Postcard from Riviera Maya, Mexico

“We're not the lone pariahs anymore,” my husband, Jason, sighs happily in the groovy Latin fusion restaurant while feeding tortilla soup to our food-throwing 14-month-old, Ben. It may feel like we’re dining in the latest urban hot spot, but really we’re in one of the restaurants at Azul Beach Hotel, a recently renovated resort in Bahia Petempich in the Riviera Maya, Mexico.

Catering to pariahs — er, I mean, families with toddlers and babies! — the small property has only 147 rooms, sidestepping the mall-like vibe of some of the mega resorts (and better for that inevitable trek back to the room for the sippy cup). And even though it’s as stylish as a grown-ups-only spot, here you can you get Fisher-Price toys sent to your room, which can be equipped with everything from a bottle sterilizer to a stroller.

A version of this article appeared in our August 2012 issue with the headline: Azul Beach Hotel (p. 26).