The Sève hotel opens nine lodges near Tulum, Mexico, on 1 December, with trees growing through the roofs

Twenty minutes north of Tulum, in the village of Chemuyil, a family-run hotel has been built around the trees rather than in their place. The Sève hotel will open on 1 December 2026 with just nine lodges, raised up in the Riviera Maya forest, along with a Mayan-inspired spa and a restaurant led by chef Josafat Zalapa.

☰Contents

1. Nine raised lodges in five hectares of forest
2. Why does no straight line exceed 40 m?
3. Puebla onyx and Chemax hammocks
4. Herbario, the table of an Alinea alumnus
5. A spa with a private cenote and Mayan steam bath
6. Car-free and solar-powered

Nine raised lodges in five hectares of forest

The estate covers five hectares of forest. Seven Single Lodges and two Master Lodges stand raised off the ground and well apart from one another to guarantee peace and quiet. Each has its own roof terrace with suspended nets for lounging above the trees, floor-to-ceiling windows and a bathroom that opens to the outdoors.

The two Master Lodges add a private natural pool. The hotel is designed exclusively for adults, and from the rooftops the jungle is the only horizon.

Why does no straight line exceed 40 m?

Sève is the project of Lola Hilsenkopf, her mother Chantal Abad and her partner Alexandre Thobois, working with architect Franck Guevin. The buildings follow the contours of the forest: no straight line runs longer than 40 metres, and openings in the roofs let the existing trees grow through. Before construction began, Indigenous experts helped identify local species, and the layout keeps clear corridors for monkeys and birds.

The name comes from the French word “sève”, meaning sap. Some details echo the zigzag cuts of the chicleros, the harvesters who slashed the bark of the sapodilla tree to tap the gum used in natural chewing gum.

Puebla onyx and Chemax hammocks

The interiors are a tour of Mexican craftsmanship: Yucatán limestone, reclaimed sapodilla wood, onyx basins hand-carved in Puebla, rugs woven in Teotitlán, hammocks from Chemax, and objects from Tepoztlán and the Mayan village of Francisco Uh May. Stones and deadwood found on site have been reused for low walls, paths and furniture.

Herbario, the table of an Alinea alumnus

The Herbario restaurant is in the hands of Josafat Zalapa, a chef born in Michoacán. He has worked at Boragó in Chile, Martín Berasategui in Spain and Alinea in the United States, then at the HA restaurant at Hotel Xcaret México alongside Carlos Gaytán; he also runs Tina, in Playa del Carmen.

The menu will follow the local harvests and catch: native corn, regional chillies, cacao, vanilla, moles and wild herbs, with announced dishes such as corn with cacao and chilli or the catch of the day marinated in spices and citrus. Produce comes from the organic farm Mestiza de Indias and from growers in Quintana Roo and Yucatán.

A spa with a private cenote and Mayan steam bath

Spa Orchidée is spread across four glass-walled treatment pavilions that open onto the forest, with treatments drawing on Mayan traditions and modern therapies. The circuit brings together a hammam, sauna, ice room, ice bath, a lagoon-style freshwater pool and a private cenote, one of the natural freshwater sinkholes typical of the Yucatán.

At La Source, a temazcal sculpted by a local artist hosts the Mayan steam bath ceremony, beneath a dome heated by volcanic stones. The Mirador, an open three-level tower, is used for yoga and Pilates above the trees; its top can also host private candlelit dinners. Three programmes, Flow, Pulse and Break, last a minimum of three days.

Car-free and solar-powered

The estate runs off-grid thanks to solar panels and batteries. Cars stay at the entrance: guests get around on foot, by bike or by electric buggy. Reclaimed wood will fuel the restaurant oven and the sauna, and the toiletries are made on the Yucatán Peninsula.

On the same coast, a busy winter lies ahead: the Park Hyatt Riviera Maya will welcome its first guests on 3 December, the UMusic Hotel & Beach Club Tulum is expected in December and the Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya and the Conrad Tulum are switching to luxury all-inclusive. Sève plays the opposite card: nine keys in the jungle.