The Ultimate Guide to Chablé Resort & Spa and Travel Vlog

Holiday break is one of my favorite times of the year to travel. Who doesn’t love escaping the freezing cold for warmer climates, right? In fact, my research for winter trips typically commences in July. Okay, so maybe I get a little too excited about planning, lol! This year, we were considering a Caribbean escape, but our plans changed after the devastation and damage of Hurricane Irma. Thankfully, we came across Chablé Resort & Spa, a hidden gem in the heart of the Yucatán Peninsula; a tropical jungle getaway unlike anything we’ve seen. If you’re planning a trip to Mexico, I highly recommend staying at this five-star luxury resort.

Click here to watch the full video on YouTube

Since Chablé Resort and Spa is so new, there’s limited information online about what to expect. Therefore, I thought it might be helpful to give more details and share the ultimate guide to Chablé Resort & Spa:

HOW TO GET THERE

Sadly, Chicago doesn’t have direct flight to Mérida (yet), so we had a quick layover in Houston. The airport is relatively small, so most cities won’t have direct flights. Our total flight time was approximately four to five hours. The resort is about 25 miles from the airport, and the hotel arranges ground transportation as a part of your reservation fee.

We arrived at Chablé in the evening, traveling through a dirt road past the Mayan village of Chocholá. At first, it’s a bit confusing, then, you arrive a gorgeous, lantern-lit road that takes your straight to reception. The general manager, Rocco, and staff warmly greets you before entering the main house, a stunning 18th century hacienda.

THE RESORT

Chablé opened in early 2017 with a single mission: “blend modern luxury with Mayan mysticism, where resort guests can indulge in shamanistic spa treatments and sip century-old tequila, swim in a mythical cenote and sleep under canopy in the tropical forest.” 

What was once a 19th century estate has been converted into a five-star resort (although they’ve kept a lot of the original architecture elements). The property is enormous, with a total of 750-acres. The current resort property resides on roughly 10% of that space. Thankfully, they provide bikes and also offer golf cart transportation when needed. Chablé has quickly gained media exposure and countless awards for its design, architecture, food, landscaping, and spa. They’re also a part of Virtuoso and the Small Leading Hotels of the World, which are two of the leading luxury travel resources/networks.

The property has 40 casitas, including one Presidential Villa and one Royal Villa. We stayed in a regular casita, and found it to be perfectly suitable for a couple (and I’m sure also great for families). The space is enormous (2,200 square feet), and includes a plunge pool, an enormous bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, spacious terrace, sun beds, a walk-in closet (yes, please!), and a mini bar where drinks are replenished daily (and included in your fee). The mini bar is stocked with beers, Coke, Diet Coke (known as “Coke Light” in Mexico), still and sparkling bottled waters, and even coconut water. Every room also has a safe, but we didn’t feel the need to use it as we felt our belongings were very secure on the property. The security, wi-fi, and air conditioning are fantastic (all top priorities for me and Bob while traveling).

We had the opportunity to tour the Presidential Villa, which features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, expansive gardens and a giant pool and hot tub. The Presidential Villa is $8,500 per night, although the general manager said it can get as low as $5,500 per night in low season. My favorite part of that space was the master tub, created out of a single slab of stone!

THE DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

Architect Jorge Borja and interior designer Paulina Moran teamed up to design the stunning property. The design is a mix of historic and modern. No detail is overlooked – from the sleek wood panels to marble accents, beautiful lighting, and luxurious textiles. It’s no wonder the property recently won the prestigious Prix Versailles 2017, an award bestowed upon by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects for the best hotel in the world for architecture and design.

THE FOOD & DRINKS

One of Mexico’s top chefs, Jorge Vallejo, consults on the menu development at Chablé’s three restaurants – Ixi’im Restaurant (fine dining), Ki’ol (casual) and the spa restaurant. I’ve had the pleasure of dining at Chef Vallejo’s restaurant, Quintonil in Mexico City (currently number 12 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list), so I knew we were in good hands from a culinary standpoint!

The hotel has a fresh vegetable and herb garden growing on-site, and they incorporate a lot of those ingredients into your dishes. 

Chablé is not all-inclusive, but they do offer meal plans for anyone who’s interested. Bob and I opted out of the meal plan, but it’s ideal for anyone who’s a major foodie. Keep in mind, the plan only includes non-alcoholic drinks, so if you’re planning for mucho cerveza and tequila (like us), you may want to choose the “a la carte” dining.

Prior to breakfast, the hotel brings you an “eye opener” between 7-8 AM, which includes a pot of fresh brewed coffee and sweet breads. The perfect way to start the morning.

We ate all of our breakfasts at KI’OL (my favorite dish was the hibiscus enchiladas). Breakfast is included in your hotel fee, and they offer you tea/coffee, one main dish, and one juice (they have the BEST fresh squeezed juices and milkshakes). Bob loved the mushroom omelette. We were both fans of the “Anti-flu” smoothie which incorporated orange, grapefruit, pineapple, strawberry, cranberry, and guava.

For lunch, guests have plenty of dining options – the spa’s restaurant, IXI’IM or KI’OL; we tended to opt for KI’OL (simple, easy, and located right by our casita). The burger and guacamole were my favorite dishes, although Bob preferred the crab and jicama tacos (warning: they’re small, but delicious).

The best dinners we had were at IXI’IM; be sure to make reservations in advance. There were a few nights we couldn’t get in because we tried to reserve late in the day. The tamal dish was one of the best I’ve had in quite some time. They also offer these specialty cocktails, and the gin and tonic with cucumber was INCREDIBLE. They should never take that off the menu. Ever. IXI’IM has the largest selection of tequila in the world (impressive), which are featured in clear glass cases around the restaurant. Chablé even has their own tequila (two types to be exact), which you can take home

Last but not least, we really loved the lobby bar (especially the bartender, Rudy). He’s fantastic! Plus, he kept refilling the bar snacks for us (smart man). We could have stayed there for hours. Most guests opted for the other two restaurants or their casitas to grab drinks. My recommendation? Head to the lobby bar for a relaxing evening (and great chat with Rudy, if he’s working).

WELLNESS & FITNESS

Bob and I packed multiple workout outfits for this vacation, especially after reading about all of the wellness and fitness offerings (think energetic breathing practice, running club, yoga at the cenote, mindful cycling, biking around the property, etc.). Needless to say, our workout gear got plenty of rest and relaxation in our luggage. Ha! We’re so lazy. In all seriousness, if you love wellness and fitness – Chablé is the ideal destination for you. Paula, the main fitness instructor and wellness guru, is delightful! She toured us around the spa and cenote (a natural limestone swimming hole celebrated by Mayans as the entrance into the sacred underworld). The gym at the resort is superb – all high quality equipment and beautiful views out the windows.

THE SPA

One of the biggest highlights of the property is the spa, which includes a countless pages of spa offerings! The menu is broken up into three “journey” options for guests, including the Fountain of Youth (to enhance one’s flow); the Tree of Life (to create balance); and Heaven on Earth (to inspire). A personal consultation is provided to help identify which journey is best for you.

Every treatment begins with a Mayan inauguration ceremony which recognizes the four points of the compass and acts as a portal into experiencing the here and now, followed by an extensive circuit of hydrotherapy which includes steam, sauna, jacuzzi, and a cold tub. They also interweave traditional rituals and advanced therapeutic methods. Treatment options include water massages restoring facials, conditioning treatments, thai massages, etc.

When we stayed there (December 2017), prices ranged from $100 for a wild lime scalp treatment to $540 for a heaven-on-earth massage (four-hands). Prices are subject to change, but this gives you a sense of the prices.

WHAT TO PACK

The resort provides Havaianas flip flops in your casita, but it’s always nice to have an extra pair on hand (especially if you are particular about wearing your exact size). Other recommended items to pack include:

• Swimsuits
• Hats
• Comfy shoes (gym shoes, sandals, espadrilles, etc.)
• Dressy outfits for dinner
• Casual outfits for daytime
• Workout gear (if you plan to use it)
• Bug spray and After Bite (they provide bug spray in the rooms, but we brought our own and were very thankful we did!)
• Suntan and aloe lotions

Last but not least, I’d love to hear your thoughts of Chablé Resort & Spa vlog! Be sure to visit and subscribe to my YouTube page to see all of our recent videos and follow my new Instagram account, @TravelCharades!

OUTFIT DETAILS FROM THIS POST

• Red and Pink Ruffle Trim Maxi Dress
• Pleated Tunic Dress // Woven Circle Bag {30% off with code ‘BYE2017’}
• Banana Leaf Print Maxi {sold out // almost identical dress here} {first worn last spring}
• Criss Cross Sandals
• Blue Ruffle Trim Mini Dress {also in this post}

Never miss a post – follow along on Bloglovin’!