Sanará, a Holistic Retreat in Tulum, Mexico, by Studio Arquitectos

Peacefully fused with the serene natural environment of the turquoise Caribbean seafront on the edge of the ancient Mayan city of Tulum, Mexico, Hotel Sanará is a place to breathe, heal and be free.

Created in 2015 by Studio Arquitectos, the property consists of 18 luxury guestrooms, a semi-private villa and spaces for healing, relaxing and recreational activities. Built within close proximity to one-another, its several tamarind-made rooms overlook the vast ocean ahead and circle the heart of the site, in order to form a well-balanced holistic wellness centre.

With its simple but strong essence, Hotel Sanará has become a significant reference of the Tulum beach: the basic design concept was to re-enact the structure of a city, along with the formality that accompanies it, in a tranquil, pure and subtle way that respects the environment. Entirely built over the ground level, all of the resort’s structures which are nestled amongst indigenous vegetation allow guests to enjoy the gentle breeze rolling off the ocean and the sound of strong crashing waves.

Taking a stroll around the resort, one is overwhelmed by the presence of big, simply designed white concrete boxes that were built in order to frame the large windows of the rooms, providing beautiful shade to the guests and lending a contemporary feel to the site. Attached to these boxes, clay lattices allow fresh air to penetrate into the wellness centre and hallways, while lengths of rope made of the local henequen plant have been used to create frames that demarcate the site’s different areas, whilst projecting interesting shadows on the ceilings.

Always attuned to tradition, Studio Arquitectos chose local Yucatan elements to inspire the materials used in different parts of the project. For the bathrooms, for example, the architects developed pieces made on site, using concrete stamped with wood grains, creating the feeling of a natural material but with a contemporary touch; local materials, like white Mayan stone and cement tiles made in Merida by specialised artisans, were also used in order to accent some of the surfaces with their unique designs and textures. Meanwhile, exotic tzalam Mayan wood has been used on selected walls in guest rooms, the yoga studio and the resort’s restaurant, as well as on details such as windows, doors, beds, furniture, handrails and deck structures.