Food at the luxury travel gathering, ILTM Americas

Somehow having guacamole served, as above, in a stone molcajete makes a simple dish of what is basically smashed avocados look even more attractive.   The gal ate as much guacamole as was possible during last week’s fabulous International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), held as always at Riviera Maya’s great family-luxury hotel, Fairmont Mayakoba. Arriving just in time for lunch in a most-convenient suite (626), halfway between the gym and the beach and with a bike, and necessary lock, provided, it seemed sensible to order room service, with guacamole of course. Minibars at this clever hotel are empty, by the way, but a note says choose items, maximum ten, from a list and they will be delivered with 60 minutes, for a set total fee of $30.

During the three main days of ILTM, when 300 luxury suppliers, nearly all hotels, met 300 highly-professional luxury buyers, or travel advisors, Fairmont Mayakoba offered several lunch choices. Just as in a normal restaurant situation, all delegates could look through menus and sign up for whichever option they liked. There was Mexican street food from food trucks parked in the hotel’s main limo drop-off area. The whole of the main floor of the spa was turned into Bento Box city, which was really popular. Media were entertained to lunches: a dine-around in Mayakoba’s El Pueblito market square on Day One, a buffet (with three kinds of guacamole) at Fairmont Mayakoba’s El Puerto on Day Two, and a seated lunch, with guacamole on the side, on a really hot terrace at the hotel’s Laguna.

Thank goodness the owner of all the Mayakoba resorts, OHL, is prepared to spend on upgrading the properties’ restaurants. Since ILTM 2015, El Puerto has been completely jollied up, with lovely turquoise tiles and a show-kitchen-cum-sushi station. Laguna is now lighter, brighter, and the breakfast buffet is more open – it is easier to get around. At La Brisas, on the beach, new furniture includes really attractive, and easy to move, chairs (now, I am delighted to hear, the rock-seeming wicker arm chairs that imprison diners at Banyan Mayakoba’s otherwise-excellent Tamarind are to be banished, one hopes, if not to the bottom of the deep blue sea at least out of sight forever).

Mayakoba now has events-mad Carl Emberson heading marketing and operations, and even in his first few months he has arranged a busy forthcoming programme. Somewhere or other, in one of the three resorts or El Pueblito, you will find, in chronological order, October 22nd, the Riviera Maya Beer & Street Food Festival; February 24th, 2017, Carnival Parade and Party, presumably with food; April 20-23, 2017, Mayakoba Masters of Food, Wine and Golf. Banyan Tree Mayakoba also has its own Thai Food Festival, with the next scheduled for August 24-27, 2017 (see A VIDEO OF LAST YEAR, below)