PRESS RELEASES
Renowned Chefs, Award-Winning Bars and World-Class Artisans Gather at Ultra-Luxury Resort to Celebrate Mexico’s Rich and Diverse Cultural Heritage
January 20, 2025
Riviera Maya, Mexico (January 20, 2025) – Rosewood Mayakoba, the ultra-luxury Riviera Maya resort, is pleased to announce the fifth edition of its annual Yo Amo Mexico festival featuring immersive programming highlighting Mexican culture and heritage. The Forbes five-star hotel with Two Michelin Keys, distinguished by winding emerald lagoons and white sand beaches, has curated a roster of tastemakers to bring to life Mexican art, culture, food, and cocktails over the course of five celebratory weeks in January, February and March 2025.
"At Rosewood Mayakoba, we are committed to celebrating the vibrant cultural mosaic that makes Mexico so extraordinary," said Christian Gonzalez, Resort Manager at Rosewood Mayakoba. "Yo Amo Mexico is our way of honoring the artistry, traditions, and flavors of this beautiful country by bringing together exceptional talent and creating meaningful experiences that connect our guests to the heart of Mexico."
Yo Amo Mexico highlights all that makes Mexico an exceptional destination, introducing guests to a diverse breadth of emerging and established talent, including beloved artisans, renowned chefs and bartenders, innovative winemakers, and transformative wellness practitioners – among others. Each week features a different roster of talent and series of distinctive activities showcasing Mexican culture, with a lineup shining light on incredible women in March in honor of International Women’s Day. The dates of the festival are as follows:
Jan 20-24
Feb 3-7
Feb 24-28
March 3-7
March 12-14
The three-month celebration is designed to support Centro Educativo K'iin Beh, Rosewood Mayakoba’s school in Playa del Carmen providing bilingual, full-time education for local children. The school, which was built in 2017, is funded by friends, guests, and associates of Rosewood Mayakoba, providing full-time education for more than 500 students from elementary school to high school and educating over 1,500 students to date.
The following themes are explored throughout Yo Amo Mexico programming, providing guests the unique opportunity to discover all that makes Mexican culture extraordinary.
Destination-Inspired Dining
From the verdant valleys to bustling Mexico City and azure coastal communities, Mexico’s culinary story is as varied as its landscape. Yo Amo Mexico’s curated culinary experiences showcase exceptional Mexican cuisine through intimate dinners and exclusive cooking classes at La Ceiba Garden & Kitchen, spirited beachfront gatherings at Aqui Me Quedo and more. For the first time, guests can enjoy an exclusive in-villa dinner experience, designed to evoke the intimacy of dining in a private home. These dinners offer unparalleled access to guest talent—chefs, winemakers, and bartenders—while featuring beautifully curated tables adorned with handcrafted flatware from artisans showcased in the Yo Amo Mexico x Obakki marketplace, bringing together the festival’s most special elements in one unforgettable evening.
Explore the heart of Mexican culture through guest chefs including: Val Cantú, chef and owner of Californios, the first Mexican restaurant in the world to earn Two Michelin Stars; Claudette Zepeda, the award-winning, San Diego-based chef and culinary entrepreneur known for her fearless style and bold approach to regional Mexican cuisine; Chuy Villareal, a Food & Wine Best New Chef and co-founder of Cara de Vaca, ranked one of Latin America’s 50Best Restaurants; Fernando Martínez Zavala, winner of “Cocinero del Año” (2014) and Top Chef Mexico finalist who is a leader in the culinary scene at his renowned restaurants Migrante and Kun Reforma; and Enrique Casarrubias, chef and owner of Michelin-starred Restaurant Oxte in Paris.
Craft Cocktails and Mexican Spirits
Explore the heart of Mexican culture through crafted cocktails and local spirits from an array of high-profile bartenders and winemakers including Eli Martínez, co-founder of Mexico City’s Tlecān, the North America 50Best Bar showcasing a diverse selection of artisanal agave distillates from small producers across Mexico; José Olivas, award-winning bartender at Handshake Speakeasy; David Quiroga, a leading mixologist blending modern techniques with regional flavors; Sergio Salgado, a pioneer in biodynamic and organic winemaking in Mexico and founder of Viñas del Sol and Santos Brujos in Valle de Guadalupe; winemaker Lulú Martinez of Bruma Vinícola in Guadalupe Valley known for her elegant and innovative wines; Tru Miller of Adobe Guadalupe; and Diane Maycotte, owner of Dos Búhos wines in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato showcasing the importance of native yeasts and minimal intervention.
Art and Design
In partnership with ethical sourcing marketplace Obakki, Yo Amo Mexico offers guests interactive workshops hosted by world-class Mexican artisans and craftspeople including the following:
Celebrated candlemaker Doña Viviana, continuing a family tradition of beeswax candle-making sourced from Chiapas, a craft that spans hundreds of years and known for her signature flower-shaped candles
Oaxacan potters Rufina Ruíz López, specializing in small-batch Atzompa pottery such as her iconic incense burners and Macrina Martínez, upholding a 20-generation Zapotec tradition of crafting cookware and serving pieces from the region’s unique red clay
Marisol Chavez from the Weavers of Guerrero, a collective of palm weaving artisans representing over 80 families in the Sierra de Guerrero region of Mexico preserving and passing on palm weaving techniques that date back to pre-Hispanic times
Blending ancient traditions with modern innovation, these interactive experiences provide the unique opportunity to appreciate and learn the skills of masterful Mexican craftsmanship.
As part of the festival, Rosewood Mayakoba has debuted a new limited-edition Mexican Artisan Marketplace (January-March 2025) in partnership with Obakki at the boutique. This exclusive pop-up introduces guests to a diverse group of artisans from across Mexico, from Oaxaca and Mexico City to Michoacan and Chiapas, as well as those who will be teaching the hands-on Yo Amo Mexico workshops. Guests can visit the boutique to learn more about Mexican artistry while showing their support for these artisans and their communities through purchases. The marketplace features a mix of unique handcrafted items including ceramics, textiles, homewares, decorative art and more. A portion of the proceeds from all sales will also benefit K’iin Beh, a core mission of the festival. The marketplace items are showcased as part of a display-only gallery where guests can purchase items available for worldwide shipping via QR code.
For images of the Obakki artisans, see here. To view the Rosewood Mayakoba x Obakki collection, please visit: https://obakki.com/pages/rosewood-mayakoba
Renewal & Rejuvenation
Experience wellness activities that offer guests distinct journeys to self-discovery, inner transformation, and self-love – all rooted in the rich tradition and heritage of the Mayan culture. Immerse in a traditional herbal cleansing ceremony with a Mexican shaman, infused with copal, sacred songs and shared intentions along with other exclusive activations designed to connect the body, mind, and spirit.
For more information about Yo Amo Mexico events, please visit:
https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/mayakoba-riviera-maya/experiences/calendar/yo-amo-mexico-2025
For the full 2025 program, please visit: rosewoodhotels.com/content/dam/rosewoodhotels/property/mayakoba-riviera-maya/en/documents/experiences/YO AMO MEXICO 2025 PROGRAM.pdf
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About Rosewood Mayakoba
Rosewood Mayakoba sits in the heart of a 620-acre resort enclave in the Riviera Maya. Built along winding lagoons and a mile-long arc of white sand beach, this oasis of indulgence offers 129 newly renovated suites with plunge pools, butler service, garden showers, individual docks, and an exclusive collection of Private Residences with the finest in-room design and details. Resort amenities include a signature Greg Norman championship golf course, award-winning dining destinations, Rosewood Explorers® for children, and Sense, A Rosewood Spa®️, which is designed around a cenote, one of the sacred water wells of the ancient Mayans, and sits on a private island. The resort is built to abide by the highest of eco-standards, offering indulgence with awareness, and has recently been awarded the Rainforest Alliance Certification.
Media Contact
For additional information, please contact:
rwmayakoba@baltzco.com
