The best hotels in Mexico
The best hotels in Mexico are a celebration of the country’s eclecticism. In Tulum, boutique properties spotlight local artisans; in Mexico City, colourful boltholes centre the action; in Riviera Maya, state-of-the-art MediSpas and glossy resorts overlook the ocean and in Xpu-Ha, family-run guesthouses remain pleasantly undiscovered. In short, you can have a completely different holiday from one spot to the next, and choosing where to stay can feel overwhelming. Consider this your definitive guide to the hotels that will make your getaway well worth the flight time from the UK, and that promises an idyllic retreat to the other side of the world.
Editor's picks
- For luxury: Maroma, A Belmond Hotel
- For couples: Ser Casasandra, Holbox
- For families: One&Only Mandarina, Puerto Vallarta
- For all-inclusive: Naviva Four Seasons, Punta Mita
- For wellness: SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico, Riviera Maya
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.
In this article
Best for luxury: Maroma A Belmond Hotel, Chablé Yucatán, Four Seasons Tamarindo, Hotel Esencia, One&Only Mandarina, Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas
Best for couples: Ser Casasandra, La Valise Mexico City, Kyamaia Puerto Escondido, Soho House Mexico City, Our Habitas Tulum, La Valise Tulum
Best for families: The Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai, The St. Regis Kanai Resort, One&Only Mandarina
Best all inclusive: Naviva Four Seasons
Best for wellness: Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe, Chablé Maroma, SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta MitahotelNaviva Four Seasons, Punta Mita
Best for: all-inclusive
It isn’t the prime beachfront location that sets the adults-only Naviva apart from the dozen other high-end stays that pepper Mexico’s Pacific-fronting Punta Mita peninsula (45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta), although Naviva certainly has one of the area’s loveliest arcs of golden sand. Nor is it the property’s beautifully designed tented bungalows (each is over 1,200 square feet and has an ocean-facing deck). Rather, it’s the less concrete but equally important vibe of the place: deeply, marvelously relaxing. This is in part due to the all-inclusive nature of Naviva, which means you’re not thinking about the cost of that second paloma or how much to tip the bellhop; it’s remarkable how much deeper you can sink into vacation mode when you get rid of these micro-transactions.
The resort’s petite size, just 15 tented bungalows surrounded by 48 forested acres, equals lots of privacy. The absence of typical hotel conceits also adds to the pulse-lowering atmosphere. There’s no formal spa but two private freestanding treatment pods with outdoor soaking tubs, and the restaurant has no fixed hours or set menu: The chef recommends a few dishes, but if you want something else and they have the ingredients, they’ll make it happen. This is next-level luxury indeed. Rebecca Misner
hotelSer Casasandra, Holbox
Best for: couples
Ser Casasandra, a boutique hotel on Quintana Roo’s Holbox that personifies the term barefoot luxury, is run by Sandra Pérez Lozano, a Cuban artist and writer who first came to the Mexican island 25 years ago and quickly fell in love with the laid-back spirit. First built as a family home, it has retained much of that original spirit over the years, albeit with a staff now at your beck and call and a stellar food and beverage program.
The hotel, like the island, is in a constant state of evolution. No two rooms are alike across the property’s 18 keys, and Sandra is happy to keep it that size; any larger and you lose the ability for staff to really get to know each visitor. Her personal touch is evident throughout the property, with art on display made by her and other Latin American artists and a wellness program that goes deeper than massages and facials. Madison Flager
William Jess LairdhotelMaroma, A Belmond Hotel
$$$Best for: luxury
This palm-studded resort has been one of the most beloved destinations on the Riviera Maya since it opened in 1995. But a complete reimagining of the 72-room hotel has given it a renewed edge over its neighbours – without losing any of its soul. Arriving at Maroma involves driving through thick mangroves where spider monkeys swing from the trees (the property sits on 200 acres of jungle) before reaching its signature whitewashed architecture and thatched roofs. The design still leans heavily on the region’s Mayan vernacular – the curved stucco buildings are based on ancient geometric principles – and wider Mexican craftsmanship. In fact, almost every detail of the restoration, overseen by interior designer Tara Bernerd, prioritized Mexican makers and artisans (80 per cent of the property’s furnishings and objects were made in the country), from the hand-painted Saltillo floor tiles and woven wall hangings to the cotton “manta” caftans left in rooms for guests to slip into.
Rooms overlook the palm tree-lined pool, the Caribbean Sea, or both, and feature more of those beautiful tiles, along with whitewashed walls hung with regional textiles. Every detail is designed to keep guests rooted in the Yucatán Peninsula: even the in-room bar, which is far from mini, is stocked with local spirits like pox, a Mayan liquor made of corn, sugarcane, and wheat, and Mayalen Guerrero mezcal in a beautiful bottle. Of the two restaurants on site, the pick is Casa Mayor from Mexican chef Daniel Camacho, which does mind-blowing tomato salads. (The chef also teaches a predictably delicious tortilla-making class.) While the property is spectacular, you shouldn’t miss the chance to explore the surroundings, which include a network of cenotes reached through underground caves. A swim in the pools, bats swooping overhead, is the stuff memories are made of. Lale Arikoglu
hotelChablé Yucatán
Best for: luxury
Because it’s located in the jungle between the colonial city of Mérida and the Maya site of Uxmal, Chablé Yucatán has two distinct personalities, making it unique among luxury resorts in Mexico. The buildings that form the historic two-centuries-old hacienda now house common areas and the gourmet Ixi’im restaurant, and guests sleep in 38 contemporary glass boxes masterfully situated throughout the lush grounds so that each feels remarkably private – your views are of the jungle foliage, not your neighbour.
Each casita has its own pool, but there’s also a larger common one for when you’re feeling social. The resort is home to countless iguanas and diminutive Yucatecan deer, and an astounding variety of birdlife. You’ll feel like you have escaped to a unique Eden, only with gracious service. John Newton
Cesar BejarhotelFour Seasons Tamarindo, Jalisco
Best for: luxury
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. Zahra Surya Darma
Tanveer Badal Photography / TANVEERBADAL.COMhotelHotel Esencia, Tulum
Best for: luxury
This 50-acre estate, with its sprawling guest suites and expansive villas, is perhaps the most private and intimate hotel in the entire region of Riviera Maya, offering a sense of seclusion while also offering immediate access to the white-sand beaches and tucked-away cenotes of the pristine Xpu-Ha cove. Originally built as a private hideaway for an Italian duchess, the estate where Hotel Esencia resides was purchased by the Hollywood producer and entrepreneur Kevin Wendle in 2014, who has since turned the property into the area’s chicest retreat. Beyond the original house, stone footpaths lead to four expansive guest villas staffed with private butlers and an additional 47 suites, each with private terraces and some with their own heated pool and solarium that look to the Caribbean.
After a sunrise yoga class at the property’s two-story, ocean-facing palapa, urbanites on an escape from the city trickle into breakfast with their finest athletic garb intact. When afternoon sets in, guests can usually be found swimming laps in one of the property’s two heated pools or lounging at one of Hotel Esencia’s oceanfront cabanas set along the white-sand shores of Xpu-Ha cove. Supper is served across three restaurants: an omakase, a beef bar, and a Yucatán eatery offering dishes with a Mediterranean flair, from a green gazpacho topped with fresh crab to grilled octopus layered with a creamy garlic mole. Michaela Trimble
Courtesy One&Only MandarinahotelOne&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit
Best for: luxury
Just when you think all beach resorts are made alike, One&Only Mandarina begs to differ. Nestled in the lush hills of Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit – where jaguars skulk in the shadows, colourful birds fly overhead, and the gentle sound of the Pacific urges bone-deep relaxation – One & Only makes it easy to find the big red reset button you’ve been looking for. There’s a traditional temazcal sweat lodge experience at the spa, surfing on a private beach, and even a restaurant that has an Enrique Olvera-designed menu that would draw major crowds in a big city: Carao. Ultimately, though, it’s forgetting about the outside world that is the draw – and promise – of spending a few days here. Megan Spurrell
hotelBanyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe
Best for: wellness
In the vast northern Baja California peninsula, Valle de Guadalupe has long been a favourite for in-the-know West Coast travellers. But now the “Napa of Mexico” has entered the global spotlight thanks to the July 2024 opening of Banyan Group’s wellness hotel Banyan Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe – the first international luxury property in the area. Designed by acclaimed Mexico City-based architect Michel Rojkind, it features 30 earthy pool villas, five restaurants, and a slew of regionally inspired spa treatments. But in true Valle de Guadalupe fashion, the shining star just may be the property’s private winery, Pictograma. Purists may wonder whether a wellness retreat is the right place for a winery. One glass of post-hydrotherapy red will erase any doubts. Annie Daly
Santiago BaravallehotelLa Valise Mexico City
Best for: couples
If you’re the type of traveller that likes to cosplay as a local (and it’s hard not to get swept up in the energy of Mexico City), you’ll feel right at home in La Valise. Hidden inside a colonial townhouse in the Roma neighbourhood, it’s innocuous at first – it took me a couple of attempts to find the entrance – but opens up to a layered treasure trove of rooms, each offering something different for guests, but all allowing visitors to embrace the creativity of CDMX.
Rooms are styled differently, but feel quite European in design – we stayed in the Cilene Suite, which had a bed that quite literally slides out onto the balcony, allowing guests to soak up the sights and sounds of the city in utter privacy. Add on unique extras like the ‘piscinema’ – a room with a small pool and projector where you can float in the water while watching your favourite movie – and the hotel’s on-site café (where guests can enjoy free unlimited coffee) and you’ve got something totally unique, but undoubtedly memorable. Abigail Malbon
Joe Thomas/Four SeasonshotelFour Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas
Best for: luxury
Just when you thought Cabo couldn’t possibly need another top-shelf resort, the Four Seasons opens on a sweep of pristine coastline between the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo and proves you wrong. Of course, it has the requisite Baja building blocks – excellent fish tacos, Pacific views, and a chic pool scene – but what sets it apart is that it stays true to its location and history while feeling thoroughly grounded in the present. Like its updated take on a traditional Mexican village square, including a cobblestone drive and whitewashed buildings but also a buzzy artist-in-resident studio and a gourmet deli with great coffee and regional wines and spirits. Or its excellent Nikkei-inflected restaurant Cayao from Mexican-born chef Richard Sandoval. Or the stunning Tierra Mar spa that marries Indigenous healing modalities with cutting-edge technology. Perhaps Cabo didn’t need just any luxury hotel – it needed this one. Rebecca Misner
hotelChablé Maroma, Riviera Maya
Best for: wellness
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
Onnis LuquehotelKyamaia Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Best for: couples
Opened in spring 2025, Kymaia has a firm handle on what many travellers are looking for: the intersection between luxury and nature. Designed to celebrate and enhance sustainability and cultural heritage, the hotel’s suites have been created from a neutral concrete in pyramid form – for visitors who have come from Mexico City or Oaxaca, they almost resemble the ruins of Teotihuacan or Monte Albán. But no matter how beautiful the manmade suites are, they can’t compete with the nature that surrounds them; opening up onto a vast stretch of coastline and a beach that’s so quiet it almost feels private, Kymaia offers unique Mexican beauty in a place of utter silence. With little to do but relax and enjoy the environment, it’s only a matter of time before guests feel their shoulders drop and their thoughts calm. Abi Malbon
SHA WellnesshotelSHA Wellness Clinic Mexico, Riviera Maya
Best for: wellness
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
FERNANDO MARROQUINhotelSoho House Mexico City
Best for: couples
Mexico’s young, hip crowd of local artists, tastemakers and digital nomads flock to Soho House Mexico city for the pool, food and vibe. But while the property is mostly used for its main purpose – as a members’ club – the four rooms available for hotel guests are a diamond in the property's offering, allowing guests to get the full Soho House experience before heading up to the second floor to bed. Ranging from ‘cosy’ to ‘extra large’, all rooms offer style and comfort for guests, plus classic Soho House hospitality; expect chic touches like bar carts stocked with pre-mixed cocktails, a minibar that’s yours to raid for the duration of your stay and cool design touches throughout. While there’s only a handful of rooms right now, a renovation means the property is set to expand in the coming years, making this a must-see in Mexico City’s cool hotel scene. Abigail Malbon
Nikolas Koenig/The Riviera Maya EDITION at KanaihotelThe Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai
Best for: families
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
Courtesy Jason Dewey/St. Regis KanaihotelThe St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya
Best for: families
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
- Maldives, <a href=https://www.cntraveller.com/"https://www.cntraveller.com/location/mauritius/">Mauritius and <a href=https://www.cntraveller.com/"https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/montenegro-coast-best-destinations/">Montenegro – but each is uniquely rooted in place. Here, along the Riviera Nayarit on the wild <a href=https://www.cntraveller.com/"https://www.cntraveller.com/location/pacific-coast/">Pacific coast</a>, 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 <em>temazcal</em> sweat-lodge rituals.\nThe fantastical kids’ club was designed by Academy Award-winning art director Brigitte Broch, whose wonderland sets have been seen in <em>Moulin Rouge!</em> and <em>Romeo + Juliet</em>. 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 <em>buñuelos</em>. 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 <a href=https://www.cntraveller.com/"https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/day-trips-from-sayulita/">Sayulita and San Pancho. <em>Michaela Trimble</em>","contentType":"photo","credit":"Rupert Peace","segmentedSources":{"sm":[{"height":480,"width":320,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf7c3f902cc2d167b4b9b/master/w_320,c_limit/1hot.jpg"},{"height":960,"width":640,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf7c3f902cc2d167b4b9b/master/w_640,c_limit/1hot.jpg"}],"md":[{"height":960,"width":640,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf7c3f902cc2d167b4b9b/master/w_640,c_limit/1hot.jpg"},{"height":1920,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf7c3f902cc2d167b4b9b/master/w_1280,c_limit/1hot.jpg"}],"lg":[{"height":1536,"width":1024,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf7c3f902cc2d167b4b9b/master/w_1024,c_limit/1hot.jpg"},{"height":3072,"width":2048,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf7c3f902cc2d167b4b9b/master/w_2048,c_limit/1hot.jpg"}],"xl":[{"height":1920,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf7c3f902cc2d167b4b9b/master/w_1280,c_limit/1hot.jpg"}],"xxl":[{"height":1920,"width":1280,"url":"https://media.cntraveller.com/photos/611bf7c3f902cc2d167b4b9b/master/w_1280,c_limit/1hot.jpg"}]}}}" data-testid="GallerySlideWrapper">
Rupert PeaceOne&Only Mandarina, Puerto Vallarta
Best for: families
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. Michaela Trimble
Our Habitas, Tulum
Best for: couples
If your illusions of Tulum include roaming barefoot surrounded by a fog of sage on your way to a full moon beach ritual, Our Habitas will deliver. This is more than a hotel, and it’s bohemian in an elevated way. Canvas-tented rooms and treetop huts are dotted along winding dusty paths and fitted with open-air bathrooms, and there’s a sense of community culminated by the activities on offer: meditation, sound baths, and traditional arts and crafts sessions dedicated to celebrating Mayan culture, to name a few. The indoor restaurant and bar has a Moroccan feel to it. It’s scattered with floor cushions and a DJ booth and serves tagine to the sound of hedonistic beats after dark.
It’s the beach restaurant that really sets this destination apart, though. Fresh, line-caught ceviche, chips with guac that bursts with colour and flavour, and mezcal Margs taste all the more delicious with pure, uninterrupted ocean views and the feeling of silky-soft sand between your toes. Hammocks are dotted everywhere; this is a place to come and stay awhile - perhaps, that is, until the sun dips behind the horizon and the beach fires flare in celebration of, well, anything. The message here is one of gratitude, and there’s even a tent dedicated to the practice. Wake up early to join group yoga in the shala, or creep in solo before sunrise to enjoy a personal practice. Sarah Leigh Bannerman
La Valise, Tulum
Best for: couples
Treehouse living doesn’t come much more luxurious than at La Valise, where stilted rooms are set amidst a jungle of greenery that creates a feeling of complete seclusion. Interiors are pared-back and beautiful. Smooth stone baths are designed to blend into the walls, and wooden four-poster beds are topped with simple white linen. Showers are open-air, which, even in the rain, feels like a wonderful novelty for any city dweller. This is a confident luxury that capitalises on its location. And rightly so, when the setting looks like this. The prime suite is something Instagram dreams are made of; its doors open wide enough for the sprawling super-king bed to roll out onto the balcony so guests can quite literally fall asleep under the stars and wake up to the sunrise.
There’s no reception as such, and the shared space is designed to look like a (rather beautiful) living room in a home instead of a hotel. Here’s where breakfast is served, and tables overlook the private beach just a few steps away. Staff are inconspicuous in a good way – this is a hotel that’s perfect for honeymooners and those who want to retreat into a world far-flung from the ‘everyday’. After a few days of nothingness, wander the stretch of beach that La Valise sits on to choose from a plethora of restaurants and boutiques selling trilby hats, sage sticks and handcrafted jewellery. Sarah Leigh Bannerman
Tanveer Badal Photography / TANVEERBADAL.COMOur Habitas Bacalar,
Best for: couples
A four-hour drive south of heavily touristed Cancún, the discreet Our 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
