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Photo Essay by Christopher Ludgate
It was six in the morning when there was a quiet knock on the door. The blackout curtains were drawn and the clock was still turned down on the bed table. The night prior, I hung a menu from my doorknob requesting that tea and scones with fresh-cut fruit be delivered at this hour.
But I was not intending to actually wake up. Not fully anyway.
I toddled to the door and invited my server in with a gentle motion and smile, allowing the muted hallway light to illuminate his path to and fro the bench beside the bed.
Back in bed, wrapped in white cotton in the darkness, I could faintly hear the birds outside signalling the sunrise above the deep delta sleep frequencies hovering in the room. Revelling in a perpetual slumber zone within the temperature-controlled room I reached for another sip of the fragrant tea before rolling over in my comfortable cocoon.
Unfurling myself just enough to reach, I slid the glass door and curtain open to reveal the sparkling turquoise sea blanketing the Yucatan horizon beyond my balcony. I watched the effortless tide roll with rhythmic whooshing and I sunk back into my cloud of pillows, immersed in my sleep travel adventures at UNICO 20°87°.
Unplugged
Welcome to the hybrid world of Sleep Travel, a relatively new facet of the Soft Travel trend that many are taking time to explore. In fact, it is estimated to grow by 8% in the next few years. In a world where we are too often required to not stay in the moment, not unplug and embrace stillness, and not enjoy the silence, sleep travel is no more indulgent than an investment in our own well-being.
Like a fast that reboots our baseline, sleep travel has the power to renew our balance and zest for life. For a little while, anyway. Sleep and travel are two highly coveted things people most often pine for. We pine because our spirits need these things. They nourish our spirit. And there is nothing wrong with creatively doubling down and combining the two.
Many hotels around the world have created a tailor-made experience for sleep travel while some already have it built-in. One such hotel about an hour south of the airport along Mexico’s Riviera Maya, with the coordinates of 20°87°, to be precise, is a Leading Hotels of the World property.
The hacienda-inspired modern rustic, but lavishly appointed resort hotel UNICO 20 87 opened in 2017 and quickly became a favourite for those who appreciate five-star all-inclusive resort life with a side of culture.
Reinvented Lux-life
Reinventing all-inclusive lux life into something that accessible, that actually does recharge the body and mind, proved to be a refreshing change of pace for me. I found myself transforming my off-season getaway at UNICO 20 87 into a hideaway, forgoing the blurry days of detox, retox, and repeat, as fun as that may be at times.
By slowing down and reimagining how to appreciate all the fabulous amenities, like the benefits of spa time, delicious and healthy fine dining, quiet meditations, and an off-hour dip in the zen pool between sleeps it was like my body thanked me. I felt a healthier, mellow, more balanced state of mind. There was some fun too, with an exhilarating catamaran excursion to Isla Mujeres, but I didn’t need a recovery day upon return.
My private local host would act as a liaison via a private number for any requests including scheduling quiet spa treatments and having my selections from the pillow and aromatherapy menus all arranged. Not bad, right?
On the night table, beside my organic melatonin gummies and what-not, a tablet was also provided allowing me to make requests of all kinds like reserving a spot at floating yoga, dining reservations, or 24/7 room service from any of the gorgeous five stellar à la carte restaurants at UNICO 20 87.
I’d meander the grounds beneath the palm trees after the pool crowds dispersed for dinner as I had already peacefully delighted in my eats. Favourites were amazing fresh vegan sushi and other Japanese dishes at Muri House or the cozy romantic vibe at Mi Carisa with coastal Italian dishes which were also exquisite when dining from my room’s private remote coastal terrace. Reservations are advised.
Silent Dancing
Late one morning, I enjoyed an appointment at an invigorating guided hydro circuit session, tended to by the attentive staff at UNICO 20 87’s Esencia Spa. Afterward, I fully surrendered to my masseuse who alternated the signature full body treatment with soothing aromatherapies followed by herbal tea.
I spent that afternoon beneath an umbrella on the beach as the lulling tides rolled beneath my feet on the lounger. The sand blended underneath the crystal clear water which seemed to blend into the sky in a hombre effect of the most beautiful blue hues. I drifted in and out of sleep. A cabana boy brought me a cerveza at some point. Or did I dream that?
On my way to the Palmera Lounge one evening after an evening nap, I sampled Mayan-inspired Mexican lite bites at Cueva Siete. Approaching the entrance of the lounge I heard not a sound, but fog was seeping through the doors and into the long hallway.
I walked into the darkness, was handed a pair of glowing headphones, and was shown the way through the ambient atmosphere into the ethereal spotlights, suddenly in the middle of a dancefloor. I flipped a switch by my right ear and started swaying as the music began moving in between the joyful faces of all the silent dancing strangers.
I lounged in the moonlight on my Alcoba Oceanfront terrace, decompressing in a warm sandalwood salt bath, with an audiobook in ear, fully embracing that the concept of sleep travel is definitely on to something. The only thing I missed was my cats.
Chris is a writer, photographer, and award-winning filmmaker with a background in hometown NYC’s indie scene. With tailor-made itineraries beyond the ordinary, his travel stories combine culture, wellness, the outdoors, luxury, and history. He’s a longtime advocate for holistic health and animal rights as well as an avid gardener, cook, and cat dad.
wanderamatravel.com
