The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya

We had an excellent trip to the St Regis Kanai with my toddler during the June quiet season - no rain, no bugs and the seaweed on the beach was manageable. The hotel was very family friendly, with staff genuinely enjoying interacting with the many children at the resort and many kids amenities available, but also felt suitable for couples trips or girls trips given the designated adults-only areas. We will definitely return. Positives: -Top tier service, especially in the F&B establishments and at the pool. The butler service was a real plus, more than I anticipated as I have not stayed at a St Regis previously. -The hotel managed to offer early check in for us which was crucial with a toddler coming off a redeye flight. On the day of check out they designated a hospitality suite post check out without me even asking, providing a space to shower and rest before our evening flight. I view this as a real asset for a beach hotel that should be more common but isn't. -We stayed in a St Regis Suite on the second floor, which had a proper solid door between the living area and sleeping area, and was great for early toddler bedtimes/naps. The room felt new and very spacious, and was good value for the rate. Negatives: -Food and beverage is overpriced and in some instances was just OK. We were disappointed by Toro, but we do get lots of good Mexican food at home. The Auberge restaurant Itzam next door had much better food. -No fridge in the room, only a "cooler". Every drink in the "cooler" was warm and unappetizing. I was concerned about storing milk for my toddler who sometimes wakes up overnight for milk. They were unable to provide a fridge when requested with concierge in advance of my stay. It was stressful not having a reliable fridge in the room to store milk overnight and having to give my baby milk that had been sitting in melted ice (water) from the delivery hours and hours before. I managed with whole milk, especially since the staff was excellent with grabbing me a cup at the bars or restaurants when open, but if you are pumping and storing breastmilk I would be concerned.

We took two of our boys to this resort for Spring Break. We flew into Cancun and then took a car service to Riviera Maya. It's a great family oriented resort option with solid dining options, great pools, top notch service, luxurious rooms, a good beach (though the ocean isn't calm) and great options for activities outside the resort. Highlights: 1. Butler service - per other St. Regis properties, the butler service is a highlight. They were available from early morning until around 11pm, and had a rotation system. Jose was our main butler and he was excellent. I would definitely request him again. 2. Brand new luxurious resort - the resort is really new, the architecture is beautiful and the rooms well appointed. We had a ground floor room with a plunge pool, and our boys had an upstairs room with balcony. 3. Pools - there are a number of pool options. We spent most of our resort time at the large family pool. There were pool beds available as well as chairs. At times it could be crowded, so it's an important to try and reserve a place. 4. Food - we generally enjoyed the on-property food options. We had a couple of meals at Toro, the Latin American restaurant. Our boys enjoyed their steaks, and I as a vegetarian found decent options. We ate at Chaya the Italian restaurant. It was good but not great. One of our favourites was Durya, the beach restaurant. My wife and boys really enjoyed the Lobster rolls. 5. Outside activities - we found a good car service that we used multiple times to go off property. We ate in Playa del Carmen several times. We found a great taco place called Sanchez that we returned to multiple times - the tacos there were exceptional and they had great vegetarian and vegan options as well as plenty for meat eaters. We also spent a day at a water park called Xcaret Xplor that was fantastic and a major highlight of the trip. When we return we would definitely go back to Xplor and visit the other Xcaret parks.

We just celebrated our anniversary with 5 nights at St. Regis Kanai. The service team went above and beyond to recognize our special occasion as well as our Bonvoy Titanium status including a suite upgrade and special touches throughout our stay. The resort is about 35-40 minute drive from Cancun airport - not bad. We booked a suburban from USA transfers, which worked out great. We felt completely safe at the resort. It is several minutes away from the main road and quite secluded. The rooms are spectacular, finished with such thoughtful design and materials to honor the Mayan history of the community. We had a third story room and loved sitting on the patio drinking our morning coffee (delivered by the amazing Butler Team). The aesthetics of the resort itself are stunning and so well maintained. Everything is just a few years old. It appeared as if most/all of the first story rooms had beautiful plunge pools while the second/third story had better views as they were a bit higher above the mangroves. Hard to go wrong. The resort has created a great culinary experience all around. Our favorite meals included buffet breakfast at the St Regis (included with Bonvoy elite status), dinner at Kl’IS (at the Edition next door), and dinner at Toro. We ordered room service one rainy evening and it was quite good. Ulysis at Chaya breakfast was a fabulous host. The rooms are refilled with purified bottled water each day and it is also available at the pools. We enjoyed the 6:30pm champagne Sabor each evening. We signed up for the cocktail class, and we were the only ones that class. It was very interesting and delicious (included two cocktails) but would have been fun with more people. Most of our time was spent at the gorgeous pools (Riviera at St Regis for a few days) and the main pool at the Edition one day. They are impeccably clean and beautiful and comfortable. Eric and Raul at the Riviera Pool took excellent care of us the days we were there! Finally, the weather in June was a bit humid, but the great breeze coming off the ocean made it barely noticeable, especially at the pools and on the terraces. The beaches did have quite a bit of seaweed this time of year, but we hardly noticed it as there are so many other areas of the resort to relax and enjoy. This is a very special property, particularly the service and care. We hope to back soon!

Rating: 9.5/10 My family and I stayed here in rooms 224 and 225 (adjoining Grand Room and Suite) for three nights in June 2026. Positives • The setting is extraordinary. Built between the beach and a dense mangrove ecosystem, the resort feels both dramatic and secluded. The architecture takes full advantage of the landscape, and despite its size, the property manages to feel tranquil and uncrowded. Even at full occupancy, I suspect it would still feel private. • Our suite was one of the most memorable hotel accommodations I’ve experienced. The wraparound terrace featured its own plunge pool, outdoor shower, and soaking tub. Sitting in a warm bath under the tropical evening air while overlooking the surrounding landscape is a memory that will stay with me for a long time. • Service was consistently excellent. Every employee we encountered felt genuinely engaged and well trained. The St. Regis butler service proved especially useful, with quick responses through WhatsApp and a willingness to accommodate requests ranging from garment pressing to the brand’s signature coffee service delivered directly to our veranda. • Dining was outstanding across the board. We sampled each of the resort’s restaurants during our stay and came away impressed every time. Maintaining that level of consistency across multiple outlets is difficult, which makes it all the more noteworthy. The same standard extended to poolside service, where generous staffing levels meant food and drinks were never difficult to order. • The interconnected pools are among the best I’ve seen at a beach resort. Warm, immaculate, and finished in beautiful blue tile, they somehow remained refreshing even in the Riviera Maya heat. Soft electronic music drifted through the pool areas at exactly the right volume. Loud enough to create atmosphere, quiet enough to allow conversation. My son and I also spent more time than expected battling over the oversized outdoor chess boards scattered throughout the grounds. • The resort still feels new. Whether that is because of its relatively recent opening or simply exceptional maintenance, everything from the guest rooms to the public spaces felt fresh and meticulously cared for. • The property strikes a rare balance between welcoming families and preserving a sense of luxury. My children loved the Kids Club, where activities ranged from foosball to piñata smashing. At check-in, a staff member arrived with a basket of books and invited each child to choose one. Small gestures like that went a long way. Somehow the resort manages to make families feel welcome while still maintaining a peaceful atmosphere for everyone else. • The fitness center was large, spotless, and stocked with modern equipment. It never felt like an afterthought, which is often the case at beach resorts. • Water sports options were plentiful. We rented Seabobs for what was supposed to be a 30-minute session and were effectively encouraged to stay out longer. It became one of the most memorable family snorkeling experiences of the trip. • Given the surrounding ecosystem, I was amazed at how effectively the resort manages wildlife. Hawks patrol the grounds to discourage scavenging birds, and despite spending days outdoors near mangroves and standing water, none of us received a single insect bite. That may sound like a small detail until you’ve spent time elsewhere in the tropics. Negatives • There were a few minor operational rough edges. Motion-activated closet lights had an unfortunate tendency to illuminate the suite during late-night bathroom visits, and one of our patio doors lacked a functioning lock. Neither issue materially affected the stay, but both felt out of place at this level. • One evening we ordered an elaborate room service dinner and had it beautifully arranged on our balcony dining table. Just as we began eating, a raccoon emerged from the darkness and started advancing toward us with the confidence of an animal that had done this before. He seemed entirely unbothered by our presence and appeared prepared to join us for dinner had I not spent several minutes aggressively defending our meal while my family rushed plates indoors. The following night I spotted another raccoon helping himself to the remnants of a neighboring guest’s room service. To be fair, the resort is built within a thriving natural ecosystem. Still, I generally prefer not to negotiate territorial rights with wildlife while eating dinner. • This is no fault of the resort, but the sargassum situation was severe during our stay. The smell of rotting seaweed along the shoreline was strong enough that the beach chairs became largely unusable. The hotel worked hard to manage the issue, but nature ultimately had other plans.

Abilo and the entire team that came we came in contact with were also very pleasant and kind. From recommendations, to service it was all top notch. The property is stunning. We will definitely be back soon!