Luxury Spa Review: Our Trip to Chablé Yucatan, Mexico - Redefining Wellness
After years of exploring spa days around the globe, I've finally landed in the heart of Mexico, a country renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and luxurious retreats. In my latest spa review, I delve deep into the The Spa at Chablé Yucatan. This Mexican hotel offers more than just a place to rest - it promises the spa breaks that luxury travellers dream of. From the comfortable and relaxing facilities to the rejuvenating spa treatments, every moment here is one worth treasuring.
Join me, The Private Traveler, as I recount my experience in one of the finest hotels in Mexico, highlighting the peaks of my luxury spa break and offering a few insights for those considering their own luxury spa breaks in Mexico.
Chablé Yucatan Spa Pool
Why choose Chablé Yucatan for a spa break?
I’ve had Chablé Hotels on my radar for a while; the two existing properties at Chablé Yucatán (near Mérida) and where we will visit first, then Chablé Maroma, a slightly newer property on Riviera Maya on the east side of the Yucatán peninsula. There is also a new property coming outside of La Paz which is of great interest too, the Sea of Cortez - I’ll be watching out for this opening with great interest (due 2023).
After a few days in Puebla (and I will be writing about the Urban Wellness Center there Cartesiano), nearer to Mexico City, we then flew to Mérida to stay at Chablé Yucatán. Situated in expansive grounds, it was definitely somewhere that you didn’t want to leave, and having such fantastic facilities on site including the most amazing spa there really was no reason to.
The Spa at Chablé Yucatán, Mexico: The Important Details
Location - The Spa at Chablé Yucatán, near Mérida, Mexico.
Treatment - Nirvana Stress-Relief Massage & Herbal Foot Therapy
Cost - MXN $5,280 - £190 - US $260 & MXN $3,300 - £120 - US $160
Time - 90 mins massage followed by 30 mins foot treatment
Spa website - https://chablehotels.com/yucatan/wellness/spa/
Hotel website - https://chablehotels.com/yucatan/
Visited - February 2022
Cenote in the centre of the Chablé Yucatan Spa
Spa facilities to enjoy during your stay
As well as all the treatments under the different journeys, there are all separate beauty treatments for both men and women, and a separate beauty salon adjacent in the grounds. Not to mention the in-spa yoga and meditation, gym and fitness/movement studio (spin classes available, wellness restaurant (open from 11am to 7pm daily), a boutique and apothecary. There is also a hydrotherapy circuit offering a wide array of different water treatments, all complimentary except the floatarium. For both men and women separate, as part of the changing facilities, there is a steam room, sauna, varying pools with water massage jets and of different temperatures, outside drench and rain showers (cold water only) as well as more luxurious indoor shower suites by Porcelanosa NK with huge overhead rain showers.
Jacuzzi deck within the Spa
Spa treatment selection at Chablé Yucatán, Mexico
The spa menu is broken up into three different journeys or classes of treatments, these being:
Fountain of Youth
Tree of Life
Heaven on Earth
For my initial treatments I blended the 90 minute Nirvana Stress-Relief massage followed by an additional 30 minutes for the Hierbabuena Foot Therapy, mixing both the Fountain of Youth and Heaven on Earth journeys. There was such a good choice of treatments in each of the journeys so it was difficult to choose, but staying here for 6 days I know I will have the option to try others. I’ve already booked for another 90 minute Flow of Tide Lymphatic Drainage Massage and am very tempted by the Forest Detox Massage too.
Cafe Bar within the Chablé Yucatan Spa
Chablé Yucatan Spa Review
So, without further ado let us dive into the nitty gritty of the the Spa at Chablé Yucatan, an excellent luxury spa break option in Mexico.
In the following sections I'll describe every part of the Luxury Spa experienced at Chablé Yucatan, including the changing facilities, the treatment room, the types of spa treatments involved and my own personal highlights and advice. Let us see why the Chablé Yucatan Spa stands out as an ideal luxury spa break in Mexico.
Changing facilities
There was both a male and female side of the changing rooms, but these weren’t just any ordinary changing rooms but a matching suite of rooms and hydrotherapy circuits. Through the massive wooden entrance door you first entered into a huge spacious lounge area, with a panoramic full wall width window onto the garden. There were lots of comfortable seating areas to relax before or after a treatment, and the option of mineral water or the water of the day. From here there were separate toilets, all perfectly maintained, a bar/serving area which didn’t seem to be in use, and then a walk through a wide marble and wood lined corridor to a changing area itself, here on one wall there were various spacious lockers, all complete with a linen robe, slippers, towel and bath matt. There were sinks too with toiletries and towels provided and a massive natural tree log for seating. From here, next stop was another wet area with more sinks and toiletries, as many large white cotton towels as you could possibly need and three large shower suites, all wood lined and spacious enough for both a huge overhead rain shower but a small seated area too supplied with extra towels and another personal bath mat.
From this shower wet area you then went through glass doors into an open-air courtyard, this housed the experience showers, the steam room (towels and body scrub provided), a sauna and the amazing floatation pool. I must say when I initially saw there was a floatation option in the spa, I (wrongly) assumed it would be an egg-style pod as I’ve used elsewhere but absolutely not, this was a stone floatation pool like no other. Outside in a garden area there were three sunken pools, either side a jacuzzi style (one warmer and one cooler) and in the middle a cold plunge pool. The more temperate tub had four different jetted areas, one for the lower half, one for the back, one for the neck and the last for your ankles and calves. While we were relaxing after the steam bath, the spa butler brought us fresh towels and a special drink to cool down. All in all, it must be one of the most luxurious changing facilities, a real highlight and that’s just the changing rooms, never mind the rest of the spa!
The spa treatment room
There is a spa suite and double spa suite as well as 12 individual spa cabins, all overlooking the central cenote. The main spa building (which also houses a pool and sun deck) and incorporates all the changing and hydrotherapy circuits then leads you to pass all the treatment cabanas from a wooden decked walkway right through and down to a cenote-side yoga and meditation deck. On the way, you also pass another outdoor large jacuzzi pool with loungers and showers. My first treatment was in one of the first cabanas, nearest the main spa but was so perfectly quiet and beautifully appointed. After being given a Mayan blessing by my therapist before going to the spa suite, once I was in the wood lined cabin my eyes were immediately drawn to the small balcony area and to the view of the cenote. First, my feet were scrubbed and washed sitting on the small terrace, and I was given a drink of cacao to enjoy before my treatment. Although I didn’t need to use it, there was also a wood-lined shower area screened by a bright blue Mexican beaded curtain, then in the cabin itself was a very comfortable single massage bed adorned with a Mexican blanket. There was a separate WC and a decent sized sink area for the therapist. The music was relaxing, and as nice as it was to enjoy the initial natural breeze on the balcony, it was also nice for the treatment itself to have the balcony door closed to fully appreciate the air conditioning.
Luxury Spa Treatments at the Chablé Yucatan Spa
The therapist was great, from the Mayan welcome to ensuring that I was comfortable throughout the treatment, as was her right pressure. We started off with the Nirvana stress-relief massage; face down and each side of the body was massaged in turn with oil. The pressure was excellent and I could feel the muscles being worked and relaxed, in a rhythmic and circular motion. From there, my back was then given particular attention before turning over onto my front to have my sides down again. As well as the oil massage, there were also elements of stretching of the arms and then some head/neck massage too. After the full 90 minutes, we then moved onto the herbal foot therapy, where each calf and foot were worked on, and it must have been at this point that I started to drift off into a snooze. The treatment finished with three chimes and I was brought back to consciousness.
Chablé Yucatan Mexico: My review of the hotel
I will be posting a full detailed hotel review, but this 41 casita property definitely has the wow factor. It’s in a great location less than a 30 minute drive away from Merida International Airport, on the northwest side of the Yucatán peninsula, in the north east of Mexico. All casitas are located throughout the vast grounds, surrounded by palm foliage for complete seclusion. In contrast to some of the traditional Mayan buildings which form the reception building, main hacienda house among others throughout the grounds, the casitas are modern and spacious both indoor and out. As well as there being a huge private terrace at the front with decent sized heated pool (with overhanging hammock) and a shaded seated terrace for morning tea, the casita/villa itself has everything you could possibly want with a huge open-plan bedroom/living/office space with a separate large dressing area and a vast bathroom suite (twin sinks on a massive vanity unit surrounded by glass to the jungle, twin indoor and separate outside showers, seating and separate WC).
If you can tear yourself away from the luxurious casitas (think air-conditioned cool with chique modern meets traditional designs of natural woods and stone, and every modern convenience like a Nespresso coffee machine, kettle for tea, fast Wifi, complimentary minibar supplied daily with Coke/Diet Coke/Coconut water/Beer etc.) then the rest of the resort has more to offer. Apart from the vast spa (which I think has to be one of my favourites in the world), there are two restaurants as well as the spa wellness one (one fine dining and the other an all-day by the pool restaurant), a dedicated separate building for a Cigar bar (great gins too and you don’t have to have a cigar) at Sikar, tennis courts, a wellness golf course, shop etc.
Chablé Yucatan Spa: The Highlights
Where to start - the spa design, location, the cenote, treatments, facilities, service; all just phenomenal.
The entire spa, as was the resort in general, was literally sparkling clean.
Fab service from the welcome on arrival, the wellness restaurant, our spa butler, Clarisa the yoga teacher etc.
Areas for improvement
In terms of the spa I really don’t think there is anything I can say here. Very minor and is only personal preference, but perhaps an earlier morning yoga class rather than 8am to be able to take advantage of some of the other fitness classes on offer too.
I wish I had known about the Spa Suite in advance, with it’s extra facilities and VIP amenities. Although at extra cost, I would have liked to try this but only asked what it actually was the evening before we were leaving. Initially I’d assumed it was just the same as a double treatment room.
Luxury villas Chablé Yucatan Mexico - Private Pools
Final thoughts on the Chablé Yucatán, Mexico
As I’ve said the spa at Chablé Yucatán has to be one of my favourites of all time - the location was just exceptional, not only the resort itself but the way in which the spa has been lovingly and creatively designed around the central cenote. From morning yoga on the cenote-side esplanade with Clarisa, to enjoying the hydrotherapy circuit taken care of by your spa butler, indulging in an alcoholic cocktail with a healthy lunch in the beautiful wellness cafe, to treatments in either the single or double spa cabins, all I can really finish with is WOW! If this is anything to go by, I can’t wait to experience the next spa at the beachside property of Chablé Maroma.
Have you visited Chablé Yucatan or any Chablé hotel before? I’d love to hear your own thoughts and opinions on it as well as your impression of Mexico in general as a travel destination!
Comment below to share your thoughts and opinions.
Let me know which spa I should review next!
