It’s hard to imagine a mother’s trip with her adult daughter could get any better. We’d lounged by what’s likely the largest pool in Cancún — perhaps even on the Riviera Maya — sharing secrets and consummate laughter. We chose gluttonously from an array of 17 compelling bars and restaurants, each with its own theme, from Mexican to Italian to Japanese; practiced yoga atop a promontory hovering over the sea; and toasted sunsets with margaritas. But now, when pampering wellness calls, we spend the day in Mexico’s buzziest new spa: The SPA at AVA. Amazingly, while at the spa, things get yet more mother-daughter, bond-making sweet … our trip’s absolute pièce de résistance.

At AVA Resort Cancun, Cancún’s newest upscale all-inclusive, we have a tough time leaving the sun to go underground. But that’s what we must do to indulge. We descend into the hotel’s depths to discover a sublime subterranean world of bliss, one with marbled serpentine passageways; cosseting nooks; treatment centers; and sweetly scented, mosaic-flanked snugs.

Gobsmacking in size, The SPA at AVA twists, turns and sprawls to include a startling 66,000 square feet. Wellness areas range from saunas to crystal-suffused hot spots, each designed as a pampering stopover for pre-treatment enjoyment. While its huge size could imbue the space with an impersonal or cold vibe, instead the spa feels chic, warm and comforting. Designed as a labyrinth-like warren that slowly and effortlessly enkindles relaxation and mindfulness, the spa consists of cozy, intimate spaces, each its own haven. We’re smitten, and we quickly cast away thoughts of tacos, guacamole and mariachi bands, choosing a quieter and more curative world … at least for a few hours. First, we’ll get massages, we say, and tomorrow we’ll take advantage again of the resort’s countless other sought-after amenities.

© AVA Resort Cancun

Right away, we know this spa is a special place, large enough to feel like our own sanctum. We barely see another soul, which instills our experience with first-in-class, V.I.P. vibes. Attentive spa guides lead us through The SPA at AVA’s unforgettable pre-treatment ritual, an unmatched journey that puts this wellness center in a class by itself. Thankfully, we arrive early to partake in its delights. Guided by an ever-attentive army of spa attendants, we stroll hypnotically from wellness station to coddling cranny. At each stop, we follow staff instructions: slathering detoxifying mud on our bodies, placing cut cucumber slices over our eyes, and plunging into ice-cold water and heated hydrotherapy pools in turns. Saunas, steam rooms, warmed quartz crystal beds and waterfall showers comprise just some of our many pre-treatment adventures.

Smartly curated, even understated, the spa menu offers treatments created to be compatible with the sort of spa experiences most guests on tropical holidays desire. Massages and facials rule the roost, with variations in all categories, including couple’s treatments for romance seekers. From volcanic stone therapies to a detoxifying signature massage and from a wrap created to ameliorate sunburn discomfort to firming facials, every option tempts. In the end, I choose an age-resisting Recovery Facial, which drains years of tension from my visage. That combined with daughter spa time and all that pre- treatment bliss works miracles. We’re veritable silver-screen-legend level in appearance when we leave the spa to return to our suite’s terrace and muse over which restaurant to choose for dinner.

Other wellness options at the resort complement the spa’s offerings, and the fitness center exceeds expectations. Encompassing more than 11,000 square feet and energized by enthusiastic fitness experts and trainers, it features multiple weight rooms, yoga and Pilates areas. It offers a plenitude of daily classes including HIIT, breath work, yoga, cardio, spin and more. We worked out in the gym in the mornings and capped the day with sunset yoga. After all, isn’t part of well-being the art of noshing with guilt-free enthusiasm? One day a pod of dolphins danced below us in the waves while we lay in shavasana at the end of yoga class. We swore they were making “om” sounds … it was utter magic.

© AVA Resort Cancun

Positioned amid a mangrove jungle just minutes from Cancun International Airport, AVA Resort Cancun extends horizontally for about a mile along an idyllic beach. With 1,600 rooms and suites, all with sea views, it rises nine floors, occupying two buildings connected by hallways. Though inarguably large (both a virtue and a curse), the resort doesn’t overwhelm. Rather, it smacks of options and trendy energy. With an adults-only pool area and fancy restaurants, the resort manages to be romantic and exclusive enough for honeymooners but also accommodates families, with multiple programs for children. Solo travelers will feel comfortable, as will women traveling in groups.

Meeting options will wow attendees; think a party terrace floating over the water with panoramic sea views. Applauded for its prodigious sustainability efforts, AVA showcases state-of-the-art technology with its AVA Bay, a 2.8-acre saltwater playground powered by Crystal Lagoons, a system able to consume 50 times less energy with fewer chemicals than swimming pools of equal size.

THE SPA at AVA

AVA Resort Cancun

Boulevard Kukulkan Km. 26
Zona Hotelera, 77500 Cancún
Q.R., Mexico
tel 52 998 630 3200