The Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya opened in April 2006 as the flagship of a 1,605-acre oceanfront development near Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Here one of the region's newest resorts caters to conferences with 27,000 square feet of meeting space; 401 rooms, suites, and casitas; an 18-hole championship golf course; and a 16,000-square-foot spa.

The site immerses meeting travelers in a world apart: a Caribbean mangrove forest replete with wildlife and a sugar-sand beach. Visitors experience welcome ceremonies inspired by ancient Mayan rituals and get around the grounds via golf carts, bicycles, and lanchas-covered boats that navigate a network of natural canals.

The indoor meeting spaces occupy low-rise buildings near the main entrance. The largest room, the 10,000- square-foot Riviera Grand Ballroom, hosts groups of up to 1,250 or divides into halves or thirds, while an impressive foyer entertains up to 440 for receptions. The multipurpose venue features hanging points for elaborate displays and audiovisual capabilities such as rear-screen projection.

Smaller groups may prefer the 5,000-square-foot Mimosa Ballroom, which provides a spacious yet intimate feel for up to 750. It also divides in two, augmenting seven breakout rooms that measure 650 to 1,000 square feet. A business center supplies support services close at hand, while, at the very center of the resort, raised walkways cross the canals to an island where a 13,000-square-foot event lawn sets a dramatic stage for special events.

Drama infuses the whole range of leisure attractions. Willow Stream Spa boasts treetop treatment rooms. Five swimming pools include a 10,000-square-foot free-form pool and an adults-only infinity-edge pool above the lagoon. Meanwhile, the world-renowned coral reef waits just offshore. El Camaleon, Greg Norman’s first Mexican golf course, features two holes directly beside the Caribbean Sea. In 2007, it enjoyed the distinction of hosting the PGA tour's first official event outside the United States or Canada-an honor that continues through 2012.

On-site nature tours incorporate ancient Mayan astronomy, bird-watching, and contemporary native culture. Off-site adventures range from riding a zip line through the jungle canopy to scuba diving in subterranean limestone caves and visiting the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, Tulum, and Coba.

Between business and pleasure, participants relax in oversized rooms, suites, and villas-all with high-speed Internet access, LCD TVs and CD players, and balconies or terraces. Four restaurants serve a choice of Mexican and international fare, complemented by theme parties like seafood festivals, tequila tastings, and Mayan chocolate celebrations.

Certified meeting planners on staff handle every detail-from dining, decorating, and turndown gifts to transportation and excursions-leaving participants free to focus on the business at hand, then to simply relax and marvel at the wonders of the Riviera Maya.