FORTHCOMING MANDARIN ORIENTAL KANAI, RIVIERA MAYA ANNOUNCES VISIONARY CULINARY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALINEA GROUP AND CHEF GRANT ACHATZ (Mexico)
As Mandarin Oriental Kanai, Riviera Maya continues its development on Mexico's pristine Caribbean coast, the resort has announced a landmark culinary partnership with the internationally renowned Alinea Group.
Set to open within a protected 620-acre ecological reserve, the forthcoming beachfront sanctuary 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 collaboration will see The Alinea Group create a culinary destination that integrates its signature innovation and storytelling with the cultural depth and natural abundance of the Yucatán Peninsula. Known for redefining the global dining landscape, The Alinea Group and Chef Grant Achatz will anchor the resort's gastronomic identity 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,” said Jason Weingarten, Co-Owner and CEO, The Alinea Group.
“This partnership is about more than dining, it's about creating something enduring, inspired by the land and its spirit.”
“Chef Grant Achatz and The Alinea Group bring a spirit of exploration that resonates deeply with what we're building at Kanai. They understand that food is more than flavor, it's memory, place and meaning. This collaboration allows us to honor the soul of the Riviera Maya while crafting something entirely new and lasting.”— Abraham Metta Cohen, Partner.
Laurent Kleitman, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental adds: “The development of Mandarin Oriental Kanai, Riviera Maya represents a significant chapter in the Group's expansion across the Americas, 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.”
Alinea 20th Anniversary Tour at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
As anticipation builds for the resort's debut, guests in Japan will have the rare opportunity to preview the spirit of this partnership during Alinea's 20th Anniversary Tour, hosted this autumn at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo. Coinciding with the hotel's own 20th anniversary, Chef Grant Achatz and his team will take over Signature, the French fine dining restaurant on the 37th floor, delivering a limited-time tasting experience that celebrates two decades of culinary artistry.
The residency will also feature The Aviary at the Mandarin Bar, presenting a five-course menu paired with theatrical cocktails, offering guests a sensory, imaginative glimpse of the Alinea experience within a Mandarin Oriental setting.
About The Alinea Group
Founded in 2005, The Alinea Group is a trailblazer in modernist cuisine and hospitality, with five celebrated venues in Chicago, including the three Michelin-starred Alinea. The Group's portfolio also includes the shapeshifting Next, and award-winning cocktail bars The Aviary and the Office.
About Grant Achatz
Chef Grant Achatz is one of the world's most celebrated and influential chefs, renowned for pushing the boundaries of modernist cuisine. Named Best Chef in the United States by the James Beard Foundation and honored by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, his culinary journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Co-founder of the iconic Alinea, Grant has redefined fine dining, earning 14 consecutive years of 3 Michelin stars.
His story of overcoming Stage IV tongue cancer, as told in his bestselling memoir Life, On the Line and Netflix's Chef's Table, is a testament to his relentless pursuit of innovation and resilience.
About Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Mandarin Oriental is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world's most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. Each outstanding property reflects the Group's dual Asian heritage, while proudly distilling the Essence of the Destination, reflected in every hotel's own fan - carefully crafted by local artisans. Driven by a passion for the exceptional, every day, everywhere, the Group's mission is to craft time-enriching experiences that transform the ordinary to the exceptional and guests to fans through its legendary service. The Group now operates 44 hotels, 12 residences and 26 exceptional homes in 27 countries and territories with many more projects under development. Mandarin Oriental continues to drive its reputation as an innovative leader in luxury hospitality, delivering sustainable growth over the long term.
