Dezeen promotion: The prestigious Hotel of The Year title at AHEAD Americas 2021 has been awarded to One & Only Mandarina, a luxury resort in Mexico that straddles a sandy beach and dense jungle.
This year's edition of the AHEAD Americas awards celebrates exceptional hospitality projects that have launched, opened, or reopened across the continent between November 2019 and February 2021.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the winners were announced via a virtual ceremony that took place on 12 November on AHEAD's website.
Dense jungle serves as the backdrop to Mexico's One & Only Mandarina hotel
One & Only Mandarina was the most triumphant project, winning the Resort Hotel and Landscaping and Outdoor Spaces categories, as well as the much-sought-after Hotel of the Year award. Hidden amongst the densely forested cliffsides of Mexico's Sierra del Vallejo mountain range, the hotel is made up of a series of lavish villas and treehouse-style suites that look out onto the golden sands of the Riviera Nayarit coastline.
The spa at Paradero Todos Santos hotel focuses on ancient Mexican healing treatments
Each of its rooms is decked out with locally-sourced natural materials and comes with a secluded terrace that's surrounded by lush greenery.
AHEAD judges were blown away by its location, and commented that arriving at the hotel "feels like you've been transported to another place where you can be rejuvenated".
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