down to the Yucatan.
From exclusive vacation-ownership “villages” to budding tourism zones, new resorts (most in the top-drawer category), a growing supply of convention centers, and revitalized tourist areas, Mexico is experiencing its most aggressive period of coastal expansion to date, and the list of recreational and cultural diversions is blooming right along with it.
Baja California Peninsula
Framed by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sea of Cortes to the east, the Baja California Peninsula’s rocky mesas, rugged peaks, cacti, and golden shores are set against sparkling blue water, making the region a scenic gem.
At the southern tip of the peninsula, the unique desert-meets-the-sea ambience draws millions to Los Cabos, one of Mexico’s premier meetings and incentives destinations.
With its plentiful marine life, sport fishermen were the first to discover Los Cabos decades ago, but with widespread development, its appeal has greatly evolved over the years.
In addition to reeling in the big one, the agenda for groups meeting in Los Cabos nowadays can also include golfing on championship courses, being pampered at world-class spas, luxuriating at beachfront resorts, and exploring the natural surroundings via ATV and Hummer tours, desert hiking trips, sunset cruises, and dolphin encounters.
While Los Cabos continues to boom—more properties are coming on-line and nonstop airlift has dramatically increased—it will always remain intimate, according to Ella Messerli, vice president of operations for the Los Cabos Tourism Board and general manager of the Marquis Los Cabos.
“As a Mexican beach resort, Los Cabos is a very quiet destination with perfect, dry weather,” she says. “It doesn’t have an overcrowded feel. It’s an expansive area, and you feel like you’re in your own private paradise, like you’re in touch with nature—and the resorts are maintaining that atmosphere.”
Three master-planned resort communities with hotels, residential units, golf courses, and other amenities are being built out in phases over the next several years: Cabo Pacifica, set on the Pacific side near the town of Cabo San Lucas; Chileno Bay, fronting the Sea of Cortes on the 20-mile Los Cabos corridor; and Puerto Los Cabos, located in the town of San Jose del Cabo, a quiet, Old World alternative to bustling Cabo San Lucas, but not without its share of interesting diversions.
“San Jose del Cabo has taken on a strong colonial Mexico identity, and groups love it there because it’s a walking town with restaurants, shops and art galleries, and a lot of DMCs use the colonial plaza for welcome cocktails for groups,” Messerli says.
Two new properties with meeting space are slated to open this year in San Jose del Cabo: Cabo Azul Resort and Spa and Mayan Palace.
Los Cabos’ existing facilities are well-equipped for a variety of meetings and incentives. Options include the newly renovated Hilton Los Cabos; Sheraton Hacienda del Mar; Fiesta Americana Grand Los Cabos; Melia Cabo Real; ME Cabo, which is the former Melia San Lucas transformed into Sol Melia’s hip new brand; Westin Resort and Spa Los Cabos; Marquis Los Cabos; Crowne Plaza Los Cabos; the newly renovated Casa del Mar; Presidente InterContinental Los Cabos; and One & Only Palmilla.
Farther up the coast on the eastern side of the Peninsula, the Baja California Sur capital of La Paz is a beachfront city that also caters to groups, while the sleepy town of Loreto is an ideal choice for small groups seeking a quaint Old Mexico atmosphere with an historic central plaza and Spanish Colonial mission. The town’s biggest development is the seaside Villages of Loreto Bay, opening in phases as a pedestrian-friendly community with a variety of upscale amenities. The 8,000-acre project will eventually include hundreds of home sites (many of which will be available for rental), spas, restaurants, retail stores, and areas for group events, and the development company also owns the Inn at Loreto Bay, which has meeting facilities and plans to finish a renovation this fall.
Hitting the links at the Loreto Bay Golf Club, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and boating are among the many ways visitors experience the destination.
Additionally, the Villa Group, which operates properties in Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and Los Cabos, purchased an oceanfront parcel in Loreto and is in the design and construction phase of a resort that will include conference facilities.
In the northern half of the Baja California Peninsula just 45 minutes south of San Diego, groups can participate in outdoor adventures in Rosarito Beach, where kayaking, surfing, golfing, hiking, or simply relaxing on the beach are favorite pastimes. The area’s group-friendly properties include Grand Baja Resort and Spa, Rosarito Beach Hotel and Las Rocas Resort and Spa.
Pacific Coast
Mexico’s life as a beach resort mecca began in the 1960s, when Acapulco, with its glitzy discos and high-rise, bayfront hotel stretch, burst onto the scene. Droves of visitors still make the pilgrimage to Acapulco every year, but the Pacific side of the Mexican mainland now offers everything under the sun—from the dreamy ecological beauty of Huatulco and the historic yet hip and artsy ambience of Puerto Vallarta to exclusive retreats such as Punta Mita and a number of blossoming coastal regions.
Acapulco, with its 1.6 million-square-foot Acapulco Convention Center, is a major group player in Mexico, and the destination is continuing to fine-tune and expand its business offerings. The convention center is currently undergoing a renovation, while one of the country’s most impressive developments for groups, Mundo Imperial, is scheduled to debut in spring 2008.
Situated in the tranquil Acapulco Diamante, a growing area south of the vibrant hotel zone, Mundo Imperial will encompass state-of-the-art group spaces, including Expo Imperial, featuring more than 360,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space; Foro Imperial, a 4,800-seat performing arts theater and sports venue; and Fiesta Imperial, a 210,000-square-foot plaza surrounded by high-end restaurants, nightclubs and cultural venues. The complex will also include Casa Imperial, an 879-room resort, and Sol Imperial, a wellness spa.
Several other resorts are slated to open in the Diamante area over the next few years.
Existing resorts are well suited to groups, including major meetings properties such as the newly renovated Las Brisas, Fairmont Acapulco Princess, Hyatt Regency Acapulco, Emporio Continental, Camino Real Acapulco Diamante, and Mayan Palace.
Acapulco’s all-night discos are still all the rage, as well as a diverse dining selection, golf courses, spas, and adventurous pursuits like high-speed jet boat rides and bungee jumping.
Puerto Vallarta, another leading Mexican Pacific resort, which sets itself apart with its Spanish Colonial flavor, historic cathedral, thriving arts scene, sculpture-packed waterfront promenade, cutting-edge dining, and outdoor adventure and ecotourism activities, is also seeking to gain a stronger foothold in the meetings market.
An ultra-modern convention center is currently under construction in the destination, with the first phase slated to include more than 54,000 square feet of event space. An opening date has not been set for the center.
Meanwhile, the fifth annual Meeting Place Mexico trade show, seminar and networking event will take place in Puerto Vallarta in June, and is expected to lure more than 100 exhibitors and 200-plus meeting planners.
Meetings properties in Puerto Vallarta are also sporting a growing collection of new and renovated spas. CasaMagna Marriott recently debuted a 22,000-square-foot spa, Villa Premiere Hotel and Spa is adding an entire “spa floor,” and Westin Puerto Vallarta will renovate its spa this year.
The destination’s other top meetings properties include Sheraton Buganvilias, Presidente InterContinental Puerto Vallarta, Melia Puerto Vallarta, Velas Vallarta, and Dreams Puerto Vallarta.
South of Puerto Vallarta, the Costa Alegre region is a good choice for smaller groups seeking a true escape at intimate properties such as Las Alamandas, El Careyes and Tamarindo, while coastal development north of Puerto Vallarta is resulting in a variety of new experiences for visitors, with the newly designated Riviera Nayarit heading the list.
Encompassing a 100-mile stretch of coastline in the state of Nayarit, the region is already home to meetings-ready resort areas such as Nuevo Vallarta and Flamingos Vallarta, with properties such as Grand Velas, Villa del Palmar, Vallarta Palace, Paradise Village, and Mayan Resorts, as well as the upscale, master-planned resort community of Punta Mita and its Four Seasons property, offering one Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course and another on the way. The St. Regis Resort and Residences is slated to open later this year in Punta Mita.
A number of smaller, yet fast-growing towns are also part of the culturally rich Riviera Nayarit, which is pegged for major development of hotel zones that take in the pristine natural surroundings, where visitors can go whale watching, scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming with dolphins. One of the principal hotel zones is Litibu, where seven high-end resorts are planned over the next several years, in addition to a Greg Norman-designed golf course that is expected to open this summer.
Mazatlan, an old Pacific coast standby, is getting a fresh makeover, and there are plans to construct a convention center in the destination in the next few years.
Mazatlan is the country’s largest commercial seaport, and its fresh seafood, namely the shrimp that is hauled in daily by local fishermen, is a favorite among visitors. It is also one of Mexico’s oldest oceanfront towns, dating back to the 16th century, and its historic center has been the recipient of an ongoing revitalization that has restored its architectural treasures and resulted in a lively district of sidewalk cafes, restaurants, art galleries, and cultural festivals.
On the flipside, the destination’s modern resort infrastructure is being completely revamped, from the airport to major tourist avenues and meetings-friendly properties such as El Cid, featuring four newly renovated properties, as well as a marina and a 27-hole golf course.
Next year, a Crowne Plaza will debut in the destination, and other hotels and resort projects with marinas and golf courses are planned.
Visitors can also take advantage of new excursions to colonial towns in the surrounding area.
“Mazatlan has the uniqueness of being a true Mexican experience,” says Carlos Berdegue, vice president of the Mazatlan Hotel Association and CEO of El Cid. “With the restoration of Old Mazatlan, the new historical and cultural programs and the remodeled infrastructure, we now have the opportunity to say, ‘Come and have a meeting or incentive here and then experience what Mexico is all about.’ We aren’t only a beach destination anymore.”
Mexico’s western shore is home to several other destinations suited to groups.
The modern, amenity-filled resort of Ixtapa, where attendees can gather at resorts such as Melia Azul Ixtapa and the newly renovated Las Brisas Ixtapa, is complemented by the peaceful neighboring fishing town of Zihuatanejo, featuring intimate, upscale meetings properties like Villa del Sol, which was recently acquired by Kor Hotel Group.
Huatulco, comprising nine bays backed by lush nature preserves, is an automatic choice for groups seeking the solitude of properties such as Las Brisas Huatulco, Sheraton Huatulco and Camino Real Zaashila.
Laid-back Manzanillo is another meetings-friendly destination, where the newly renovated Brisas Las Hadas and Barcelo Karmina Palace cater to groups, in addition to Grand Bay Hotel Isla Navidad, situated just north of town.
Mexican Caribbean
The beach resorts of Cancun, the Riviera Maya and Cozumel share one of the world’s most gorgeous bodies of crystal turquoise water, proximity to archaeological wonders such as the Mayan ruins of Chichen-Itza, Tulum and Uxmal, and recreational diversions ranging from golfing and exploring verdant jungles to sport fishing, sailing, snorkeling, and scuba diving, yet each provides a distinct ambience for visiting groups.
Bustling Cancun is heaven for those keen on shopping, dining and nightlife, the Riviera Maya is ideal for groups seeking a serene, low-key agenda, and Cozumel is an inviting island escape.
Following major damage sustained from Hurricane Wilma in October 2005, Cancun has reemerged as a revitalized, fully recovered destination. The Mexican government poured more than $250 million into recovery projects in Cancun, including a massive seven-mile beach restoration project, and the private sector invested more than $2.2 billion to pump new life into the destination.
More than 26,000 of the destination’s 28,000 hotel rooms are back on-line following major renovations, including recent reopenings such as The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun; JW Marriott Cancun; CasaMagna Marriott Cancun; Sun Palace; and Cancun Palace.
Other meetings properties, including ME Cancun, Sol Melia’s chic reincarnation of Melia Turquesa; Hilton Cancun; Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach; Fiesta Americana Condesa; Presidente InterContinental Cancun; Moon Palace; Westin Cancun; and Paradisus Riviera Cancun are also up and running, and the destination is enjoying an influx of fresh resort development.
Among the newcomers are Great Parnassus All-Inclusive Resort and Spa, boasting a 500-person convention center; The Royal, a Real Resorts’ property; Bel Air Collection Cancun, a sleek boutique resort; Le Blanc; and Marina El Cid Riviera Maya in Puerto Morelos, which will unveil meeting facilities for up to 500 people this year.
Properties slated to open over the next two years include Beach Palace, Grand Moon Palace, Secrets Maroma Riviera Cancun, and a Starwood Hotels and Resorts property on the site of the former Sheraton.
The destination’s main group venue, Cancun Center was recently expanded and can host more than 7,000 attendees.
The Riviera Maya, extending from Puerto Morelos down to Tulum, is another coastal success story, having sprouted in the 1990s into a low-rise, ecologically endowed destination that now encompasses a growing collection of 30,000 hotel rooms in every price range.
The diverse infrastructure of the destination, ideally suited to groups of up to 600 people, is a big selling point for planners, according to Javier Aranda Pedrero, executive director of the Riviera Maya Tourism Board.
“We now have 40 different hotels for meetings that are new because none are more than 10 years old, and we have all the amenities and services groups count on, such as four golf courses, DMCs and activities that explore the Mayan history and ecological sites of the area, like the cenotes [caverns leading to underground rivers],” he says.
The destination is significantly expanding its infrastructure and elevating it to an even higher notch, according to Aranda Pedrero.
“Almost 90 percent of our inventory is all-inclusive, but we’ll have around 4,000 new rooms by the end of this year that will be of a higher level and operated under a European plan,” he says, pointing to the opening last year of Fairmont Mayakoba and three properties slated to debut this year: Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, a Rosewood hotel and a Viceroy hotel.
Dreams Tulum is another new property in the destination, joining an existing lineup of group-oriented hotels such as Aventura Spa Palace, Occidental Grand Xcaret and Occidental Royal Hideaway Playacar.
Additionally, Barcelo Maya Beach Resort, consisting of four all-inclusive properties and a conference center hosting up to 1,680 guests, will unveil a fifth property, the 756-suite Barcelo Maya Palace Hotel, at the end of this year.
The island of Cozumel, which received the brunt of damage from Hurricane Wilma, is also fully recovered, with all properties back in business and all ecological parks open. Discover Mexico, a new cultural park with replicas of archaeological ruins, Spanish Colonial architecture and areas depicting the regions of Mexico, is the island’s newest attraction.
The destination’s main group properties include Presidente InterContinental Cozumel, which recently finished a $25 million renovation that included a new dive center, room upgrades and the addition of oceanview suites; El Cozumeleno; Hotel Cozumel and Resort, which recently introduced a new convention facility accommodating up to 600 people; and the recently renovated and expanded Park Royal Cozumel, featuring new meeting space for up to 350 people.
Veracruz
Set along the Gulf of Mexico, the city of Veracruz offers an interesting coastal alternative for groups in search of sophisticated meetings amenities, local color and a wealth of outdoor adventure activities.
The festive, business-ready port city features the World Trade Center Veracruz and several hotels with meeting facilities, including the newly renovated Galeria Plaza Veracruz, owned by Brisas Hotels and Resorts; Fiesta Americana Veracruz; Camino Real Veracruz; and Crowne Plaza Veracruz.
The city is a perfect launching pad for trips into the surrounding natural regions, where active attendees can explore untouched jungles, raging rivers, sparkling beaches, waterfalls, snow-capped peaks, and abundant wildlife via kayaking, river rafting, mountain climbing, and hiking excursions.
An ideal spot for a remote group retreat is Picocanoa Adventure Lodge, which features thatched-roof cabins and a full agenda of wilderness experiences.
For More Info
Acapulco CVB 866.283.3866
www.visitacapulco.com.mx
Baja California Secretary of Tourism (Rosarito Beach) 800.962.BAJA
www.rosarito.org
Baja California Sur State Tourism Office 877.MYBAJASUR
www.mybajasur.com
Cancun CVB 011.52.998.881.2745
www.cancun.info
Colima Secretary of Tourism (Manzanillo) 011.52.312.316.2000
www.manzanillo.com.mx
Cozumel Tourist Promotion Board 011.52.987.872.7585
www.islacozumel.com.mx
Huatulco Hotel Association 866.416.0555
www.hoteleshuatulco.com.mx
Ixtapa–Zihuatanejo CVB 866.678.5750
www.ixtapa-zihuatanejo.org
Los Cabos Tourism Board 866.LOSCABOS
www.visitcabo.com
Mazatlan Tourism Trust 011.52.669.913.3333
www.gomazatlan.com
Mexico Convention Bureau 011.52.555.278.4200
www.visitmexico.com
Mexico Tourism Board 312.228.0194
www.visitmexico.com
Puerto Vallarta CVB 888.384.6822
www.visitpuertovallarta.com
Riviera Maya Tourism Board 011.52.984.859.2170
www.rivieramaya.com
Riviera Nayarit CVB 011.52.322.297.2516
www.vallarta-mexico.com
Veracruz CVB 011.52.229.923.0391
www.veracruzturismo.com.mx
