UNICO 20°105° Brings an Easygoing Adults-only All-inclusive to Riviera Nayarit

I am not a wellness retreat kind of person. Don’t get me wrong, I attend yoga classes weekly, and I love to eat vegetables, but my idea of an excellent vacation retreat is when someone else cooks for me. 

So when UNICO 20°105° invited me to come stay on their newly opened (Fall 2025) adults-only all-inclusive property in Riviera Nayarit, I jumped at the chance, though I was thoroughly frightened as my visit coincided with the Aura Wellness Retreat. In the end, I got to try some excellent wellness activities.

I’m so glad I visited. This small-ish resort has only 140 rooms serviced by four restaurants, three bars, and two pools. Thanks to its small number of rooms, the resort feels more like a community. The hotel, just 20 minutes from the airport, is situated on an easily accessible, broad swath of beach on Banderas Bay in Nuevo Nayarit. I joined the dozens of tourists, dogs, and locals each morning who walk the gorgeous waterfront in search of shells, birds, exercise, and peace in the early cool. 

So Many Activities

Every room gets assigned a “Local Host”, a sort of personalized concierge who helps with dinner reservations, airport transfers, spa appointments, and other guest needs. Each day, he sends out a schedule of the hotel’s events and activities, which run the gamut from beach volleyball to an on-site Mexican craft market. I participated in an agave experience where we learned the basics about (and tasted) tequila, mezcal, and the local fave, peppery raicilla, and an “artisan experience” where we made beaded knick-knacks. 

Thanks to the presence of the Aura Wellness team onsite for the retreat, I also attended a beachfront breathwork class, a yoga class, and a facial “glow up” with a skin-care expert on the giant palapa’d patio. I watched a lot of people do a guided cold plunge, but remember when I said I was not into wellness? No cold plunge for me, thanks. I very much enjoyed a silent floating sound bath, where we all donned wireless headphones, hopped on inflatable rafts, and floated around the rooftop pool while a “gong master” created sounds and vibrations for us to relax to. 

Big Breezy Rooms

I stayed in an Alcoba Ocean View room, which had a large furnished balcony overlooking the Pacific pool and beyond to the Pacific itself, with an outdoor spa soaking tub that my “Local Host” would fill upon request. (I did not request.) Every bed in the resort is a king, and the airy rooms are decorated with local art, natural stone, and wood accents. Gorgeous straw hats and baskets hung on the wall, which became your gift from UNICO to take home.

There’s an artisan painter by the pool who will personalize your hats and bags on certain days. The big bathroom was stocked with Mexico-made soaps and lotions. The minibar snacks that came with the all-inclusive also hailed from Mexico, another small local touch that added a lot to the resort’s engaging sense of place. UNICO, a sister brand to Hard Rock Hotels under the PAM hospitality group, seems to take great pride in the distinctiveness of its environs and roots. (The other, older, and larger UNICO 20°87° is in Riviera Maya and the Montego Bay UNICO is under construction.)

Esencia Spa

A wonderful thing about a new construction hotel is a fresh new spa, and the UNICO folks conveniently built their spacious sanctuary on the third floor, just a short elevator ride away from your guest room. They offer a solid roster of salon, spa, and wedding services. I experienced their hydro-therapy circuit, which was a cut above most I’ve visited. Not only were the sauna and steam room quite expansive, but I had a very professional guide named Abraham who took me through it, from sensations shower to cold plunge (which I turned down once again), plying me with cold towels, cucumber eye pads, and crushed ice along the way. After my circuit, a rest in the serene relaxation room, a lovely massage, and I was off for lunch in a mist of scented steam. 

All-inclusive Dining

Once again, the intimate size of the resort allows for much smaller dining experiences. Breakfast takes place at Lia, on the patio or indoors, and much to many’s chagrin, there is no buffet. I did not mind that one bit, as the service was excellent, accommodating, and the extensive menu left me wanting for nothing. 

At night, Lia becomes an Italian spot (since you cannot, it seems, open a resort sans an Italian spot), which ended up being my favorite dinner venue. I loved the seafood (the fried calamari dusted in chickpea flour was an excellent idea) and, as at all the restaurants, the portions were delightfully mid-sized, so you could order many things to sample. I did not love the wine choices, which stayed the same across all venues. Drinking a full-bodied Cab is not my favorite beach weather quaff, and it seemed like many members of my community were choosing the same thing as the least offensive option. 

AguaMadre became my favorite lunch destination, with its lush circular wood-lined dining room, beachside location, and menu full of seafood tostadas, freshly made salsas, and hearty Mexican fare. Don’t miss the salsa macha, a typical condiment made from dried chiles, nuts, and seeds, that I could not stop eating.  In the evening, the food vibe gets a bit more serious and experimental. In all the restaurants on site, let the servers guide you; they definitely steered me towards the best picks. At dessert, for example, my server gave me his personal rank on the menu items, and he was spot on. 

At Kobo, the pretty Japanese outlet on the second floor of the hotel, you can reserve a teppanyaki table to watch show cooking with a set menu, or order from a large menu of Japanese-style specialties. I did not love the maki and nigiri, but the fried shrimp, dumplings, and the wok-tossed entrees were very satisfying. I also enjoyed drinking chilled sake along with my meal. 

After dinner, folks gather in Coquita, the relaxed lobby lounge and bar, for games and local musical talent performances. Much of the beautifully curated art on every shelf, wall, and nook of the public spaces comes from the Huichol traditions of the indigenous Wixarika people, whose beaded and braided creations are astoundingly colorful and intricate. 

Final Poolside Thoughts

My adopted community gathered most afternoons by the Pacific Pool for drinks and a swim. The swim-up bar and poolside service gave brisk, friendly service, but a few people complained that the single bathroom was a bit far away, all the way across the pool as the crow flies. First world problems, maybe, but that’s what you talk about at the Pacific Pool. I missed the weekly Pool Party as I elected to take a “half-day” Puerto Vallarta CIty Tour that kept me off property for many hours, but all reports gave the party a thumbs up. I’d come back to UNICO 20°105° anytime!

For families who’d like to visit Riviera Nayarit, try these nearby options instead!