Semarnat Rejects 954-Room Megahotel at Punta Maroma in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s Environment and Natural Resources Department (Semarnat) has denied environmental authorization for the Hotel Terraesmeralda Punta Maroma, a large-scale tourism development that would have built 954 rooms across 10 buildings in this coastal area of Playa del Carmen.

According to information published by the federal agency, file 23QR2025T0050, submitted by Terraesmeralda, S.A. de C.V., was resolved as “not applicable,” meaning the project did not obtain the environmental authorization it requested.

The complex was planned in five stages over 18 years and called for 682 junior rooms, 108 presidential suites and 164 executive rooms, along with a destination spa, an events hall, a gym, tennis courts, commercial and service areas, and eight swimming pools.

The developer also proposed 802 parking spaces and sought a land-use change on forested terrain covering 4.757 hectares, where secondary arboreal vegetation of medium sub-deciduous jungle would have been cleared.

Previous Project Withdrawn

The development would have occupied two parcels totaling 11.852 hectares inside the Punta Maroma complex, roughly 2.3 kilometers from the Cancún-Tulum highway.

In documents filed during the environmental review, the company estimated the investment at about $5 million, earmarked for hotel infrastructure, equipment, complementary works and sustainable systems.

Terraesmeralda had previously pursued another tourism development in the same area: Pueblo Bonito Punta Maroma, registered under file 23QR2022T0034. In that case, Semarnat did not reject the project — the company withdrew it and the proceeding was closed in March 2025.

Months later, the company submitted the new Hotel Terraesmeralda Punta Maroma proposal under file 23QR2025T0050. With the resolution issued, the 954-room development failed to secure the federal environmental authorization it sought.