Mexico's Riviera Nayarit Just Got a New Ritz-Carlton Reserve Resort With the Region's Largest Swimmable Beach

Siari Riviera Nayarit, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

• Some of the accommodations feature plunge pools, wide terraces, and open-air spaces that fully immerse guests in the surrounding jungle.

• The culinary program has a deeply local approach, with dishes that translate Nayarit’s coast and jungle into a thoughtful, ingredient-driven menu.

• The 28,000-square-foot spa zeroes in on water as a healing element and offers hydrotherapy circuits, plunge pools, a steam room and sauna, and an infinity pool overlooking the ocean.
  

The first thing that struck me was the sound.

My mom and I had been traveling for the better part of a day to reach Siari, the newest Ritz-Carlton Reserve —six hours in the air, another winding hour by car. We finally settled at an open-air restaurant on the edge of a sweep of golden sand, the ocean sprawled out in front of us, and unruly jungle bracketing the scene. I listened to the waves lapping against the nearby shore and scanned the distant silhouette of the Sierra Madre mountains.

The resort, set within the 920-acre private enclave Nauka, along the Emerald Coast of Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit , opened its doors in late 2025 as the ninth property in Marriott's Ritz-Carlton Reserve portfolio. Nowhere is this strong sense of place more tangible than at the table. “Every ingredient we choose carries the story of the surrounding communities that sustain us,” says Royer Segura, the director of sales and marketing.

We ordered chilaquiles and tacos with mole. Around us, waiters ping-ponged from table to table, and when one arrived at ours, he didn’t just describe our dish—he told a story, ingredient by ingredient, each one introduced with care, tracing back its origins to the land or to the Huichol culture that shapes much of this region. The tostadas, he says, were handmade by single mothers, Huichol women in Tepic. Meanwhile, the zarandeado fish arrived from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, the yellow corn was sourced from Jala, and the dry shrimp from Mexcaltitán.

Our waiter spoke with an unmistakable sense of pride, while my mom nodded along, absorbing it all in quiet attention. “They’re so passionate,” she tells me. “You should put that in your story.”

She would repeat that more over the next few days: sometimes at the restaurant when staff introduced our meals, sometimes when our jakanas (or butlers) went out of their way to point out the plants native to the area—orchids and papelillo trees—as they were chauffeuring us around the resort in a golf cart.

It didn't take long to see this passion extended beyond conversation, showing up in details throughout our stay: the green tile in our room, a reference to the hotel’s name, Siari —a Uto-Aztecan word for the same lush hue; the hand-shaped pots crafted by local artisans; and the leather-paneled walls etched with orchids endemic to this region. Even the spa avoids the usual formula. Wellness rooms don't just line a dimly lit corridor; they are instead set in palafitos, structures inspired by traditional Huichol homes, built on wooden stilts in the water. Treatments, too, incorporate Indigenous healing practices.

On our final morning, we were walking back from breakfast when a coati darted across the path in front of us, disappearing into the trees as quickly as it had appeared—an unscripted reminder that nature sets the tone here. My mom, surprised, looked at me with pure delight. “That, too,” she says. “You should put that in your story.”

Below, my review of Siari Riviera Nayarit, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.

The Rooms

Designed by Bernardi + Peschard Arquitectura, the 86 generously sized rooms and villas, plus the five-bedroom presidential suite and 34 residences, all use local stone, handwoven details, and natural wood that nod to the region’s Indigenous people. The layouts are designed to highlight the lush surroundings rather than compete with them, with wide terraces, sliding doors, and open-air living spaces that blur the line between indoors and out. All accommodations, regardless of category, are serviced by a butler who remains a quick WhatsApp message away.

Nestled in the thick jungle, my suite loomed over the edge of a cliff, hovering above the region’s largest swimmable beach. Even my shower, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, faced the landscape. One afternoon, as I floated in my private plunge pool, I am reminded of something Segura said: “The real luxury here is nature. It really hugs you.”

Food and Drink

Heritage runs through every part of the stay at Siari, including in the kitchen, where chef David Castro Hussong presents an edible interpretation of the coast, jungle, and culture that shapes Nayarit.

At Zula, we savored beef cheek sope with white beans; dried shrimp ceviche with carrots, chiltepin chili, and cilantro; and zarandeado fish with coconut rice. At toes-in-the-sand Naao, helmed by executive chef Alejandro Melendez, raw and grilled Asian-inspired plates are the star of the show—think tuna crudo, shrimp skewers, and udon in a coconut curry. Estero, the all-day restaurant, drew us back for its simplicity and ease: chilaquiles verdes with soft eggs and huevos rancheros over warm black beans.

One evening, we dined at Masa Madre, an extension of Estero, where wood-fired flatbreads come out blistered and fragrant. But every day, when the afternoon heat settled in, my mom and I would make our way up to Maribel’s, a coffee bar and pastry shop, for mango ice cream that tasted like sweet relief.

The Spa

My spa therapist began not with a formal consultation, but a scent: three small jars of rosemary, lemongrass, and rose petals held beneath my nose. She asked me to pick one—an herbal personality test of sorts to describe my current energy. Reluctant to show my true level of inner chaos, I picked rosemary. “Strong,” she says. “And very stressed,” which I did not dispute. Next, she lit an herb-filled copalera , gently moving the aromatic smoke around my body to reset my energy and circadian rhythm. For the next two hours, she worked methodically, massaging my body from head to toe, even easing tension along my jawline.

At the end, she placed a small black obsidian stone in my palm, which she explained would protect the newly reset energy I am carrying back out into the world. Then, she escorted me to a relaxation room, stocked with warm tea and cookies, only extending my blissful, post-treatment state.

The remaining 28,000 square feet of the Há Yeka Wellness Center is inspired by the Huichol belief that water is a source of life and balance. And references to that concept are everywhere: hydrotherapy circuits, plunge pools, a steam room and sauna, and an infinity pool overlooking the ocean.

Accessibility

Siari Riviera Nayarit, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is set on a notably hilly landscape, with some guest rooms perched high, which can make getting around on foot challenging for guests with limited mobility. However, golf carts are available and can take guests anywhere on the property, making navigation much easier despite the terrain.

How to Book

Siari is part of the Marriott Bonvoy program, so members can book a stay with points and receive special rates, complimentary Wi-Fi, and more.

Nightly rates at Siari Riviera Nayarit, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve , start at $990 plus tax.

Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values .

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