Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced a high-profile culinary partnership with The Alinea Group and chef Grant Achatz for its forthcoming resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Set within a 620-acre protected ecological reserve, the Mandarin Oriental Kanai will debut with a dining concept crafted by the team behind the Alinea in Chicago.
The collaboration marks the first permanent Latin American location for The Alinea Group, known for its immersive, boundary-pushing approach to modernist cuisine. At Kanai, the group will create a culinary experience that draws from the culture and biodiversity of the Yucatán Peninsula, while staying true to its reputation for innovation and storytelling.
“Kanai offers us an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to a destination shaped by both nature and narrative,” said Jason Weingarten, co-owner and CEO of 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 co-founded Alinea in 2005 and has held three Michelin stars for over a decade. His career, including his battle with cancer and subsequent return to the kitchen, has been documented in the bestselling memoir Life, On the Line and featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table. The Kanai project extends his culinary vision into a new geographic and cultural setting.
Laurent Kleitman, group chief executive of Mandarin Oriental, added: “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.”
As anticipation for the resort builds, The Alinea Group will offer a preview of the collaboration this autumn during its 20th anniversary tour at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo. The team will take over Signature, the French fine dining restaurant on the hotel’s 37th floor, for a limited-time tasting experience. In tandem, The Aviary – Alinea’s cocktail-driven concept – will host a five-course menu paired with theatrical drinks at the Mandarin Bar.
Founded in Chicago in 2005, The Alinea Group operates a portfolio of celebrated venues including Alinea, Next, The Aviary and The Office. The group is credited with redefining experiential dining, merging art, science, and narrative in ways that have influenced restaurants worldwide.
