A building inspired by your DNA.

SHA Mexico opened on 26 January 2024. It was the Spanish wellness brand’s second destination and its first in the Americas. It sits at Costa Mujeres, a stretch of Caribbean coast just north of Cancún in Quintana Roo, on about seven hectares with a private beach. On one side is the coral reef and on the other is the jungle.

The building gets most of the attention. SHA says the design honours the DNA of the human genome. Other industry coverage went further and described the architecture as copying the structure of a DNA strand. It is the version that travels fastest. Neither SHA nor its architects have published a diagram showing exactly how the helix appears in the plan. So the fair summary is that the building is inspired by DNA, not literally shaped like it.

The idea

The architecture is by Sordo Madaleno, one of Mexico’s best-known studios. Interiors are by Alejandro Escudero, and the tropical gardens, planted with native species, are by Maat Handasa. According to SHA, the building rises above the Mayan jungle and follows the shape of the land, mixing indoor and outdoor space. The materials are Mexican ceramics, wicker, native textiles and marble, and the brand says it uses renewable energy.

The genome reference also fits the brand’s message. SHA’s programmes are built on what it calls the SHA Method, a set of disciplines that, according to the brand, includes:

• nutrition
• well-ageing medicine
• preventive diagnostics
• brain health
• physical performance
• emotional balance

A building that refers to DNA is a fairly direct way of telling guests that the stay is about their biology. It is also a reminder that the architecture and the programmes were planned together, not bolted on to each other after the fact.

The architecture is a metaphor. The programmes are where the substance is.

What you actually do at SHA Mexico

You come for a programme, not just a room. SHA Mexico currently lists eight health programmes on its official site:

• Stay Your Way
• Tailor-Made
• Cellular Regeneration
• Detox and Optimal Weight
• Intensive Detox and Optimal Weight
• Advanced Longevity
• Leaders Health and Performance
• Rebalance and Energize

At launch, SHA described programmes lasting between four and 21 days, each tailored after an initial evaluation. There are also shorter add-on packs covering men’s health, women’s health, gut health, sleep, quitting smoking and cognitive performance.

According to the launch materials, the clinic includes:

• medical consultation rooms
• mind and body rooms
• a spa and hydrotherapy circuit
• yoga and meditation spaces
• an athletics club with movement studios and tennis and paddle courts

SHAmadi is the main restaurant, and the healthy-cooking classes are part of the stay rather than an extra.

The space

There are 100 rooms and suites and 35 residences, all with private terraces. The official site divides them into seven suite categories, from Oceanfront Deluxe to a Royal Suite, and a range of residences. Some residences are two-storey penthouses with plunge pools. SHA mentions treatment cabins with mangrove views, a fitness area facing the Caribbean, infinity pools and zen gardens.

The beach faces the Mesoamerican reef system, which SHA describes as the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere. The setting is a big part of the appeal. The original SHA, in Spain, looks out at the Mediterranean. Here the view is turquoise water and jungle.

Who it’s for

SHA Mexico suits people who want a structured health programme in a resort setting and don’t mind the rules that come with it. The brand is known for strict nutrition and a full daily schedule, and Mexico follows the same approach. It is also realistic for New Yorkers: Cancún has direct flights, and Costa Mujeres is just north of the city. That makes it one of the few serious medical-wellness stays that fits into a long weekend’s travel time, even if the programmes themselves ask for more like a week. If you are deciding between programmes, the initial evaluation is meant to help with that, so it is worth arriving with recent test results and a clear sense of what you want to change.

Good to know

• Where: Costa Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico, just north of Cancún.
• Opened: 26 January 2024.
• Minimum stay: It depends on the programme. Some booking offers on the official site require a minimum of seven nights.
• How to book: Through SHA Mexico’s official website, by phone on the US and Canada line listed there, or by WhatsApp. We haven’t listed rates because they vary by programme and room.
• Read the terms: Some advance-booking offers on the official site are non-refundable and require full payment upfront.

Why it matters for New York

SHA shows that a wellness brand can take its method abroad and adapt the setting to the new place without changing the method itself. For New York’s clubs and hotels, the useful part to copy is a clear method that fits a working week.

Official website: shawellness.com