Category: Hotels
Region: Mexico
Year: 2023
Location: TAMARINDO, LA HUERTA, JALISCO, MEXICO
FT2 Construction: 430,556 sq ft
FT2 Ground: 4,777,029 sq ft
Involved Areas: Master Plan, Architecture
Collaborators:
LEGORRETA ®
Víctor Legorreta
Miguel Almaraz
Adriana Ciklik
Carlos Vargas
Miguel Alatriste
Armando Echávez
Carlos Daniel Carrera
Cesar Ortiz
Daniel Roselló
Diana Arroyo
Diego Eumir Jaso
Dolores Robles - Martínez
Elizabeth Martínez
Fernanda Argüello
Fernando Nolasco
Freddy Lopez
Guillermo Mateos
Joel Plata
Joel Rojas
José Luis Hernández
José Tadeo Ángeles
Juan Carlos Nolasco
Juan Carlos Real
Julieta Martinez
Marco Antonio Mosqueda
Mariana Murguia
Mauricio David Flores
Miguel Angel Roldán
Oswaldo Anaya
Oswaldo Flores
Paola Leorreta
Rafael Brioso
Raziel Sobrino
Salvador Escobedo
Satoshi Kawakami
Uriel Reyes
Víctor Rentería
Víctor Ventura
Associate Architects:
Taller Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo
Mauricio Rocha
Gabriela Carrillo
Adalia Duque
Alma Caballero
Ariana Martínez
Camilo Trujillo
Carlos Antonio
Dalia Gatica
David Ramírez
Edgar Arturo González
Elizabeth Waites
Enrique Ibarra
Esterlina Campuzano
Fernando Nájera
Francisco Ortiz
Gabriel Ruiz
Israel Espín
Ivan Divier Santillán
Jesus Arturo Ojeda
Jorge David Ramírez
Juan Carlos Arankowsky
Laura Tassara
Luis Guagnelli
Luis Hernández
Pedro Lechuga
Rodrigo Mazari
Valente Delgado
Xochitl Zúñiga
Uribe Krayer, Diseño de Interiores
Ofelia Uribe
Érica Krayer
Miriam Cosgalla
Jonathan Oliva
Ma. José Belausteguigotia
Consultants:
INTERIOR DESIGN AND ART CONSULTANT: Uribe Krayer
ALL DAY DINING AND 9TH HOLE RESTAURANT DESIGN: Héctor Esrawe
TAQUERÍA RESTAURANT: BHuber
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: GDU
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Frontespizio
CONTRACTOR: EEC
STRUCTURAL DESIGN: Alonso y Asociados ; Izquierdo e Ingenieros
ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING: PGI
ACOUSTICAL DESIGN: SAAD
LIGHTING DESIGN: Artec3
SECURITY CONSULTANT: HIDI RAE
KITCHEN CONSULTANT: Ricca Newmark
COST ESTIMATOR: Paralelo 19
SPA CONSULTANT: BluSpas
Photographer:
LEGOROCHA
The Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo is located at the water’s edge of a 2,100-acre natural reserve rich with the flora and fauna characteristic of the Mexican Pacific Coast. Its privileged position offers breathtaking views of the ocean from towering cliffs that descend from some 300 ft. down to the ocean; a variety of natural settings that provide guests with countless possibilities to relax and explore: from lying on the pristine sand beach to walking along lush natural paths observing birds and the verdant native flora and fauna.
Only 45 minutes from the Manzanillo International Airport, the brief journey begins upon entering the Tamarindo Natural Reserve, travelling upon hand hewn stone roads surrounded by a jungle with ancient royal palms and papelillo trees, deer roaming and natural light shimmering through lush green vegetation, enveloping visitors and immersing them within the universe of silence of this natural sanctuary.
During the journey, the guest gazes in wonder at the contrast of the pristine links golf course with the tousled jungle, and the play of the sinuous mountain topography. Then, around a bend in the road, local stone tecorral walls covered with magueys and cactus come into view, opening up to reveal a road paved in local stone, the green mountainside sliding on to the edge of the path.
The resort’s porte cochere appears as a grand, circular Mexican patio where the sounds of trickling water, the scent of jasmine and rays of light stream through an enramada, a traditional natural roof covering of the Mexican coasts made of wood and palm leaves.
Guests are led into a shaded area 100 ft. above sea level that reveals a spectacular view of lush terraces leading to the ocean. This is a sensual space where the absence of reception and concierge desks makes the arrival experience akin to that of a comfortably furnished grand home. A space that evokes the primitive sophistication that permeates the resort, where guests will sip a welcome drink while taking in the spectacular views of the Pacific and the jungle-covered mountains that frame the site.
ACTIVE POOLS
A step closer to the edge of the lobby reveals cascading gardens and guests lounging by the different active swimming pools that step down the mountainside, reaching the inviting expanse of white sand beach. At this level, a funicular will transport guests to and from the beach. From this vantage point, one also observes in the distance the hotel’s 80 beachfront rooms weaving the natural path that descends towards the beach, deconstructed in earth-colored clusters, where the jungle is always an accomplice to the architecture and the sea.
BEACHFRONT ROOMS
Accessing the beachfront guestrooms south of the arrival building, one travels along a cart path coming upon a roundabout of dense rose-colored agaves and passes through stone walls framing views of the sea. The guests arrive at a small verdant patio and access their guestroom cluster on one of three levels nestled in the terrain.
Once inside, the guest discovers a sanctuary, a space of intimacy, yet generous in size and open to the dramatic blue waters of the Pacific and the rocky atolls that rise beyond the beach. This space leads to a semi-shaded outdoor terrace that doubles the size of the guestroom, creating a true outdoor wind down zone. The imaginative furnishings in this terrace form an extension of the indoor living area, adding to the sense of generosity of space.
Linens, fabrics, furnishings and art and accessories of the finest quality offer exquisite comfort and dialogue with Parota wood-beam ceilings, a call back to ancient Mexican haciendas. The hues of alebrijes, colorful Mexican folk-art sculptures, and local silver pieces dialogue with the green of the vegetation on the terrace, while the hammock invites one to lie down and read a book or sleep a restful siesta. The sense of intimacy and relaxation in the oasis of the bathrooms is heightened by open views to private gardens from every bathtub.
Every guestroom at the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo has an unimpeded view of the ocean.
HILLTOP ROOMS
Forty rooms are placed on the undulating ridges that form a hillside north of the arrival building, affording spectacular ocean views and generous (750 sf.), imaginative interior spaces. The expansive terraces with large plunge pools invite to contemplate the spectacular setting of the sun each day, drink in hand. And the light-filled oasis of each bathroom adds to the sense of relaxation and complete privacy that permeates the rooms; the only sound one hears is that of the surf surging against the rocks well below.
These adult-oriented rooms are reached by a cart path that meanders up through native jungle, offering stunning views of the ocean and the majestic rock formations of the shore. The adult pool and the spa are conveniently close to this end of the resort. The resort is flanked by two expansive five-bedroom suites: one at beach level on the south, and the other to the north, crowning the hilltop at some 250 ft. above the sea, both encompassing the very best features of each location.
Building materials are local stones, and the room clusters and suites are built using antique local traditions that combine their natural earth tones with the rays of light and shadows of the trees projecting upon them. The result are unobtrusive structures that blend in and even disappear within the pristine natural surroundings.
DINING
The dining experience is a fundamental component of Mexican culture. Each of the dining venues enjoys widely different settings and designs, promising a unique and unforgettable experience at each meal.
For breakfast and dinner, guests will have a choice of open-air or air-conditioned seating by the breakfast buffet in the All-Day Restaurant beneath a grand palapa, while enjoying the views of cascading pools and the open ocean beyond. Private dining rooms face the ocean from their perch in the surrounding jungle.
At the Beach Bar and Grill, cantilevered a few feet above the beach and reminiscent of the very informal beachfront eateries of nearby coastal villages, guests in swimming attire will enjoy the fresh catch brought to shore by local fishermen daily, and prepared Mexican style in an open grill, or linger on for drinks at sundown in the bar.
The restaurant at the 9th hole of the golf course will provide an alternative at dinner time that will appear as if independent from the resort. The daytime light food fare served to golfers will turn into grilled meats and seafood at night. The setting affords majestic views of the action of the waves over soaring rock formations, where the sea and the pristine grass of the course and the jungle make up the landscape.
QUIET POOL
The hilltop Quiet Pool and its Ceviche Bar unfold along the cliffs of the upper mountainside, creating infinity views beyond the pools and placing the guest as if floating above the sea in the middle of two cliffs covered in vegetation. Adult guests will have a wide option of light fare and refreshments during the day in small, intimate spaces to relax, to wet the feet and enjoy the breeze that come with being on the ridges of a mountainside.
SPA
The spa is situated on the other (east) side of the mountain, between the resort’s main building and the hilltop guestrooms. Entering the lobby is an experience similar to walking through an antique Hacienda Henequenera (the old sisal-producing haciendas of Yucatán) where the water and the breeze mix with a spectacular distant view of the ocean.
Once inside, the design of the spa is inspired by patios of 16th century monasteries, the enveloping mountainside becoming its walls, thick native vegetation reflecting the locale. A series of reflecting pools gently break the silence and blend with the scents of medicinal plants and plays of aromatherapy extracted from the purest pre-Columbian traditions, heightening the sense of discovery of a sanctuary in the midst of the jungle. The treatment rooms are intimate individual spaces nestled in the mountainside and facing the ocean.
FUNCTION SPACE
Below the resort’s lobby one finds the retail spaces, accessed as if through the portico always present in the historic plazas of Mexican cities and towns. This portico leads on to the ballroom and meeting rooms. Once inside the ballroom, guests will be surprised and delighted by a light-filled stone patio and water feature at one end, spanning most of its length. Immediately outside the ballroom, an outdoor event lawn unfolds to reveal a space inspired by the Juego de Pelota, an ancient Mayan ball game pitch. A gentle series of terraces lead from here to an outdoor kitchen that will be an action station at outdoor parties and also serve as the pop-up cooking school for the resort.
OTHER
Beyond this area lie the parking lot and three individual structures containing the Fitness Center/Late Departure Lounge, the Kids for All Seasons, and the Young Adults Center. In keeping with ownership’s deep interest in nature conservation, the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo exemplifies the meaning of Primitive Sophistication. It is a space where the architecture disappears and imitates nature, where time is at a standstill, where silence prevails; where guests’ dreaming, through the senses and the eyes of Mexico, is our primary objective.