6 Best Hotels in Cuernavaca, Side Trips from Mexico City

Set in an affluent, outlying neighborhood, this fashionable adults-only resort is set in a cloistered 1600s Spanish colonial hacienda but has been made over with a minimalist, contemporary Italian flair that extends to its chic bar and restaurant. After treating yourself to a soothing treatment (or several) in the exceptional Maikiki Spa, relax by the angular infinity pool. The staff make every effort to anticipate the needs of guests, many who come to celebrate special occasions. Although expensive, the hotel often offers significantly lower advance-purchase rates and packages that include breakfast and massage.

A colorful history distinguishes this grand hacienda, built in 1529 under the orders of Cortés, now a magnificent oasis of quiet and lush gardens disturbed only by birdcalls, the splashing of a waterfall, and the ringing of a chapel bell. Antiques fill both the public areas and the spacious, beautifully restored guest rooms, which are located both in the main hacienda and several outbuildings. You can bliss out with a treatment in the well-designed spa, which includes a traditional temazcal. Outstanding Mexican food is prepared in an inviting open kitchen close to the pool. The hacienda is about a 40-minute drive southwest of Cuernavaca and an 50-minute drive from Taxco, making it a good base for exploring either place.

Although just a stone's throw from central Cuernavaca's museums, restaurants, and bars, this tastefully understated but quite cushy compound feels completely relaxing, with a fabulous spa, intimate pool, lush gardens, and a destination-worthy restaurant. The minimalist contemporary rooms are done in gray, black, and white palettes with ultra-plush bedding and well-equipped tile bathrooms. Deluxe rooms have balconies and skylights.

Wandering around the gardens and discovering cascades, fountains, abandoned pillars, and sculptures in this 16th-century former sugar mill that once belonged to the famed conquistador makes for an enchanting experience, especially at dusk. Ask for a room in the old part of the building to fully immerse yourself in the flavor of the place. Rooms have traditional Mexican furnishings and lovely patios or balconies. The restaurant is within old fort walls draped with vines—it's like dining inside a ruined castle. Facials, wraps, and massages are available in the plush spa, which also contains a cedar dry sauna.

Set amid the gardens and weekend homes just south of Cuernavaca in exclusive Lomas de Jiutepec, this sustainably designed member of Fiesta Americana's luxury boutique Curamoria brand offers an array of eco-minded amenities to ensure a relaxing stay, including bike rentals, a good restaurant and bar, a conventional pool as well as a unique “biopiscina” natural swimming pond, an aviary, and a butterfly enclosure. Rooms are a bit cookie-cutter in design, but they're modern and comfortable. The 12 acres of grounds are beautifully landscaped and create a true sense of seclusion and serenity, even when the hotel is full. Standard rates don't include the extensive breakfast buffet, but many kinds of packages are offered.

An American expat opened this hacienda-style hotel in the 1950s, and it remains one of the most exclusive lodgings in Cuernavaca, even though its somewhat stodgy personality doesn't appeal to every taste, especially younger travelers. The ample rooms are outfitted with traditional fireplaces, hand-carved bedsteads, hand-painted tiles in the bathrooms, and gilded crafts. The restaurant, with its spectacular open-air terraces and garden inhabited by flamingos, peacocks, parrots, and African cranes, is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon enjoying a leisurely meal. Again, though, the very traditional food is less a reason to dine here than the chance to soak up the splendid scenery.