IIf you've been considering a second home in Mexico and value living in harmony with nature, RLH Properties has some great options.
The company approaches luxury residential development by combining world-class hospitality with environmental stewardship. Through destinations such as Mayakoba and Mandarina, RLH Properties emphasizes community, conservation, and long-term value.
In a conversation with us, company CEO Luis Duran discusses the evolution of branded residences, Mexico’s growing appeal among international buyers, and the importance of creating destinations with an enduring legacy.
Branded residences have become a major part of the luxury market. In your view, what is driving that growth?
I believe we are witnessing a fundamental change in how people think about luxury real estate. Buyers are no longer looking simply for an extraordinary home in a beautiful location. They are looking for a lifestyle, a sense of belonging, and the confidence that their property will be professionally managed and maintained over time.
Branded residences bring together two important elements: exceptional real estate and the service, expertise, and reputation of world class hospitality brands. This combination offers convenience, peace of mind, and a level of service that would be difficult to replicate in a traditional second home.
But we believe the opportunity goes beyond that. Increasingly, families want places they can return to year after year, where they can build traditions and create lasting memories.
At RLH Properties, we have learned that developing a beautiful property is only the beginning. The real challenge is creating an extraordinary destination, building a community around it, and ensuring that its character and quality endure for generations.
How are changing expectations around lifestyle, amenities and community influencing the way you plan and develop luxury residential communities?
One of the most important lessons we have learned is that luxury is no longer defined simply by the quality of a residence or the number of amenities available. It is increasingly defined by the experiences people enjoy and the connections they develop.
Our philosophy at RLH has always been to create complete destinations rather than isolated real estate developments. Hospitality, residences, wellness, gastronomy, recreation, culture, and nature must come together as part of a coherent vision.
Mandarina is a wonderful example. Residents have access to extraordinary hospitality, dining, wellness, equestrian activities, and outdoor experiences, all within one of Mexico’s most remarkable natural settings.
But what I find particularly rewarding is seeing how these places develop a life of their own. Owners become friends, children grow up spending their holidays together, and families establish traditions that bring them back year after year.
That is when a real estate development becomes something much more meaningful. It becomes a community.
How can conservation become a competitive advantage in luxury real estate, and how does preserving a site’s natural character create long term value?
We have always believed that, at the highest end of luxury, nature itself is one of the greatest luxuries.
Privacy, space, pristine coastlines, mature forests, and extraordinary biodiversity are increasingly scarce. Once lost, many of these qualities are impossible to recreate.
For us, environmental preservation is not simply a responsibility. It is also fundamental to the long term success and value of a destination.
At Mandarina, for example, our conservation initiatives include the reforestation of 63 hectares of previously deforested cattle ranching land, helping restore biological corridors while carefully integrating development into the natural landscape.
At Mayakoba, the mangroves, lagoons, and remarkable biodiversity have been central to the destination’s identity for two decades.
The important lesson is that responsible development and economic value are not opposing objectives. In many cases, they reinforce one another.
If we destroy the natural qualities that make a destination extraordinary, we ultimately destroy much of what makes it valuable.
At Mandarina, how do the One&Only and Rosewood residences reflect different approaches to luxury residential development?
One of the things that makes Mandarina so special is our ability to bring together extraordinary hospitality brands, each with its own identity, within a larger and carefully conceived destination.
One&Only Mandarina Private Homes emphasizes privacy, individuality, and an intimate connection with nature. The residences are thoughtfully integrated into the rainforest, mountains, and coastline, offering owners exceptional privacy while providing access to the services and experiences of One&Only.
Our upcoming Rosewood Residences Mandarina development will offer a complementary vision, with plans for over 40 private villas designed around indoor and outdoor living, wellness, and a strong connection to the cultural and natural character of Riviera Nayarit. Rosewood’s philosophy of creating a genuine sense of place is particularly well suited to this remarkable setting.
We are also in the process of finalizing an agreement with a third prestigious brand for another exclusive residential development within Mandarina. While it is too early to share details, we are very excited about the opportunity and how it will complement the destination’s overall vision.
Beyond the individual residential communities, we are also developing two exceptional facilities designed by renowned Mexican architect Gabriela Carrillo: a world class clubhouse with a strong emphasis on wellness, and an exclusive beach club, both reserved for Mandarina residents.
The clubhouse will offer a thoughtfully designed environment dedicated to physical and mental wellbeing, relaxation, and a balanced lifestyle, while the beach club will provide an extraordinary setting for families and friends to gather and enjoy the natural beauty of the destination. Together, these facilities will further elevate the residential experience, fostering a genuine sense of community while reflecting our commitment to architecture, wellness, and an exceptional quality of life.
What is important from our perspective is that these brands are not competing visions. They represent complementary expressions of luxury, each bringing something distinctive to the destination.
Our responsibility at RLH Properties is to ensure that each maintains its individual identity while contributing to a broader experience that is greater than the sum of its parts.
That ability to bring together exceptional brands within a unified vision is, I believe, one of our most important strengths as developers.
What has Mayakoba taught you about balancing luxury development with protecting the natural environment?
Mayakoba has been an extraordinary learning experience, and two decades after its creation, it remains one of the most important examples of integrated luxury destination development in Mexico.
Perhaps the most valuable lesson is that successful development begins with understanding and respecting the land.
You have to think carefully about where to build, where not to build, what must be protected, and how the destination will evolve over time. These decisions are not always the easiest or the least expensive in the short term, but they are fundamental to creating lasting value.
Mayakoba also taught us that a destination is never truly finished. It must continue evolving, investing in its infrastructure, maintaining its environmental commitments, and responding to the changing expectations of guests and residents.
The challenge is not simply to create something extraordinary. It is to ensure that it remains extraordinary twenty or thirty years later.
That philosophy continues to guide our decisions at Mayakoba, Mandarina, and throughout the RLH portfolio.
What is driving Mexico’s growing appeal among international buyers of luxury residences?
We believe Mexico is exceptionally well positioned to become one of the world’s most important luxury residential destinations.
We have an extraordinary combination of natural beauty, cultural richness, geographic diversity, and accessibility to the North American market. But our greatest competitive advantage may be something that is much harder to replicate: our culture of hospitality. There is a genuine warmth and generosity in the way Mexicans welcome and care for people. When that cultural strength is combined with exceptional architecture, sophisticated hospitality brands, and world class service, the result can compete with the finest destinations anywhere in the world.
We are also seeing a change in what international buyers value. Privacy, nature, wellness, meaningful experiences, and the opportunity to spend more time with family have become increasingly important. Mexico can offer all of these qualities, often within a relatively short flight from major North American cities.
We believe the opportunity ahead is enormous. Our challenge as developers is to continue raising the standards of quality, service, environmental stewardship, and long term planning so that Mexico becomes not simply an attractive alternative, but a destination of choice for the most discerning international buyers.
What distinguishes RLH’s residential offerings at Mandarina and Mayakoba from other luxury developments in Mexico?
I believe our greatest distinction is that we do not approach real estate as a collection of individual projects. We approach it as the creation of destinations.
Mayakoba is perhaps the best example of that philosophy. Over two decades, it has become an internationally recognized luxury destination, bringing together some of the world’s most respected hospitality brands within an extraordinary natural environment.
At Mandarina, we are taking that experience a step further, combining exceptional hospitality, residential communities, and a remarkable natural setting into a destination with its own distinctive identity.
Our approach requires a long term perspective. We are not simply developing and selling residences. We are creating places that must continue to evolve, operate successfully, and preserve their appeal and value for decades.
That means being extraordinarily selective about our hospitality partners, paying attention to the smallest details of design and service, and maintaining a commitment to the environment and the communities around us.
Ultimately, I believe our success should be measured not simply by the properties we sell, but by the destinations we create and the legacy they leave behind.
Our ambition is to create places worth passing down, not simply properties worth owning.
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