I used to love traveling. With my best friends by my side, I’ve been nearly washed away by the waves of Reynisfjara in Iceland, twirled like a princess outside the Royal Palace in Madrid, climbed Las Tetas de Cayey in Puerto Rico and danced nights away in the streets of Havana . But since my best friend died, I haven’t been on any new quests. The magic of wandering the world and sightseeing, in many ways, felt like it died with her. If I couldn’t travel somewhere new with her, then I wouldn’t do it at all. And I didn’t. For two years, I fielded travel invitations, including several all-expenses-paid press trips. Then I received an invitation to Palmaïa, The House of AïA in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and, for the first time, something inside me whispered “yes”.
It wasn’t the pictures of private terraces or the white sand Caribbean beach and infinity pools. It wasn’t even the luxurious modern design of the suites or the gourmet restaurants run by chefs trained in Michelin starred restaurants. For me, it was an image that captured a peaceful expression on a guest’s face as she stood in a lush jungle. Palmaïa, The House of AïA is a wellness spa and resort that focuses on sacred rituals, including some ancestors in Mexico and around the world. AïA refers to our innate human connection with nature and the hotel uses both nature’s principles of inclusion, balance and self-expression as well as its healing properties to create a truly rejuvenating experience. According to its website, the resort is the “perfect opportunity to reconnect mind and body,” and as someone desperately trying to bounce back from grief, the invitation felt transcendent.
When I arrived at the all-inclusive wellness resort on a hot Monday afternoon, I was greeted with a cool towel and herbal water before being introduced to one of my two nomadic guides, personal concierges who tell you all about the hotel’s amenities. reservations at the resort’s restaurant and spa plants, book any special services and answer any of your questions.
Each day, my nomadic guides shared the hotel’s holistic program The Architects of Life, a weekly program of wellness experiences led by visiting guides and therapists. Between natural bowel movements and a Temazcal are nurturing sessions held in outdoor tents by the water, under palm trees or in air-conditioned facilities that promote movement, rest, connection and growth. Special group ceremonies and rituals are offered, from forgiveness ceremonies, meditation concerts and awakening rituals, as well as individual sessions with tarot readers, astrologers and shamans. But the trip neither begins nor ends with the all-inclusive sessions or spa treatments (available at extra cost). The delicious plant-based culinary offerings, led by Chef Charly Garcia, are prepared ethically and for optimal health, with respect and intention in every delicious ingredient and process.
During my three-day stay, I participated in breathing sessions, a gong bath, a watercolor painting class, soft hatha yoga, and a healing mantra class. Although I couldn’t make it, there were countless other mind and body lessons, from a constellation session exploring family quantum constellations, to ancestral dances and Samadhi movements.
The most memorable activity I participated in was a women’s circle led by Tanyah Meztli Ixchikahuacihua. The nearly three-hour session included a Mayan prayer, a cacao ceremony, weaving an Ojo de Dios, one of the most satisfying sound baths I’ve ever experienced, and intimate, vulnerable conversations with women about everything from learning the roles of gender, violence. colonialism, diasporic connections to homeland, abuelita knowledge, sex and more.
As someone who wrote a book on decolonial self-care and often criticizes the commercialization of wellness practices, I admittedly began my journey with healthy skepticism — I am a journalist, after all. But whether I was working in sessions with Mexican healers who reverently shared their ancient wisdom or talking with hotel employees and guests, the intent of the space was clear: this is a place of healing and renewal for all who set foot on her resort. jungle. , from the international patrons who spend more than $1,000 a night to indulge in the ancient and modern treatment to the lodge’s housekeepers and servers who themselves attend the hotel’s sessions for free on select days each month.
On Wednesday, Hotels.com named Palmaïa, The House of AïA as one of them “Perfect somewhere” an awards program designed to recognize and celebrate hundreds of hotels around the world where the little details make a big difference, naming the resort on Mexico’s Caribbean coast among the top 1% of hotels on the Hotels.com app.
While I only stayed at the resort for three days, the trip rejuvenated my mind, body and spirit. It helped me reconnect with the earth, others and myself. She taught me breathing and movement exercises that I continue to practice from my home in Orlando. She encouraged me to seek out ancestral healing exercises and medicines from my Caribbean homeland of Puerto Rico. And, more than anything, it gave me permission to travel again and helped me remember that my best friend, like all my loved ones who have passed, is with me wherever I go.
Travel and accommodation for this trip were sponsored by Expedia. From May 15 to May 29, travelers can enter to win a year’s stay at Hotels.com’s Perfect Somewheres by following @hotelsdotcom on Instagram, commenting on the post promoting the sweepstakes, sharing Perfect Somewhere and tagging a friend.
Do you like what you see? How about something more R29, here?
