Palmaia The House of AiA

Wow, our stay at Palmaia was one of the highlights of our life. We will definitely be back. It was like three vacations in one: a spiritual awakening, a Caribbean beach vacation, and a culinary delight. We have never felt more relaxed, comfortable, calm, well attended to, and satisfied. The food was amazing, delicious and impressive. Everything we ate from snacks to meals to deserts were all among the best we've ever eaten. We were made to feel like family at every restaurant, and at the Beach Bar in the evenings, too. The yoga and meditation classes were so wonderful. I've not done yoga in 20 years, and the teachers took good care of me. Meditation opened my mind, and cleaned it out! I feel like I got a fresh mind reset. Even just walking around the paths of the beautiful property was refreshing. I swam in a gorgeous cenote, enjoyed all of the decks in the forest and on the beach, and saw so many wonderful animals from birds to lizards to monkeys and more. The property is like heaven on earth.

I'd like to name some specific staff who deserve praise. Our nomadic guide Andres knew exactly what we needed and made sure we were well taken care of. Jacquline was such a great waitress who very quickly understood our tastes and made fantastic recommendation all week. After waiting on us once, Danny was like a friend who would stop just to chat even when he was working. Efrain, Miguel, Sergio, and Ale also were great servers, and Carolina and Wendy always greeted us with such warm welcoming smiles. On the beach and at the pool, Fernando and Saul were so much fun to share time with. Both men went out of their way attending to us, and even surprising us with more than we asked for. And at the beach club Argenis, Daphne, and Alberto welcomed us by name each night, and were genuinely happy each time we arrived. They spent so much time getting to know us, that we went back every night no matter how tired we were, even if it was just to say hello and good night to them. Antoinette in the boutique also was as warm and welcoming and went out of her way to make sure we were happy. I so appreciate her helping me find my beautiful crystal necklace. Thank you to all the wonderful staff!

I have been fortunate to visit some incredible places, but Palmaia is my absolute favorite place in the world. This was my fourth year visiting and I cannot say enough good things to express how unique, nourishing, and healing this place is.

1. The Architects of Life who teach the Portals of Practice classes. These gifted, incredible teachers have literally changed my life over the years. They care so deeply about their crafts and what they teach, and have such a gift for seeing and hearing you and connecting. These are not your basic yoga or movement or meditation classes; they go deeper into the how and why and beyond of these practices. What it means to be present; what it means to be human; what it means to be connected: to each other, to the Earth, to the universe.

This stay I had the privilege of learning with Balder, Aurora, Heidi, Ram, and Roxy (and missed seeing Angel this year!) Literally every class is a surprise and delight to dig into. This year I got to deep dive into Mudras and try Clubbells for the first time, and I cannot wait to see what new programs the brilliant Architects will develop next. Thank you for your work expanding the offerings and teaching us!! I HIGHLY recommend doing 1:1’s with the Architects if they have availability. I have gotten so much out of each session.

2. The rest of the staff. Every person is so warm, kind, and thoughtful. They really make it feel like home, and I am so thrilled to see familiar faces each visit. This stay our Nomadic Guides, Oscar and Kasandra completely knocked it out of the park, making my daughter‘s first visit absolutely exquisite. We were so grateful for all of the team members we encountered, including Karla & Elizabeth at Plantissa, Eduardo and Ishmael at Ume, Blas and Raul at Lek, Wendy & Carolina, Daphne at Eolo, Fernando at the pool, Carla & Claudia at Awen, and Pola at the front, and Martin’s detailed pre-arrival assistance. And many more whose names I didn’t fully catch (including the fantastic and lovely woman who checked us in at arrival!). It is truly an outstanding team.

3. The food- I am a dietitian and cannot say enough about how nourishing and delicious the intentional, beautiful food is. Thoughtful, complex mocktails, reduced sugar desserts, adjustable portion sizes, and fresh, super high-quality everything. Every bite is an absolute treat, that I think about and crave the whole rest of the year between visits.

Thank you Alex for creating this absolute gift of a place. And thank you to the Architects and extraordinary staff for making it such a haven of growth, renewal, and peace.

Palmaia is the best hotel experience i had in my life. The property, amenities, employees, food, ambience is above expected. The hotel offers the best hospitality. Our nomades Kassandra & Oscar are the best concierges. Adriana , Yassiim, Abraham, Sergio, Ale gaves us an amazing dinning experience. BTW Su Casa is the best restaurant among the others. My overall experience is not 10 but 11! Already planning my nxt trip there.