Melissa Perlman, owner of the beautiful Amansala Resort in Tulum, Mexico, became an avid traveller after college, keen to find her next adventure.
When she took the plunge and moved to Tulum, she followed her dream to open her own beachfront resort, and hasn’t looked back since. The Sybarite speaks to Melissa about her extraordinary story, the success of Amansala, how Covid has affected her business and what she is hoping to do post-pandemic.
Could you tell The Sybarite a little bit about your background? Where are you from? Where did you live before Tulum?
I am originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and spent all my childhood there. I soon realised I didn’t want to spend my life there and wanted to travel. I wanted to move to a big city and I always pictured New York City to be the most exciting and glamorous city of all, and it pretty much was. I loved the New York lifestyle, I worked for myself for 6 years but it is a distinct type of person who wants to live there their whole life.
What inspired the move to Tulum?
I loved New York but I felt I met so many people but didn’t really know that many people. I was going through the motions but not really living life. At the time I was working on a Guide to the Most Beautiful places to rejuvenate the Mind, Body and Soul, and I realised there wasn’t a place that was exactly the place I was looking to go to. I was craving more nature and a warm climate, so I decided to make a change. When I came to Tulum initially, I fell in love and came back every year. And now here I am, living here!
Why did you open Amansala? Was it a difficult task building and growing Amansala?
I opened Amansala after 9/11 when I was evaluating what to do with my life and thinking about how precious our time is, which is a very similar feeling people are having right now. Thinking if I could live anywhere, where would I live and my answer was Tulum. I feel in love with the beautiful blue sea, the nature that surrounds all the area and a certain feeling in the air that I only can say is the Mayan Magic... where things just come together. I feel very aligned here and very much in balance.
How has Amansala developed since it opened?
It started as a few rooms as a pop up and has evolved into one of Tulum's most iconic hotels. It has become more refined, but still maintains the soul that it was born from!
In what ways does Amansala reflect you?
In every way, in how I want to feel when I travel as if I am staying at a friend’s beach house. It is very welcoming and surprises the senses with wafts of incense, soft sheets, dogs, delicious food, ginger tea in the morning.
As a woman who started her own business, what advice would you have for women who are trying to do the same?
Know you have all that you need, believe in yourself and follow your dream.
In these difficult times, how have the restrictions on travel affected Amansala? How have you adapted?
We have been fortunate in Tulum in that the borders and travel has been allowed. While our group yoga retreats have temporarily slowed down another type of digital nomadic traveler was born. People that are free to work from anywhere and chose to work by the sea with us!
How do you think the pandemic will affect the luxury travel industry?
I think people realize luxury can be seen differently and luxury means being in nature, having freedom to be in open air and not be restricted.
Apart from Tulum, what is your favourite travel destination?
I love Asia, all of it the food, the culture.
What is the greatest adventure you have ever been on?
The greatest adventure by far has been the Tulum adventure, as it has taken me down so many paths.. from arriving with a suitcase and no hotel to having 4 hotels, 2 kids, 4 dogs, and 4 restaurants!
What is your dream travel destination that you have yet to visit?
That’s a tough one as the world has so many gems to be discovered, I would love to see New Zealand.
The most exclusive fragrances in the world have no signature scent. Rather, the season's yield decides the aroma of each bottle at Ffern - an organic perfumery based dually in Somerset & East London.
We arrived at Alila Villas Uluwatu well into the evening, exhausted from our flight and from the chaos that was the traffic. As soon as our feet landed on Alila grounds we instantly felt we were in a different place completely and that all that travel up to that moment was worth it.
Not just yachts darling - we're talking superyachts.
As the ever-opulent 2022 Monaco Yacht Week begins, join us as we explore the Galaxy Superyacht. The interior expertly crafted by Njord (by Bergman) x Northern Lights.
They say that Paris is always a good idea and this is certainly true, especially if you find yourself staying at the Monsieur George, Paris’ most handsome boutique hotel.
As Singapore has fully opened up, travel has seen a sudden resurgence of visitors flocking to the city. Should you be planning a trip out there with your children in tow, we've done the homework and have the perfect recommendation for you.
One of the only resorts in the Maldives to house its own sustainability lab, we sat down with The Fairmont Sirru Fen Fushi GM Mr. Orton to discuss the resort and its new Netflix documentary.
If you’ve been to The Opposite House in Beijing or The Upper House in Hong Kong, then you’ll more or less know what to expect at The Middle House in Shanghai.
Plato’s account of Atlantis; “rocks of white, black and red were extracted from the hills and used to construct a great island city” holds a striking resemblance to the whitewashed abodes, cobalt-domed churches, and the black and red sand beaches which mark the isle of Santorini, an alluring Mediterranean oasis mired in mythology.
Despite the hustle and bustle of the Marrakech medina, luxury residence Riad Timila encapsulates its guests within its calm and welcoming atmosphere. The restored Moroccan house has six en-suite rooms, a rooftop terrace, a hammam, a media room, and a dining area.
On Thursday 8th September, our editor Niamh Walsh visited The NFT Gallery in Mayfair to witness an extraordinary, feminine venture into the medium of NFTs.
Traditionally, women have always been dissociated from whisky. Just imagine... old leather armchairs, men & their cigars sat in smoky bars sipping on the golden elixir. But where has this perception come from? Kevin Pilley sets out to explore the whisky myth, and how women are breaking these stereotypes in 2022.
In this intimate Q&A session we spoke to Finolhu's General Manager Marc Reader who joined Finolhu six months after opening in 2016, gaining further insight into the resort, how they dealt with the pandemic and more importantly what's in store for 2021 and beyond.
“Hi, it’s so nice to meet you!”
I wish I could say my first time chatting with Catie Miller happened in-person, but alas, this was yet another Zoom meeting.
Learn more about luxury lifestyle by signing up for free
For our latest experiences and editorials, be the first in the know. You'll learn about upcoming experiences happening worldwide and the secrets and lifestyle of a sybarite.
