Hola Hotel Atelier!

The Hotel Atelier opened in April 2019 and is a modern concept inspired by the art and design of contemporary Mexico.

It was designed by Mexican creatives to give guests a new luxury experience where art and nature combine. Atelier is an adults only resort, and all guests must be 16+.

Hot tip: By October, an additional resort, Estudio Atelier, will open and be suited for families of all ages. Be sure to check it out!

They will have their own pools and restaurants, so Atelier will remain exclusive. When fully opened, Hotel Atelier will have 9 restaurants and 8 bars.

Cancun is known for its rowdy spring break crowd, but this resort was quiet and elegant. 

There were no nightclubs or nightly entertainment, so my boyfriend and I lounged by the infinity pool bar at night until 1 am.

First Impressions Count:

As we pulled up to the Atelier sign, we needed to be buzzed through the gates to drive up to the entrance.

Driving up to Hotel Atelier is mesmerizing - to say the least!  

We were greeted with big columns, an infinity pool, and valet waiting with cool hand towels. The resort was still under construction, however we never heard any noise from our room or from the pool.

As we walked into the resort, the bell porter collected our belongings and set up a luggage trolley for us while we checked in. The lobby was grand and included its own full service bar with a view of the pool and ocean.

What I loved about the hotel was the new modern decor and the service from the staff.

The Room

Our room was near the end of the hall just steps to the main pool. All of the rooms have big wooden doors and beautiful stained glass. Our bracelets opened the door with a flash of the wrist, and the porter set up our bags while we inspected the room and view.

Our balcony opened up to the biggest pool I have ever seen with the ocean in the background!

The bathroom was separated by sliding wooden doors. A tub was situated in the middle, and the toilet had its own room. Next to the toilet was a large shower with a rain shower head. There were two sinks and beautiful green tile and marble.

Our king bed was equipped with floor lights that would shine with movement at night. A new flat screen TV was placed in front of our bed, and we could browse the hotel amenities from the screen. We had a mini bar area, a couch, a table, and a desk set up around the room.

Hot Tip: The hotel provides 24 hour room service and served various desserts to our door throughout the day.

The Pools

During the day, we spent our time by the pool downstairs. Of course the pool had two swim up bars stocked with top shelf liquor. 

The pool stretched as far as the eye could see and also extended out by the beach. 

Once evening hit, we would spend a few minutes in the hot tub. It was spacious and, luckily for us, mainly empty. It was a nice relaxing way to end a full day in the sun.

We spent our nights lounging by the rooftop infinity pool- as if the main pool wasn’t beautiful enough!

There was also a large bar fully stocked with more top shelf liquor, beer, and wine. The bartenders were friendly and welcoming and were always nearby to take our orders. We loved sitting in the comfortable lounge chairs and looking out at the ocean.

Hot tip: Sample the cocktail menu. I mainly sipped on tequila sodas but also enjoyed piña coladas and chocolate liquor drinks for dessert. 

Activities

Spa

For those looking for deep relaxation, the Nuup spa offers a selection of superior treatments and services. Once the spa is completed, there will be 18 treatment cabins with spa suites and private showers. 

There will also be lounges, a tea station, saunas, pools and a beauty salon. In addition to the spa, there will be a bridal Dress- Up Lounge ®, a private area for bridesmaids and the bride to prepare for a wedding.

Fitness center

it was not completely finished but was open to guests. It has several treadmills, bikes, and workout equipment. It expanded over two rooms and was very clean and well- taken care off.

The resort is also building a yoga room, tennis courts, and paddle ball courts. 

Golf

Situated next to the hotel is a world class golf course. It has 18 holes and is located on unspoiled natural landscape. The golf course is available to any guest on their first day, and they can coordinate reservations with the concierge. 

Guests are also able to practice games before tee off, are provided transportation from the lobby, and receive assistance with club and cart rentals. My boyfriend and I don’t golf but loved the green views of the golf course from our balcony.

Art Gallery

From 3-11 pm, the art gallery in the lobby is open to the public. My boyfriend and I walked in one night, and the staff was very knowledgeable about the artists and pieces of art. 

My boyfriend loved the work by Damián Lescas, while I loved the work of Nicolás Guzmán Aguilar. There were beautiful portraits of all types of animals and the sea.

Isla Mujeres

For a little adventure away from the resort, I recommend taking the ferry over to Isla Mujeres. Isla Mujeres is just as beautiful and offers a unique snorkeling experience. You can book with a tour group or spend your day exploring the island by golf cart. 

We decided to spend our days by the pool and beach but definitely plan on visiting Isla Mujeres on our next trip.

The Food

For breakfast, we ate at El Suspiro and Mercado 19. El Suspiro served Mexican cuisine, and the Mercado was a Mexican buffet. The buffet also had all types of cereal, yogurt, and hot meals, so we definitely did not leave hungry.

We ate lunch by the pool at El Suspiro and El Trompo. El Suspiro served seafood during the day, and we loved the tuna and sea bass ceviche. El Trompo had gourmet poolside snacks, and we loved the calamari and nachos. Every meal came with chips and guacamole and attentive staff.

Hot tip: These are some of my favorite Mexican breakfast dishes- huevos divorciados, chilaquiles, and enchiladas. You should give them a try! They hit the spot for my Mexican food cravings. 

We enjoyed breakfast and lunch, but we were especially excited to try the restaurants!

Most all- inclusive restaurants have long lines and mass prepared food, but Atelier had several delicious fine dining options. 

The quality of the food was impressive, and we never needed a reservation. During our stay, 4 of the restaurants were open.

Friday night we ate at Los Abrazos, a steakhouse. It is located upstairs next to the rooftop infinity pool. We had beef carpaccio and crab cakes as an appetizer, and shared a beef fillet, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and french fries for our main dish. The beef carpaccio and fillet were to die for!

On Saturday night, we were invited to the María Dolores restaurant. It is a restaurant dedicated to serving the ingredients of Mexico in specially prepared dishes. It is normally $95 per person, but one of the staff offered it to us for free! It included a 7 meal course with paired wines and dessert.

Hot tip: I especially enjoyed the beet coffee with dalias flowers and the sea scallops with cured fish sauce and beans. Yum!

I think we definitely got our money’s worth out of the resort from our meals alone!!

We ate at Cilento, the Italian restaurant, on our last night. The portions were small, so we decided to share several plates. We started with beef carpaccio, octopus, and burrata. For our main meals, we had ravioli in veal sauce, lasagna, pizza, and duck confit. We shared a cheesecake for dessert, and I sipped on a bailey’s on the rocks. We really loved the burrata and ravioli.

Unfortunately we needed one more night to try the sushi restaurant, Takeshi. Other guests enjoyed it, so it is worth trying.

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