As Mandarin Oriental Kanai, Riviera Maya continues its development on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the resort has announced a culinary partnership with The Alinea Group.

Set to open within a protected 620-acre ecological reserve, the forthcoming beachfront property 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 Alinea Group was founded in 2005 and today has five venues in Chicago, including the three Michelin-starred Alinea.

The new collaboration will see the restaurant group create a culinary destination that integrates its signature storytelling with the cultural abundance of the Yucatán Peninsula, 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,” says Jason Weingarten, CEO at The Alinea Group. “This partnership is about more than dining, it’s about creating something enduring, inspired by the land and its spirit.”

“The development of Mandarin Oriental Kanai, Riviera Maya represents a significant chapter in the Group’s expansion across the Americas,” concludes Laurent Kleitman, Group Chief Executive at Mandarin Oriental. “We are 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.”

As anticipation builds for the resort’s debut, guests in Japan will have the opportunity to preview the spirit of this partnership during Alinea’s 20th Anniversary Tour, hosted this autumn at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo. Chef Grant Achatz and his team will take over French fine-dining restaurant, Signature, delivering a limited-time tasting experience. The residency will also feature The Aviary at the Mandarin Bar, presenting a five-course menu paired with theatrical cocktails.