The best hotels in Mexico
Over the last few years a slew of new openings in Mexico has drawn attention away from Cancun's supersized resorts and towards boutique stays with a focus on local artisans, design and sustainability. Now, some of the best hotels in Mexico are found beyond the typical tourist strips and in places like Tulum, the up-and-coming Zihuatanejo and in flourishing Mexico City – recently voted one of the best cities in the world. For a getaway that's well worth the flight time from the UK, our editors have selected the best hotels in Mexico, ranging from beachside treehouses to minimalist boltholes.
How we choose the best hotels in Mexico
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Conde Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury and properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We're always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.
Nikolas Koenig/The Riviera Maya EDITION at KanaihotelThe Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai
Featured on our 2024 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Making its debut in Latin America, The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai brings the brand’s quintessential late-night soirees and chic city style to an expansive, 620-acre nature reserve in the Yucatán Peninsula’s Riviera Maya. With interiors by the Ian Schrager Company in collaboration with the design firm Rockwell Group, and architecture by Edmonds International, the resort was created with cenotes (freshwater limestone pools) in mind. After walking up an orchid-lined staircase, guests arrive at a seating area with views of an oversized lagoon-like swimming pool – the resort’s centrepiece – that looks straight to a palm-lined path leading to the sea. It’s here where the property’s cenote-inspired architecture really shines, courtesy of a bamboo yoga deck designed by Eduardo Neira. The structure’s undulating walls continue to the surrounding limestone buildings – mimicking the seismic ripple that occurred when an ancient asteroid struck Chicxulub – which contain 182 guestrooms, including 30 suites, most with plunge pools and terraces providing either ocean or mangrove views. During a stay, guests are privy to the menus of two Mexican chefs who both appear on the World’s 50 Best lists: Francisco Ruano leads the resort’s signature restaurant Ki’is (meaning “zest” in Mayan), which is known for its revolving tasting menu; while Tomás Bermúdez helms So’ol (Mayan for “oyster”), an outdoor seafood eatery overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Michaela Trimble
Colima 71hotelColima 71, Mexico City
Featured on our 2024 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Tucked away in Roma Norte, one of Mexico City’s most lively corners, this former school is the area’s latest minimalist refuge with a focus on contemporary art. Famed Mexican architect Alberto Kalach led a local design team that transformed the property into a spacious hotel with 16 residential-style studios. In the cosy lobby, there’s a floor-to-ceiling photography installation by Iñaki Bonillas. Just beyond, in the courtyard, is the next showpiece: a hollow latticework steel structure by Sofía Táboas, another globally renowned Mexican artist. The staircase is adorned with a suspended sculpture made of bicycle tyres, stainless steel, and brass by Guatemalan provocateur Darío Escobar. Most rooms have outdoor balconies, white oak bed frames draped in Portuguese cotton linens, and kitchens stocked with ceramics produced by Indigenous communities in Oaxaca. Colima 71 blends a boutique hotel with aspects of a serviced apartment building – so it doesn’t have a restaurant, but there are treats. A barista drops by to deliver coffee made with beans from Chiapas and heartier dishes such as ricotta-and-guava-stuffed rolls from Panadería Rosetta, an acclaimed bakery by Rosetta’s Elena Reygadas, who was voted the world’s best female chef in 2023. For evenings, there’s an honesty bar – made from emerald marble imported from Iran – stocked with Mexico’s top tequilas and mezcals. Michaela Trimble
Courtesy Jason Dewey/St. Regis KanaihotelThe St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya
Featured on our 2024 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
When viewed from above, the St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya looks like a deconstructed Olympic logo – a series of curvaceous shapes sitting on over a mile of private beach. It’s meant to be a celestial schematic (inspired by the 1,000-plus stars in the constellation Pleiades), with gleaming, ultramodern white buildings hovering over protected mangroves. While the scale may seem overwhelming at first, the genius of its indoor-outdoor architecture reveals itself throughout one’s stay. Every thoughtfully designed, Mayan-inspired room has a view of the sea; there are elevated wooden walkways in lieu of cement paths; and the whole place is surrounded by a ridiculous amount of greenery. The generous footprint allows for a variety of tastes and needs to be accommodated – solo travellers, honeymooners, girlfriends on getaways, extended families – with minimal overlap. There are multiple beach clubs, a kids’ club, and seven dining options (and dedicated butlers to help you manage it all). But the pièce de résistance here is the spa: it’s like a boutique resort within the resort, and you could easily spend the entire day there, whether getting pampered or not. Offerings include separate men’s and women’s outdoor aqua-thermal circuits with pools and a menu of treatments that incorporate ancient Mayan traditions. Best yet, the spa can be experienced even if you’re not staying on property. Similarly, St. Regis guests can easily pop over to the Edition or the Etéreo (an Auberge resort), the hotel’s neighbours in this gated development. Rima Suqi
SHA WellnesshotelSHA Wellness Clinic Mexico, Riviera Maya
Featured on our 2024 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
When the original Sha Wellness Clinic opened its doors in Alicante back in 2008, it immediately stood out from other destination spas, taking a holistic, in-depth approach to the often vague concept of “wellness.” This follow-up property includes the same comprehensive treatments and cutting-edge medical techniques – only this time, the address is on a prime stretch of beachfront in Costa Mujeres. The rooms and suites all come with private balconies and studio-size bathrooms, but the health clinic – complete with six stories and a hundred treatment rooms – is obviously the star attraction here. On the top floor there’s a fully equipped gym and a terrace for yoga or sound baths; in the basement there is a hydrotherapy circuit with a sauna, steam room, Roman bath, and cold plunge around a lovely pool; and in between are numerous areas with a dedicated purpose, from ageing well to traditional Chinese medicine. Cutting-edge tech abounds, from machines that give you an intense core workout to a bed for advanced cell regeneration therapy. The vibe is calm, cool, dim, and science-y without being overly medicalized. The food is expectedly nutritious but surprisingly flavorful: Following the recommendations of the Harvard Medical School, as well as centuries of Eastern thought, dishes at Shamadi, the main restaurant, emphasize vegetables of various colours, whole grains, proteins (including fresh local seafood), and alkaline foods. If you need a reminder to take care of yourself, a visit to Sha Mexico will flawlessly do the trick. Jesse Ashlock
Chablé Maroma, Riviera Maya
Mornings might be the most magical time of day at Chablé Maroma, which stands on a rare secluded spot on Punta Maroma beach on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The soulful energy of the Riviera Maya pulses through the hotel, yet not a whisper of some of the louder nearby resorts can be heard here – at any time of day. Drawing back the mighty wooden doors of your thatched-roof casita reveals a tangle of serenely swaying palms, dense mangroves and painstakingly protected native plant life, punctuated by the vibrant shades of tropical birds. In the cool of the early hours, loveable little raccoon-like coatí might slink through the scene, sniffing the air for any remnants of the hot Mexican coffee and sweet pastries delivered to rooms as an ‘eye opener’ in a wicker basket. Guests emerge from jungly hideaways for huevos rancheros at Kaban, the poolside restaurant, before spending the rest of the day on the hotel’s long strip of near-deserted sand, enjoying head massages on sun loungers from roaming spa therapists or ordering just-caught ceviche from the rooftop raw bar. This was the second of the family-owned Chablé’s three Mexican properties, having opened in 2018 with an air of salt-sprayed insouciance befitting its stylish beachfront setting. Families, groups of friends, couples and even dogs coexist peacefully here – many are emphatically delighted with the hotel and return year after year. The wellness offering feels authentically Mayan-rooted, and guests can be found sweating out late tequila-fuelled nights in the beachside temazcal, where a resident shaman runs healing sessions, or rebalancing with a four-hands massage at the airy indoor-outdoor spa. Jessica Burrell
%2520Romain%2520Laprade.jpg)
Romain LapradeCasa To, Puerto Escondido
Little boutique hotel Casa To is made up of just nine bedrooms. But this is a property that's a step above the rest among the boho beach-bum hostels on this corner of the Pacific coast. The self-cooling brutalist design was the craftsmanship of architect Ludwig Godefroy. A jigsaw of circular concrete archways makes up the heart of the hotel, crawling with vines that align and frame the lobby's features. There's a well-stocked bar run by a casually cool barman in a paisley shirt, and cosy corners are filled with wicker seating and sun loungers. Wooden stools dotted with retro teal lamps and the odd photography book, statement vases (that we very much wanted to take home), and plenty of palms decorate the incense-infused space. Then, of course, the hotel's iconic swimming pool, which runs through a series of concrete circular walls spanning the length of the hotel – you’ve most likely seen it splashed on your Instagram feed. Beautiful guests spend most of the day sipping mezcal and lounging in the sunlight that beams onto the pyramid of concrete puzzle steps that make up the back wall, conveniently dotted with pillows and candlelight come dusk. The bedrooms follow suit. Bifolding doors reveal a private garden sheltered by lush green palms. All furnishings, such as the colourful woven rug, the striped linen bedding and heavy wooden crafted chairs, are local artisanal pieces bringing that home-from-home feel. Glou Glou, the rooftop bar and restaurant, is run by a trendy Argentinian couple who were invited to relocate to Puerto Escondido by the hotel owner after he fell in love with their cooking and hospitality back in Argentina. The highlight is an innovative, intimate and delicious seven-course tasting menu cooked and prepared right in front of you. The head chef also cooks up a mean breakfast – we loved the creamy homemade peanut butter and mango jelly on freshly baked toast. Sophie Knight
Tanveer Badal Photography / TANVEERBADAL.COMHabitas Bacalar, Bacalar
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
A four-hour drive south of heavily touristed Cancún, the discreet Habitas Bacalar entrance on the side of a remote road makes you feel like you’ve been let in on a grand secret. The place is small – just 34 rooms, each with a maximum occupancy of two – and has a very communal vibe. The hotel makes an effort to bring the community to you, by hosting local vendors for guest experiences like a cacao-and-wine tasting, and partnering with local businesses for complimentary paddleboard tours, yoga lessons, and more. Meanwhile, the wellness programme sources local ingredients for its spa products, and restaurant Siete uses traditional Mayan cooking techniques. Mercedes Bleth
%2520Anna%2520Wolf_CasonaSforza_IMG_2522.JPG)
Anna WolfCasona Sforza, Puerto Escondido
You’ll reach Casa Sforza after a windy drive down the dusty roads of Puerto Escondido’s quiet La Barra district. Pure secluded luxury is the order of the day here, allowing you to disconnect and unwind – the only thing for you to worry about is keeping on top of your SPF application. Mexican architect Alberto Kalach designed this beachfront property with the intention of encapturing and not distracting from the striking natural landscapes. The impressive design blends seamlessly into nature, using naturally coloured materials and smooth-flowing shapes. The hotel is made up of a series of huge, airy connecting domes that seamlessly slot together to form the 11 suites, an oval-shaped pool, and a bar and restaurant. (Note: there's a strict no children or pets policy throughout). Beach beds and straw umbrellas spill onto the sandy beach as to spiky cacti, tall palms and flowering beach shrubs. Follow the wooden stepping stone path to the beach bed dressed in linen curtains or to the shaded hammocks to divide your time between the pool and the beach. Flop and enjoy uninterrupted ocean views. If you plan your visit during migratory months, you may even spot a whale in the distance.
Bedrooms are huge, built from dusty yellow brick that glows warm at golden hour. Ground-floor suites have a private swim-up pool, while second-floor rooms come with a view of the Pacific Ocean, best enjoyed while soaking up the glow of sunset from the huge woven hammock or a freestanding hot tub. The kitchen is run by a husband (who previously did a stint at Lyles in London) and wife duo originally from Venezuela. Andrés Trujillo takes care of the kitchen, with a focus on fresh seasonal cooking, while Vanessa Franco looks after the baked goods. She’ll whip you up a sweet warm chocolate cookie in 10 minutes. Like we said, there’s no need to leave. Sophie Knight
- Style & CultureThe best exhibitions in London for May
Courtesy Hotel EsenciaHotel Esencia, Xpu-Ha
Featured on our 2023 Gold List of the best hotels in the world
While Playa del Carmen and Tulum on Mexico’s Riviera Maya teeter toward overdevelopment, there’s still an unspoiled coastline between the two fast-growing towns. Near the powdery white sands of Xpu-Ha, the secluded jungle hideaway of Hotel Esencia is a reprieve from bustling resorts and hedonistic eco-hotels – yet offers all the trappings needed to never leave its grounds. Originally built as a haven for an Italian duchess, the 50-acre estate was acquired in 2014 by Hollywood producer Kevin Wendle, who has turned the property into the area’s chicest beachside retreat, beloved by tastemakers such as Bella Hadid and Lupita Nyong’o for its privacy. Hotel Esencia centres on a main house, where afternoon tea is served daily in the ocean-facing library, while stone paths lead to four expansive guest villas and 47 suites, each with a private terrace and some with a heated pool and solarium overlooking the Caribbean. The newest and most luxurious lodgings are at the Esencia Mansion, a four-bedroom villa with three swimming pools, a 20-seat screening room, a subterranean speakeasy, and a nearby cenote where guests can paddleboard among the resident manatees. To recharge, there’s a café offering Mexican pastries, a juice bar for smoothies and acai bowls, and three restaurants, including a Yucatán eatery serving dishes with Mediterranean flair, from green gazpacho topped with crab to grilled octopus layered with creamy garlic mole. Michaela Trimble
Auberge Resorts CollectionSusurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Everything about this property is seemingly curated to feel more like a boutique hotel than an all-inclusive one. It’s normal to stumble upon things like a sound bath experience on the beach led by a local bohemian who infuses jazz with the singing bowls or a sombrero-making class. The on-site boutique, a Fashionkind outpost (opening in December), co-owned by Nina Farran and Sophia Bush will comprise only Latin American designers creating positive social and environmental impact, and the design by Paul Duesing and Glazier Le Architects, sporting stone walls that continue from the balcony to the interior of the room with pebble-floored rain showers clad in colourful tiles almost entirely Mexican made and also supports local and regional makers, artisans, artists, and purveyors, solidifies the POV of being a boho-fresh, intentional, and barefoot sanctuary for those in-the-know. Don’t get me wrong, it still feels like a resort – just a resort that is focused on what is important to today’s customers. Scott Bay.
Albert LewisRancho Pescadero – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Owners Lisa Harper and Billy Moore have always placed great importance on uplifting Todos Santos, Mexico since Rancho Pescadero’s inception in 2007. So when they decided to overhaul and expand the resort – going from 12 guestrooms to 103 – they implemented rare and lengthy programs for the industry, ranging from creating a solar farm and installing a desalination plant to transplanting thousands of plants moved during construction and placing them back in their original locations. But they are also concerned about the strains that a luxury resort can bring to rural areas. Therefore, they have created a housing complex for employees, where each of the 170 dwellings will actually become their legal home after years of working at the resort – while also implementing a technical education program for the community’s youth and investing in a clean-air incinerator for the resort’s waste and for local use. Waking up on my last day in my elegant-yet-beachy guest suite, designed head-to-toe by Harper (of course), and jumping into the private plunge pool overlooking the crashing waves, I found myself thinking, this is true well-being. A place to disconnect, reconnect with what matters most and feel confident that the investment is eco-responsible and helps to uplift the people who live in this slice of desert paradise. Scott Bay
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta MitaNaviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
This is not your parents’ Four Seasons. Formalities, like a front desk, have disappeared, and the traditional concierge has been replaced with guides who can help arrange everything from dinner reservations to surf lessons. The all-inclusive model means the entire stay is blissfully transaction-free, and the intimate scale – at just 30 guests, the size is also a shift for the brand – allows for unscripted experiences such as mezcal tastings with local distillers. And the tented suites are what it takes to persuade travellers to book a hotel in Punta Mita that isn’t right on the beach. Terraced into 48 acres of forested Pacific-facing cliffs, this adults-only luxury tented resort was designed by sustainably minded safari-tent pioneers Luxury Frontiers. Each of its 15 spacious rooms has an indoor soaking tub, an outdoor shower, and a private plunge pool with sunset views. Taking in and getting out into nature is at the heart of Naviva, but a visit to the two spa pods is a must for treatments informed by Mesoamerican traditions, like the five-hour Refuge Retreat. It includes a copal cleansing and Mayan mud massage, plus post-pampering time to soak in the pod’s oversized palm-shaded tub. Guests have access to the amenities at sister property Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, just next door, but it’s doubtful you’ll want to leave this jungle oasis. Jen Murphy
- Style & CultureThe best exhibitions in London for May
Victor Elias/Waldorf Astoria CancunWaldorf Astoria Cancun, Cancun
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
For all the resorts that crowd Mexico’s east coast, the Waldorf stands out for its truly white-glove service and amenities that make it hard to leave the property. There are infinity pools aplenty, acres of pristine coastline, and that most glorious asset of all, the feeling of complete privacy in one of the country’s most bustling holiday spots. The decor, a soothing sea of creams and sand hues, spotlights Mexican artisans and highlights materials like tropical woods and local stone. The vibe here is palpably slow – no rushing from one activity to the next, just relaxing. And there are enough private cabanas to go around – you can forget about the dreaded visit to the pool at dawn to reserve a great spot. There are also dozens of lounge chairs facing the beach for when the ocean is your dip du jour. With comfortable yet polished rooms, an excellent spa, and a clutch of bars and restaurants serving excellent riffs on traditional dishes and drinks, this is Cancun like you’ve never seen it. Meaghan Kenny
Karyn MilletCasa Polanco, Mexico City
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Set in Mexico City's posh Polanco neighbourhood, in an elegantly renovated Spanish Revival-style mansion, a stay at Casa Polanco feels like a peek inside the lives of well-to-do chilangos (Mexico City locals). Polanco is within walking distance from sites like Chapultepec Park, a popular hangout for local families on the weekends, and lovely for morning jogs; and a short drive from Museo Soumaya, known for its unique architecture and mirror-like façade; and Casa Luis Barragán. Just around the corner are the trendy Roma Norte and Condesa neighbourhoods for eating, drinking, and boutique shopping. As is a common tendency throughout Polanco, the food here is not quintessentially Mexican – there's a quesadilla offered via room service, but, beyond that, you're working with what feels akin to a country club menu (think Caesar salads and sandwiches for in-room dining, and afternoon tea in the lobby bar). Megan Spurrell.
Rupert PeaceOne&Only Palmilla, San Jose del Cabo
Featured on our 2022 Gold List of the best hotels in the world
Arriving at this spot on the very tip of the Baja Peninsula always feels like coming home. Many of the staff are third-generation employees who not only remember your name, but whether you prefer your Margarita made with tequila or mezcal (and which brand), and where you like your yoga mat to be set up in your room. And those rooms. White-washed hacienda-style architecture brightened with hand-embroidered textiles, plus perks such as private butlers and, in the case of Villa Cortez, an exclusive fitness suite, spa room and beach cabana, reflect Cabo’s emergence as Latin America’s latest luxury hotspot. There is no shortage of glitzy new five-stars, but as the area’s first proper hotel, Palmilla has a serious advantage: real estate. Its secluded location on one of Cabo’s only swimmable beaches is unbeatable. In the 1950s, Hollywood’s elite flocked here, and today a fresh generation of A-listers do the same. A commitment to discretion and timeless glamour in an age of social-media noise, as well as constant reinvention (new wellness offerings from spiritual healer Alicia Kanxoc) have allowed Baja’s big hitter to continue holding court. Jen Murphy
Ana Hop courtesy of Grupo HabitaBaja Club Hotel, La Paz
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
With the opening of Baja Club Hotel along the esplanade of La Paz, the coastal town now has its first proper boutique hotel. Attracting the creative, artistic elite of Mexico City and beyond, the 32-room, Spanish colonial-style property serves as a base for further explorations in the Sea of Cortez, from swimming with the area’s seasonal visitors – whale sharks and blue whales – to boating trips to the biodiverse Espíritu Santo island. The rooms all have either a balcony, terrace, or private outdoor patio, with cream-and-coral striped banquettes as well as Grupo Habita’s classic minibar staple: a house bottle of Mezcal for guests to enjoy. Michaela Trimble
- Style & CultureThe best exhibitions in London for May
Cesar BejarFour Seasons Tamarindo, Jalisco
Set in a 3000-acre private natural reserve on the southern coast of Jalisco, of which 98 per cent is completely protected and will never be developed, this resort goes far beyond the untouched beaches, impeccable views and infamous Four Seasons service — it’s an architectural marvel steeped in Mexican heritage and rich in sustainability practices. Rooms come in three styles; nature, beach, and cliffside, but it's the latter that steals the show. Interiors are of the contemporary architecture kind, replete with locally-sourced materials while floor-to-ceiling windows blur the line between indoor-outdoor living. Each one comes with a private plunge pool and hammocks handcrafted by women across the region, alongside bespoke artwork by Mayan artisans. La Mansion is the heart of the estate, where the infinity pools and gym sit. The three open-air restaurants also cascade La Mansion, each one serving its own take on Mexican soul food. Coyul, which dishes up breakfast and dinner, has an Italian-French twist, while Nacho dreams up made-to-order tacos, tostadas, and quesadillas. And Sal is where to go for sunsets and Japanese-influenced plates. Despite its seclusion, there's plenty to do around here. There's an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts and 19+ acre farm Rancho Ortega. For adventure seekers, Tamarindo Beach is just a five-minute buggy ride away where snorkelling gear, kayaks, and water bikes are at the ready. But book a lancha for dolphin spotting and whale watching. Read the full review of Four Seasons Tamarindo. Zahra Surya Darma
Laura AustinVerana, Puerto Vallarta
Even the most seasoned traveller may have trouble thinking of the last time they stayed in a handmade hotel. The reason being, they are extremely rare. Few places can be as intricately and ingeniously imagined as Verana. When set designer Heinz Legler and decorator Veronique Lievre left Los Angeles to purchase a plot of land in Mexico’s remote Bay of Banderas in 1997, they had one idea in mind – to build a home surrounded by nature at their own pace. The couple settled into the lush hilltop, only accessible by boat and mule, and began constructing, responding to the landscape and seasons, preserving as much of the natural environment as possible. It may sound romantic, surrendering to the unknown in the pursuit of artistic dreams, but the reality required dedication and true grit. The idea of a single home evolved into 10 casas embedded into the jungle with spellbinding views of the ocean, many of which are wall-less structures with modern thatched roofs and outdoor showers. Some have a private plunge pool or Japanese-style tea lounge. To stay here is to be immediately transported. Don’t be surprised to find it fully booked for a wedding or creative retreat. People come to Verana to become less distracted and more connected to themselves. To shut out the noise. But that’s not all. With thoughtfully coordinated colour-blocked walls, an outdoor library, vintage objects made by Mexican artisans and a spa to manage any tropical discomfort, the alchemy of inspired design dissolves any pressures from the outside world. Wake up to tea and freshly baked bread left on the doorstep, spend dreamy hours whale-watching and fall asleep to the sound of wind gently swishing trees back and forth. In one of the most beautiful parts of Mexico, the real luxury is space to just be. Jade Moyano
Octavia Casa, Mexico City
Fashion designer Roberta Maceda has crafted this seven-room retreat in the chi-chi area of La Condesa as a minimalist extension of her Octavia clothing line. On the ground floor, next to a breezy seating area with bamboo stools grouped around a concrete table by interior firm Habitación 116, there’s a shoppable bronze rail of her pieces that may include white button-up shirts or a black-and-white snakeskin ensemble. Upstairs, rooms are also decorated in neutral tones and each is named after a natural material, from walnut (nogal) and linen (lino) to earth (tierra) and bronze (bronce). The softest bedding comes from Octavia’s new homeware line, while the rest of the studied hangout spaces showcase other Mexican makers with blown-glass cups by Onora and cream-coloured vases from ceramics studio Encrudo filled with dried magnolia leaves. There’s no restaurant, but breakfast is brought in from a nearby bakery – conchas (sweet pastries) are served with homemade hibiscus-and-ginger jam and eaten in the meditative pebble-floored garden under a guava tree. In the evenings it’s a short stroll to local favourites such as Italian restaurant Lardo and natural-wine bar Hugo. This is a meticulously designed gateway to Mexico City’s coolest scene. Michaela Trimble
Rupert PeaceOne&Only Mandarina, Puerto Vallarta
This glossy, globetrotting hotel group might pick up new destinations as if they were passport stamps – classics include the Maldives, Mauritius and Montenegro – but each is uniquely rooted in place. Here, along the Riviera Nayarit on the wild Pacific coast, that means drawing deeply on Mexico’s magic, with considered references to the indigenous Cora and Huichol people. Bedrooms, whether oversized treehouses or ocean-facing villas, are a celebration of local culture from the traditional textiles and pottery to the robes by contemporary Mexico-based label Candor. The spa, set in a natural volcanic-rock garden, is based on ancient healing practices and offers treatments including temazcal sweat-lodge rituals. The fantastical kids’ club was designed by Academy Award-winning art director Brigitte Broch, whose wonderland sets have been seen in Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet. The hotel has also tapped the country’s top chef, Enrique Olvera – of Mexico City’s Pujol, currently ranked the 12th-best restaurant in the world – for Carao, where feasts begin with fresh ceviche and end on homemade cinnamon buñuelos. Meanwhile Alma, an open-air, garden-to-plate joint helmed by French-Mexican Olivier Deboise, is centred around wood-fired, Pan-American-meets-Mediterranean dishes. A serious step up from the surf shacks down the road in Sayulita and San Pancho. Micahela Trimble
- Style & CultureThe best exhibitions in London for May
Undine PröhlEscondido Oaxaca, Oaxaca City
The region’s capital has long been celebrated for its ancestral artistry, which homegrown hoteliers Grupo Habita have drawn on in transforming this downtown colonial-era building. Merging old and new, architect Alberto Kalach has added a surprisingly brutalist extension beyond its unassuming russet façade. The initially minimalist-looking rooms – four in the original building and eight in the new tower – are dedicated to Mexican craftsmanship. Each has a bedframe made from ahuehuete wood, a type of cypress that was sacred to the indigenous Zapotec culture and even featured in its creation myth, with locally woven olive blankets matching the elemental style. Italian chef Mario Petterino serves up traditional dishes from his home region of Piedmont such as handmade ravioli; afterwards sip on a mezcal nightcap in the library-like Culture Room. Escondido is within walking distance of all the city’s hits, from Enrique Olvera’s famed restaurant Criollo to the main plaza with its Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán and the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, the latter connecting the past and present – much like the hotel itself. Micahela Trimble
Sergio Alejandro Lopez JimenezCirculo Mexicano, Mexico City
Homegrown hoteliers Grupo Habita have got creating the country’s coolest boutique spots down to a fine art. Their latest opening is no different and deftly switches up the tempo, from the buzzing, market-style ground floor to the quiet austerity of the Shaker-simple bedrooms. The chilled-out rooftop, with its pool and Japanese soaking tub, has views of central sights including the Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace and Templo Mayor. The group shrewdly tapped renowned chef Gabriela Cámara, of seafood favourite Contramar, for the Itacate del Mar courtyard restaurant, where the menu features standout snacks such as tostadas with tangy tuna and fried calamari topped with shiitake mushrooms. And the dining area is circled by a handful of interesting curated shops: Templo stocks Oaxacan ceramics and Atlawa interiors studio sells resin kitchenware. The building was once home to celebrated 20th-century photographer Manuel Alvarez Bravo, and his black-and-white images line the walls of the public spaces. Meanwhile on the second and third floors, Círculo’s 25 utilitarian-aesthetic bedrooms are fitted out with custom oak pieces by local furniture designers La Metropolitana; most also have their own terrace. A calm, considered hub amid the thrum of historic Mexico City. Micahela Trimble
Paradero Todos Santos, Baja California
Tucked away on a previously unused 5.5-acre plot within a farming community in Baja California Sur’s Todos Santos, Paradero Todos Santos represents the mission of Mexico City-based founders Pablo Carmona and Joshua Kremer to preserve the more than 160 acres of family-owned farms that surround the property. The resort, set in front of a palm-tree oasis about 20 minutes from the beach, is made up of a series of brutalist-inspired structures designed by architects Ruben Valdez and Yashar Yektajo. They took note of the landscape’s sun-baked hues and designed the property in golden shades to blend into the sandy natural surrounds. The buildings’ desert tones also allow the plants in the 100,000-square-foot botanical garden to pop: red sand verbena, Mojave yucca and Shaw’s agave. Though the outdoor spa and half moon-shaped infinity pool make it hard to leave the grounds, it would be a shame to miss out on guided hikes through cactus fields to reach the deserted Las Palmas beach, taco tours of the best local spots in Todos Santos, or private surf lessons. The hotel has custom boards positioned in the open-air living room, an airy sanctuary where guests kick back and relax post-adventure in anticipation of seafood-centric meals prepared by chef Eduardo Ríos, an alum of Enrique Olvera’s Mexico City restaurant Pujol. Shaded by almost 100 palm trees and other endemic plants, at the Ojo de Agua (watering hole) spa treatments happen beneath open-air, palapa-style structures and incorporate traditional sound healing – most end with a visit to the temazcal sweat lodge. Michaela Trimble
Zadun, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, San José del Cabo
The high-stakes Cabo hotel scene has been particularly frenetic in recent years with fresh openings from big-name players including Four Seasons, Montage and Viceroy. Amid the fray, Ritz-Carlton managed to seek out a peaceful 20-acre plot overlooking the indigo Sea of Cortez and, for their fourth Reserve, built this retreat partially into the sand dunes. Those familiar with the other Reserves (in Puerto Rico, Bali and Thailand) will notice similarities – vast living rooms decorated in blue and white textiles, decorative objets (woven leather baskets, painted pottery) made by local artisans and terraces with fire pits for a feel that’s more home than hotel room. And like its sister at Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico, Zadún has a sanctuary-like spa that is central to a stay: here, the showpiece is an earthy temazcal (a traditional ‘healing heat’ hut), as opposed to Dorado’s jungle-shrouded pool. But it’s the staff who are the real standout, remembering favourite breakfast tables and knowing where in the ginormous L-shaped pool – so large you can’t hear splashes in the other end – each swimmer will want that salt-rimmed Margarita served. In this town of elevated hotels, Ritz-Carlton shows that the bar can always be raised. Stephanie Wu
- Style & CultureThe best exhibitions in London for May
Casa Delphine, San Miguel de Allende
This pastel-tinted town has captivated writers and artists including Jack Kerouac and Frida Kahlo since the 1940s. It also bewitched LA jewellery designer Amanda Keidan, who fell so hard for its bohemian vibe that she relocated to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed spot in the Central Highlands and bought an empty hotel. With just five rooms, it hits the right note in this artistic landscape so dominated by big-name players. And unlike other small properties opening in the outskirts, it has one of the more enviable addresses, just a 10-minute stroll from the famous neo-Gothic Parroquia church with its distinctive orange-pink towers soaring above El Jardín. The latter is the social heart of the city where everything – fiesta band practice, football games, lovers meeting on benches shaded by laurel trees – takes place. There are original cantera-stone fireplaces, colourful painted tiles from nearby Dolores Hidalgo and lampshades from printmaker Ri Anderson. Local woodworker Peter Grau crafted the cedar dining table where jalapeño-spiked avocado toast and pastries are laid out each morning. Keidan’s insider knowledge rivals any hotel concierge’s with tips from her favorite restaurants (Terraza 48 for its tamal) and shops (Roma Quince for home goods) to Pilates classes and spa treatments; tarot suppers and chef-led pop-ups double as mini house parties. This feels like a revitalisation of the scene, drawing in a new wave of creatives. Jen Murphy
Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, Baja California Sur
The eastern cape of the Baja California peninsula is like the Cabo of the 1960s, when a trip down to its tip was still largely about dirt roads and drinking tequila in the sun. Just under an hour’s drive from the big hotels that now tightly pack the stretch of coast between hectic Cabo San Lucas and charming San José del Cabo, this cactus-studded landscape appeals to travellers looking for an alternative experience. Set right on the beach, against the backdrop of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains, the Four Seasons is by far the area’s smartest stay (Aman is due to open next door in 2021). Exclusivity is of course a draw – a handful of celebrities from LA are rumoured to have bought villas. But then there’s also a strong outdoor-adventure pull, from snorkelling in nearby Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park, where giant polka-dot whale sharks hunt for plankton, to quad-biking empty sand dunes. While there might not be the bars and restaurants to rival Los Cabos, they’re hardly missed. Toes-in-the-sand El Puesto is the spot for ceviche and Margaritas; for a proper sit-down meal, an outpost of beloved Greek restaurant Estiatorio Milos serves seafood suppers. All 141 rooms are designed to blend into the surrounding desertscape with sliding glass doors that lead to private terraces, as well as views of the Sea of Cortéz. And unlike on the rough, rocky Pacific side of Baja, the waters here are as tranquil as a lake. This Four Seasons arrival has let the secret out of the bag. Jen Murphy
Chable Maroma, Riviera Maya
This may quite possibly be the only hotel anywhere in Mexico that provides the level of wellness travellers now hop on planes for with the country’s trademark sugary beaches. It is a worthy second act from the brand whose resort Chablé, in the jungles of the Yucatán, made waves in the wellness world with its intelligent, stylish approach to holistic health nearly three years ago (that cenote! That spa!). The focus hasn’t shifted at Maroma, but this place does feel remarkably more resort-like than its boutique sibling. With 70 neutral-palette suites, it’s nearly twice as large, and each has its own pool, terrace and palm-shrouded outdoor rain shower. And let’s not forget its access to Riviera Maya’s powdery sands (we definitely missed the surf at Chablé). True to the brand, Maroma’s bright spa remains deeply rooted in Mayan healing traditions (the temazcal ceremony, led by a local healer, is the real deal, requiring a two-hour commitment). While your schedule in the Yucatán is packed with fitness classes and spa sessions, Maroma encourages time spent sipping margaritas by the infinity pool, as any Mexican hotel should. Chef Jorge Vallejo of Mexico City’s top-ranked Quintonil oversees the menus at both outposts, sourcing ingredients from on-site ka’anches (Mayan gardens). Naturally, seafood is the star at Maroma, showcased at the rooftop raw bar and at casual restaurant, Kaban. The tasting-menu-only restaurant Bu’ul is more ambitious – and delicious, in our opinion – than the Yucatán’s fine-dining spot. Regional dishes such as mamey fruit tartare topped with glazed escamoles (surprisingly tasty ant larvae) will challenge and wow your palate. In a world where travellers are increasingly having to choose between the amenities of something big-scale and the consideration of a boutique property, Maroma lets us have both. To find out more see our Chablé Maroma, Riviera Maya hotel review.
Montage, Los Cabos
Cabo has a secret it doesn’t like to reveal: it’s tough to swim at most of its beaches. While dramatically beautiful, this stretch of the Pacific is rough and rowdy with sneaky undertows and crashing beach breaks that keep even lifeguard-strong swimmers landbound. Not a big deal if you’re more of a pool person, but when the honeyed, late-afternoon sunlight hits the cobalt-blue water just so and it looks like a thousand little diamonds are winking, there will be a primordial pull to set down the frosty drink and leap, giddily, greedily, into the sea. The lack of wade-in-worthy property has never stopped hotels from building here, in fact the area is having a boom right now, with big-name openings lined up like relay runners. Which makes it all the more magical when a great hotel has access to a dive-right-in section of sea. Montage Los Cabos, the first international property from the Orange County-based brand, is said unicorn. Located on 39 quiet acres of beachfront between the overdeveloped hotel zones of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, Montage looks out on the serene, divinely swimmable waters of Santa Maria Bay. Just as impressive is the fact that all of the 122 guest rooms, suites and casas (not just top-tier rooms) have ocean views, expansive terraces with daybeds and dining areas, and outdoor showers – just the sort of breezy indoor/outdoor set-up you want on a beach holiday. And in a town where things can go from place-defining to cliché very quickly, Montage gets it right. Interiors have a Mexican 2.0 aesthetic that favours local materials, executed in a sophisticated desert palette (lots of native wood, creamy sandstone, earth-toned woven throws and hanging tapestries), while landscaping embraces native, drought-resistant plants such as agave, flowering desert figs and saguaros. The food at fine-dining Mezcal and casual beachfront Marea is traditional in flavour and ingredients but executed with a light touch and an eye on health (Marea has a separate vegan menu) and seafood – lobster ceviche, scallop tiradito, grilled Baja prawns – is always the way to go. The real treat, though, is to sit by the pool with a book and Michelada, knowing that the Pacific is there waiting when you’re ready for your plunge. Find out more at our Montage Los Cabos, Mexico hotel review.
Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, Tulum
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
The most distinctive part of Hilton’s luxury debut on Mexico’s Riviera Maya is its chameleon-like approach to hospitality. Yes, with its 349 rooms, acres of pools, 11 restaurants, and kids’ and (soon) teens’ clubs, the Conrad is the type of resort whose (large bronze) gates a traveler would be content to pass through only twice: right before check-in and right after checkout. Spiritually, though, it aligns more closely with the smaller-scale properties 30 minutes north in Tulum that seek to connect guests with the surrounding destination. Honoring the Mayan cultures that have occupied this stretch of Caribbean coast for centuries, a traditional sacbe, or “white road”—the name of the ancient roadways Mayans created to travel by moonlight—cuts through the jungled grounds. In the lobby, a soaring art installation takes a cue from Mayan macramé. And at the cenote-inspired spa, a traditional four-hands massage is second only to a jalapeño margarita in the open-air bar as a way to immediately shed any lingering real-life stress remaining after a dip in the sea. Erin Florio
- Style & CultureThe best exhibitions in London for May
Christian HoranFour Seasons Mexico City
Even though this 240-room stay is at the heart of Mexico City, sitting pretty by historic Paseo de la Reforma avenue, you feel like you're worlds away from it all. Perhaps it's because of the Spanish colonial-style designs with its stucco walls and dramatic arches or the fairy light-filled garden courtyard that hides you from the buzz – every room even has a direct view of this oasis. Scattered around it are homegrown boutiques, alongside the three restaurants dishing up Mexican street food, Italian flair and Pacific cuisine. Meanwhile, the pool and gym sit on the rooftop, providing a glimpse of the cityscape just beyond. Zahra Surya Darma