As Mandarin Oriental Kanai, Riviera Maya continues its development on Mexico’s pristine Caribbean coast, the resort has announced a landmark culinary partnership with the internationally renowned Alinea Group. Set to open within a protected 620-acre ecological reserve, the forthcoming beachfront sanctuary will feature an exclusive dining concept by The Alinea Group and Chef Grant Achatz, marking the group’s first permanent presence in Latin America.
The collaboration will see The Alinea Group create a culinary destination that integrates its signature innovation and storytelling with the cultural depth and natural abundance of the Yucatán Peninsula. Known for redefining the global dining landscape, The Alinea Group and Chef Grant Achatz will anchor the resort’s gastronomic identity with a concept tailored specifically for this setting.
“Kanai offers us an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to a destination shaped by both nature and narrative,” said Jason Weingarten, Co-Owner and CEO, The Alinea Group. “This partnership is about more than dining, it’s about creating something enduring, inspired by the land and its spirit.”
“Chef Grant Achatz and The Alinea Group bring a spirit of exploration that resonates deeply with what we’re building at Kanai. They understand that food is more than flavor, it’s memory, place and meaning. This collaboration allows us to honor the soul of the Riviera Maya while crafting something entirely new and lasting.”
— Abraham Metta Cohen, Partner
Laurent Kleitman, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental adds: “The development of Mandarin Oriental Kanai, Riviera Maya represents a significant chapter in the Group’s expansion across the Americas, creating a sanctuary that blends design, sustainability and world-class hospitality, anchored by a culinary programme that promises to set new standards in the region.”
Alinea 20th Anniversary Tour at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
As anticipation builds for the resort’s debut, guests in Japan will have the rare opportunity to preview the spirit of this partnership during Alinea’s 20th Anniversary Tour, hosted this autumn at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo. Coinciding with the hotel’s own 20th anniversary, Chef Grant Achatz and his team will take over Signature, the French fine dining restaurant on the 37th floor, delivering a limited-time tasting experience that celebrates two decades of culinary artistry.
The residency will also feature The Aviary at the Mandarin Bar, presenting a five-course menu paired with theatrical cocktails, offering guests a sensory, imaginative glimpse of the Alinea experience within a Mandarin Oriental setting.
