Palmaïa – The House of AïA

You guys I am super excited about today’s video because I have Karen Collado here to talk about Palmaïa – The House of AïA – which is a super amazing, new wellness property that can be found outside Cancun in Playacar.

Palmaïa is a concept like no other and I’m bringing you this property because I want you guys to discover all of the amazing things that we can do regarding wellness for ourselves and our mind, body and spirit. This is truly a transformational experience that everyone should have!

Read on to see just what an incredible – albeit low key – adventure awaits you at this stunning and very zen oasis.

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Location: Palmaïa is located in Playa del Carmen, inside Playacar, between a blue Caribbean Sea with a pristine white sand beach and cool water cenotes – and on the cusp of the undisturbed jungle. Needless to say, its location is incredibly beautiful and while you’re inside Palmaïa you will find yourself in a tranquil, calm and relaxing spot. Fun Fact: AïA means connection with nature and boy will you be able to connect with nature while staying here!

Playacar is very close from the Cancun airport which means that you’re not spending a lot of time getting to Palmaïa and once you’re at the property you’re really going to want to just immerse yourself there. But when you do feel like venturing out to see some of the area around you – Tulum, Akumal or even Puerto Morales are all right at your fingertips. So, it’s the best of both worlds because when you’re inside Palmaïa you’re in a very quiet relaxing spot where no one will bother you and you’re going to feel like you’re on a private island – but if you want to go out and explore the shopping and other activities around you – Palmaïa is well situated to do so.

Background: Palmaïa’s founder and CEO, Alexander Ferri, wanted to create a place where people that are looking to take care of the environment, people that want to embrace creativity, and people that want to create a change in the world and in modern society can all get together somewhere and create a community and that is what you will find here – it’s very much a sense of community at Palmaïa.

And as most of you guys know Book Here, Give Here is not just all about wellness travel but social responsibility within travel as well. So here we really have an opportunity where we are not only able to give back to mother earth so to speak, but we’re also giving back to ourselves. I think that we forget that, and so with this community, and this concept, it is really all about having that transformational adventure – it’s not just experiential in the sense that we’re experiencing something but we’re also transforming. And that’s because Palmaïa invites people to really reconnect with nature as well as with their inner selves – to find yourself, to know what your purpose is here, to see how you really are inside – as here they focus more on the inside rather than the outside.

Type of Traveler:

  • Spiritual Seekers
  • Activists Who Want to Redefine Life
  • Proponents of Sustainability

For you guys who are my wellness coaches, business coaches, or anybody who is in the medical field, and you really feel like you need to let other people know about this wonderful wellness property – let’s have that conversation! If you want to have a retreat here this is a great place for the mind, body and spirit – so not only can we do your yoga retreats, but we can do your spiritual retreats as well. And again, we’re talking about that transformative aspect where we want to transform you into what everything is from the inside out. COVID brought us quarantine and a lot of time stuck alone, getting to know ourselves – well here’s a way you can take what you learned about yourself, continue learning and take yourself to a higher level of understanding and purpose.

And Karen said it perfectly – they call it the new luxury – meaning luxury is not about buying cars or new handbags or boats anymore. It’s using your money to take care of yourself and to have all these lives enhancing experience that will help you feel better every day of your life. And you know what? By doing that you’re not only helping yourself you’re also helping your community because you become a better citizen. Because let’s face it – sometimes, we’re too focused on what we do as individuals – and this is about what we do that impacts others and I think that’s something important that we often forget.

The Gifting Lifestyle: At Palmaïa all your meals and beverages are included – so it has the all – inclusive concept but in a different way – so let’s talk about how it’s different.

First – they actually don’t call it all-inclusive, they call it their Gifting Lifestyle because they gift their guests several services and amenities that they have on the property. So, you pay the price of the stay, and they gift the rest – that’s how they see it. But to make it clearer it’s like a type of all-inclusive plan but what makes it different is that yes, they have the meals and premium beverages – and the food is outstanding but it’s a quite different experience. They also have three programs that they include in the Gifting Lifestyle and that’s what makes Palmaïa the property that it is. They also have butlers, bikes, Wi-Fi and valet parking – all of which is included – so that you don’t need to worry about anything – you just need to relax and enjoy and have a life enhancing stay with them. Here’s a complete list of what is included:

  • All Meals – A-la-carte breakfast lunch, and dinner
  • Premium domestic and international beverages
  • Secluded beach and pools
  • Chill out lounge with concierge service snacks newspapers a library and music
  • High speed Wi-Fi
  • Valet parking
  • Shuttle service and bike share
  • Butler and concierge service
  • Gym fitness center and health trail
  • The Architects of Life Program rituals
  • Rituals of Sound Program presentations
  • Waldorf inspired activities for children

Palmaïa Programs:

  • The Architects of Life: Karen described this program as the jewel of Palmaïa. It’s led by the resort’s personal growth guide or shaman and is composed of different practices and rituals such as cacao ceremonies, yoga, sound healing, shamanic talks, meditation, dance therapies, tai chi, astrology sessions, gong baths, natural art, mind control and ancient practices that inspire reflection, exploration and connection. They have more than 20 activities that you can participate in while staying there and they are all already included in the price of the stay – up to three activities per day. What a great way to rebuild and repurpose yourself!

 

  • Ritual of Sound: Palmaïa is stage for creative experimental musicians who transport guests through curated deep beats and deep fusion electronic music with acoustic overlays. Music is especially important for how you’re feeling during the day so the Rituals of Sound program takes place at night and for this program they invite DJ’s or musicians to play live music, tribal music and deep fusion music so it’s different sounds that you may not be used to listening to every day – but that compliment your wellness stay at the property. It’s still music, it’s still DJs, but it’s a deep fusion kind of relaxing sounds. It takes place at their beach club which is a very much bohemian inspired ambiance so it’s boho chic and the perfect spot to grab a cocktail, listen to music and watch the sunset.

 

  • Waldorf Inspired Kids Club: Karen shared that this as a holistic, fun children’s activities program run by certified Waldorf educators. And as it caters to children this is a great time to mention Palmaïa is very family friendly and doesn’t just focus on wellness and the spiritual experiences for adults only. And guys that’s especially important because it is actually not easy to find other wellness resorts that are family friendly. And they know that there’s a lot of people out there wanting to go to a wellness resort, but they have children. So, for the kids they created this incredibly special program inspired in the Waldorf education system – which is quite a different way of educating children. The program is led by water features, and they don’t have TV’s, video games, plastic toys, loud noises or anything of that sort so when they get to the kid’s house, they don’t find any of that. What they do find are natural elements to play with like wood or seeds or plants as well as a pool program that helps them to enhance their creativity, to play outdoors and reconnect with nature.

For the children it’s also a wellness experience but at their age level. And that’s important because they’ve been stuck at home doing digital learning for the most part so here is an opportunity where you’re going to be able to take your child and de-stress them and I think that’s important because they are citizens of world, so we need to educate them on how to be better citizens and how to be the people that we want them to grow up to be. Needless to say, I think this program is absolutely amazing and for those of you who want to do work-cations or even do that digital learning – you can do it there. They can still study and when they finish maybe they can have a painting class and liberate their mind and just be creative and be mindful.

Fruit of the Earth: Karen advised that they offer parallel plant based menus for each dining venue, a unique culinary offering in the Riviera Maya and throughout the hospitality industry. So being a wellness property it means they will take care of the wellbeing of their guests and not just through their Architects of Life program but through the food as well because what we eat plays a big role in our health. She went on to explain that the chef is always looking to grab the highest quality ingredients that he can find out there and that’s especially important because they are always going to serve good, quality of food. And since all of their food features “fruits of the earth” they refer to their restaurants as Fruit of the Earth.  In addition, all Palmaïa’s restaurants feature full plant based menus with non-plant based options as addons. So – instead of it being a carnivore adventure, you’re going to have an opportunity to be a herbivore and add any carnivorous pieces that you’d like. How it works is that you’re going to get to one of their restaurants and on the menu – which is full plant based – next to each dish you’ll have the option to add animal protein such as chicken or fish – so you always have that option. They also have snacks like hamburgers, pizzas and all that but they’re really highlighting their plant based philosophy because they know that out there there’s a big community of people that are plant based or vegetarian or gluten free or have allergies and for them it’s always hard to find good food.

Restaurants include:

  • Ume – which includes sensual fragrances, exotic flavors and a densely rich color palette of Thai cuisine.
  • Mae de Olivio – a new direction that redefines Mediterranean cuisine.
  • Su Casa – a laid back Caribbean beach ambiance with seasonal delights.
  • Lek – elevating native Mexican culinary wisdom to the rarified heights of haute cuisine.

Accommodations: Palmaïa is not considered a large property room wise considering all the space they have. There are a total of 314 suites, spread throughout several low rise buildings that are also spread out giving you both privacy and that boutique-y feel. The suites are 538 square feet and feature terraces that are 107 square feet and boast the following amenities:

  • 24-hour in suite dining
  • Nespresso coffee machine
  • Minibar restocked daily
  • Premium bedding
  • Hairdryer and vanity mirror
  • Bathrobes and slippers
  • Iron and ironing board
  • 50” smart TV return
  • Laptop size security safe
  • Nightly turn down service
  • Private oceanfront terrace
  • Bluetooth music network
  • High speed Wi-Fi
  • Premium 100% biodegradable bathroom amenities
  • Unlimited calls to Mexico, USA and Canada

 

  • Family Master Suite – Ocean Front or Swim Out (Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults and 2 Children or 3 Adults and 1 Child): The Family Master Suite is perfect for families of two adults and two children. It has two bedrooms connected by a door – one for the adults with a king bed and one for the kids with a modern bunk bed and decorated with very nice children’s decorations, as well as a living room and balcony.

 

  • Family King Suite – Ocean Front (Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults and 3 Children): The Family King Suite is the perfect suite for families of five because they have the modern bunk bed for up to three children or teenagers and then the king bed for the parents. It’s pretty spacious so everyone has their own space within the same suite making it a great option for those families.
  • King Suite – Ocean Front or Swim Out (Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults): For those who are wanting just to have that adult experience there’s your king suite that you can have as an oceanfront or a swim out. Not bad – you can either just open the door and go straight to the pool or you can open the door and have an amazing view of the Caribbean Sea! It also features a living room and luxury tub.

 

  • Queen Suite – Ocean Front or Swim Out (Maximum Occupancy: 2 Adults and 1 Child or 3 Adults): And…for those of you guys who want to make this a girl’s weekend or a guy’s getaway or trips of that nature you absolutely can thanks to the two queen bedded suite. (Or you can also have children in here as well.) Another good feature of this one is that it actually has two separate showers so lots of personal space and privacy, but everyone is still in the same room! Oh, and there’s a living room as well for you all to hang out in!

Atlantis – Spa In The Jungle:  Here Karen explained that guests are guided by the Book of the Nine Paths to Health designed to treat emotions as root causes rather than physical pain. So yeah – the spa at Palmaïa is quite unique. As you’ve seen the property in general has brilliant features and programs and the spa is no exception. At Atlantis they focus on treating emotions rather than physical pain which means when you leave Atlantis – you’re going to be feeling better in your body yes – because they did a massage but also inside – in your mind – and your emotions because you’re going to be happier or more relaxed – depending on how you were feeling when you arrive. Inside Atlantis they also have a natural cenote (a sacred place where you have pure water with a lot of minerals that’s exceptionally good for your skin)
where guests can actually go in and refresh themselves before or after their treatments as well as a fitness center that is open 24 hours a day. Note: If you have never done a cenote, I need to put that on your itinerary because it is one of the most amazing mind-blowing experiences you’re ever going to have – and that’s all I’m going to say about it – but we need we definitely need to put that on there!

Rites of Passage: The property also has quite a bit of romance attached to it as well so for those of you who guys who want to do a private ceremony for your rites of devotion, rites of love or maybe just want to have your vow renewal or maybe you want to do something that is intimate just for you and your people – it’s tailor made for that. They will host celebrations morning, noon and long into the night. And for those of you who want to do proposals this would be a great place to do it too – hint, hint. And Karen added that they would love to celebrate with you – birthdays or honeymoons or vow renewals – or even life! If you want to celebrate life, just go to Palmaïa and they will celebrate right along with you!

Updated COVID-19 Information: As of this writing the CDC recommends unvaccinated travelers avoid all nonessential international travel to Mexico.

For the CDC’s most up to date information on COVID-19 click here. And for the most up to date COVID protocols at Palmaïa – The House of AïA click here.            

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So. We have this obviously beautiful place where we can go to rejuvenate and refine and find yourselves all over again and I think that is super important overall. I am beyond excited that we got an opportunity here to show off this amazing property and really, I mean there’s just so much awesome about it – I feel well already! And after everything that we’ve been through I think that we all need a relaxing getaway and just to focus on ourselves more than anything else right now and just to be healthy. So yes travel of course and have fun, but also travel in a more conscious way.

For more details on the fabulous Palmaïa – The House of AïA their price points and more – contact your Travel Guru! Oh, and if you need a payment plan to fund your travel adventure – we got those too!

Namaste!

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