What do you get when you take a luxurious tropical suite and suspend it above the ocean, just steps away from one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico? A palafito!

A what? To be perfectly honest, when I saw the word “palafito” on the Karisma Hotels website, I had to Google it. It turns out that palafito is a Spanish word used for a house on stilts. A simple word, perhaps, but it’s also an exciting new resort option in Riviera Maya, Mexico.

For years, travelers have been approaching travel agents with photos featuring a row of tropical overwater bungalows.

“I want to go there,” is usually how the conversation begins.

Often when they find out “there” is a faraway place like Tahiti, Bora Bora, or the Maldives—and see the travel time and price tag for those locations—the overwater bungalow experience is no longer an option.

Since becoming a travel agent in 2009, I have been hearing about resorts with plans to build overwater bungalows in a more easily accessible destination like the Caribbean or Mexico. Year after year, however, these plans never seemed to materialize.

You can imagine my excitement when I finally saw photographs of the bungalow construction beginning at the El Dorado Maroma resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Several members of our team have visited in the past few months to get a sneak peek of the progress as the 30 palafitos are being built, and our resort representatives have also been keeping us updated.

From these photos, you can see the concept beginning to take shape. Each palafito is a freestanding building with no shared walls between units, and all of the suites are connected to the beach and each other with a wooden walkway. The overwater complex will also feature a restaurant and spa, and palafito guests will also have full access to all of the pools, restaurants, and bars that are part of the main El Dorado Maroma resort.

When they open in September 2016, these new overwater bungalows will have some incredible features, including:

• Glass bottom floors
• Private infinity pool
• Direct ladder access to the ocean
• A private outdoor shower, plus indoor Jacuzzi for two
• Oversized deck with wooden lounge chairs
• Butler service

While flights to Cancun generally cost much less than those to the South Pacific, these premium bungalows are still a luxury product with a splurge-worthy price tag. From many US cities, the shorter travel time — Potentially a few hours compared to an entire day! — makes it a much more practical option for staying fewer nights. You might also consider working it into your client’s budget by splitting their stay between the palafito and another room category.

And remember, stays in a palafito also includes Karisma’s Gourmet Inclusive® experience. The room rate includes top-notch dining, 24-hour room service, and premium alcoholic beverages.

Do you have clients ready to enjoy this brand new, romantic, over-the-water experience? Right now the palafitos at El Dorado Maroma are can only be booked through a select number of GIVC travel agencies, which includes all of KHM Travel Group’s agents!

Current KHM Travel Agents can learn more about the palafitos in the Portal.

If you’d like to find out how to start earning income planning vacations to beautiful resorts like El Dorado Maroma, request our free information packet! Just call our team at 1-888-611-1220 or fill out the form on the right side of the screen to let us know you’d like to receive this helpful guide by mail.