My family and I had the pleasure of experiencing Etereo, the newest addition from the Auberge Collection, for three nights in March. It’s very hard to find any flaws with property including the rooms, restaurants, Layout, or beach and pool facilities. Everything seems to have been very well thought out and every detail has been meticulously thought through.
The property is located roughly a 40 minute drive south of the Cancun international airport and is roughly 15 minutes north of Playa Del Carmen. It is the first property to open within the confines of the new luxury resort community called “Kanai” (similar to the Mayakoba community). The Etereo, with 80 rooms, each facing the water the resort has a very intimate feel and it doesn’t take long for the staff to know your names and your preferences. Every room has a pair of butlers who are happy to help you with every small decision. The rooms are very well appointed with lots of space and fine quality linens and furniture. Each room has a well-appointed outdoor seating area and many have a small plunge pool.
The property has two restaurants for evening meals, one restaurant for breakfast and two restaurants for lunch each day. The menus are fairly diverse with lots of Japanese and Mexican influence. We thought the food was very good and dinning service exceptionally good. Everything is very informal. Dinner attire could be anything from a wet bathing suit to collared shirt.
The beach is exceptionally good for the area with perfect white sand. It is a perfect beach for families with small children as the water is shallow and calm. Beach furniture is a mix of high-quality lounge chairs and cabanas. You do not have to wake up at 7 AM to secure good beach real estate at Etereo!. There is plenty to go around even when the hotel is at 100% occupancy. On the beach there is a beach shack that serves tacos and ceviche’s and other traditional Mexican fare. Like the rest of the restaurants, service here is exceptional. We ate lunch on the beach every day. There are complimentary paddle boards and kyaks in addition snorkeling is possible just off the beach or can be arranged at the sports shack.
The pool area has both an adults only and a family pool. There are lots of seating options and everything is spread out and private. You’re never on top of your neighbors. Food and drinks service around the pool is well staffed and you never wait for anything. If you have younger children, there is a kids club next to the family pool. I spoke with a mother who raved about the level of care her children were receiving and she loved the fact that they could check in on their young children with only a couple steps from their pool side lounge chair.
The on-site gym is not large but it has everything you need for a good work out. There are roughly a dozen cardio machines, a bit of free weights and a few exercise machines. The hotel offers daily morning yoga in the yoga studio in addition to a few other classes throughout the week. The spa offers a diverse selection of services and includes expansive hydrotherapy and plunge pool offerings.
My only fault (although temporary) is that the nearest alternative dining is roughly 15 minutes away at the Mayakoba complex. If you are staying more than four or five days you would probably want to get off the property for some diversity in your dining experience. Not that the restaurants are not amazing, you just may want to be trying a few different places. However, that problem will be soon be solved within the next year or two as the Edition and St Regis hotels will soon be completed within the Kanai resort community and will offer additional dining options. I hate to finish my review on a negative note as everything was close to perfect at this resort. I would highly recommend this property to couples, or families, especially families with very young children.