Hotel and Resort Renovation in the Riviera Maya, Without Closing the Hotel
For owners, asset managers and operators of boutique hotels, resorts and branded properties in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Morelos, Cozumel and Holbox. The coast ages buildings fast: salt air, humidity and storms. Guests compare you with the hotel that opened last year. We renovate floor by floor while you keep selling rooms, to the standard your brand or your reviews require.
What We Renovate
Guestrooms & Suites
Bathrooms, flooring, carpentry, lighting, A/C and FF&E installation, with a mock-up room approved before rollout.
Lobby, F&B & Public Areas
Reception, bars, restaurants, corridors and back-of-house, phased at night or behind hoarding so guests never see a site.
Pools, Spa & Terraces
Pool resurfacing and filtration, decks, spa rooms, rooftop bars and beach-facing terraces.
MEP & Energy
Chillers and VRF, hot water, electrical upgrades, solar, water treatment and BMS, without long shutdowns.
Hurricane Hardening
Impact glazing, roof and facade waterproofing, generator capacity and storm-ready mechanical rooms.
Brand Standards & PIP
We build to the operator’s design guide or property improvement plan and document compliance for sign-off.
Renovating a hotel that stays open
Closing a hotel costs more than the works themselves. Most of our hotel projects are planned so the property keeps operating:
- Phasing by floor or wing, agreed with revenue management so blocked rooms fall in low season, usually September to mid-December and May to June on this coast.
- Noise windows: demolition and drilling only between agreed hours, quiet work at night, and a site manager guests can reach.
- Separate logistics: our own access, freight route and material storage, away from guest areas and the beach.
- Mock-up room first: one finished room is built, tested and approved by the owner, operator and designer before the other rooms start.
Problems we see most often in coastal hotels
Before we price a renovation we survey the building. On the Caribbean coast the same issues come up in almost every hotel: corroded rebar and spalling on balconies and slab edges; failed terrace and roof waterproofing; mould behind wardrobes and headboards from A/C condensation; undersized hot water and electrical supply after extensions; and bathrooms where leaks have damaged the slab below. We fix the cause, not just the finish. A beautiful new room above a leaking slab gets a bad review within a season.
Hotel Renovation Scope and Cost per Key (2026)
| Scope | Includes | Cost per key (MXN) | Rooms out of service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft refresh | Paint, lighting, soft goods, furniture, minor bathroom upgrades | $150k–$350k | 3–7 days per room |
| Full guestroom | New bathroom, flooring, carpentry, A/C, electrical, FF&E | $400k–$900k | 4–8 weeks per floor |
| Luxury repositioning | Layout changes, room combinations, new facade openings, smart rooms | $900k–$2M+ | Wing or full closure |
Useful guides: Hotel renovation in Cancún Hotel Zone · Hotel renovation in Cozumel · New hotel construction · Hotel permits in Quintana Roo · Restaurant & bar fit-out
Why Hotel Owners Work With Recrea
- Works planned around occupancy — phasing agreed with operations and revenue management
- 18+ years and 196 projects in the Riviera Maya, written one-year warranty
- Fixed price by line item or open-book, with milestone payments against verified progress
- One English-speaking project lead for owner, operator, designer and lawyer
- Licences handled: municipal licence, DRO, Protección Civil, environmental and federal-zone files
Tell us about your hotel
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a building survey of your hotel
Condition report, scope options and cost per key before you commit. Reply in 2 minutes.
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