You know that feeling when you walk into a hotel, you feel instantly relaxed, happy and excited that you are finally on vacation? You Well, that's exactly how we felt as soon as we arrived at Fairmont Mayakoba in Riviera Maya, Mexico. In my opinion, Riviera Maya is one of the most beautiful places on earth and Fairmont Mayakoba is one of the most beautiful hotels in Riviera Maya. So you get the idea why we chose to stay here.

This is the fifth time we stayed in a Fairmont resort and we are loving it! The reason we keep coming back to Fairmont resorts is simply that they offer the best location, service, food and everything else you can expect from a luxury resort, and more.

First of all, location, location, location. Fairmont Mayakoba is situated within 240 acres of tropical forest intersected by crystal clear tropical river and picture-perfect Caribbean beach with pearl white soft sand. It is about 40 miles south of Cancun, near the town of Playa del Carmen. Walking through the lobby, you could see the lavish green tropical forest with a windy river and beautifully designed villas. The entire resort is just huge. We estimated it would probably take us 30 minutes to walk from the lobby area all the way to the beach. Luckily for us, Fairmont offers around-the-clock golf cart transportation services as well as complimentary bikes (for adults and the kids), so we never had to walk all the way. However, we did enjoy walking in the resort simply because the paths were just so beautiful with all the tropical trees and flowers.

Then, there is the professional staff and the impeccable customer service. I think this is what we love about Fairmont resorts the most. Their staff is genuinely friendly, helpful and always go above and beyond to help us and make us feel comfortable. When we first arrived, our feet had barely touched the ground, the hotel bellman already handed us ice-cold bottled water and fresh scented towels to help us to refresh ourselves. When we checked into our rooms, there were fresh guacamoles and chips, chilled beers, kids' sized robes, toy gifts and balloons, waiting for us. When we went to the pool, the lounge chairs were laid with freshly prepared towels for us to chill. When we were waiting for the hotel transfer, the staff would communicate with each other to make sure we will get picked up as soon as possible. And also there are so many little details, such as bathroom amenities with Le Labo products (one of the best skin care products out there), labelled with your name (!!! No kidding); complimentary eco-friendly mosquito spray in the bathroom; bottled water and fresh hand towels along the path for morning joggers; mosquito sprays at the bus stop; the high-quality sunscreen that is gentle on the skin and kids-friendly; the little handbag stand by the dining table, so you don't have to put it on the floor... I can go on and on. I believe it is those little details that demonstrated thoughtfulness and consideration of the hotel and that really made the difference.

Many people think Fairmont is a family-friendly resort. It is totally true, but I would say that actually all type of travellers are welcome. No matter the guests are newly-weds, senior couples, single travellers, or even four-legged friends, they are guaranteed to have a great time. If the family pools are too noisy, you can retreat to adult-only ones. Everyone can have fun and enjoy the way they want without feeling disturbing others or being disturbed.

If you are a foodie like us, then Fairmont Mayakoba is just definitely the place for you. There are three main restaurants in the resort and they are all fabulous. Barisas is right by the beach and the pool, which has a stunning view of the Caribbean sea. You can find from fresh seafood to burgers and fantastic vegetarian dishes. Everything is beautifully plated and packed with colours. Our favourite was the grilled avocado salad. You have to try it! El Puerto is located in the main lobby, which has a beautiful garden view of the lush rainforest, the river and beautiful villas. They offer a menu that is Latin-Asian, which is a very surprising combination. Do try it, the dishes are absolutely delicious. Then finally, the main dining restaurant is La Laguna. You can find the most extensive breakfast buffet here in the mornings. Fresh fruits, pastries, Mexican dishes, omelette station, pancake and waffle stations, fresh juice cart, and many many more. Every evening during we stayed, they offered a special dining experience. We had dinner on the beach, Mexican night, BBQ by the pool, and picnic and movie night on the lawn under the stars. I mean, seriously, outdoor movie night and picnic! How cool is that?! We have never experienced anything like this anywhere else in a resort before. Not only Fairmont Mayakoba set up lounge chairs on the lawn for the guests, but also prepared little picnic baskets with delicious sandwiches with French baguette, salad with watermelon and feta cheese, veggie-chips, and more. And for the kids, there were also popcorn and kettle corns. It was such a fun experience for the big and little guests! I highly recommend you to sign up the all inclusive food package, "Premium Appetite For Luxury", which allows you to visit all the restaurats and order anything you like. There are only few of super luxury food items that require additional payment.

There is one more thing you definitely don't want to miss when you stay at any Fairmont resort, especially at this one, Fairmont Mayakoba, is the spa! I am confident to say they offer one of the best spa treatments in the world. My husband and I got a couple 60 mins massage and we were in heaven. The staff, the facilities and the quality of the treatment were just top-notch. They provided everything standard from a bathrobe, slippers, hairbrushes, body lotion, to the contact lens solution, house-made body scrub, and so on. We were completely spoiled and felt very good about it.

Of course, if you were as adventurous we are, you probably would like to know more on the activities within and outside the Fairmont Mayakoba. In the resort, there are Guided catamaran tour, sea kayaks, Stand-Up paddle boards, snorkeling, masks, boogie boards, beach balls and sand toys. And with some addtional costs, you can also do windsurfing, sailing lessons, windsurfing, and so on. As for excursions, there are just so many options. Our favoriate would be swimming with the whale sharks in Cancun and visiting cenotes near Tulum.

Just like that, our four days' stay in Fairmont Mayakoba was over. Guess time always goes particularly fast when you have a good time. So many moments we had there have now become beautiful memories. I really hope you will get to visit this amazing resort when you visit the Riviera Maya in Mexico. You will not regret it!

*We are invited as guests by Fairmont Mayakoba, but all opinions are our own.