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That love is evident. In 2015, the Riviera Maya was predicted to
welcome 4.5 million arrivals, up from just over 4.4 million in 2014 and
1.2 million in 2000, according to the area’s convention and visitors’
bureau. A big part of that growth is fueled by timesharing; the state of
Quintana Roo, home to the Riviera Maya, has become one of the leading
timeshare markets in the world. “We’re still growing,” says Ana Patricia
de la Peña, president of the
“As a destination, Quintana Roo is just 40 years old. There
is a lot of land left for development.”
Developers here have many advantages, from the spectacular
scenery and ancient ruins to proximity to Mexico’s second-busiest
airport. But perhaps what makes this region stand out is developers’
willingness to try new concepts and strategies.
Natural Beauty
The exact borders of the Riviera Maya aren’t set in stone, but it’s gen-
erally considered the 85-mile stretch from Puerto Morelos to just north
of Tulum, the site of spectacular Mayan ruins. It’s also the gateway to
Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the
world’s second-largest barrier reef.
When development began four decades ago, there was already
plenty to attract visitors, including underground rivers called cenotes,
sandy beaches with gentle waves, mangroves, and wildlife. Now, how-
ever, those attractions have been augmented by eco-adventure parks,
zip-line tours, brand-name spas, championship golf courses, gourmet
restaurants, and a lively nightlife in Playa del Carmen and other towns.
“The beauty of the Riviera Maya is that it offers an array of different
experiences, from adults-only to family-friendly to spa to the ruins at
Tulum,” says Rafael Feliz, chairman and CEO of “There
are just so many attractions.” The same can be said for Karisma resorts,
where guests, usually on all-inclusive plans, can choose from 10 or more
restaurants, see shows, relax on the beach in shaded Bali beds while
being tended by beach butlers, or participate in myriad on-site activities.
Recently, Karisma’s Azul Beach Hotel and Azul Sensatori Mexico
have even introduced the Nickelodeon Experience, which promises to
welcome guests with a glass of champagne and a cool towel as their
children indulge in a smoothie. The fun continues with breakfasts and
meetings with SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, and other
characters. Other Karisma resorts are geared to grown-ups; adults-
only or couples-only properties are common in the area.
Diverse Products
Although many resorts in the region are all-inclusive, Feliz and others
stress that the experience today isn’t about standing in buffet lines. “We
call our experience ‘gourmet-inclusive,’” he says. These high-end
restaurants emphasize chef-driven cuisine and locally sourced ingredients.
Agostini agrees with this assessment. “One of the areas where
Mexican developers stand out is the quality of the resorts and service
delivery, including hospitality,” he says. That works for Interval.
“One in three of our North American members say they want to take
an all-inclusive vacation in the next two years.”
The luxurious experience doesn’t rule out budget-minded
consumers. “Many travelers choose all-inclusive because they want to
know how much they will spend,” de la Peña says.
Because prepaid restaurants preclude the need for in-unit kitchens,
hotel-style accommodations are common in Riviera Maya. Many of the
newer resorts are selling a vacation club concept. AMDETUR and other
groups are working to ensure that regulations are keeping up with the
innovations in product form. Right-to-use plans are also offered, with
terms shrinking from the 30 years commonly offered in the 1990s and
before. “The short-term products appeal to the types of clients we
need to attract: millennials and Gen Xers,” de la Peña says.
Marketing Experience
Because resort experiences are so varied, Erika Garcia, CEO of
markets the area by interest. “You have customers
for spa, golf, family, honeymoons, adventure, and sightseeing,” she
explains. “The fact is that the Riviera Maya vacationer lands at the
same airport as the Cancún visitor. There’s naturally a bit of jealousy
between the destinations, but we still work together on promotions.”
The Cancún airport has been a key factor in the area’s success. In
2014, the airport handled 17.5 million passengers, a 9.4-percent
increase over the previous year. “When you look at the airlift from North
America and Latin America, as well as Europe, it’s really opened up the
destination,” Agostini says. “It allows developers to target different
consumers.” Beach-seeking vacationers from the eastern U.S. enjoy
shorter, often direct flights.
The diversity in the travel base helps smooth out seasonality, as
Latin Americans and Europeans prefer the summer months, while
North American travelers generally want to escape snow and ice during
the winter. However, February remains high season. “I wish we could
triplicate ourselves in February,” Garcia says.
Timeshare consumers don’t vary much from the general visitor pop-
ulation, says Cecilia Mosqueda, marketing manager of TM Real Estate
Group, developer of The Fives at Playa del Carmen, which includes
whole ownership and a rental pool, managed by Karisma. “The time-
share customer is essentially anyone visiting the area,” she says. “What
makes them a timeshare owner is that they have decided they want to
return on a recurring basis and purchase a membership to help them do
so. Timeshare owners do generally stay in larger, more luxurious resorts.”
Because of intense competition among area resorts and the fact that
most resorts operate as mixed-use properties, today there’s less depen-
dence on traditional OPCs and more focus on in-house programs and
other marketing programs in general for lead-generation purposes. “It’s
very complicated and expensive to be out on the street,” Agostini says.
Opportunity?
Developers who want to get into the mix in Riviera Maya will find land
available at a lower cost than in Cancún, Garcia says, especially around
Puerto Morelos. That land, however, comes with strict environment and
zoning regulations. “The idea was to avoid the skyscrapers that
dominate development in Cancún,” she says. The area must also be
protected, so that the natural beauty that attracts visitors isn’t destroyed.
Capital is another concern as end-loan financing is not generally
available, but that is changing. “This is one of the biggest challenges,
but lenders are becoming more open to providing financing for U.S.
and Canadian buyers,” Agostini says, adding that the industry in
Mexico is well-supported by private capital.
With more vacationers streaming to the region each year, develop-
ment will certainly continue. “There’s just so much here, and often within
just one flight,” de la Peña adds.
See page 2 for currency conversions.
Judy Kenninger, RRP, heads Kenninger Communications and has been
covering the shared-ownership and vacation real estate industries for nearly
two decades.
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The growth along the Riviera Maya has been phenomenal,” says Marcos
Agostini, senior vice president of resort sales
and business development for Latin America. “There’s a sense of bare-
foot elegance, and people love that you really feel that you’re in Mexico.”
Scott Prokop/Glow Images; Experiencias Xcaret S.A.