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If your family is seeking a luxurious Mexican retreat, look no further than Hacienda Tres Rios, the place where the Mayan heavens meet the earth and the rivers and sea converge before your very eyes.

Located just a few miles north of Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, the Hacienda Tres Rios is not your standard all-inclusive luxury hotel.  Opened in November of 2008, the hotel was built on 326 acres full of natural resources in a way that actually protects the environment more than it harms it.  But this does not mean that families staying in one of the eco-friendly hotel's 273 guest rooms will be roughing it by any means.  Instead, they will discover great service, amazing culinary opportunities, relaxing spa retreats and tons of fun activities all while enjoying the natural beauty that the Yucatán provides.

Sustainable Tourism Development

Before construction on the resort broke ground, a team of researchers spent more than two years analyzing the land, mangroves, wildlife and other geographical aspects of the resort's acreage.  Formally referred to as the stage of Environmental Characterization and Analysis, this period of time helped scientists and contractors work together to formulate the best way to begin construction.  Simply, the goal of the Hacienda Tres Rios management was to build the hotel in a sustainable way.

Various studies indicated that certain locations were more damaged than others and thus had a lower environmental value for the thriving eco-system.  Since these plots had been destroyed by hurricanes or other natural disasters, it would actually serve the environment better to have man-made structures built on them.

Once the area for construction was selected, the main building of the Hacienda Tres Rios was purposely built 2.8 meters above the ground.  This allowed the natural water flow and animal migration patterns to continue uninterrupted.  Additionally, all pieces of the hotel were constructed off-site and then transported to the resort for assembly, which reduced pollution, noise and dust.  Finally, all endangered forms of plants, as well as flora and fauna on the construction site, were relocated to a plant nursery on the premises.

And of course, daily functions in place at the Hacienda Tres Rios are very "green."  To conserve energy, cold water is extracted from the earth and used to pre-chill the air conditioners.  Then the heat that comes from the air conditioners is captured and then reused to heat the water.  Modern showerheads that aerate the water also help reduce the amount of water wasted.  Additionally, all guestrooms are equipped with motion-sensors that turn off lights and air conditioners if the guest is not in the room.  To conserve resources, the hotel also uses recycled water that is treated on-site to irrigate plants.

Lastly, the Hacienda Tres Ríos has an Environmental Management System (EMS) that is comprised of seven programs and 20 sub-programs that are constantly implemented by the Tres Ríos' "Green Team." This team monitors all of the aforementioned programs that help make the grounds eco-friendly.  And it is their diligent work that led to the hotel's 2006 recognition by the Mexican government as a "regional and national model for sustainable tourism development."